Diary, June 1667 | Page 8

was given over
long since by the Doctors, is now likely to recover; for which God be
praised! To Sir W. Coventry, and there talked with him a great while;
and mighty glad I was of my good fortune to visit him, for it keeps in
my acquaintance with him, and the world sees it, and reckons my
interest accordingly. In comes my Lord Barkeley, who is going down
to Harwich also to look after the militia there: and there is also the
Duke of Monmouth, and with him a great many young Hectors, the
Lord Chesterfield, my Lord Mandeville, and others: but to little
purpose, I fear, but to debauch the country women thereabouts. My
Lord Barkeley wanting some maps, and Sir W. Coventry
recommending the six maps of England that are bound up for the
pocket, I did offer to present my Lord with them, which he accepted:
and so I will send them him. Thence to White Hall, and there to the
Chapel, where I met Creed, and he and I staid to hear who preached,
which was a man who begun dully, and so we away by water and
landed in Southwarke, and to a church in the street where we take water
beyond the bridge, which was so full and the weather hot that we could
not stand there. So to my house, where we find my father and wife at
dinner, and after dinner Creed and I by water to White Hall, and there
we parted, and I to Sir G. Carteret's, where, he busy, I up into the house,
and there met with a gentleman, Captain Aldrige, that belongs to my
Lord Barkeley, and I did give him the book of maps for my Lord, and

so I to Westminster Church and there staid a good while, and saw Betty
Michell there. So away thence, and after church time to Mrs. Martin's,
and then hazer what I would with her, and then took boat and up, all
alone, a most excellent evening, as high as Barne Elmes, and there took
a turn; and then to my boat again, and home, reading and making an
end of the book I lately bought a merry satyr called "The Visions,"
translated from Spanish by L'Estrange, wherein there are many very
pretty things; but the translation is, as to the rendering it into English
expression, the best that ever I saw, it being impossible almost to
conceive that it should be a translation. Being come home I find an
order come for the getting some fire-ships presently to annoy the Dutch,
who are in the King's Channel, and expected up higher. So [Sir] W.
Batten and [Sir] W. Pen being come this evening from their country
houses to town we did issue orders about it, and then home to supper
and, to bed,

10th. Up; and news brought us that, the Dutch are come up as high as
the Nore; and more pressing orders for fireships. W. Batten, W. Pen,
and I to St. James's; where the Duke of York gone this morning betimes,
to send away some men down to Chatham. So we three to White Hall,
and met Sir W. Coventry, who presses all that is possible for fire-ships.
So we three to the office presently; and thither comes Sir Fretcheville
Hollis, who is to command them all in some exploits he is to do with
them on the enemy in the River. So we all down to Deptford, and
pitched upon ships and set men at work: but, Lord! to see how
backwardly things move at this pinch, notwithstanding that, by the
enemy's being now come up as high as almost the Hope, Sir J. Minnes,
who has gone down to pay some ships there, hath sent up the money;
and so we are possessed of money to do what we will with. Yet partly
ourselves, being used to be idle and in despair, and partly people that
have been used to be deceived by us as to money, won't believe us; and
we know not, though we have it, how almost to promise it; and our
wants such, and men out of the way, that it is an admirable thing to
consider how much the King suffers, and how necessary it is in a State
to keep the King's service always in a good posture and credit. Here I
eat a bit, and then in the afternoon took boat and down to Greenwich,

where I find the stairs full of people, there being a great riding
[It was an ancient custom in Berkshire, when a man had beaten his wife,
for the neighbours to parade in front of his house, for the purpose of
serenading him with kettles, and horns and hand-bells, and every