Diary, October 1665 | Page 8

with 80 sayle, yesterday morning, off of Solebay, coming right
into the bay. God knows what they will and may do to us, we having no
force abroad able to oppose them, but to be sacrificed to them. Here
come Sir W. Rider to me, whom I sent for about the victualling
business also, but he neither will not come into partnership, but desires
to be of the Commission if there be one. Thence back the back way to
my office, where very late, very busy. But most of all when at night
come two waggons from Rochester with more goods from Captain
Cocke; and in houseing them at Mr. Tooker's lodgings come two of the

Custome-house to seize them, and did seize them but I showed them
my 'Transire'. However, after some hot and angry words, we locked
them up, and sealed up the key, and did give it to the constable to keep
till Monday, and so parted. But, Lord! to think how the poor constable
come to me in the dark going home; "Sir," says he, "I have the key, and
if you would have me do any service for you, send for me betimes
to-morrow morning, and I will do what you would have me." Whether
the fellow do this out of kindness or knavery, I cannot tell; but it is
pretty to observe. Talking with him in the high way, come close by the
bearers with a dead corpse of the plague; but, Lord! to see what custom
is, that I am come almost to think nothing of it. So to my lodging, and
there, with Mr. Hater and Will, ending a business of the state of the last
six months' charge of the Navy, which we bring to L1,000,000 and
above, and I think we do not enlarge much in it if anything. So to bed.

8th (Lord's day). Up and, after being trimmed, to the office, whither I
upon a letter from the Duke of Albemarle to me, to order as many ships
forth out of the river as I can presently, to joyne to meet the Dutch;
having ordered all the Captains of the ships in the river to come to me, I
did some business with them, and so to Captain Cocke's to dinner, he
being in the country. But here his brother Solomon was, and, for guests,
myself, Sir G. Smith, and a very fine lady, one Mrs. Penington, and two
more gentlemen. But, both [before] and after dinner, most witty
discourse with this lady, who is a very fine witty lady, one of the best I
ever heard speake, and indifferent handsome. There after dinner an
houre or two, and so to the office, where ended my business with the
Captains; and I think of twenty-two ships we shall make shift to get out
seven. (God helpe us! men being sick, or provisions lacking.) And so to
write letters to Sir Ph. Warwicke, Sir W. Coventry, and Sir G. Carteret
to Court about the last six months' accounts, and sent away by an
express to-night. This day I hear the Pope is dead;--[a false report]--and
one said, that the newes is, that the King of France is stabbed, but that
the former is very true, which will do great things sure, as to the
troubling of that part of the world, the King of Spayne
[Philip IV., King of Spain, who succeeded to the throne in 1621, died
in 1665. He was succeeded by his son Charles II.]
being so lately dead. And one thing more, Sir Martin Noell's lady is

dead with griefe for the death of her husband and nothing else, as they
say, in the world; but it seems nobody can make anything of his estate,
whether he be dead worth anything or no, he having dealt in so many
things, publique and private, as nobody can understand whereabouts his
estate is, which is the fate of these great dealers at everything. So after
my business being done I home to my lodging and to bed,

9th. Up, my head full of business, and called upon also by Sir John
Shaw, to whom I did give a civil answer about our prize goods, that all
his dues as one of the Farmers of the Customes are paid, and showed
him our Transire; with which he was satisfied, and parted, ordering his
servants to see the weight of them. I to the office, and there found an
order for my coming presently to the Duke of Albemarle, and what
should it be, but to tell me, that, if my Lord Sandwich do not come to
towne, he do resolve to go with the fleete to sea himself, the Dutch, as
he thinks, being in the Downes, and