uld have me not to refrain to
come to him. This news I confess did much trouble me, but when I did
hear how he is come to himself, and hath wholly left Chelsy, and the
slut, and that I see he do follow his business, and becomes in better
repute than before, I am rejoiced to see it, though it do cost me some
disfavour for a time, for if not his good nature and ingenuity, yet I
believe his memory will not bear it always in his mind. But it is my
comfort that this is the thing that after so many years good service
that has made him my enemy. Thence to the King's Head ordinary, and
there dined among a company of fine gentlemen; some of them discoursed
of the King of France's greatness, and how he is come to make the
Princes of the Blood to take place of all foreign Embassadors, which it
seems is granted by them of Venice and other States, and expected from
my Lord. Hollis, our King's Embassador there; and that either upon that
score or something else he hath not had his entry yet in Paris, but hath
received several affronts, and among others his harnesse cut, and his
gentlemen of his horse killed, which will breed bad blood if true. They
say also that the King of France hath hired threescore ships of Holland,
and forty of the Swede, but nobody knows what to do; but some great
designs he hath on foot against the next year. Thence by coach home
and to my office, where I spent all the evening till night with Captain
Taylor discoursing about keeping of masts, and when he was gone, with
Sir W. Warren, who did give me excellent discourse about the same thing,
which I have committed to paper, and then fell to other talk of his
being at Chatham lately and there discoursing of his masts. Commissioner
Pett did let fall several scurvy words concerning my pretending to know
masts as well as any body, which I know proceeds ever since I told him I
could measure a piece of timber as well as anybody employed by the King.
But, however, I shall remember him for a black sheep again a good while,
with all his fair words to me, and perhaps may let him know that my
ignorance does the King as much good as all his knowledge, which would
do more it is true if it were well used. Then we fell to talk of Sir
J. Minnes's and Sir W. Batten's burning of Oliver's head, while he was
there; which was done with so much insulting and folly as I never heard
of, and had the Trayned Band of Rochester to come to the solemnity,
which when all comes to all, Commissio