ells me that he will secure us against
Cave, that though he knows, and can prove it, yet nobody else can
prove it, to be Tom's child; that the bond was made by one Hudson, a
scrivener, next to the Fountaine taverne, in the Old Bayly; that the
children were born, and christened, and entered in the parish-book of
St. Sepulchre's, by the name of Anne and Elizabeth Taylor and he will
give us security against Cave if we pay him the money. And then up to
the Duke, and was with him giving him an account how matters go, and
of the necessity there is of a power to presse seamen, without which we
cannot really raise men for this fleete of twelve sayle, besides that it
will assert the King's power of pressing, which at present is somewhat
doubted, and will make the Dutch believe that we are in earnest. Thence
by water to the office, where we sat till almost two o'clock. This
morning Captain Ferrer came to the office to tell me that my Lord hath
given him a promise of Young's place in the Wardrobe, and hearing that I
pretend a promise to it he comes to ask my consent, which I denied him,
and told him my Lord may do what he pleases with his promise to me, but
my father's condition is not so as that I should let it go if my Lord
will stand to his word, and so I sent him going, myself being troubled
a little at it. After office I with Mr. Coventry by water to St. James's
and dined with him, and had excellent discourse from him. So to the
Committee for Tangier all afternoon, where still the same confused
doings, and my Lord Fitz-Harding now added to the Committee; which will
signify much. It grieves me to see how brokenly things are ordered. So
by coach home, and at my office late, and so to supper and to bed, my
body by plenty of breaking of wind being just now pretty well again,
having had a constant akeing in my back these 5 or 6 days. Mr. Coventry
discoursing this noon about Sir W. Batten (what a sad fellow he is!)
told me how the King told him the other day how Sir W. Batten, being
in the ship with him and Prince Rupert when they expected to fight with
Warwick, did walk up and down sweating with a napkin under his throat to
dry up his sweat; and that Prince Rupert being a most jealous man, and
particularly of Batten, do walk up and down swearing bloodily to the
King, that Batten had a mind to betray them to-day, and that the napkin
was a signal; "but, by God," says he, "if things go ill, the first thing
I will do is to shoot him." H