d. Rose about 9 o'clock
and then to the office, where sitting all the morning. At noon to the
'Change, to the Coffee-house; and there heard Sir Richard Ford tell the
whole story of our defeat at Guinny. Wherein our men are guilty of the
most horrid cowardice and perfidiousness, as he says and tells it, that
ever Englishmen were. Captain Raynolds, that was the only commander of
any of the King's ships there, was shot at by De Ruyter, with a bloody
flag flying. He, instead of opposing (which, indeed, had been to no
purpose, but only to maintain honour), did poorly go on board himself,
to ask what De Ruyter would have; and so yielded to whatever Ruyter
would desire. The King and Duke are highly vexed at it, it seems, and
the business deserves it. Thence home to dinner, and then abroad to buy
some things, and among others to my bookseller's, and there saw several
books I spoke for, which are finely bound and good books to my great
content. So home and to my office, where late. This evening I being
informed did look and saw the Comet, which is now, whether worn away
or no I know not, but appears not with a tail, but only is larger and
duller than any other star, and is come to rise betimes, and to make a
great arch, and is gone quite to a new place in the heavens than it was
before: but I hope in a clearer night something more will be seen. So
home to bed.

25th (Lord's day and Christmas day). Up (my wife's eye being ill still
of the blow I did in a passion give her on Monday last) to church alone,
where Mr. Mills, a good sermon. To dinner at home, where very pleasant
with my wife and family. After dinner I to Sir W. Batten's, and there
received so much good usage (as I have of late done) from him and my
Lady, obliging me and my wife, according to promise, to come and dine
with them to-morrow with our neighbours, that I was in pain all the day,
and night too after, to know how to order the business of my wife's not
going, and by discourse receive fresh instances of Sir J. Minnes's
folly in complaining to Sir G. Carteret of Sir W. Batten and me for some
family offences, such as my having of a stopcock to keepe the water from
them, which vexes me, but it would more but that Sir G. Carteret knows
him very well. Thence to the French church, but coming too late I
returned and to Mr. Rawlinson's church, where I heard a good sermon of
one that I remember was at Paul's with me, his name Maggett; and very
great store of fine women th