the 'Change, which is full of
people still, and all talk highly of the failure of the Prince in
not making more haste after his instructions did come, and of our
managements here in not giving it sooner and with more care and oftener.
Thence. After supper to bed.

4th. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Pen to White Hall in the
latter's coach, where, when we come, we find the Duke at St. James's,
whither he is lately gone to lodge. So walking through the Parke we saw
hundreds of people listening at the Gravel-pits,--[Kensington]--and to
and again in the Parke to hear the guns, and I saw a letter, dated last
night, from Strowd, Governor of Dover Castle, which says that the Prince
come thither the night before with his fleete, but that for the guns
which we writ that we heard, it is only a mistake for thunder;

[Evelyn was in his garden when he heard the guns, and be at once set
off to Rochester and the coast, but he found that nothing had been
heard at Deal (see his "Diary," June 1st, 1666).]

and so far as to yesterday it is a miraculous thing that we all Friday,
and Saturday and yesterday, did hear every where most plainly the guns
go off, and yet at Deale and Dover to last night they did not hear one
word of a fight, nor think they heard one gun. This, added to what I
have set down before the other day about the Katharine, makes room for
a great dispute in philosophy, how we should hear it and they not, the
same wind that brought it to us being the same that should bring it to
them: but so it is. Major Halsey, however (he was sent down on purpose
to hear newes), did bring newes this morning that he did see the Prince
and his fleete at nine of the clock yesterday morning, four or five
leagues to sea behind the Goodwin, so that by the hearing of the guns
this morning we conclude he is come to the fleete. After wayting upon
the Duke, Sir W. Pen (who was commanded to go to-night by water down to
Harwich, to dispatch away all the ships he can) and I home, drinking
two bottles of Cocke ale in the streete in his new fine coach, where no
sooner come, but newes is brought me of a couple of men come to speak
with me from the fleete; so I down, and who should it be but Mr. Daniel,
all muffled up, and his face as black as the chimney, and covered with
dirt, pitch, and tarr, and powder, and muffled with dirty clouts, and
his right eye stopped with okum. He is come last night at five o'clock
from the fleete, wit