at day with the disproportion of force, and
then we not being able to use one gun of our lower tier, which was a
greater disproportion than the other. Besides, we might very well have
staid in the Downs without fighting, or any where else, till the Prince
could have come up to them; or at least till the weather was fair, that
we might have the benefit of our whole force in the ships that we had.
He says three things must [be] remedied, or else we shall be undone
by this fleete. 1. That we must fight in a line, whereas we fight
promiscuously, to our utter and demonstrable ruine; the Dutch fighting
otherwise; and we, whenever we beat them. 2. We must not desert ships of
our own in distress, as we did, for that makes a captain desperate, and
he will fling away his ship, when there is no hopes left him of succour.
3. That ships, when they are a little shattered, must not take the
liberty to come in of themselves, but refit themselves the best
they can, and stay out--many of our ships coming in with very small
disablenesses. He told me that our very commanders, nay, our very
flag-officers, do stand in need of exercising among themselves, and
discoursing the business of commanding a fleete; he telling me that
even one of our flag-men in the fleete did not know which tacke lost
the wind, or which kept it, in the last engagement. He says it was pure
dismaying and fear that made them all run upon the Galloper, not having
their wits about them; and that it was a miracle they were not all
lost. He much inveighs upon my discoursing of Sir John Lawson's saying
heretofore, that sixty sail would do as much as one hundred; and says
that he was a man of no counsel at all, but had got the confidence to
say as the gallants did, and did propose to himself to make himself
great by them, and saying as they did; but was no man of judgement in
his business, but hath been out in the greatest points that have come
before them. And then in the business of fore-castles, which he did
oppose, all the world sees now the use of them for shelter of men. He
did talk very rationally to me, insomuch that I took more pleasure this
night in hearing him discourse, than I ever did in my life in any thing
that he said. He gone I to the office again, and so after some business
home to supper and to bed.

5th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning busy, then at
noon dined and Mr. Sheply with me, who come to towne the other day. I
lent him 630 in sil