have landed on the
Fly, and burned some of their store; but being come in, we spied those
ships, and with our long boats, one by one, fired them, our ships
running all aground, it being so shoal water. We were led to this by, it
seems, a renegado captain of the Hollanders, who found himself ill used
by De Ruyter for his good service, and so come over to us, and hath done
us good service; so that now we trust him, and he himself did go on this
expedition. The service is very great, and our joys as great for it. All
this will make the Duke of Albemarle in repute again, I doubt, though
there is nothing of his in this. But, Lord! to see what successe
do, whether with or without reason, and making a man seem wise,
notwithstanding never so late demonstration of the profoundest folly in
the world. Thence walked over the Parke with Sir W. Coventry, in our way
talking of the unhappy state of our office; and I took an opportunity to
let him know, that though the backwardnesses of all our matters of the
office may be well imputed to the known want of money, yet, perhaps,
there might be personal and particular failings; and that I did,
therefore, depend still upon his promise of telling me whenever he
finds any ground to believe any defect or neglect on my part, which he
promised me still to do; and that there was none he saw, nor, indeed,
says he, is there room now-a-days to find fault with any particular man,
while we are in this condition for money. This, methought, did not so
well please me; but, however, I am glad I have said this, thereby giving
myself good grounds to believe that at this time he did not want an
occasion to have said what he pleased to me, if he had had anything in
his mind, which by his late distance and silence I have feared. But then
again I am to consider he is grown a very great man, much greater than
he was, and so must keep more distance; and, next, that the condition of
our office will not afford me occasion of shewing myself so active
and deserving as heretofore; and, lastly, the muchness of his business
cannot suffer him to mind it, or give him leisure to reflect on
anything, or shew the freedom and kindnesse that he used to do. But I
think I have done something considerable to my satisfaction in doing
this; and that if I do but my duty remarkably from this time forward,
and not neglect it, as I have of late done, and minded my pleasures, I
may be as well as ever I was. Thence to the Exchequer, but d