towne), laden with
hempe, flax, tarr, deales, &c. This was good newes; but by and by comes
in Sir G. Carteret, and he asked us with full mouth what we would give
for good newes. Says Sir W. Batten, "I have better than you, for a
wager." They laid sixpence, and we that were by were to give sixpence
to him that told the best newes. So Sir W. Batten told his of the ten or
twelve ships Sir G. Carteret did then tell us that upon the newes of the
burning of the ships and towne the common people a Amsterdam did besiege
De Witt's house, and he was force to flee to the Prince of Orange, who
is gone to Cleve to the marriage of his sister. This we concluded all
the best newest and my Lord Bruncker and myself did give Sir G. Carteret
our sixpence a-piece, which he did give Mr. Smith to give the poor. Thus
we made ourselves mighty merry.

17th. Up and betimes with Captain Erwin down by water to Woolwich, I
walking alone from Greenwich thither, making an end of the "Adventures
of Five Hours," which when all is done is the best play that ever I read
in my life. Being come thither I did some business there and at the Rope
Yarde, and had a piece of bride-cake sent me by Mrs. Barbary into the
boate after me, she being here at her uncle's, with her husband, Mr.
Wood's son, the mast-maker, and mighty nobly married, they say, she
was, very fine, and he very rich, a strange fortune for so odd a looked
mayde, though her hands and body be good, and nature very good, I think.
Back with Captain Erwin, discoursing about the East Indys, where he
hath often been. And among other things he tells me how the King of Syam
seldom goes out without thirty or forty thousand people with him, and
not a word spoke, nor a hum or cough in the whole company to be heard.
He tells me the punishment frequently there for malefactors is cutting
off the crowne of their head, which they do very dexterously, leaving
their brains bare, which kills them presently. He told me what I
remember he hath once done heretofore: that every body is to lie flat
down at the coming by of the King, and nobody to look upon him upon pain
of death. And that he and his fellows, being strangers, were invited to
see the sport of taking of a wild elephant, and they did only kneel, and
look toward the King. Their druggerman did desire them to fall down,
for otherwise he should suffer for their contempt of the King. The
sport being ended, a messenger comes from the King, which the druggerman
th