work is undone, or done by hands that understand it not." And Sir W.
Batten told me that he was himself affronted with a woman, in language
of this kind, on Tower Hill publickly yesterday; and we are fain to bear
it, and to keep one at the office door to let no idle people in, for
fear of firing of the office and doing us mischief. The City is troubled
at their being put upon duty: summoned one hour, and discharged two
hours after; and then again summoned two hours after that; to their
great charge as well as trouble. And Pelling, the Potticary, tells me
the world says all over, that less charge than what the kingdom is put
to, of one kind or other, by this business, would have set out all
our great ships. It is said they did in open streets yesterday, at
Westminster, cry, "A Parliament! a Parliament!" and I do believe it will
cost blood to answer for these miscarriages. We do not hear that the
Dutch are come to Gravesend; which is a wonder. But a wonderful thing
it is that to this day we have not one word yet from Bruncker, or Peter
Pett, or J. Minnes, of any thing at Chatham. The people that come hither
to hear how things go, make me ashamed to be found unable to answer
them: for I am left alone here at the office; and the truth is, I am
glad my station is to be here, near my own home and out of danger, yet
in a place of doing the King good service. I have this morning good news
from Gibson; three letters from three several stages, that he was safe
last night as far as Royston, at between nine and ten at night. The
dismay that is upon us all, in the business of the kingdom and Navy at
this day, is not to be expressed otherwise than by the condition the
citizens were in when the City was on fire, nobody knowing which way
to turn themselves, while every thing concurred to greaten the fire; as
here the easterly gale and spring-tides for coming up both rivers, and
enabling them to break the chaine. D. Gawden did tell me yesterday, that
the day before at the Council they were ready to fall together by the
ears at the Council-table, arraigning one another of being guilty of
the counsel that brought us into this misery, by laying up all the great
ships. Mr. Hater tells me at noon that some rude people have been, as
he hears, at my Lord Chancellor's, where they have cut down the trees
before his house and broke his windows; and a gibbet either set up
before or painted upon his gate, and these three words writ: "Three
sights t