ithout any stop, got to
Rochester about ten of the clock, all the way having mighty pleasant
talk of the fate that is over all we do, that it seems as if we were
designed in every thing, by land by sea, to undo ourselves. At the foot
of Rochester bridge, at the landing-place, I met my Lord Bruncker and my
Lord Douglas, and all the officers of the soldiers in the town, waiting
there for the Duke of York, whom they heard was coming thither this day;
by and by comes my Lord Middleton, the first time I remember to have
seen him, well mounted, who had been to meet him, but come back without
him; he seems a fine soldier, and so every body says he is; and a
man, like my Lord Teviott, and indeed most of the Scotch gentry, as I
observe, of few words. After staying here by the water-side and seeing
the boats come up from Chatham, with them that rowed with bandeleeres
about their shoulders, and muskets in their boats, they being the
workmen of the Yard, who have promised to redeem their credit, lost by
their deserting the service when the Dutch were there, my Lord Bruncker
went with Lord Middleton to his inne, the Crowne, to dinner, which I
took unkindly, but he was slightly invited. So I and Creed down by boat
to Chatham-yard (our watermen having their bandeleeres about them all
the way), and to Commissioner Pett's house, where my Lord Bruncker told
me that I should meet with his dinner two dishes of meat, but did not,
but however by the help of Mr. Wiles had some beer and ale brought me,
and a good piece of roast beef from somebody's table, and eat well at
two, and after dinner into the garden to shew Creed, and I must confess
it must needs be thought a sorrowful thing for a man that hath taken so
much pains to make a place neat to lose it as Commissioner Pett must now
this. Thence to see the batteries made; which, indeed, are very fine,
and guns placed so as one would think the River should be very secure.
I was glad, as also it was new to me, to see so many fortifications as I
have of late seen, and so up to the top of the Hill, there to look, and
could see towards Sheerenesse, to spy the Dutch fleete, but could make
[out] none but one vessel, they being all gone. But here I was told,
that, in all the late attempt, there was but one man that they knew
killed on shore: and that was a man that had laid himself upon his
belly upon one of the hills, on the other side of the River, to see the
action; and a bullet come, took the groun