retty seat, and then
back to our inne and bespoke supper, and so back to the fields and into
the Cherry garden, where we had them fresh gathered, and here met with a
young, plain, silly shopkeeper, and his wife, a pretty young woman, the
man's name Hawkins, and I did kiss her, and we talked (and the woman of
the house is a very talking bawdy jade), and eat cherries together, and
then to walk in the fields till it was late, and did kiss her, and I
believe had I had a fit time and place I might have done what I would
with her. Walked back and left them at their house near our inne, and
then to our inne, where, I hear, my Lord Bruncker hath sent for me to
speak with me before I go: so I took his coach, which stands there with
two horses, and to him and to his bedside, where he was in bed, and
hath a watchman with a halbert at his door; and to him, and did talk a
little, and find him a very weak man for this business that he is upon;
and do pity the King's service, that is no better handled, and his folly
to call away Pett before we could have found a better man to have staid
in his stead; so took leave of him, and with Creed back again, it being
now about 10 at night, and to our inne to supper, and then to bed,
being both sleepy, but could get no sheets to our bed, only linen to our
mouths, and so to sleep, merrily talking of Hawkins and his wife, and
troubled that Creed did see so much of my dalliance, though very little.

JULY 1667

July 1st. Up betimes, about 9 o'clock, waked by a damned noise between
a sow gelder and a cow and a dog, nobody after we were up being able to
tell us what it was. After being ready we took coach, and, being very
sleepy, droused most part of the way to Gravesend, and there 'light, and
down to the new batterys, which are like to be very fine, and there did
hear a plain fellow cry out upon the folly of the King's officers above,
to spend so much money in works at Woolwich and Deptford, and sinking of
good ships loaden with goods, when, if half the charge had been laid out
here, it would have secured all that, and this place too, before now.
And I think it is not only true in this, but that the best of the
actions of us all are so silly, that the meanest people begin to see
through them, and contemn them. Besides, says he, they spoil the river
by it. Then informed ourselves where we might have some creame, and they
guided us to one Goody Best's, a little out of the towne towards London
ro