me that the Dutch fleete did come all into
the Hope yesterday noon, and held a fight with our ships from thence
till seven at night; that they had burned twelve fire-ships, and we took
one of their's, and burned five of our fire-ships. But then rising and
going to Sir W. Batten, he tells me that we have burned one of their
men-of-war, and another of theirs is blown up: but how true this is, I
know not. But these fellows are mighty bold, and have had the fortune of
the wind easterly this time to bring them up, and prevent our troubling
them with our fire-ships; and, indeed, have had the winds at their
command from the beginning, and now do take the beginning of the spring,
as if they had some great design to do. I to my office, and there hard
at work all the morning, to my great content, abstracting the contract
book into my abstract book, which I have by reason of the war omitted
for above two years, but now am endeavouring to have all my books ready
and perfect against the Parliament comes, that upon examination I may
be in condition to value myself upon my perfect doing of my own duty.
At noon home to dinner, where my wife mighty musty,--[Dull, heavy,
spiritless]--but I took no notice of it, but after dinner to the office,
and there with Mr. Harper did another good piece of work about my late
collection of the accounts of the Navy presented to the Parliament at
their last session, which was left unfinished, and now I have done it
which sets my mind at my ease, and so, having tired myself, I took a
pair of oares about five o'clock, which I made a gally at Redriffe,
and so with very much pleasure down to Gravesend, all the way with
extraordinary content reading of Boyle's Hydrostatickes, which the more
I read and understand, the more I admire, as a most excellent piece of
philosophy; as we come nearer Gravesend, we hear the Dutch fleete and
ours a-firing their guns most distinctly and loud. But before we got to
Gravesend they ceased, and it grew darkish, and so I landed only (and
the flood being come) and went up to the Ship and discoursed with the
landlord of the house, who undeceives me in what I heard this morning
about the Dutch having lost two men-of-war, for it is not so, but
several of their fire-ships. He do say, that this afternoon they did
force our ships to retreat, but that now they are gone down as far as
Shield-haven: but what the event hath been of this evening's guns they
know not, but suppose not much, fo