the first
time, the devil being too cunning to discourage a gamester; and he
offered me also to lend me ten pieces to venture; but I did refuse, and
so went away, and took coach and home about 9 or to at night, where not
finding my wife come home, I took the same coach again, and leaving my
watch behind me for fear of robbing, I did go back and to Mrs. Pierces,
thinking they might not have broken up yet, but there I find my wife
newly gone, and not going out of my coach spoke only to Mr. Pierce in
his nightgown in the street, and so away back again home, and there to
supper with my wife and to talk about their dancing and doings at Mrs.
Pierces to-day, and so to bed.

2nd. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes by coach to White Hall, and there
attended the King and the Duke of York in the Duke of York's lodgings,
with the rest of the Officers and many of the Commanders of the fleete,
and some of our master shipwrights, to discourse the business of having
the topmasts of ships made to lower abaft of the mainmast; a business
I understand not, and so can give no good account; but I do see that by
how much greater the Council, and the number of Counsellors is, the more
confused the issue is of their councils; so that little was said to the
purpose regularly, and but little use was made of it, they coming to
a very broken conclusion upon it, to make trial in a ship or two. From
this they fell to other talk about the fleete's fighting this late war,
and how the King's ships have been shattered; though the King said that
the world would not have it that about ten or twenty ships in any fight
did do any service, and that this hath been told so to him himself, by
ignorant people. The Prince, who was there, was mightily surprised
at it, and seemed troubled: but the King told him that it was only
discourse of the world. But Mr. Wren whispered me in the eare, and said
that the Duke of Albemarle had put it into his Narrative for the House,
that not above twenty-five ships fought in the engagement wherein he
was, but that he was advised to leave it out; but this he did write
from sea, I am sure, or words to that effect: and did displease many
commanders, among others, Captain Batts, who the Duke of York said was
a very stout man, all the world knew; and that another was brought into
his ship that had been turned out of his place when he was a boatswain,
not long before, for being a drunkard. This the Prince took notice of,
and would have been a