they say, of a King, which is three stones standing upright, and a
great round one lying on them, of great bigness, although not so big
as those on Salisbury Plain; but certainly it is a thing of great
antiquity, and I mightily glad to see it; it is near to Aylesford,
where Sir John Bankes lives. So homeward, and stopped again at Captain
Allen's, and there 'light, and sent the coach and Gibson home, and I
and Coney staid; and there comes to us Mrs. Jowles, who is a very
fine, proper lady, as most I know, and well dressed. Here was also a
gentleman, one Major Manly, and his wife, neighbours; and here we staid,
and drank, and talked, and set Coney and him to play while Mrs. Jowles
and I to talk, and there had all our old stories up, and there I had
the liberty to salute her often, and pull off her glove, where her hand
mighty moist, and she mighty free in kindness to me, and je do not at
all doubt that I might have had that that I would have desired de elle
had I had time to have carried her to Cobham, as she, upon my proposing
it, was very willing to go, for elle is a whore, that is certain, but
a very brave and comely one. Here was a pretty cozen of hers come in to
supper also, of a great fortune, daughter-in-law to this Manly, mighty
pretty, but had now such a cold, she could not speak. Here mightily
pleased with Mrs. Jowles, and did get her to the street door, and there
to her su breasts, and baiser her without any force, and credo that I
might have had all else, but it was not time nor place. Here staid till
almost twelve at night, and then with a lanthorn from thence walked over
the fields, as dark as pitch, and mighty cold, and snow, to Chatham, and
Mr. Coney with great kindness to me: and there all in bed before I come
home, and so I presently to bed.
25th. Up, and by and by, about eight o'clock, come Rear-Admiral
Kempthorne and seven Captains more, by the Duke of York's order, as we
expected, to hold the Court-martiall about the loss of "The Defyance;"
and so presently we by boat to "The Charles," which lies over against
Upnor Castle, and there we fell to the business; and there I did manage
the business, the Duke of York having, by special order, directed them
to take the assistance of Commissioner Middleton and me, forasmuch as
there might be need of advice in what relates to the government of the
ships in harbour. And so I did lay the law open to them, and rattle the
Master Attendants out of their wits almost;
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