more ships, or providing a pleasure boat for himself, which I am
glad of, and do see, what I thought yesterday, that this resolution of
his was a sudden one and silly. By and by comes Captain Cocke's Jacob
to tell me that he is come from Chatham this morning, and that there
are four waggons of goods at hand coming to towne, which troubles me.
I directed him to bring them to his master's house. But before I could
send him away to bring them thither, newes is brought me that they are
seized on in the towne by this Captain Fisher and they will carry them
to another place. So I to them and found our four waggons in the streete
stopped by the church by this Fisher and company and 100 or 200 people
in the streetes gazing. I did give them good words, and made modest
desires of carrying the goods to Captain Cocke's, but they would have
them to a house of their hiring, where in a barne the goods were laid. I
had transires to show for all, and the tale was right, and there I spent
all the morning seeing this done. At which Fisher was vexed that I would
not let it be done by any body else for the merchant, and that I must
needs be concerned therein, which I did not think fit to owne. So that
being done, I left the goods to be watched by men on their part and
ours, and so to the office by noon, whither by and by comes Captain
Cocke, whom I had with great care sent for by expresse the last night,
and so I with him to his house and there eat a bit, and so by coach to
Lambeth, and I took occasion first to go to the Duke of Albemarle to
acquaint him with some thing of what had been done this morning in
behalf of a friend absent, which did give a good entrance and prevented
their possessing the Duke with anything of evil of me by their report,
and by and by in comes. Captain Cocke and tells his whole story. So an
order was made for the putting him in possession upon giving security
to, be accountable for the goods, which for the present did satisfy us,
and so away, giving Locke that drew the order a piece. (Lord! to see how
unhappily a man may fall into a necessity of bribing people to do him
right in a thing, wherein he hath done nothing but fair, and bought
dear.) So to the office, there to write my letters, and Cocke comes to
tell me that Fisher is come to him, and that he doubts not to cajole
Fisher and his companion and make them friends with drink and a bribe.
This night comes Sir Christopher Mings to towne, and I went to see him,
a