ker's house in Covent-Garden, and, among other
things, it was to acquaint him with my paper of Pursers, and read it to
him, and had his good liking of it. Shewed him Mr. Coventry's sense of
it, which he sent me last post much to my satisfaction. Thence to the
'Change, and there hear to our grief how the plague is encreased
this week from seventy to eighty-nine. We have also great fear of our
Hambrough fleete, of their meeting the Dutch; as also have certain
newes, that by storms Sir Jer. Smith's fleet is scattered, and three
of them come without masts back to Plymouth, which is another very
exceeding great disappointment, and if the victualling ships are
miscarried will tend to the losse of the garrison of Tangier. Thence
home, in my way had the opportunity I longed for, of seeing and saluting
Mrs. Stokes, my little goldsmith's wife in Paternoster Row, and there
bespoke some thing, a silver chafing-dish for warming plates, and so
home to dinner, found my wife busy about making her hangings for her
chamber with the upholster. So I to the office and anon to the Duke of
Albemarle, by coach at night, taking, for saving time, Sir W. Warren
with me, talking of our businesses all the way going and coming, and
there got his reference of my pursers' paper to the Board to consider of
it before he reads it, for he will never understand it I am sure. Here I
saw Sir W. Coventry's kind letter to him concerning my paper, and among
others of his letters, which I saw all, and that is a strange thing,
that whatever is writ to this Duke of Albemarle, all the world may see;
for this very night he did give me Mr. Coventry's letter to read, soon
as it come to his hand, before he had read it himself, and bid me take
out of it what concerned the Navy, and many things there was in it,
which I should not have thought fit for him to have let any body so
suddenly see; but, among other things, find him profess himself to the
Duke a friend into the inquiring further into the business of Prizes,
and advises that it may be publique, for the righting the King, and
satisfying the people and getting the blame to be rightly laid where it
should be, which strikes very hard upon my Lord Sandwich, and troubles
me to read it. Besides, which vexes me more, I heard the damned Duchesse
again say to twenty gentlemen publiquely in the room, that she would
have Montagu sent once more to sea, before he goes his Embassy, that we
may see whether he will make amends for