lly broke by the last defeate with the Dutch, and
this is not my conjecture only, but the real and serious thoughts of Sir
G. Carteret and Sir W. Coventry, whom I have at distinct times heard
the same thing come from with a great deale of grief and trouble. But,
lastly, I am providing against a foule day to get as much money into my
hands as I can, at least out of the publique hands, that so, if a turne,
which I fear, do come, I may have a little to trust to. I pray God give
me good successe in my choice how to dispose of what little I have, that
I may not take it out of publique hands, and put it into worse.

JULY 1666

July 1st (Sunday). Up betimes, and to the office receiving letters, two
or three one after another from Sir W. Coventry, and sent as many to
him, being full of variety of business and hurry, but among the chiefest
is the getting of these pressed men out of the City down the river to
the fleete. While I was hard at it comes Sir W. Pen to towne, which I
little expected, having invited my Lady and her daughter Pegg to dine
with me to-day; which at noon they did, and Sir W. Pen with them:
and pretty merry we were. And though I do not love him, yet I find it
necessary to keep in with him; his good service at Shearnesse in getting
out the fleete being much taken notice of, and reported to the King and
Duke [of York], even from the Prince and Duke of Albemarle themselves,
and made the most of to me and them by Sir W. Coventry: therefore I
think it discretion, great and necessary discretion, to keep in with
him. After dinner to the office again, where busy, and then down to
Deptford to the yard, thinking to have seen Bagwell's wife, whose
husband is gone yesterday back to the fleete, but I did not see her, so
missed what I went for, and so back to the Tower several times, about
the business of the pressed men, and late at it till twelve at night,
shipping of them. But, Lord! how some poor women did cry; and in my life
I never did see such natural expression of passion as I did here in some
women's bewailing themselves, and running to every parcel of men that
were brought, one after another, to look for their husbands, and wept
over every vessel that went off, thinking they might be there, and
looking after the ship as far as ever they could by moone-light, that
it grieved me to the heart to hear them. Besides, to see poor patient
labouring men and housekeepers, leaving poor wives and families,
taking up