heart full of content to bed. Newes
come yesterday from Harwich, that the Dutch had appeared upon our coast
with their fleete, and we believe did go to the Gun-fleete, and they
are supposed to be there now; but I have heard nothing of them to-day.
Yesterday Dr. Whistler, at Sir W. Pen's, told me that Alexander Broome,
a the great song-maker, is lately dead.

4th. Up, and visited very betimes by Mr. Sheply, who is come to town
upon business from Hinchingbrooke, where he left all well. I out and
walked along with him as far as Fleet Streete, it being a fast day, the
usual fast day for the plague, and few coaches to be had. Thanks be to
God, the plague is, as I hear, encreased but two this week; but in
the country in several places it rages mightily, and particularly
in Colchester, where it hath long been, and is believed will quite
depopulate the place. To St. James's, and there did our usual business
with the Duke, all of us, among other things, discoursing about the
places where to build ten great ships; the King and Council have
resolved on none to be under third-rates; but it is impossible to do it,
unless we have more money towards the doing it than yet we have in any
view. But, however, the shew must be made to the world. Thence to my
Lord Bellasses to take my leave of him, he being going down to the North
to look after the Militia there, for fear of an invasion. Thence home
and dined, and then to the office, where busy all day, and in the
evening Sir W. Pen come to me, and we walked together, and talked of the
late fight. I find him very plain, that the whole conduct of the late
fight was ill, and that that of truth's all, and he tells me that it is
not he, but two-thirds of the commanders of the whole fleete have told
him so: they all saying, that they durst not oppose it at the Council
of War, for fear of being called cowards, though it was wholly against
their judgement to fight that day with the disproportion of force, and
then we not being able to use one gun of our lower tier, which was a
greater disproportion than the other. Besides, we might very well have
staid in the Downs without fighting, or any where else, till the Prince
could have come up to them; or at least till the weather was fair, that
we might have the benefit of our whole force in the ships that we had.
He says three things must [be] remedied, or else we shall be undone
by this fleete. 1. That we must fight in a line, whereas we fight
promiscu