we shall be
in if they do not, and his confidence that the Swede is true to us, but
poor, but would be glad to do us all manner of service in the world.
He gone, I away by water from the Old Swan to White Hall. The waterman
tells me that newes is come that our ship Resolution is burnt, and that
we had sunke four or five of the enemy's ships. When I come to White
Hall I met with Creed, and he tells me the same news, and walking with
him to the Park I to Sir W. Coventry's lodging, and there he showed me
Captain Talbot's letter, wherein he says that the fight begun on the
25th; that our White squadron begun with one of the Dutch squadrons, and
then the Red with another so hot that we put them both to giving way,
and so they continued in pursuit all the day, and as long as he stayed
with them: that the Blue fell to the Zealand squadron; and after a long
dispute, he against two or three great ships, he received eight or
nine dangerous shots, and so come away; and says, he saw the Resolution
burned by one of their fire-ships, and four or five of the enemy's. But
says that two or three of our great ships were in danger of being fired
by our owne fire-ships, which Sir W. Coventry, nor I, cannot understand.
But upon the whole, he and I walked two or three turns in the Parke
under the great trees, and do doubt that this gallant is come away a
little too soon, having lost never a mast nor sayle. And then we did
begin to discourse of the young gentlemen captains, which he was very
free with me in speaking his mind of the unruliness of them; and what
a losse the King hath of his old men, and now of this Hannam, of the
Resolution, if he be dead, and that there is but few old sober men in
the fleete, and if these few of the Flags that are so should die, he
fears some other gentlemen captains will get in, and then what a council
we shall have, God knows. He told me how he is disturbed to hear
the commanders at sea called cowards here on shore, and that he was
yesterday concerned publiquely at a dinner to defend them, against
somebody that said that not above twenty of them fought as they should
do, and indeed it is derived from the Duke of Albemarle himself, who
wrote so to the King and Duke, and that he told them how they fought
four days, two of them with great disadvantage. The Count de Guiche,
who was on board De Ruyter, writing his narrative home in French of the
fight, do lay all the honour that may be upon the English courage abo