re will most heartily return him,
and mark him out for a coxcomb. Povy went down to Mr. Williamson's, and
brought me up this extract out of the Flanders' letters to-day come:
That Admiral Everson, and the Admiral and Vice-Admiral of Freezeland,
with many captains and men, are slain; that De Ruyter is safe, but lost
250 men out of his own ship; but that he is in great disgrace, and Trump
in better favour; that Bankert's ship is burned, himself hardly escaping
with a few men on board De Haes; that fifteen captains are to be tried
the seventh of August; and that the hangman was sent from Flushing to
assist the Council of Warr. How much of this is true, time will shew.
Thence to Westminster Hall and walked an hour with Creed talking of the
late fight, and observing the ridiculous management thereof and success
of the Duke of Albemarle. Thence parted and to Mrs. Martin's lodgings,
and sat with her a while, and then by water home, all the way reading
the Narrative of the late fight in order, it may be, to the making some
marginal notes upon it. At the Old Swan found my Betty Michell at the
doore, where I staid talking with her a pretty while, it being dusky,
and kissed her and so away home and writ my letters, and then home to
supper, where the brother and Mary Batelier are still and Mercer's two
sisters. They have spent the time dancing this afternoon, and we were
very merry, and then after supper into the garden and there walked, and
then home with them and then back again, my wife and I and the girle,
and sang in the garden and then to bed. Colville was with me this
morning, and to my great joy I could now have all my money in, that I
have in the world. But the times being open again, I thinke it is best
to keepe some of it abroad. Mighty well, and end this month in content
of mind and body. The publique matters looking more safe for the present
than they did, and we having a victory over the Dutch just such as I
could have wished, and as the kingdom was fit to bear, enough to give us
the name of conquerors, and leave us masters of the sea, but without any
such great matters done as should give the Duke of Albemarle any honour
at all, or give him cause to rise to his former insolence.

AUGUST 1666

August 1st. Up betimes to the settling of my last month's accounts, and
I bless God I find them very clear, and that I am worth L5700, the most
that ever my book did yet make out. So prepared to attend the Duke of
Yorke a