ain Ferrer came to the office to tell me that my Lord hath
given him a promise of Young's place in the Wardrobe, and hearing that I
pretend a promise to it he comes to ask my consent, which I denied him,
and told him my Lord may do what he pleases with his promise to me, but
my father's condition is not so as that I should let it go if my Lord
will stand to his word, and so I sent him going, myself being troubled
a little at it. After office I with Mr. Coventry by water to St. James's
and dined with him, and had excellent discourse from him. So to the
Committee for Tangier all afternoon, where still the same confused
doings, and my Lord Fitz-Harding now added to the Committee; which will
signify much. It grieves me to see how brokenly things are ordered. So
by coach home, and at my office late, and so to supper and to bed, my
body by plenty of breaking of wind being just now pretty well again,
having had a constant akeing in my back these 5 or 6 days. Mr. Coventry
discoursing this noon about Sir W. Batten (what a sad fellow he is!)
told me how the King told him the other day how Sir W. Batten, being
in the ship with him and Prince Rupert when they expected to fight with
Warwick, did walk up and down sweating with a napkin under his throat to
dry up his sweat; and that Prince Rupert being a most jealous man, and
particularly of Batten, do walk up and down swearing bloodily to the
King, that Batten had a mind to betray them to-day, and that the napkin
was a signal; "but, by God," says he, "if things go ill, the first thing
I will do is to shoot him." He discoursed largely and bravely to me
concerning the different sort of valours, the active and passive valour.
For the latter, he brought as an instance General Blake; who, in the
defending of Taunton and Lime for the Parliament, did through his
stubborn sort of valour defend it the most 'opiniastrement' that ever
any man did any thing; and yet never was the man that ever made
any attaque by land or sea, but rather avoyded it on all, even fair
occasions. On the other side, Prince Rupert, the boldest attaquer in the
world for personal courage; and yet, in the defending of Bristol, no man
ever did anything worse, he wanting the patience and seasoned head to
consult and advise for defence, and to bear with the evils of a siege.
The like he says is said of my Lord Tiviott, who was the boldest
adventurer of his person in the world, and from a mean man in few years
was come to this