e us to set out such a
fleete.

16th. Up, after talking with my wife with pleasure, about her learning on
the flageolet a month or two again this winter, and all the rest of the
year her painting, which I do love, and so to the office, where sat all
the morning, and here Lord Anglesey tells us again that a fleete is to be
set out; and that it is generally, he hears, said, that it is but a
Spanish rhodomontado; and that he saying so just now to the Duke of
Albemarle, who come to town last night, after the thing was ordered, he
told him a story of two seamen: one wished all the guns of the ship were
his, and that they were silver; and says the other, "You are a fool, for,
if you can have it for wishing, why do you not wish them gold?"--"So,"
says he, "if a rhodomontado will do any good, why do you not say 100
ships?" And it is true; for the Dutch and French are said to make such
preparations as 50 sail will do no good. At noon home to dinner with my
gang of clerks, in whose society I am mightily pleased, and mightily with
Mr. Gibson's talking;

[Richard Gibson, so frequently noticed by Pepys, was a clerk in the
Navy Office. His collection of papers relating to the navy of
England A.D. 1650-1702, compiled, as he states, from the Admiralty
books in the Navy Office, are in the British Museum.--B.]

he telling me so many good stories relating to the warr and practices of
commanders, which I will find a time to recollect; and he will be an
admirable help to my writing a history of the Navy, if ever I do. So to
the office, where busy all the afternoon and evening, and then home. My
work this night with my clerks till midnight at the office was to examine
my list of ships I am making for myself and their dimensions, and to see
how it agrees or differs from other lists, and I do find so great a
difference between them all that I am at a loss which to take, and
therefore think mine to be as much depended upon as any I can make out of
them all. So little care there has been to this day to know or keep any
history of the Navy.

17th. Up, and by coach to White Hall to attend the Council there, and
here I met first by Mr. Castle the shipwright, whom I met there, and then
from the whole house the discourse of the duell yesterday between the Duke
of Buckingham, Holmes, and one Jenkins, on one side, and my Lord of
Shrewsbury, Sir John Talbot, and one Bernard Howard, on the other side:
and all about my Lady