harge. But most
strange the backwardness and disorder of all people, especially the
King's people in pay, to do any work, Sir W. Pen tells me, all crying
out for money; and it was so at Chatham, that this night comes an order
from Sir W. Coventry to stop the pay of the wages of that Yard; the Duke
of Albemarle having related, that not above three of 1100 in pay there
did attend to do any work there. This evening having sent a messenger to
Chatham on purpose, we have received a dull letter from my Lord Bruncker
and Peter Pett, how matters have gone there this week; but not so much,
or so particularly, as we knew it by common talk before, and as true. I
doubt they will be found to have been but slow men in this business;
and they say the Duke of Albemarle did tell my Lord Bruncker to his face
that his discharging of the great ships there was the cause of all this;
and I am told that it is become common talk against my Lord Bruncker.
But in that he is to be justified, for he did it by verbal order from
Sir W. Coventry, and with good intent; and it was to good purpose,
whatever the success be, for the men would have but spent the King so
much the more in wages, and yet not attended on board to have done the
King any service; and as an evidence of that, just now, being the 15th
day in the morning that I am writing yesterday's passages, one is with
me, Jacob Bryan, Purser of "The Princesse," who confesses to me that he
hath about 180 men borne at this day in victuals and wages on that ship
lying at Chatham, being lately brought in thither; of which 180 there
was not above five appeared to do the King any service at this late
business. And this morning also, some of the Cambridge's men come up
from Portsmouth, by order from Sir Fretcheville Hollis, who boasted to
us the other day that he had sent for 50, and would be hanged if 100 did
not come up that would do as much as twice the number of other men: I
say some of them, instead of being at work at Deptford, where they were
intended, do come to the office this morning to demand the payment of
their tickets; for otherwise they would, they said, do no more work; and
are, as I understand from every body that has to do with them, the most
debauched, damning, swearing rogues that ever were in the Navy, just
like their prophane commander. So to Sir W. Batten's to sit and talk
a little, and then home to my flageolet, my heart being at pretty good
ease by a letter from my wife, brought