and Duke of York
was advised to send orders for our frigates and fire-ships to come from
Gravesend, soon as ever news come of the Dutch being returned into the
river, wherein no seamen, he believes, was advised with; for, says he,
we might have done just as Warwicke did, when he, W. Batten; come with
the King and the like fleete, in the late wars, into the river: for
Warwicke did not run away from them, but sailed before them when they
sailed, and come to anchor when they come to anchor, and always kept in
a small distance from them: so as to be able to take any opportunity
of any of their ships running aground, or change of wind, or any thing
else, to his advantage. So might we have done with our fire-ships, and
we have lost an opportunity of taking or burning a good ship of their's,
which was run aground about Holehaven, I think he said, with the wind
so as their ships could not get her away; but we might have done what we
would with her, and, it may be, done them mischief, too, with the wind.
This seems very probable, and I believe was not considered.

30th (Lord's day). Up about three o'clock, and Creed and I got ourselves
ready, and took coach at our gate, it being very fine weather, and the
cool of the morning, and with much pleasure, without any stop, got to
Rochester about ten of the clock, all the way having mighty pleasant
talk of the fate that is over all we do, that it seems as if we were
designed in every thing, by land by sea, to undo ourselves. At the foot
of Rochester bridge, at the landing-place, I met my Lord Bruncker and my
Lord Douglas, and all the officers of the soldiers in the town, waiting
there for the Duke of York, whom they heard was coming thither this day;
by and by comes my Lord Middleton, the first time I remember to have
seen him, well mounted, who had been to meet him, but come back without
him; he seems a fine soldier, and so every body says he is; and a
man, like my Lord Teviott, and indeed most of the Scotch gentry, as I
observe, of few words. After staying here by the water-side and seeing
the boats come up from Chatham, with them that rowed with bandeleeres
about their shoulders, and muskets in their boats, they being the
workmen of the Yard, who have promised to redeem their credit, lost by
their deserting the service when the Dutch were there, my Lord Bruncker
went with Lord Middleton to his inne, the Crowne, to dinner, which I
took unkindly, but he was slightly invited. So I and C