the bankers. He says he knows nothing of the late affronts to my
Lord Chancellor's house, as is said, nor hears of the Duke of Albemarle's
being made High Constable; but says that they are in great distraction at
White Hall, and that every where people do speak high against Sir W.
Coventry: but he agrees with me, that he is the best Minister of State the
King hath, and so from my heart I believe. At night come home Sir W.
Batten and W. Pen, who only can tell me that they have placed guns at
Woolwich and Deptford, and sunk some ships below Woolwich and Blackewall,
and are in hopes that they will stop the enemy's coming up. But strange
our confusion! that among them that are sunk they have gone and sunk
without consideration "The Franakin,"' one of the King's ships, with
stores to a very considerable value, that hath been long loaden for supply
of the ships; and the new ship at Bristoll, and much wanted there; and
nobody will own that they directed it, but do lay it on Sir W. Rider.
They speak also of another ship, loaden to the value of L80,000, sunk with
the goods in her, or at least was mightily contended for by him, and a
foreign ship, that had the faith of the nation for her security: this Sir
R. Ford tells us: And it is too plain a truth, that both here and at
Chatham the ships that we have sunk have many, and the first of them, been
ships completely fitted for fire-ships at great charge. 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 int