the owners of six merchant ships, to serve the King as
men-of-war. But, Lord! to see how against the hair it is with these men
and every body to trust us and the King; and how unreasonable it is to
expect they should be willing to lend their ships, and lay out 2 or L300 a
man to fit their ships for new voyages, when we have not paid them half of
what we owe them for their old services! I did write so to Sir W.
Coventry this night. At night my wife and I to walk and talk again about
our gold, which I am not quiet in my mind to be safe, and therefore will
think of some way to remove it, it troubling me very much. So home with
my wife to supper and to bed, miserable hot weather all night it was.

21st. Up and by water to White Hall, there to discourse with [Sir] G.
Carteret and Mr. Fenn about office business. I found them all aground,
and no money to do anything with. Thence homewards, calling at my
Tailor's to bespeak some coloured clothes, and thence to Hercules Pillars,
all alone, and there spent 6d. on myself, and so home and busy all the
morning. At noon to dinner, home, where my wife shows me a letter from
her father, who is going over sea, and this afternoon would take his leave
of her. I sent him by her three Jacobuses in gold, having real pity for
him and her. So I to my office, and there all the afternoon. This day
comes news from Harwich that the Dutch fleete are all in sight, near 100
sail great and small, they think, coming towards them; where, they think,
they shall be able to oppose them; but do cry out of the falling back of
the seamen, few standing by them, and those with much faintness. The like
they write from Portsmouth, and their letters this post are worth reading.
Sir H. Cholmly come to me this day, and tells me the Court is as mad as
ever; and that the night the Dutch burned our ships the King did sup with
my Lady Castlemayne, at the Duchess of Monmouth's, and there were all mad
in hunting of a poor moth. All the Court afraid of a Parliament; but he
thinks nothing can save us but the King's giving up all to a Parliament.
Busy at the office all the afternoon, and did much business to my great
content. In the evening sent for home, and there I find my Lady Pen and
Mrs. Lowther, and Mrs. Turner and my wife eating some victuals, and there
I sat and laughed with them a little, and so to the office again, and in
the evening walked with my wife in the garden, and did give Sir W. Pen at
his lodg