e Excise office
about business, and then homewards met Colvill, who tells me he hath L1000
ready for me upon a tally; which pleases me, and yet I know not now what
to do with it, having already as much money as is fit for me to have in
the house, but I will have it. I did also meet Alderman Backewell, who
tells me of the hard usage he now finds from Mr. Fen, in not getting him a
bill or two paid, now that he can be no more usefull to him; telling me
that what by his being abroad and Shaw's death he hath lost the ball, but
that he doubts not to come to give a kicke at it still, and then he shall
be wiser and keepe it while he hath it. But he says he hath a good
master, the King, who will not suffer him to be undone, as otherwise he
must have been, and I believe him. So home and to dinner, where I
confess, reflecting upon the ease and plenty that I live in, of money,
goods, servants, honour, every thing, I could not but with hearty thanks
to Almighty God ejaculate my thanks to Him while I was at dinner, to
myself. After dinner to the office and there till five or six o'clock,
and then by coach to St. James's and there with Sir W. Coventry and Sir G.
Downing to take the gyre in the Parke. All full of expectation of the
fleete's engagement, but it is not yet. Sir W. Coventry says they are
eighty-nine men-of-warr, but one fifth-rate, and that, the Sweepstakes,
which carries forty guns. They are most infinitely manned. He tells me
the Loyall London, Sir J. Smith (which, by the way, he commends to be
the-best ship in the world, large and small), hath above eight hundred
men; and moreover takes notice, which is worth notice, that the fleete
hath lane now near fourteen days without any demand for a farthingworth of
any thing of any kind, but only to get men. He also observes, that with
this excesse of men, nevertheless, they have thought fit to leave behind
them sixteen ships, which they have robbed of their men, which certainly
might have been manned, and they been serviceable in the fight, and yet
the fleete well-manned, according to the excesse of supernumeraries, which
we hear they have. At least two or three of them might have been left
manned, and sent away with the Gottenburgh ships. They conclude this to
be much the best fleete, for force of guns, greatnesse and number of ships
and men, that ever England did see; being, as Sir W. Coventry reckons,
besides those left behind, eighty-nine men of warr and twenty fire