his
afternoon, which vexes me also; our business looking worse and worse, and
our worke growing on our hands. Time spending, and no money to set
anything in hand with; the end thereof must be speedy ruine. The Dutch
insult and have taken off Bruant's head,

[Captain Du Buat, a Frenchman in the Dutch service, plotted with two
magistrates of Rotterdam to obtain a peace with England as the
readiest means of pressing the elevation of the Prince of Orange to
the office of Captain-General. He was brought before the Supreme
Court of Holland, condemned, and executed. He had been one of the
household of the Prince of Orange who were dismissed by De Witt.]

which they have not dared to do (though found guilty of the fault he did
die for, of something of the Prince of Orange's faction) till just now,
which speaks more confidence in our being worse than before. Alderman
Maynell, I hear, is dead. Thence returned in the darke by coach all
alone, full of thoughts of the consequences of this ill complexion of
affairs, and how to save myself and the little I have, which if I can do,
I have cause to bless God that I am so well, and shall be well contented
to retreat to Brampton, and spend the rest of my days there. So to my
office, and did some business, and finished my Journall with resolutions,
if God bless me, to apply myself soberly to settle all matters for myself,
and expect the event of all with comfort. So home to supper and to bed.

9th. Up and to the office, where we sat the first day since the fire, I
think. At noon home, and my uncle Thomas was there, and dined with my
brother and I (my father and I were gone abroad), and then to the office
again in the afternoon, and there close all day long, and did much
business. At night to Sir W. Batten, where Sir R. Ford did occasion some
discourse of sending a convoy to the Maderas; and this did put us upon
some new thoughts of sending our privateer thither on merchants' accounts,
which I have more mind to, the profit being certain and occasion honest
withall. So home, and to supper with my father, and then to set my
remainder of my books gilt in order with much pleasure, and so late to
bed.

10th (Fast-day for the fire). Up with Sir W. Batten by water to White
Hall, and anon had a meeting before the Duke of York, where pretty to see
how Sir W. Batten, that carried the surveys of all the fleete with him, to
shew their ill condition to the D