the diary of samuel pepys-第108节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



19th。　　I　to　Sir　G。　Carteret's　by　appointment；　where　I　perceive　by　him　the　King　is　going　to　borrow　some　money　of　the　City；　but　I　fear　it　will　do　no　good；　but　hurt。　　He　tells　me　how　the　Generall　is　displeased；　and　there　have　been　some　high　words　between　the　Generall　and　Sir　W。　Coventry。　　And　it　may　be　so；　for　I　do　not　find　Sir　W。　Coventry　so　highly　commending　the　Duke　as　he　used　to　be；　but　letting　fall　now　and　then　some　little　jerkes：　　as　this　day；　speaking　of　news　from　Holland；　he　says；　〃I　find　their　victory　begins　to　shrinke　there　as　well　as　ours　here。〃　　Here　I　met　with　Captain　Cocke；　and　he　tells　me　that　the　first　thing　the　Prince　said　to　the　King　upon　his　coming　was；　complaining　of　the　Commissioners　of　the　Navy：　　that　they　could　have　been　abroad　in　three　or　four　days　but　for　us；　that　we　do　not　take　care　of　them：　which　I　am　troubled　at；　and　do　fear　may　in　violence　break　out　upon　this　office　some　time　or　other；　for　we　shall　not　be　able　to　carry　on　the　business。

21st。　　Up；　and　at　the　office　all　the　morning；　where　by　several　circumstances　I　find　Sir　W。　Coventry　and　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　do　not　agree　as　they　used　to　do；　Sir　W。　Coventry　commending　Aylett；　（in　some　reproach　to　the　Duke）；　whom　the　Duke　hath　put　out　for　want　of　courage；　and　found　fault　with　Steward；　whom　the　Duke　keeps　in；　though　as　much　in　fault　as　any　commander　in　the　fleet。　Sir　George　Smith　tells　me　that　this　day　my　Lord　Chancellor　and　some　of　the　Court　have　been　with　the　City；　and　that　the　City　have　voted　to　lend　the　King　100；000l。；　which；　if　soon　paid；　（as　he　says　he　believes　it　will；）　will　be　a　greater　service　than　I　did　ever　expect　at　this　time　from　the　City。

23rd。　　Reading　Pompey　the　Great；　（a　play　translated　from　the　French　by　several　noble　persons；　among　others；　my　Lord　Buckhurst；）　that　to　me　is　but　a　mean　play；　and　the　words　and　sense　not　very　extraordinary。　　From　Deptford　I　walked　to　Redriffe；　and　in　my　way　was　overtaken　by　Bagwell；　lately　come　from　sea　in　the　Providence；　who　did　give　me　an　account　of　several　particulars　in　the　late　fight；　and　how　his　ship　was　deserted　basely　by　the　York；　Captain　Swanly；　commander。

24th。　　In　the　gallery　among　others　met　with　Major　Halsey；　a　great　creature　of　the　Duke　of　Albemarle's：　　who　tells　me　that　the　Duke　by　name　hath　said　that　he　expected　to　have　the　work　here　up　in　the　River　done；　having　left　Sir　W。　Batten　and　Mr。　Phipps　there。　He　says　that　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　do　say　that　this　is　a　victory　we　have　had；　having；　as　he　was　sure；　killed　them　8000　men；　and　sunk　about　fourteen　of　their　ships；　but　nothing　like　this　appears　true。　　He　lays　much　of　the　little　success　we　have　had；　however；　upon　the　fleet's　being　divided　by　order　from　above；　and　the　want　of　spirit　in　the　commanders；　and　that　he　was　commanded　by　order　to　go　out　of　the　Downes　to　the　Gunfleete；　and　in　the　way　meeting　the　Dutch　fleet；　what　should　he　do？　　should　he　not　fight　them？　especially　having　beat　them　heretofore　at　as　great　disadvantage。　He　tells　me　further；　that　having　been　downe　with　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　he　finds　that　Holmes　and　Spragge　do　govern　most　business　of　the　Navy；　and　by　others　I　understand　that　Sir　Thomas　Allen　is　offended　thereat：　　that　he　is　not　so　much　advised　with　as　he　ought　to　be。　　He　tells　me　also；　as　he　says　of　his　own　knowledge；　that　several　people　before　the　Duke　went　out　did　offer　to　supply　the　King　with　100；000l。　provided　he　would　be　treasurer　of　it；　to　see　it　laid　out　for　the　Navy；　which　he　refused；　and　so　it　died。　　But　I　believe　none　of　this。　　This　day　I　saw　my　Lady　Falmouth；　＇Elizabeth；　daughter　of　Hervey　Bagot；　Esq。；　and　widow　of　Charles　Berkeley；　Earl　of　Falmouth；　married　secondly；　Charles　first　Duke　of　Dorset。　　She　had　been　Maid　of　Honour　to　the　Duchess　of　York。＇　　with　whom　I　remember　now　I　have　dined　at　my　Lord　Barkeley's　heretofore；　a　pretty　woman：　　she　was　now　in　her　second　or　third　mourning；　and　pleasant　in　her　looks。　　By　and　by　the　Council　rises；　and　Sir　W。　Coventry　come　out；　and　he　and　I　went　aside；　and　discoursed　of　much　business　of　the　Navy；　and　afterwards　took　his　coach；　and　to　Hide…Parke；　he　and　I　alone：　there　we　had　much　talk。　　First；　he　stated　a　discourse　of　a　talk　he　hears　about　the　town；　which；　says　he；　is　a　very　bad　one；　and　fit　to　be　suppressed；　if　we　knew　how：　　which　is；　the　comparing　of　the　success　of　the　last　year　with　that　of　this；　saying　that　that　was　good；　and　that　bad。　　I　was　as　sparing　in　speaking　as　I　could；　being　jealous　of　him　and　myself　also；　but　wished　it　could　be　stopped；　but　said　I　doubted　it　could　not　otherwise　than　by　the　fleet's　being　abroad　again；　and　so　finding　other　work　for　men's　minds　and　discourse。　　Then　to　discourse　of　himself；　saying；　that　he　heard　that　he　was　under　the　lash　of　people's　discourse　about　the　Prince's　not　having　notice　of　the　Dutch　being　out；　and　for　him　to　come　back　again；　nor　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　notice　that　the　Prince　was　sent　for　back　again：　　to　which　he　told　me　very　particularly　how　careful　he　was　the　very　same　night　that　it　was　resolved　to　send　for　the　Prince　back；　to　cause　orders　to　be　writ；　and　waked　the　Duke；　who　was　then　in　bed；　to　sign　them；　and　that　they　went　by　express　that　very　night；　being　the　Wednesday　night　before　the　fight；　which　begun　on　the　Friday；　and　that　for　sending　them　by　the　post　express；　and　not　by　gentlemen　on　purpose；　he　made　a　sport　of　it；　and　said；　I　knew　of　none　to　send　it　with　but　would　at　least　have　lost　more　time　in　fitting　themselves　out；　than　any　diligence　of　theirs　beyond　that　of　the　ordinary　post　would　have　recovered。　　I　told　him　that　this　was　not　so　much　the　towne　talk　as　the　reason　of　dividing　the　fleete。　　To　this　he　told　me　he　ought　not　to　say　much；　but　did　assure　me　in　general　that　the　proposition　did　first　come　from　the　fleet；　and　the　resolution　not　being　prosecuted　with　orders　so　soon　as　the　Generall　thought　fit；　the　Generall　did　send　Sir　Edward　Spragge　up　on　purpose　for　them；　and　that　there　was　nothing　in　the　whole　business　which　was　not　done　with　the　full　consent　and　advice　of　the　Duke　of　Albemarle。　　But　he　did　adde；　（as　the　Catholiques　call　LE　SECRET　DE　LA　MASSE）　that　Sir　Edward　Spraggewho　had　even　in　Sir　Christopher　Mings's　time；　put　in　to　be　the　great　favourite　of　the　Prince；　but　much　more　now　had　a　mind　to　be　the　great　man　with　him；　and　to　that　end　had　a　mind　to　have　the　Prince　at　a　distance　from　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　that　they　might　be　doing　something　alonedid；　as　he　believed；　put　on　this　business　of　dividing　the　fleet；　and　that　thence　it　came。　　He　tells　me　as　to　the　business　of　intelligence；　the　want　whereof　the　world　did　complain　much　of；　that　for　that　it　was　not　his　business；　and　as　he　was　therefore　to　have　no　share　in　the　blame；　so　he　would　not　meddle　to　lay　it　any　where　else。　　That　De　Ruyter　was　ordered　by　the　States　not　to　make　it　his　business　to　come　into　much　danger；　but　to　preserve　himself　as　much　as　was　fit　out　of　harm's　way；　to　be　able　to　direct　the　fleet。　　He　do；　I　perceive；　with　some　violence；　forbear　saying　any　thing　to　the　reproach　of　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　but；　contrarily；　speaks　much　of　his　courage；　but　I　do　as　plainly　see　that　he　do　not　like　the　Duke　of　Albemarle's　proceedings；　but；　contrarily；　is　displeased　therewith。　　And　he　do　plainly　diminish　the　commanders　put　in　by　the　Duke；　and　do　lessen　the　miscarriages　of　any　that　have　been　removed　by　him。　　He　concurs　with　me；　that　the　next　bout　will　be　a　fatal　one　to　one　side　or　other；　because；　if　we　be　beaten；　we　shall　not　be　able　to　set　out　our　fleet　again。　　He　do　confess　with　me　that　the　hearts　of　our　seamen　are　much　saddened；　and　for　that　reason；　among　others；　wishes　Sir　Christopher　Mings　was　alive；　who　might　inspire　courage　and　spirit　into　them。　Speaking　of　Holmes；　how　great　a　man　he　is；　and　that　he　do　for　the　present；　and　hath　done　all　the　voyage；　kept　himself　in　good　order　and　within　bounds：　　but；　says　he；　a　cat　will　be　a　cat　still；　and　some　time　or　other　out　his　humours　must　break　again。　　He　do　not　disowne　but　that　the　dividing　of　the　fleet　upon　the　presumptions　that　were　then　had　（which；　I　suppose；　was　the　French　fleet　being　come　this　way；）　was　a　good　resolution。

25th。　　News　from　Sir　W。　Coventry　that　the　Dutch　are　certainly　come　out。　　Mrs。　Pen　carried　us　to　two　gardens　at　Hackny；　（which　I　every　day　grow　more　and　more　in　love　with；）　Mr。　Drake's　one；　where　the　garden　is　good；　and　house　and　the　prospect　admirable；　the　other　my　Lord　Brooke's　＇Robert　Lord　Brooke；　ob。　1676。　　Evelyn　mentions　this　garden　as　Lady　Brooke's。　　Brooke　House　at　Clapton；　was　lately　occupied　as　a　private　madhouse。＇　　where　the　gardens　are　much　better；　but　the　house　not　so　good；　nor　the　prospect　good　at　all。　　But　the　gardens　are　excellent；　and　here　I　first　saw　oranges　grow：　　some　green；　some　half；　some　a　quarter；　and　some　full　ripe；　on　the　same　tree；　and　one　fruit　of　the　same　tree　do　come　a　year　or　two　after　the　other。　　I　pulled　off　a　little　one　by　stealth　（the　man　being　mightily　curious　of　them）　and　eat　it；　and　it　was　just　as　other　little　green　small　oranges　are：　　as　big　as　half　the　end　of　my　little　finger。　　Here　were　also　great　variety　of　other　exotique　plants；　and　several　labarinths；　and　a　pretty　aviary。

26th。　　In　the　morning　come　Mr。　Chichly　＇Mr。；　afterwards　Sir　Thomas　Chicheley；　a　Privy…Counsellor　and　Commissioner　of　the　Ordnance。＇　　to　Sir　W。　Coventry；　to　tell　him　the　ill