to change for new; but, Lord! what a deale he hath!  I staid and had two or three hours discourse with him, talking about the disorders of our office, and I largely to tell him how things are carried by Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes to my great grief.  He seems much concerned also, and for all the King’s matters that are done after the same rate every where else, and even the Duke’s household matters too, generally with corruption, but most indeed with neglect and indifferency.  I spoke very loud and clear to him my thoughts of Sir J. Minnes and the other, and trust him with the using of them.  Then to talk of our business with the Dutch; he tells me fully that he believes it will not come to a warr; for first, he showed me a letter from Sir George Downing, his own hand, where he assures him that the Dutch themselves do not desire, but above all things fear it, and that they neither have given letters of marke against our shipps in Guinny, nor do De Ruyter

[Michael De Ruyter, the Dutch admiral, was born 1607.  He served under Tromp in the war against England in 1653, and was Lieutenant Admiral General of Holland in 1665.  He died April 26th, 1676, of wounds received in a battle with the French off Syracuse.  Among the State Papers is a news letter (dated July 14th, 1664) containing information as to the views of the Dutch respecting a war with England.  “They are preparing many ships, and raising 6,000 men, and have no doubt of conquering by sea.”  “A wise man says the States know how to master England by sending moneys into Scotland for them to rebel, and also to the discontented in England, so as to place the King in the same straits as his father was, and bring him to agree with Holland” ("Calendar,” 1663-64, p. 642).]

stay at home with his fleet with an eye to any such thing, but for want of a wind, and is now come out and is going to the Streights.  He tells me also that the most he expects is that upon the merchants’ complaints, the Parliament will represent them to the King, desiring his securing of his subjects against them, and though perhaps they may not directly see fit, yet even this will be enough to let the Dutch know that the Parliament do not oppose the King, and by that means take away their hopes, which was that the King of England could not get money or do anything towards a warr with them, and so thought themselves free from making any restitution, which by this they will be deceived in.  He tells me also that the Dutch states are in no good condition themselves, differing one with another, and that for certain none but the states of Holland and Zealand will contribute towards a warr, the others reckoning themselves, being inland, not concerned in the profits of warr or peace.  But it is pretty to see what he says, that those here that are forward for a warr at Court, they are reported in the world to be only designers of getting money into the King’s hands, they that elsewhere are