23rd.  Up and to my office, then come by appointment cozen Tom Trice to me, and I paid him the L20 remaining due to him upon the bond of L100 given him by agreement November, 1663, to end the difference between us about my aunt’s, his mother’s, money.  And here, being willing to know the worst, I told him, “I hope now there is nothing remaining between you and I of future dispute.”  “No,” says he, “nothing at all that I know of, but only a small matter of about 20 or 30s. that my father Pepys received for me of rent due to me in the country, which I will in a day or two bring you an account of,” and so we parted.  Dined at home upon a good turkey which Mr. Sheply sent us, then to the office all the afternoon, Mr. Cutler and others coming to me about business.  I hear that the Dutch have prepared a fleete to go the backway to the Streights, where without doubt they will master our fleete.  This put to that of Guinny makes me fear them mightily, and certainly they are a most wise people, and careful of their business.  The King of France, they say, do declare himself obliged to defend them, and lays claim by his Embassador to the wines we have taken from the Dutch Bourdeaux men, and more, it is doubted whether the Swede will be our friend or no.  Pray God deliver us out of these troubles!  This day Sir W. Batten sent and afterwards spoke to me, to have me and my wife come and dine with them on Monday next:  which is a mighty condescension in them, and for some great reason I am sure, or else it pleases God by my late care of business to make me more considerable even with them than I am sure they would willingly owne me to be.  God make me thankfull and carefull to preserve myself so, for I am sure they hate me and it is hope or fear that makes them flatter me.  It being a bright night, which it has not been a great while, I purpose to endeavour to be called in the morning to see the Comet, though I fear we shall not see it, because it rises in the east but 16 degrees, and then the houses will hinder us.

24th.  Having sat up all night to past two o’clock this morning, our porter, being appointed, comes and tells us that the bellman tells him that the star is seen upon Tower Hill; so I, that had been all night setting in order all my old papers in my chamber, did leave off all, and my boy and I to Tower Hill, it being a most fine, bright moonshine night, and a great frost; but no Comet to be seen.  So after running once round the Hill, I and Tom, we home and then to bed.  Rose about 9 o’clock and then to the office, where sitting all the morning.  At noon to the ’Change, to the Coffee-house; and there heard Sir Richard Ford tell the whole story of our defeat at Guinny.  Wherein our men are guilty of the most horrid cowardice and perfidiousness, as he says and tells it, that ever Englishmen were.  Captain Raynolds, that was the only commander of any of the King’s ships there, was shot at by De Ruyter, with a bloody flag flying.  He, instead