and I think he is in the right for my part. Staid
till the Council was up, and attended the King and
Duke of York round the Park, and was asked several
questions by both; but I was in pain, lest they should
ask me what I could not answer; as the Duke of York
did the value of the hull of the St. Patrick lately
lost, which I told him I could not presently answer;
though I might have easily furnished myself to answer
all those questions. They stood a good while
to see the ganders and geese tread one another in
the water, the goose being all the while kept for a
great while: quite under water, which was new
to me, but they did make mighty sport of it, saying
(as the King did often) “Now you shall see a
marriage, between this and that,” which did not
please me. They gone, by coach to my Lord Treasurer’s,
as the Duke of York told me, to settle the business
of money for the navy, I walked into the Court to and
again till night, and there met Colonell Reames, and
he and I walked together a great while complaining
of the ill-management of things, whereof he is as full
as I am. We ran over many persons and things,
and see nothing done like men like to do well while
the King minds his pleasures so much. We did
bemoan it that nobody would or had authority enough
with the King to tell him how all things go to rack
and will be lost. Then he and I parted, and
I to Westminster to the Swan, and there staid till
Michell and his wife come. Old Michell and his
wife come to see me, and there we drank and laughed
a little, and then the young ones and I took boat,
it being fine moonshine. I did to my trouble
see all the way that ‘elle’ did get as
close ‘a su marido’ as ‘elle’
could, and turn her ‘mains’ away ‘quand
je’ did endeavour to take one. . . .
So that I had no pleasure at all ’con elle
ce’ night. When we landed I did take occasion
to send him back a the bateau while I did get a ‘baiser’
or two, and would have taken ‘la’ by ‘la’
hand, but ‘elle’ did turn away, and ‘quand’
I said shall I not ‘toucher’ to answered
‘ego’ no love touching, in a slight mood.
I seemed not to take notice of it, but parted kindly;
‘su marido’ did alter with me almost a
my case, and there we parted, and so I home troubled
at this, but I think I shall make good use of it and
mind my business more. At home, by appointment,
comes Captain Cocke to me, to talk of State matters,
and about the peace; who told me that the whole business
is managed between Kevet, Burgomaster of Amsterdam,
and my Lord Arlington, who hath, by the interest of
his wife there, some interest. We have proposed
the Hague, but know not yet whether the Dutch will
like it; or; if they do, whether the French will.
We think we shall have the help of the information
of their affairs and state, and the helps of the Prince
of Orange his faction; but above all, that De Witt,
who hath all this while said he cannot get peace,
his mouth will now be stopped, so that he will be forced
to offer fit terms for fear of the people; and, lastly,