[Louis XIV. was at this time in Flanders, with his queen, his mistresses, and all his Court.  Turenne commanded under him.  Whilst Charles was hunting moths at Lady Castlemaine’s, and the English fleet was burning, Louis was carrying on the campaign with vigour.  Armentieres was taken on the 28th May; Charleroi on the 2nd June, St. Winox on the 6th, Fumes on the 12th, Ath on the 16th, Toumay on the 24th; the Escarpe on the 6th July, Courtray on the 18th, Audenarde on the 31st; and Lisle on the 27th August.—­B.]

so that we shall be safe as to him.  The great misery the City and kingdom is like to suffer for want of coals in a little time is very visible, and, is feared, will breed a mutiny; for we are not in any prospect to command the sea for our colliers to come, but rather, it is feared, the Dutch may go and burn all our colliers at Newcastle; though others do say that they lie safe enough there.  No news at all of late from Bredagh what our Treaters do.  By and by, all by water in three boats to Greenwich, there to Cocke’s, where we supped well, and then late, Wren, Fenn, and I home by water, set me in at the Tower, and they to White Hall, and so I home, and after a little talk with my wife to bed.

24th.  Up, and to the office, where much business upon me by the coming of people of all sorts about the dispatch of one business or other of the fire-ships, or other ships to be set out now.  This morning Greeting come, and I with him at my flageolet.  At noon dined at home with my wife alone, and then in the afternoon all the day at my office.  Troubled a little at a letter from my father, which tells me of an idle companion, one Coleman, who went down with him and my wife in the coach, and come up again with my wife, a pensioner of the King’s Guard, and one that my wife, indeed, made the feast for on Saturday last, though he did not come; but if he knows nothing of our money I will prevent any other inconvenience.  In the evening comes Mr. Povy about business; and he and I to walk in the garden an hour or two, and to talk of State matters.  He tells me his opinion that it is out of possibility for us to escape being undone, there being nothing in our power to do that is necessary for the saving us:  a lazy Prince, no Council, no money, no reputation at home or abroad.  He says that to this day the King do follow the women as much as ever he did; that the Duke of York hath not got Mrs. Middleton, as I was told the other day:  but says that he wants not her, for he hath others, and hath always had, and that he [Povy] hath known them brought through the Matted Gallery at White Hall into his [the Duke’s] closet; nay, he hath come out of his wife’s bed, and gone to others laid in bed for him:  that Mr. Bruncker is not the only pimp, but that the whole family is of the same strain, and will do anything to please him:  that, besides the death of the two Princes lately, the family is in horrible disorder by being in debt by spending