This afternoon I wrote letters for my Lord to the Council, &c., which Mr. Dickering was to carry, who took his leave this night of my Lord, and Balty after I had wrote two or three letters by him to my wife and Mr. Bowyer, and had drank a bottle of wine with him in my cabin which J. Goods and W. Howe brought on purpose, he took leave of me too to go away to-morrow morning with Mr. Dickering.  I lent Balty 15s. which he was to pay to my wife.  It was one in the morning before we parted.  This evening Mr. Sheply came on board, having escaped a very great danger upon a sand coming from Chatham.

10th.  This morning many or most of the commanders in the Fleet came on board and dined here, so that some of them and I dined together in the Round-house, where we were very merry.  Hither came the Vice-Admiral to us, and sat and talked and seemed a very good-natured man.  At night as I was all alone in my cabin, in a melancholy fit playing on my viallin, my Lord and Sir R. Stayner came into the coach

["A sort of chamber or apartment in a large ship of war, just before the great cabin.  The floor of it is formed by the aftmost part of the quarter deck, and the roof of it by the poop:  it is generally the habitation of the flag-captain.”—­Smyth’s Sailor’s Word-Book.]

and supped there, and called me out to supper with them.  After that up to the Lieutenant’s cabin, where he and I and Sir Richard sat till 11 o’clock talking, and so to bed.  This day my Lord Goring returned from France, and landed at Dover.

11th.  A Gentleman came this morning from my Lord of Manchester to my Lord for a pass for Mr. Boyle,’ which was made him.  I ate a good breakfast by my Lord’s orders with him in the great cabin below.  The wind all this day was very high, so that a gentleman that was at dinner with my Lord that came along with Sir John Bloys (who seemed a fine man) was forced to rise from table.  This afternoon came a great packet of letters from London directed to me, among the rest two from my wife, the first that I have since coming away from London.  All the news from London is that things go on further towards a King.  That the Skinners’ Company the other day at their entertaining of General Monk had took down the Parliament Arms in their Hall, and set up the King’s.  In the evening my Lord and I had a great deal of discourse about the several Captains of the Fleet and his interest among them, and had his mind clear to bring in the King.  He confessed to me that he was not sure of his own Captain [Cuttance] to be true to him, and that he did not like Captain Stokes.  At night W. Howe and I at our viallins in my cabin, where Mr. Ibbott and the lieutenant were late.  I staid the lieutenant late, shewing him my manner of keeping a journal.  After that to bed.  It comes now into my mind to observe that I am sensible that I have been a little too free to make mirth with the minister of our ship, he being a very sober and an upright man.