s we have made against the Dutch, and all from the folly of
the Duke of Albemarle, who made nothing of beating them, and Sir John
Lawson he always declared that we never did fail to beat them with lesser
numbers than theirs, which did so prevail with the King as to throw us
into this war.

23rd. At the office all the morning, where Sir W. Pen come, being
returned from Chatham, from considering the means of fortifying the river
Medway, by a chain at the stakes, and ships laid there with guns to keep
the enemy from coming up to burn our ships; all our care now being to
fortify ourselves against their invading us. At noon home to dinner, and
then to the office all the afternoon again, where Mr. Moore come, who
tells me that there is now no doubt made of a peace being agreed on, the
King having declared this week in Council that they would treat at
Bredagh. He gone I to my office, where busy late, and so to supper and to
bed. Vexed with our mayde Luce, our cook-mayde, who is a good drudging
servant in everything else, and pleases us, but that she will be drunk,
and hath been so last night and all this day, that she could not make
clean the house. My fear is only fire.

24th (Lord's day). With Sir W. Batten to White Hall, and there I to Sir
G. Carteret, who is mighty cheerful, which makes me think and by some
discourse that there is expectation of a peace, but I did not ask [him].
Here was Sir J. Minnes also: and they did talk of my Lord Bruncker, whose
father, it seems, did give Mr. Ashburnham and the present Lord Digby L1200
to be made an Irish lord, and swore the same day that he had not 12d. left
to pay for his dinner: they make great mirth at this, my Lord Bruncker
having lately given great matter of offence both to them and us all, that
we are at present mightily displeased with him. By and by to the Duke of
York, where we all met, and there was the King also; and all our discourse
was about fortifying of the Medway and Harwich, which is to be entrenched
quite round, and Portsmouth: and here they advised with Sir Godfry Lloyd
and Sir Bernard de Gum, the two great engineers, and had the plates drawn
before them; and indeed all their care they now take is to fortify
themselves, and are not ashamed of it: for when by and by my Lord
Arlington come in with letters, and seeing the King and Duke of York give
us and the officers of the Ordnance directions in this matter, he did move
that we might do it as privately as w