their going off, and
shouted, and let off their guns, was strange sport. In the evening come
up the River the Katharine yacht, Captain Fazeby, who hath brought over
my Lord of Alesbury and Sir Thomas Liddall (with a very pretty daughter,
and in a pretty travelling-dress) from Flanders, who saw the Dutch
fleete on Thursday, and ran from them; but from that houre to this hath
not heard one gun, nor any newes of any fight. Having put the soldiers
on board, I home and wrote what I had to write by the post, and so home
to supper and to bed, it being late.

3rd (Lord's-day; Whit-sunday). Up, and by water to White Hall, and there
met with Mr. Coventry, who tells me the only news from the fleete is
brought by Captain Elliott, of The Portland, which, by being run on
board by The Guernsey, was disabled from staying abroad; so is come in
to Aldbrough. That he saw one of the Dutch great ships blown up, and
three on fire. That they begun to fight on Friday; and at his coming
into port, he could make another ship of the King's coming in, which he
judged to be the Rupert: that he knows of no other hurt to our ships.
With this good newes I home by water again, and to church in the
sermon-time, and with great joy told it my fellows in the pew. So home
after church time to dinner, and after dinner my father, wife, sister,
and Mercer by water to Woolwich, while I walked by land, and saw the
Exchange as full of people, and hath been all this noon as of any other
day, only for newes. I to St. Margaret's, Westminster, and there saw at
church my pretty Betty Michell, and thence to the Abbey, and so to Mrs.
Martin, and there did what 'je voudrais avec her.... So by and by he
come in, and after some discourse with him I away to White Hall, and
there met with this bad newes farther, that the Prince come to Dover but
at ten o'clock last night, and there heard nothing of a fight; so that
we are defeated of all our hopes of his helpe to the fleete. It is also
reported by some Victuallers that the Duke of Albemarle and Holmes their
flags were shot down, and both fain to come to anchor to renew their
rigging and sails. A letter is also come this afternoon, from Harman
in the Henery; which is she [that] was taken by Elliott for the Rupert;
that being fallen into the body of the Dutch fleete, he made his way
through them, was set on by three fire-ships one after another, got two
of them off, and disabled the third; was set on fire himself; upon
which