makes me fear them mightily, and certainly they are
a most wise people, and careful of their business. The King of France,
they say, do declare himself obliged to defend them, and lays claim by
his Embassador to the wines we have taken from the Dutch Bourdeaux men,
and more, it is doubted whether the Swede will be our friend or no. Pray
God deliver us out of these troubles! This day Sir W. Batten sent and
afterwards spoke to me, to have me and my wife come and dine with them
on Monday next: which is a mighty condescension in them, and for some
great reason I am sure, or else it pleases God by my late care of
business to make me more considerable even with them than I am sure they
would willingly owne me to be. God make me thankfull and carefull to
preserve myself so, for I am sure they hate me and it is hope or fear
that makes them flatter me. It being a bright night, which it has not
been a great while, I purpose to endeavour to be called in the morning
to see the Comet, though I fear we shall not see it, because it rises in
the east but 16 degrees, and then the houses will hinder us.

24th. Having sat up all night to past two o'clock this morning, our
porter, being appointed, comes and tells us that the bellman tells him
that the star is seen upon Tower Hill; so I, that had been all night
setting in order all my old papers in my chamber, did leave off all,
and my boy and I to Tower Hill, it being a most fine, bright moonshine
night, and a great frost; but no Comet to be seen. So after running once
round the Hill, I and Tom, we home and then to bed. Rose about 9 o'clock
and then to the office, where sitting all the morning. At noon to the
'Change, to the Coffee-house; and there heard Sir Richard Ford tell the
whole story of our defeat at Guinny. Wherein our men are guilty of the
most horrid cowardice and perfidiousness, as he says and tells it, that
ever Englishmen were. Captain Raynolds, that was the only commander of
any of the King's ships there, was shot at by De Ruyter, with a bloody
flag flying. He, instead of opposing (which, indeed, had been to no
purpose, but only to maintain honour), did poorly go on board himself,
to ask what De Ruyter would have; and so yielded to whatever Ruyter
would desire. The King and Duke are highly vexed at it, it seems, and
the business deserves it. Thence home to dinner, and then abroad to buy
some things, and among others to my bookseller's, and there saw several
books I spoke for