and how people do
cry out in the streets of their being bought and sold; and both they,
and every body that come to me, do tell me that people make nothing of
talking treason in the streets openly: as, that we are bought and sold,
and governed by Papists, and that we are betrayed by people about the
King, and shall be delivered up to the French, and I know not what.
At dinner we discoursed of Tom of the Wood, a fellow that lives like a
hermit near Woolwich, who, as they say, and Mr. Bodham, they tell me,
affirms that he was by at the justice's when some did accuse him there
for it, did foretell the burning of the City, and now says that a
greater desolation is at hand. Thence we read and laughed at Lilly's
prophecies this month, in his Almanack this year! So to the office after
dinner; and thither comes Mr. Pierce, who tells me his condition, how he
cannot get his money, about L500, which, he says, is a very great part
of what he hath for his family and children, out of Viner's hand: and
indeed it is to be feared that this will wholly undo the bankers. He
says he knows nothing of the late affronts to my Lord Chancellor's
house, as is said, nor hears of the Duke of Albemarle's being made High
Constable; but says that they are in great distraction at White Hall,
and that every where people do speak high against Sir W. Coventry: but
he agrees with me, that he is the best Minister of State the King hath,
and so from my heart I believe. At night come home Sir W. Batten and
W. Pen, who only can tell me that they have placed guns at Woolwich and
Deptford, and sunk some ships below Woolwich and Blackewall, and are
in hopes that they will stop the enemy's coming up. But strange our
confusion! that among them that are sunk they have gone and sunk without
consideration "The Franakin,"' one of the King's ships, with stores to
a very considerable value, that hath been long loaden for supply of the
ships; and the new ship at Bristoll, and much wanted there; and nobody
will own that they directed it, but do lay it on Sir W. Rider. They
speak also of another ship, loaden to the value of L80,000, sunk with
the goods in her, or at least was mightily contended for by him, and a
foreign ship, that had the faith of the nation for her security: this
Sir R. Ford tells us: And it is too plain a truth, that both here and
at Chatham the ships that we have sunk have many, and the first of them,
been ships completely fitted for fire-ships at great c
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