afternoon, having had none a great while before, and I, forced to go to
the office on foot through all the rain, was almost wet to my skin, and
spoiled my silke breeches almost. Rained all the afternoon and evening,
so as my letters being done, I was forced to get a bed at Captain Cocke's,
where I find Sir W. Doyly, and he, and Evelyn at supper; and I with them
full of discourse of the neglect of our masters, the great officers of
State, about all business, and especially that of money: having now some
thousands prisoners, kept to no purpose at a great charge, and no money
provided almost for the doing of it. We fell to talk largely of the want
of some persons understanding to look after businesses, but all goes to
rack. "For," says Captain Cocke, "my Lord Treasurer, he minds his ease,
and lets things go how they will: if he can have his L8000 per annum, and
a game at l'ombre,--[Spanish card game]--he is well. My Lord Chancellor
he minds getting of money and nothing else; and my Lord Ashly will rob the
Devil and the Alter, but he will get money if it be to be got." But that
that put us into this great melancholy, was newes brought to-day, which
Captain Cocke reports as a certain truth, that all the Dutch fleete,
men-of-war and merchant East India ships, are got every one in from Bergen
the 3d of this month, Sunday last; which will make us all ridiculous. The
fleete come home with shame to require a great deale of money, which is
not to be had, to discharge many men that must get the plague then or
continue at greater charge on shipboard, nothing done by them to encourage
the Parliament to give money, nor the Kingdom able to spare any money, if
they would, at this time of the plague, so that, as things look at
present, the whole state must come to ruine. Full of these melancholy
thoughts, to bed; where, though I lay the softest I ever did in my life,
with a downe bed, after the Danish manner, upon me, yet I slept very ill,
chiefly through the thoughts of my Lord Sandwich's concernment in all this
ill successe at sea.

10th (Lord's day). Walked home; being forced thereto by one of my
watermen falling sick yesterday, and it was God's great mercy I did not go
by water with them yesterday, for he fell sick on Saturday night, and it
is to be feared of the plague. So I sent him away to London with his
fellow; but another boat come to me this morning, whom I sent to
Blackewall for Mr. Andrews. I walked to Woolwich, and