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fight hath cost them 5000 men; as they themselves do report。 And it is a strange thing; as he observes; how now and then the slaughter runs on one hand; there being 5000 killed on theirs; and not above 400 or 500 killed and wounded on ours; and as many flag… officers on theirs as ordinary captains in ours。
3rd。 The death of Everson; and the report of our success; beyond expectation; in the killing of so great a number of men; hath raised the estimation of the late victory considerably; but it is only among fools: for all that was but accidental。 But this morning; getting Sir W。 Pen to read over the Narrative with me; he did sparingly; yet plainly; say that we might have intercepted their Zealand squadron coming home; if we had done our parts; and more; that we might have run before the wind as well as they; and have overtaken their ships in the pursuite; in all the while。
4th。 This evening; Sir W。 Pen come into the garden; and walked with me; and told me that he had certain notice that at Flushing they are in great distraction。 De Ruyter dares not come on shore for fear of the people: nor any body open their houses or shops for fear of the tumult: which is a very good hearing。
6th。 In Fenchurch…street met with Mr。 Battersby; says he; 〃Do you see Dan Rawlinson's door shut up?〃 (which I did; and wondered。) 〃Why;〃 says he; 〃after all this sickness; and himself spending all the last year in the country; one of his men is now dead of the plague; and his wife and one of his maids sick; and himself shut up;〃 which troubles me mightily。 So home; and there do hear also from Mrs。 Sarah Daniel; that Greenwich is at this time much worse than ever it was; and Deptford too: and she told us that they believed all the town would leave the town; and come to London; which is now the receptacle of all the people from all infected places。 God preserve us!
7th。 I receive fresh intelligence that Deptford and Greenwich are now afresh exceedingly afflicted with the sickness more than ever。
8th。 Discoursed with Mr。 Hooke about the nature of sounds; and he did make me understand the nature of musicall sounds made by strings; mighty prettily; and told me that having come to a certain number of vibrations proper to make any tone; he is able to tell how many strokes a fly makes with her wings; (those flies that hum in their flying by the note that it answers to in musique; during their flying。 That; I suppose; is a little too much refined; but his discourse in general of sound was mighty fine。 To St。 James's; where we attended with the rest of my fellows on the Duke; whom I found with two or three Patches upon his nose and about his right eye; which came from his being struck with the bough of a tree the other day in his hunting; and it is a wonder it did not strike out his eye。 To Bow; to my Lady Pooly's; 'Wife of Sir Edmund Pooly; mentioned before。' where my wife was with Mr。 Batelier and his sisters; and there I found a noble supper。 About ten o'clock we rose from table; and sang a song; and so home in two coaches; (Mr。 Batelier and his sister Mary and my wife and I in one; and Mercer alone in the other); and after being examined at Allgate whether we were husbands and wives; home。 So to bed mighty sleepy; but with much pleasure。 Reeves lying at my house; and mighty proud I am (and ought to be thankful to God Almighty) that I am able to have a spare bed for my friends。
9th。 In the evening to Lumbard…street; about money; to enable me to pay Sir G。 Carteret's 3000l。 which he hath lodged in my hands; in behalf of his son and my Lady Jemimah; towards their portion。 Mrs。 Rawlinson is dead of the sickness; and her maid continues mighty ill。 He himself is got out of the house。 I met with Mr。 Evelyn in the street; who tells me the sad condition at this very day at Deptford; for the plague; and more at Deale; (within his precinct as one of the Commissioners for sick and wounded seamen;) that the towne is almost quite depopulated。
10th。 Homeward; and hear in Fenchurch…street; that now the maid also is dead at Mr。 Rawlinson's; so that there are three dead in all; the wife; a man…servant; and maid…servant。
14th。 Povy tells me how mad my letter makes my Lord Peterborough; and what a furious letter he writ to me in answer; though it is not come yet。 This did trouble me; for though there be no reason; yet to have a nobleman's mouth open against a man; may do a man hurt; so I endeavoured to have found him out and spoke with him; but could not。 After dinner with my wife and Mercer to the Beare…garden; where I have not been; I think; of many years; and saw some good sport of the bull's tossing of the dogs: one into the very boxes。 But it is a very rude and nasty pleasure。 We had a great many hectors in the same box with us; (and one very fine went into the pit; and played his dog for a wager; which was a strange sport for a gentleman;) where they drank wine; and drank Mercer's health first; which I pledged with my hat off。 We supped at home; and very merry。 And then about nine o'clock to Mrs。 Mercer's gate; where the fire and boys expected us; and her son had provided abundance of serpents and rockets; and there mighty merry (my Lady Pen and Pegg going thither with us; and Nan Wright;) till about twelve at night; flinging our fireworks; and burning one another and the people over the way。 And at last our businesses being most spent; we into Mrs。 Mercer's; and there mighty merry; smutting one another with candle grease and soot; till most of us were like devils。 And that being done; then we broke up; and to my house; and there I made them drink; and upstairs we went; and then fell into dancing; (W。 Batelier dancing well;) and dressing him and I and one Mr。 Banister (who with my wife come over also with us) like women; and Mercer put on a suit of Tom's; like a boy; and mighty mirth we had; and Mercer danced a jigg; and Nan Wright and my wife and Pegg Pen put on perriwigs。 Thus we spent till three or four in the morning; mighty merry; and then parted; and to bed。
15th。 Mighty sleepy; slept till past eight of the clock; and was called up by a letter from Sir W。 Coventry; which among other things; tells me how we have burned one hundred and sixty ships of the enemy within the Fly。 I up; and with all possible haste; and in pain for fear of coming late; it being our day of attending the Duke of York; to St。 James's; where they are full of the particulars; how they are generally good merchant…ships; some of them laden and supposed rich ships。 We spent five fire… ships upon them。 We landed on the Schelling; (Sir Philip Howard with some men; and Holmes; I think; with others; about 1000 in all;) and burned a town; and so come away。 By and by the Duke of York with his books showed us the very place and manner; and that it was not our design and expectation to have done this; but only to have landed on the Fly and burned some of their stores; but being come in; we spied those ships; and with our long boats; one by one; fired them; our ships running all a…ground; it being so shoal water。 We were led to this by it seems; a renegado captain of the Hollanders; who found himself ill used by De Ruyter for his good service; an