Queen Elisabeth's days; where, in 88, she had but 36 sail great and small,
in the world; and ten rounds of powder was their allowance at that time
against the Spaniard. After Sir W. Compton and Mr. Coventry, and some of
the best of the rest were gone, I grew weary of staying with Sir Williams
both, and the more for that my Lady Batten and her crew, at least half a
score, come into the room, and I believe we shall pay size for it; but
'tis very pleasant to see her in her hair under her hood, and how by
little and little she would fain be a gallant; but, Lord! the company she
keeps about her are like herself, that she may be known by them what she
is. Being quite weary I stole from them and to my office, where I did
business till 9 at night, and so to my lodgings to bed.

5th. Up by break of day at 5 o'clock, and down by water to Woolwich: in
my way saw the yacht lately built by our virtuosoes (my Lord Brunkard and
others, with the help of Commissioner Pett also) set out from Greenwich
with the little Dutch bezan, to try for mastery; and before they got to
Woolwich the Dutch beat them half-a-mile (and I hear this afternoon, that,
in coming home, it got above three miles); which all our people are glad
of. Here I staid and mustered the yard and looked into the storehouses;
and so walked all alone to Greenwich, and thence by water to Deptford, and
there examined some stores, and did some of my own business in hastening
my work there, and so walked to Redriffe, being by this time pretty weary
and all in a sweat; took boat there for the Tower, which made me a little
fearful, it being a cold, windy morning. So to my lodgings and there
rubbed myself clean, and so to Mr. Bland's, the merchant, by invitation, I
alone of all our company of this office; where I found all the officers of
the Customs, very grave fine gentlemen, and I am very glad to know them;
viz.--Sir Job Harvy, Sir John Wolstenholme, Sir John Jacob, Sir Nicholas
Crisp, Sir John Harrison, and Sir John Shaw: very good company. And among
other pretty discourse, some was of Sir Jerom Bowes, Embassador from