their demands, I hope to no hurt to myself, for I was very plain with them
to the best of my reason. So they gone I home to supper, then to the
office again and so home to bed. My Lord Sandwich this day writes me word
that he hath seen (at Portsmouth) the Comet, and says it is the most
extraordinary thing that ever he saw.

22nd. Up and betimes to my office, and then out to several places, among
others to Holborne to have spoke with one Mr. Underwood about some English
hemp, he lies against Gray's Inn. Thereabouts I to a barber's shop to
have my hair cut, and there met with a copy of verses, mightily commended
by some gentlemen there, of my Lord Mordaunt's, in excuse of his going to
sea this late expedition, with the Duke of Yorke. But, Lord! they are but
sorry things; only a Lord made them. Thence to the 'Change; and there,
among the merchants, I hear fully the news of our being beaten to dirt at
Guinny, by De Ruyter with his fleete. The particulars, as much as by Sir
G. Carteret afterwards I heard, I have said in a letter to my Lord
Sandwich this day at Portsmouth; it being most wholly to the utter ruine
of our Royall Company, and reproach and shame to the whole nation, as well
as justification to them in their doing wrong to no man as to his private
[property], only takeing whatever is found to belong to the Company, and
nothing else. Dined at the Dolphin, Sir G. Carteret, Sir J. Minnes, Sir
W. Batten, and I, with Sir W. Boreman and Sir Theophilus Biddulph and
others, Commissioners of the Sewers, about our place below to lay masts
in. But coming a little too soon, I out again, and tooke boat down to
Redriffe; and just in time within two minutes, and saw the new vessel of
Sir William Petty's launched, the King and Duke being there.

[Pepys was wrong as to the name of Sir William Petty's new
doublekeeled boat. On February 13th, 1664-65, he gives the correct
title, which was "The Experiment."]