there happened newes to come to the by an expresse from Mr. Coventry,
telling me the most happy news of my Lord Sandwich's meeting with part of
the Dutch; his taking two of their East India ships, and six or seven
others, and very good prizes and that he is in search of the rest of the
fleet, which he hopes to find upon the Wellbancke, with the loss only of
the Hector, poor Captain Cuttle. This newes do so overjoy me that I know
not what to say enough to express it, but the better to do it I did walk
to Greenwich, and there sending away Mr. Andrews, I to Captain Cocke's,
where I find my Lord Bruncker and his mistress, and Sir J. Minnes. Where
we supped (there was also Sir W. Doyly and Mr. Evelyn); but the receipt of
this newes did put us all into such an extacy of joy, that it inspired
into Sir J. Minnes and Mr. Evelyn such a spirit of mirth, that in all my
life I never met with so merry a two hours as our company this night was.
Among other humours, Mr. Evelyn's repeating of some verses made up of
nothing but the various acceptations of may and can, and doing it so aptly
upon occasion of something of that nature, and so fast, did make us all
die almost with laughing, and did so stop the mouth of Sir J. Minnes in
the middle of all his mirth (and in a thing agreeing with his own manner
of genius), that I never saw any man so out-done in all my life; and Sir
J. Minnes's mirth too to see himself out-done, was the crown of all our
mirth. In this humour we sat till about ten at night, and so my Lord and
his mistress home, and we to bed, it being one of the times of my life
wherein I was the fullest of true sense of joy.

11th. Up and walked to the office, there to do some business till ten of
the clock, and then by agreement my Lord, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Doyly, and
I took boat and over to the ferry, where Sir W. Batten's coach was ready
for us, and to Walthamstow drove merrily, excellent merry discourse in the
way, and most upon our last night's revells; there come we were very
merry, and a good plain venison dinner. After dinner to billiards, where