so home to supper and to bed, it being late.

3rd (Lord's-day; Whit-sunday). Up, and by water to White Hall, and there
met with Mr. Coventry, who tells me the only news from the fleete is
brought by Captain Elliott, of The Portland, which, by being run on board
by The Guernsey, was disabled from staying abroad; so is come in to
Aldbrough. That he saw one of the Dutch great ships blown up, and three
on fire. That they begun to fight on Friday; and at his coming into port,
he could make another ship of the King's coming in, which he judged to be
the Rupert: that he knows of no other hurt to our ships. With this good
newes I home by water again, and to church in the sermon-time, and with
great joy told it my fellows in the pew. So home after church time to
dinner, and after dinner my father, wife, sister, and Mercer by water to
Woolwich, while I walked by land, and saw the Exchange as full of people,
and hath been all this noon as of any other day, only for newes. I to St.
Margaret's, Westminster, and there saw at church my pretty Betty Michell,
and thence to the Abbey, and so to Mrs. Martin, and there did what 'je
voudrais avec her . . . . So by and by he come in, and after some
discourse with him I away to White Hall, and there met with this bad newes
farther, that the Prince come to Dover but at ten o'clock last night, and
there heard nothing of a fight; so that we are defeated of all our hopes
of his helpe to the fleete. It is also reported by some Victuallers that
the Duke of Albemarle and Holmes their flags were shot down, and both fain
to come to anchor to renew their rigging and sails. A letter is also come
this afternoon, from Harman in the Henery; which is she [that] was taken
by Elliott for the Rupert; that being fallen into the body of the Dutch
fleete, he made his way through them, was set on by three fire-ships one
after another, got two of them off, and disabled the third; was set on
fire himself; upon which many of his men leapt into the sea and perished;
among others, the parson first. Have lost above 100 men, and a good many