have heard nothing of them to-day. Yesterday Dr. Whistler, at Sir W.
Pen's, told me that Alexander Broome, a the great song-maker, is lately
dead.

4th. Up, and visited very betimes by Mr. Sheply, who is come to town upon
business from Hinchingbrooke, where he left all well. I out and walked
along with him as far as Fleet Streete, it being a fast day, the usual
fast day for the plague, and few coaches to be had. Thanks be to God, the
plague is, as I hear, encreased but two this week; but in the country in
several places it rages mightily, and particularly in Colchester, where it
hath long been, and is believed will quite depopulate the place. To St.
James's, and there did our usual business with the Duke, all of us, among
other things, discoursing about the places where to build ten great ships;
the King and Council have resolved on none to be under third-rates; but it
is impossible to do it, unless we have more money towards the doing it
than yet we have in any view. But, however, the shew must be made to the
world. Thence to my Lord Bellasses to take my leave of him, he being
going down to the North to look after the Militia there, for fear of an
invasion. Thence home and dined, and then to the office, where busy all
day, and in the evening Sir W. Pen come to me, and we walked together, and
talked of the late fight. I find him very plain, that the whole conduct
of the late fight was ill, and that that of truth's all, and he tells me
that it is not he, but two-thirds of the commanders of the whole fleete
have told him so: they all saying, that they durst not oppose it at the
Council of War, for fear of being called cowards, though it was wholly
against their judgement to fight that day with the disproportion of force,
and then we not being able to use one gun of our lower tier, which was a
greater disproportion than the other. Besides, we might very well have
staid in the Downs without fighting, or any where else, till the Prince
could have come up to them; or at least till the weather was fair, that we