bad to him by breaking a leg or other hurt, but, thanks be to God, he only
sprained his foot a little. So after his shifting his stockings at a
strong water shop close by, we took barge again, and so to Woolwich, where
our business was chiefly to look upon the ballast wharfe there, which is
offered us for the King's use to hire, but we do not think it worth the
laying out much money upon, unless we could buy the fee-simple of it,
which cannot be sold us, so we wholly flung it off: So to the Dockyard,
and there staid a while talking about business of the yard, and thence to
the Rope-yard, and so to the White Hart and there dined, and Captain Cocke
with us, whom we found at the Rope-yard, and very merry at dinner, and
many pretty tales of Sir J. Minnes, which I have entered in my tale book.
But by this time Sir W. Batten was come to be in much pain in his foot, so
as he was forced to be carried down in a chair to the barge again, and so
away to Deptford, and there I a little in the yard, and then to Bagwell's,
where I find his wife washing, and also I did 'hazer tout que je voudrais
con' her, and then sent for her husband, and discoursed of his going to
Harwich this week to his charge of the new ship building there, which I
have got him, and so away, walked to Redriffe, and there took boat and
away home, and upon Tower Hill, near the ticket office, meeting with my
old acquaintance Mr. Chaplin, the cheesemonger, and there fell to talk of
news, and he tells me that for certain the King of France is denied
passage with his army through Flanders, and that he hears that the Dutch
do stand upon high terms with us, and will have a promise of not being
obliged to strike the flag to us before they will treat with us, and other
high things, which I am ashamed of and do hope will never be yielded to.
That they do make all imaginable preparations, but that he believes they
will be in mighty want of men; that the King of France do court us
mightily. He tells me too that our Lord-Treasurer is going to lay down,
and that Lord Arlington is to be Lord Treasurer, but I believe nothing of
it, for he is not yet of estate visible enough to have the charge I