carried up higher by our several orders, and deserves, therefore, to be
hanged for not doing it--and turning several others; and that another
fleete is come up into the Hope. Upon which newes the King and Duke of
York have been below--[Below London Bridge.]--since four o'clock in the
morning, to command the sinking of ships at Barking-Creeke, and other
places, to stop their coming up higher: which put me into such a fear,
that I presently resolved of my father's and wife's going into the
country; and, at two hours' warning, they did go by the coach this day,
with about L1300 in gold in their night-bag. Pray God give them good
passage, and good care to hide it when they come home! but my heart is
full of fear: They gone, I continued in fright and fear what to do with
the rest. W. Hewer hath been at the banker's, and hath got L500 out of
Backewell's hands of his own money; but they are so called upon that they
will be all broke, hundreds coming to them for money: and their answer is,
"It is payable at twenty days--when the days are out, we will pay you;"
and those that are not so, they make tell over their money, and make their
bags false, on purpose to give cause to retell it, and so spend time. I
cannot have my 200 pieces of gold again for silver, all being bought up
last night that were to be had, and sold for 24 and 25s. a-piece. So I
must keep the silver by me, which sometimes I think to fling into the
house of office, and then again know not how I shall come by it, if we be
made to leave the office. Every minute some one or other calls for this
or that order; and so I forced to be at the office, most of the day, about
the fire-ships which are to be suddenly fitted out: and it's a most
strange thing that we hear nothing from any of my brethren at Chatham; so
that we are wholly in the dark, various being the reports of what is done
there; insomuch that I sent Mr. Clapham express thither to see how matters
go: I did, about noon, resolve to send Mr. Gibson away after my wife with
another 1000 pieces, under colour of an express to Sir Jeremy Smith; who
is, as I hear, with some ships at Newcastle; which I did really send to