17th. Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning, particularly
setting my people to work in transcribing pieces of letters publique and
private, which I do collect against a black day to defend the office with
and myself. At noon dined at home, Mr. Hater with me alone, who do seem
to be confident that this nation will be undone, and with good reason:
Wishes himself at Hambrough, as a great many more, he says, he believes
do, but nothing but the reconciling of the Presbyterian party will save
us, and I am of his mind. At the office all the afternoon, where every
moment business of one kind or other about the fire-ships and other
businesses, most of them vexatious for want of money, the commanders all
complaining that, if they miss to pay their men a night, they run away;
seamen demanding money of them by way of advance, and some of Sir
Fretcheville Hollis's men, that he so bragged of, demanding their tickets
to be paid, or they would not work: this Hollis, Sir W. Batten and W. Pen
say, proves a very . . ., as Sir W. B. terms him, and the other called
him a conceited, idle, prating, lying fellow. But it was pleasant this
morning to hear Hollis give me the account what, he says, he told the King
in Commissioner Pett's presence, whence it was that his ship was fit
sooner than others, telling the King how he dealt with the several
Commissioners and agents of the Ports where he comes, offering Lanyon to
carry him a Ton or two of goods to the streights, giving Middleton an hour
or two's hearing of his stories of Barbadoes, going to prayer with Taylor,
and standing bare and calling, "If it please your Honour," to Pett, but
Sir W. Pen says that he tells this story to every body, and believes it to
be a very lie. At night comes Captain Cocke to see me, and he and I an
hour in the garden together. He tells me there have been great endeavours
of bringing in the Presbyterian interest, but that it will not do. He
named to me several of the insipid lords that are to command the armies
that are to be raised. He says the King and Court are all troubled, and
the gates of the Court were shut up upon the first coming of the Dutch to