[Sir Charles Berkeley, jun. was chosen in his room. In the sea-
fight off Southwold Bay on June 3rd, 1665, the English triumphed
over the Dutch, but the very considerable victory was not followed
up. During the night, while the Duke of York slept, Henry
Brouncker, his groom of the bedchamber, ordered the lieutenant to
shorten sail, by which means the progress of the whole fleet was
retarded, the Duke of York's being the leading ship. The duke
affirmed that he first heard of Brouncker's unjustifiable action in
July, and yet he kept the culprit in his service for nearly two
years after the offence had come to his knowledge. After Brouncker
had been dismissed from the duke's service, the House of Commons
ejected him. The whole matter is one of the unsolved difficulties
of history. See Lister's "Life of Clarendon," ii., 334 335]

22nd. Up, and all the morning at my office busy. At noon, it being
washing day, I toward White Hall, and stopped and dined all alone at
Hercules Pillars, where I was mighty pleased to overhear a woman talk to
her counsel how she had troubled her neighbours with law, and did it very
roguishly and wittily. Thence to White Hall, and there we attended the
Duke of York as usual; and I did present Mrs. Pett, the widow, and her
petition to the Duke of York, for some relief from the King. Here was
to-day a proposition made to the Duke of York by Captain Von Hemskirke for
L20,000, to discover an art how to make a ship go two foot for one what
any ship do now, which the King inclines to try, it costing him nothing to
try; and it is referred to us to contract with the man. Thence to attend
the Council about the business of certificates to the Exchequer, where the
Commissioners of the Treasury of different minds, some would, and my Lord
Ashly would not have any more made out, and carried it there should not.
After done here, and the Council up, I by water from the Privy-stairs to