k…houses；　which　I　took　then　to　be　a　ridiculous　thing。　　I　find　the　town　had　removed　most　of　their　goods　out　of　the　town；　for　fear　of　the　Dutch　coming　up　to　them；　and　from　Sir　John　Griffen；　that　last　night　there　was　not　twelve　men　to　be　got　in　the　town　to　defend　it：　　which　the　master　of　the　house　tells　me　is　not　true；　but　that　the　men　of　the　town　did　intend　to　stay；　though　they　did　indeed；　and　so　had　he　（at　the　Ship；）　removed　their　goods。　　Thence　went　to　an　Ostend　man…of…war　just　now　come　up；　who　met　the　Dutch　fleet；　who　took　three　ships　that　he　came　convoying　hither　from　him：　　says　they　are　as　low　as　the　Nore；　or　thereabouts。
  11th。　　Brouncker　come　to　us；　who　is　just　now　going　to　Chatham　upon　a　desire　of　Commissioner　Pett's；　who　is　very　fearful　of　the　Dutch；　and　desires　help　for　God　and　the　King　and　kingdom's　sake。　So　Brouncker　goes　down；　and　Sir　J。　Minnes　also　from　Gravesend。　This　morning　Pett　writes　us　word　that　Sheerenesse　is　lost　last　night；　after　two　or　three　hours'　dispute。　　The　enemy　hath　possessed　himself　of　that　place；　which　is　very　sad；　and　puts　us　into　great　fears　of　Chatham。　　Home；　and　there　to　our　business；　hiring　some　fire…ships；　and　receiving　every　hour　almost　letters　from　Sir　W。　Coventry；　calling　for　more　fire…ships：　　and　an　order　from　Council　to　enable　us　to　take　any　man's　ships；　and　Sir　W。　Coventry；　in　his　letter　to　us；　says　he　do　not；　doubt　but　at　this　time　（under　an　invasion；　as　he　owns　it　to　be）　the　King　may　by　law　take　any　man's　goods。　　At　this　business　late；　and　then　home；　where　a　great　deal　of　serious　talk　with　my　wife　about　the　sad　state　we　are　in；　and　especially　from　the　beating　up　of　drums　this　night　for　the　train…bands　upon　pain　of　death　to　appear　in　arms　to…morrow　morning；　with　bullet　and　powder；　and　money　to　supply　themselves　with　victuals　for　a　fortnight：　　which；　considering　the　soldiers　drawn　out　to　Chatham　and　elsewhere；　looks　as　if　they　had　a　design　to　ruin　the　City　and　give　it　up　to　be　undone；　which；　I　hear；　makes　the　sober　citizens　to　think　very　sadly　of　things。
  12th。　　Up　very　betimes　to　our　business　at　the　office；　their　hiring　of　more　fire…ships；　and　at　it　close　all　the　morning。　　At　noon　home；　and　Sir　W。　Pen　dined　with　us。　　By　and　by　after　dinner　my　wife　out　by　coach　to　see　her　mother；　and　I　in　another　（being　afraid　at　this　busy　time　to　be　seen　with　a　woman　in　a　coach；　as　if　I　were　idle）　towards　The。　Turner's：　　but　met　Sir　W。　Coventry's　boy；　and　there　in　a　letter　find　that；　the　Dutch　had　made　no　motion　since　their　taking　Sheerenesse；　and　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　writes　that　all　is　safe　as　to　the　great　ships　against　any　assault；　the　bomb　and　chaine　being　so　fortified：　　which　put　my　heart　into　great　joy。　　When　I　come　to　Sir　W。　Coventry's　chamber；　I　find　him　abroad；　but　his　clerk；　Powell；　do　tell　me　that　ill　news　is　come　to　Court　of　the　Dutch　breaking　the　Chaine　at　Chatham；　which　struck　me　to　the　heart。　　And　to　White　Hall　to　hear　the　truth　of　it；　and　there　going　up　the　Park…stairs　I　did　hear　some　lacquies　speaking　of　sad　news　come　to　Court；　saying；　there　is　hardly　any　body　in　the　Court　but　do　look　as　if　he　cried。　　I　met　Roger　Pepys；　newly　come　out　of　the　country：　　in　discourse　he　told　me　that　his　grandfather；　my　great　grandfather；　had　800l。　per　annum　in　Queene　Elizabeth's　time　in　the　very　town　of　Cottenham；　and　that　we　did　certainly　come　out　of　Scotland　with　the　Abbot　of　Crowland。　　Home；　where　all　our　hearts　do　now　ake；　for　the　news　is　true　that　the　Dutch　have　broke　the　chaine　and　burned　our　ships；　and　particularly　〃The　Royal　Charles：〃　other　particulars　I　know　not；　but　it　is　said　to　be　so。　　And　the　truth　is　I　do　fear　so　much　that　the　whole　kingdom　is　undone；　that　I　do　this　night　resolve　to　study　with　my　father　and　wife　what　to　do　with　the　little　that　I　have　in　money　by　me；　for　I　give　all　the　rest　that　I　have　in　the　King's　hands　for　Tangier　for　lost。　　So　God　help　us！　　and　God　knows　what　disorders　we　may　fall　into；　and　whether　any　violence　on　this　office；　or　perhaps　some　severity　on　our　persons；　as　being　reckoned　by　the　silly　people；　or　perhaps　may　by　policy　of　State　be　thought　fit　to　be　condemned　by　the　King　and　Duke　of　York；　and　so　put　to　trouble；　though；　God　knows　I　have　in　my　own　person　done　my　full　duty；　I　am　sure。
  13th。　　No　sooner　up　but　hear　the　sad　news　confirmed　of　the　Royal　Charles　being　taken　by　them；　and　now　in　fitting　by　them；　（which　Pett　should　have　carried　up　higher　by　our　several　orders；　and　deserves　therefore　to　be　hanged　for　not　doing　it；）　and　burning　several　others；　and　that　another　fleet　is　come　up　into　the　Hope。　Upon　which　news　the　King　and　Duke　of　York　have　been　below　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　1300l。　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　frights　and　fear　what　to　do　with　the　rest。　　W。　Hewer　hath　been　at　the　banker's；　and　hath　got　500l。　out　of　Blackwell'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　they　answer　him；　〃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　or　gold　again　for　silver；　all　being　bought　up　last　night　that　were　to　be　had；　and　sold　for　24　and　25s。　a…piece。　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　him；　and　may　possibly　prove　of　good　use　to　the　King；　for　it　is　possible　in　the　hurry　of　business　they　may　not　think　of　it　at　Court；　and　the　charge　of　express　is　not　considerable　to　the　King。　The　King　and　Duke　of　York　up　and　down　all　the　day　here　and　there：　some　time　on　Tower　Hill；　where　the　City　militia　was；　where　the　King　did　make　a　speech　to　them；　that　they　should　venture　themselves　no　further　than　he　would　himself。　　I　also　sent　（my　mind　being　in　pain）　Saunders　after　my　wife　and　father；　to　overtake　them　at　their　night's　lodging；　to　see　how　matters　go　with　them。　　In　the　evening　I　sent　for　my　cousin　Sarah　and　her　husband；　who　come；　and　I　did　deliver　them　my　chest　of　writings　about　Brampton；　and　my　brother　Tom's　papers；　and　my　journalls；　which　I　value　much：　　and　did　send　my　two　silver　flagons　to　Kate　Joyce's：　　that　so　being　scattered　what　I　have；　something　might　be　saved。　　I　have　also　made　a　girdle；　by　which　with　some　trouble　I　do　carry　about　me　300l。　in　gold　about　my　body；　that　I　may　not　be　without　something　in　case　I　should　be　surprised；　for　I　think；　in　any　nation　but　our's；　people　that　appear　（for　we　are　not　indeed　so）　so　faulty　as　we；　would　have　their　throats　cut。　　In　the　evening　comes　Mr。　Pelling　and　several　others　to　the　office；　and　tell　me　that　never　were　people　so　dejected　as　they　are　in　the　City　all　over　at　this　day；　and　do　talk　most　loudly；　even　treason；　as；　that　we　are　bought　and　sold；　that　we　are　betrayed　by　the　Papists　and　others　about　the　King：　　cry　out　that　the　office　of　the　Ordnance　hath　been　so　backward　as　no　powder　to　have　been　at　Chatham　nor　Upner　Castle　till　such　a　time；　and　the　carriages　all　broken：　　Legg　is　a　Papist；　＇William　Legge；　mentioned　before；　He　was　Treasurer　and　Superintendent　of　the　Ordnance；　with　General's　pay。＇　　that　Upner；　the　old　good　castle　built　by　Queen　Elizabeth；　should　be　lately　slighted；　that　the　ships　at　Chatham　should　not　be　carried　up　higher。　　They　look　upon　us　as　lost；　and　remove　their　families　and　rich　goods　in　the　City；　and　do　think　verily　that　the　French　being　come　down　with　an　army　to　Dunkirke；　it　is　to　invade　us；　and　that　we　shall　be　invaded。　　Mr。　Clerke；　the　solicitor；　comes　to　me　about　business；　and　tells　me　that　he　hears　that　the　King　hath　chosen　Mr。　Pierpoint　and　Vaughan　of　the　West；　Privy…councillors；　that　my　Lord　Chancellor　was　affronted　in　the　Hall　this　day；　by　people　telling　him　of　his　Dunkirke　House；　and　that　there　are　regiments　ordered　to　be　got　together；　whereof　to　be　commanders　my　Lord　Fairfax；　Ingolsby；　Bethell；　Norton；　and　Birch；　and　other　Presbyterians；　and　that　Dr。　Bates　will　have　liberty　to　preach。　　Now；　whether　this　be　true　or　not；　I　know　not；　but　do　think　that　nothing　but　this　will　unite　us　together。　　Late　at　night　comes　Mr。　Hudson　the　cooper；　my　neighbour；　and　tells　me　that　he　come　from　Chatham　this　evening　at　five　o'clock；　and　saw　this　afternoon　〃The　Royal　James；〃　〃Oake；〃　and　〃London；〃　burnt　by　the　enemy　with　their　fire…ships：　　that　two　or　three　men…of…