the diary of samuel pepys-第118章

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3rd　（Lord's…day；　Whit…sunday）。　　Up；　and　by　water　to　White　Hall；　and　there　met　with　Mr。　Coventry；　who　tells　me　the　only　news　from　the　fleet　is　brought　by　Captain　Elliott；　of　the　Portland；　which；　by　being　run　on　board　by　the　Guernsey；　was　disabled　from　staying　abroad：　　so　is　come　in　to　Albrough。　　That　he　saw　one　of　the　Dutch　great　ships　blown　up；　and　three　on　fire。　　That　they　begun　to　fight　on　Friday；　and　at　his　coming　into　port；　could　make　another　ship　of　the　King's　coming　in；　which　he　judged　to　be　the　Rupert：　that　he　knows　of　no　other　hurt　to　our　ships。　　With　this　good　news　I　home　by　water　again。　　The　Exchange　as　full　of　people；　and　hath　been　all　this　noon　as　of　any　other　day；　only　for　news。　　To　White　Hall；　and　there　met　with　this　bad　news　farther；　that　the　Prince　come　to　Dover　but　at　ten　o'clock　last　night；　and　there　heard　nothing　of　a　fight；　so　that　we　are　defeated　of　all　our　hopes　of　his　help　to　the　fleet。　　It　is　also　reported　by　some　Victuallers　that　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　and　Holmes　＇Sir　Robert　Holmes。＇　　their　flags　were　shot　down；　and　both　fain　to　come　to　anchor　to　renew　their　rigging　and　sails。　　A　letter　is　also　come　this　afternoon；　from　Harman　in　the　Henery；　which　states；　that　she　was　taken　by　Elliott　for　the　Rupert；　that　being　fallen　into　the　body　of　the　Dutch　fleet；　he　made　his　way　through　them；　was　set　on　by　three　fire…ships　one　after　another；　got　two　of　them　off；　and　disabled　the　third；　was　set　on　fire　himself；　upon　which　many　of　his　men　leapt　into　the　sea　and　perished；　among　others；　the　parson　first。　Have　lost　above　100　men；　and　a　good　many　women；　（God　knows　what　is　become　of　Balty　＇Balthazar　St。　Michel；　Mrs。　Pepys's　brother；　employed　in　the　office　for　sick　and　hurt　at　Deal　afterwards；　and　in　1686　Commissioner　at　Woolwich　and　Deptford。＇　）　and　at　last　quenched　his　own　fire　and　got　to　Albrough；　being；　as　all　say；　the　greatest　hazard　that　ever　any　ship　escaped；　and　so　bravely　managed　by　him。　　The　mast　of　the　third　fire　ship　fell　into　their　ship　on　fire；　and　hurt　Harman's　leg；　which　makes　him　lame　now；　but　not　dangerous。　　I　to　Sir　G。　Carteret；　who　told　me　there　hath　been　great　bad　management　in　all　this；　that　the　King's　orders　that　went　on　Friday　for　calling　back　the　Prince；　were　sent　but　by　the　ordinary　post　on　Wednesday；　and　come　to　the　Prince　his　hands　but　on　Friday；　and　then；　instead　of　sailing　presently；　he　stays　till　four　in　the　evening。　　And　that　which　is　worst　of　all；　the　Hampshire；　laden　with　merchants'　money；　come　from　the　Straights；　set　out　with　or　but　just　before　the　fleet；　and　was　in　the　Downes　by　five　in　the　clock　yesterday　morning；　and　the　Prince　with　his　fleet　come　to　Dover　but　at　ten　of　the　clock　at　night。　　This　is　hard　to　answer；　if　it　be　true。　　This　puts　great　astonishment　into　the　King；　and　Duke；　and　Court；　every　body　being　out　of　countenance。　　Home　by　the　'Change；　which　is　full　of　people　still；　and　all　talk　highly　of　the　failure　of　the　Prince　in　not　making　more　haste　after　his　instructions　did　come；　and　of　our　managements　here　in　not　giving　it　sooner　and　with　more　care　and　oftener。

4th。　　To　White　Hall；　where；　when　we　come；　we　find　the　Duke　at　St。　James's；　whither　he　is　lately　gone　to　lodge。　　So　walking　through　the　Park　we　saw　hundreds　of　people　listening　at　the　Gravell…pits；　and　to　and　again　in　the　Park　to　hear　the　guns。　　I　saw　a　letter；　dated　last　night；　from　Strowd；　Governor　of　Dover　Castle；　which　sags　that　the　Prince　come　thither　the　night　before　with　his　fleet；　but　that　for　the　guns　which　we　writ　that　we　heard；　it　is　only　a　mistake　for　thunder；　and　so　far　as　to　yesterday　it　is　a　miraculous　thing　that　we　all　Friday；　and　Saturday　and　yesterday；　did　hear　every　where　most　plainly　the　guns　go　off；　and　yet　at　Deal　and　Dover　to　last　night　they　did　not　hear　one　word　of　a　fight；　nor　think　they　heard　one　gun。　　This；　added　to　what　I　have　set　down　before　the　other　day　about　the　Katharine；　makes　room　for　a　great　dispute　in　philosophy；　how　we　should　hear　it　and　they　not；　the　same　wind　that　brought　it　to　us　being　the　same　that　should　bring　it　to　them：　　but　so　it　is。　　Major　Halsey；　however；　（He　was　sent　down　on　purpose　to　hear　news）　did　bring　news　this　morning　that　he　did　see　the　Prince　and　his　fleet　at　nine　of　the　clock　yesterday　morning；　four　or　five　leagues　to　sea　behind　the　Goodwin；　so　that　by　the　hearing　of　the　guns　this　morning；　we　conclude　he　is　come　to　the　fleet。　　After　wayting　upon　the　Duke　with　Sir　W。　Pen；　（who　was　commanded　to　go　to…night　by　water　down　to　Harwich；　to　dispatch　away　all　the　ships　he　can；）　I　home：　where　no　sooner　come；　but　news　is　brought　me　of　a　couple　of　men　come　to　speak　with　me　from　the　fleet；　so　I　down；　and　who　should　it　be　but　Mr。　Daniel；　all　muffled　up；　and　his　face　as　black　as　the　chimney；　and　covered　with　dirt；　pitch；　and　tar；　and　powder；　and　muffled　with　dirty　clouts；　and　his　right　eye　stopped　with　okum。　　He　is　come　last　night；　at　five　o'clock　from　the　fleet；　with　a　comrade　of　his　that　hath　endangered　another　eye。　　They　were　set　on　shore　at　Harwich　this　morning；　and　at　two　o'clock；　in　a　catch　with　about　twenty　more　wounded　men　from　the　Royall　Charles。　　They　being　able　to　ride；　took　post　about　three　this　morning；　and　were　here　between　eleven　and　twelve。　　I　went　presently　into　the　coach　with　them；　and　carried　them　to　Somerset…　House…stairs；　and　there　took　water　（all　the　world　gazing　upon　us；　and　concluding　it　to　be　news　from　the　fleet；　and　every　body's　face　appeared　expecting　of　news；）　to　the　Privy…stairs；　and　left　them　at　Mr。　Coventry's　lodgings　（he；　though；　not　being　there）；　and　so　I　into　the　Park　to　the　King；　and　told　him　my　Lord　Generall　was　well　the　last　night　at　five　o'clock；　and　the　Prince　come　with　his　fleet　and　joyned　with　his　about　seven。　　The　King　was　mightily　pleased　with　this　news；　and　so　took　me　by　the　hand　and　talked　a　little　of　it；　giving　him　the　best　account　I　could；　and　then　he　bid　me　to　fetch　the　two　seamen　to　him；　he　walking　into　the　house。　So　I　went　and　fetched　the　seamen　into　the　same　room　to　him；　and　there　he　heard　the　whole　account。

THE　FIGHT。

How　we　found　the　Dutch　fleet　at　anchor　on　Friday　half　seas　over；　between　Dunkirke　and　Ostend；　and　made　them　let　slip　their　anchors。　　They　about　ninety；　and　we　less　than　sixty。　　We　fought　them；　and　put　them　to　the　run；　till　they　met　with　about　sixteen　sail　of　fresh　ships；　and　so　bore　up　again。　　The　fight　continued　till　night；　and　then　again　the　next　morning　from　five　till　seven　at　night。　　And　so；　too；　yesterday　morning　they　begun　again；　and　continued　till　about　four　o'clock；　they　chasing　us　for　the　most　part　of　Saturday；　and　yesterday　we　flying　from　them。　　The　Duke　himself　and　then　those　people　who　were　put　into　the　catch；　by　and　by　spied　the　Prince's　fleet　coming；　upon　which　De　Ruyter　called　a　little　council；　（being　in　chase　at　this　time　of　us；）　and　thereupon　their　fleet　divided　into　two　squadrons；　forty　in　one；　and　about　thirty　in　the　other　（the　fleet　being　at　first　about　ninety；　but　by　one　accident　or　other；　supposed　to　be　lessened　to　about　seventy）；　the　bigger　to　follow　the　Duke；　the　less　to　meet　the　Prince。　　But　the　Prince　come　up　with　the　Generall's　fleet；　and　the　Dutch　come　together　again　and　bore　towards　their　own　coast；　and　we　with　them；　and　now　what　the　consequence　of　this　day　will　be；　we　know　not。　　The　Duke　was　forced　to　come　to　anchor　on　Friday；　having　lost　his　sails　and　rigging。　　No　particular　person　spoken　of　to　be　hurt　but　Sir　W。　Clerke；　who　hath　lost　his　leg；　and　bore　it　bravely。　　The　Duke　himself　had　a　little　hurt　in　his　thigh；　but　signified　little。　　The　King　did　pull　out　of　his　pocket　about　twenty　pieces　in　gold；　and　did　give　it　Daniel　for　himself　and　his　companion；　and　so　parted；　mightily　pleased　with　the　account　he　did　give　him　of　the　fight；　and　the　success　it　ended　with；　of　the　Prince's　coming；　though　it　seems　the　Duke　did　give　way　again　and　again。　　The　King　did　give　order　for　care　to　be　had　of　Mr。　Daniel　and　his　companion；　and　so　we　parted　from　him；　and　then　met　the　Duke　of　York；　and　gave　him　the　same　account：　　and　so　broke　up；　and　I　left　them　going　to　the　surgeon's。　　To　the　Crown；　behind　the　'Change；　and　there　supped　at　the　club　with　my　Lord　Brouncker；　Sir　G。　Ent；　and　others　of　Gresham　College；　and　all　our　discourse　is　of　this　fight　at　sea；　and　all　are　doubtful　of　the　success；　and　conclude