the diary of samuel pepys-第172章

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　the　war　is　now　professedly　over。　　By　and　by　up　to　the　Duke　of　York's　chamber；　and　there　all　the　talk　was　about　Jordan's　coming　with　so　much　indiscretion；　with　his　four　little　frigates　and　sixteen　fire…　ships　from　Harwich；　to　annoy　the　enemy。　　His　failures　were　of　several　sorts；　I　know　not　which　the　truest：　　that　he　came　with　so　strong　a　gale　of　wind　that　his　grapplings　would　not　hold；　that　he　did　come　by　their　lee；　whereas　if　he　had　come　athwart　their　hawse；　they　would　have　held；　that　they　did　not　stop　a　tide；　and　ebb　up　with　a　windward　tide；　and　then　they　would　have　come　so　fast。　　Now　there　happened　to　be　Captain　Jenifer　by；　who　commanded　the　Lily　in　this　business；　and　thus　says：　　that　finding　the　Dutch　not　so　many　as　they　expected；　they　did　not　know　that　there　were　more　of　them　above；　and　so　were　not　so　earnest　to　the　setting　upon　these；　that　they　did　do　what　they　could　to　make　the　fire…　ships　fall　in　among　the　enemy；　and　for　their　lives　Sir　J。　Jordan　nor　others　could；　by　shooting　several　times　at　them；　make　them　go　in：　　and　it　seems　they　were　commanded　by　some　idle　fellows；　such　as　they　could　of　a　sudden　gather　up　at　Harwich；　which　is　a　sad　consideration；　that　at　such　a　time　as　this；　where　the　saving　the　reputation　of　the　whole　nation　lay　at　stake；　and　after　so　long　a　war；　the　King　had　not　credit　to　gather　a　few　able　men　to　command　these　vessels。　　He　says；　that　if　they　had　come　up　slower；　the　enemy　would　（with　their　boats　and　their　great　sloops；　which　they　have　to　row　with　a　great　many　men；）　and　did　come　and　cut　up　several　of　our　fire…ships；　and　would　certainly　have　taken　most　of　them；　for　they　do　come　with　a　great　provision　of　these　boats　on　purpose；　and　to　save　their　men；　which　is　bravely　done　of　them；　though　they　did　on　this　very　occasion　show　great　fear；　as　they　say；　by　some　men　leaping　overboard　out　of　a　great　ship　（as　these　were　all　of　them　of　sixty　and　seventy　guns　a…piece）　which　one　of　our　fire…ships　laid　on　board；　though　the　fire　did　not　take。　　But　yet　it　is　brave　to　see　what　care　they　do　take　to　encourage　their　men　to　provide　great　stores　of　boats　to　save　them；　while　we　have　not　credit　to　find　one　boat　for　a　ship。　　And　further；　he　told　us　that　this　new　way　used　by　Deane　（and　this　Sir　W。　Coventry　observed　several　times）　of　preparing　of　fire…ships　do　not　do　the　work；　for　the　fire　not　being　strong　and　quick　enough　to　flame　up；　so　as　to　take　the　rigging　and　sails；　lies　smothering　a　great　while；　half　an　hour　before　it　flames；　in　which　time　they　can　get　the　fire…ship　off　safely；　though　（which　is　uncertain；　and　did　fail　in　one　or　two　this　bout）　it　do　serve　to　burn　our　own　ships。　But　what　a　shame　it　is　to　consider　how　two　of　our　ships'　companies　did　desert　their　ships　for　fear　of　being　taken　by　their　boats；　our　little　frigates　being　forced　to　leave　them；　being　chased　by　their　greater！　　And　one　more　company　did　set　their　ship　on　fire；　and　leave　her；　which　afterwards　a　Feversham　fisherman　came　up　to；　and　put　out　the　fire；　and　carried　safe　into　Feversham；　where　she　now　is。　　Which　was　observed　by　the　Duke　of　York；　and　all　the　company　with　him；　that　it　was　only　want　of　courage；　and　a　general　dismay　and　abjectness　of　spirit　upon　all　our　men；　and　others　did　observe　our　ill　management；　and　God　Almighty's　curse　upon　all　that　we　have　in　hand；　for　never　such　an　opportunity　was　of　destroying　so　many　good　ships　of　theirs　as　we　now　had。　　But　to　see　how　negligent　we　were　in　this　business；　that　our　fleet　of　Jordan's　should　not　have　any　notice　where：　　Spragg　was；　nor　Spragg　of　Jordan's　so　as　to　be　able　to　meet　and　join　in　the　business；　and　help　one　another；　but　Jordan；　when　he　saw　Spragg's　fleet　above；　did　think　them　to　be　another　part　of　the　enemy's　fleet！　　while；　on　the　other　side；　notwithstanding　our　people　at　Court　made　such　a　secret　of　Jordan's　design　that　nobody　must　know　it；　and　even　this　office　itself　must　not　know　it；　nor　for　my　part；　I　did　not；　though　Sir　W。　Batten　says　by　others'　discourse　to　him　he　had　heard　something　of　it；　yet　De　Ruyter　（or　he　that　commanded　this　fleet）　had　notice　of　it；　and　told　it　to　a　fisherman　of　ours　that　he　took　and　released　on　Thursday　last；　which　was　the　day　before　our　fleet　came　to　him。　　But　then；　that　that　seems　most　to　our　disgrace；　and　which　the　Duke　of　York　did　take　special　and　vehement　notice　of；　is；　that　when　the　Dutch　saw　so　many　fire…ships　provided　for　them；　themselves　lying；　I　think；　about　the　Nore；　they　did　with　all　their　great　ships；　with　a　North…east　wind；　（as　I　take　it　they　said；　but　whatever　it　was；　it　was　a　wind　that　we　should　not　have　done　it　with；）　turn　down　to　the　Middle…ground；　which；　the　Duke　of　York　observed；　never　was　nor　would　have　been　undertaken　by　ourselves。　　And　whereas　some　of　the　company　answered；　it　was　their　great　fear；　not　their　choice；　that　made　them　do　it；　the　Duke　of　York　answered；　that　it　was；　it　maybe；　their　fear　and　wisdom　that　made　them　do　it；　but　yet　their　fear　did　not　make　them　mistake；　as　we　should　have　done；　when　we　have　had　no　fear　upon　us；　and　have　run　our　ships　on　ground。　　And　this　brought　it　into　my　mind；　that　they　managed　their　retreat　down　this　difficult　passage；　with　all　their　fear；　better　than　we　could　do　ourselves　in　the　main　sea；　when　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　ran　away　from　the　Dutch；　when　the　Prince　was　lost；　and　the　Royal　Charles　and　the　other　great　ships　came　on　ground　upon　the　Galloper。　　Thus　in　all　things；　in　wisdom；　courage；　force；　knowledge　of　our　own　streams；　and　success；　the　Dutch　have　the　best　of　us；　and　do　end　the　war　with　victory　on　their　side。　　One　thing　extraordinary　was　this　day：　　a　man；　a　Quaker；　came　naked　through　the　Hall；　only　very　civilly　tied　about　the　loins　to　avoid　scandal；　and　with　a　chafing…dish　of　fire　and　brimstone　burning　upon　his　head；　did　pass　through　the　Hall；　crying　〃Repent！　repent！〃　　Presently　comes　down　the　House　of　Commons；　the　King　having　made　a　very　short　and　no　pleasing　speech　to　them　at　all；　not　at　all　giving　them　thanks　for　their　readiness　to　come　up　to　town　at　this　busy　time；　but　told　them　that　he　did　think　he　should　have　had　occasion　for　them；　but　had　none；　and　therefore　did　dismiss　them　to　look　after　their　own　occasions　till　October；　and　that　he　did　wonder　any　should　offer　to　bring　in　a　suspicion　that　he　intended　to　rule　by　an　army；　or　otherwise　than　by　the　laws　of　the　land；　which　he　promised　them　he　would　do；　and　so　bade　them　go　home　and　settle　the　minds　of　the　country　in　that　particular；　and　only　added；　that；　he　had　made　a　peace　which　be　did　believe　they　would　find　reasonable；　and　a　good　peace；　but　did　give　them　none　of　the　particulars　thereof。　　Thus　they　are　dismissed　again　to　their　general　great　distaste；　I　believe　the　greatest　that　ever　Parliament　was；　to　see　themselves　so　fooled；　and　the　nation　in　certain　condition　of　ruin；　while　the　King；　they　see；　is　only　governed　by　his　lust；　and　women；　and　rogues　about　him。　　The　Speaker；　they　found；　was　kept　from　coming　in　the　morning　to　the　House　on　purpose　till　after　the　King　was　come　to　the　House　of　Lords；　for　fear　they　should　be　doing　any　thing　in　the　House　of　Commons　to　the　further　dissatisfaction　of　the　King　and　his　courtiers。　　They　do　all　give　up　the　kingdom　for　lost；　that　I　speak　to；　and　do　hear　what　the　King　says；　how　he　and　the　Duke　of　York　do　do　what　they　can　to　get　up　an　army；　that　they　may　need　no　more　Parliaments：　　and　how　my　Lady　Castlemaine　hath；　before　the　last　breach　between　her　and　the　King；　said　to　the　King；　that　he　must　rule　by　an　army；　or　all　would　be　lost。　　I　am　told　that　many　petitions　were　provided　for　the　Parliament；　complaining　of　the　wrongs　they　have　received　from　the　Court　and　courtiers；　in　city　and　country；　if　the　Parliament　had　but　sat：　　and　I　do　perceive　they　all　do　resolve　to　have　a　good　account　of　the　money　spent　before　ever　they　give　a　farthing　more；　and　the　whole　kingdom　is　every　where　sensible　of　their　being　abused；　insomuch　that　they　forced　their　Parliament…men　to　come　up　to　sit；　and　my　cozen　Roger　told　me　that　（but　that　was　in　mirth）　he　believed；　if　he　had　not　come　up　he　should　have　had　his　house　burned。　　The　kingdom　never　in　so　troubled　a　condition　in　this　world　as　now；　nobody　pleased　with　the　peace；　and　yet　nobody　daring　to　wish　for　the　continuance　of　the　war；　it　being　plain　that　nothing　do　nor　can　thrive　under　us。　　Here　I　saw　old　g