Calendars. 04 Jun 1655. 37. Sir William Coventry (age 27) and Sir William Penn (age 34) to the Navy Comrs, A good quantity of masts, yards, and all other stores must be sent immediately to the Downs. Engaged yesterday with the Dutch; they began to stand away at 3 p.m.; chased them all the rest of the day and all night; 20 considerable ships are destroyed and taken; we have only lost the Great Charity. The Earl of Marlborough (age 37), Rear-Admiral Sansum, and Capt. Kirby'are slain, and Sir John Lawson (age 40) wounded. [Adm. Paper.]

Pepy's Diary. 15 May 1663. The Portugalls have choused us¹, it seems, in the Island of Bombay, in the East Indys; for after a great charge of our fleets being sent thither with full commission from the King (age 32) of Portugall to receive it, the Governour by some pretence or other will not deliver it to Sir Abraham Shipman, sent from the King (age 32), nor to my Lord of Marlborough (age 45); which the King (age 32) takes highly ill, and I fear our Queen (age 24) will fare the worse for it. The Dutch decay there exceedingly, it being believed that their people will revolt from them there, and they forced to give over their trade. This is talked of among us, but how true I understand not. Sir Thomas showed me his picture and Sir Anthony Vandike's, in crayon in little, done exceedingly well.

Note 1. The word chouse appears to have been introduced into the language at the beginning of the seventeenth century. In 1609, a Chiaus sent by Sir Robert Shirley, from Constantinople to London, had chiaused (or choused) the Turkish and Persian merchants out of £4,000, before the arrival of his employer, and had decamped. The affair was quite recent in 1610, when Jonson's "Alchemist" appeared, in which it is alluded to.

Pepy's Diary. 29 Jan 1664. After dinner I broke up and with my wife home, and thence to the Fleece in Cornhill [Map], by appointment, to meet my Lord Marlborough (age 46), a serious and worthy gentleman, who, after doing our business, about the company, he and they began to talk of the state of the Dutch in India, which is like to be in a little time without any controll; for we are lost there, and the Portuguese as bad.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Mar 1664. Up and to the office, where, though I had a great cold, I was forced to speak much upon a publique meeting of the East India Company, at our office; where our own company was full, and there was also my Lord George Barkeley (age 36), in behalfe of the company of merchants (I suppose he is on that company), who, hearing my name, took notice of me, and condoled my cozen Edward Pepys's death, not knowing whose son I was, nor did demand it of me. We broke up without coming to any conclusion, for want of my Lord Marlborough (age 46).

Pepy's Diary. 02 Aug 1664. Thence homeward called upon my Lord Marlborough (age 46), and so home and to my office, and then to Sir W. Pen (age 43), and with him and our fellow officers and servants of the house and none else to Church to lay his brother in the ground, wherein nothing handsome at all, but that he lays him under the Communion table in the chancel, about nine at night? So home and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 14 Jun 1665. And I this day met with a letter of Captain Ferrers, wherein he tells [us] my Lord was with his ship in all the heat of the day, and did most worthily. Met with Creed, and he and I to Westminster; and there saw my Lord Marlborough (deceased)¹ brought to be buried, several Lords of the Council carrying him, and with the herald in some state. Thence, vexed in my mind to think that I do so little in my Tangier business, and so home, and after supper to bed.

Note 1. Of the four distinguished men who died after the late action with the Dutch and were buried in Westminster Abbey, the Earl of Marlborough (deceased) was interred on June 14th, Viscount Muskerry on the 19th, the Earl of Falmouth (deceased) on the 22nd, and Sir Edward Broughton on the 26th. After the entries in the Abbey Registers is this note: "These four last Honble Persons dyed in his Majy's service against the Dutch, excepting only that ST Ed Br received his death's wound at sea, but dyed here at home" (Chester's "Westminster Abbey Registers", p. 162).