Pepy's Diary. 16 Jun 1665. It is strange to see how people do already slight Sir William Barkeley (age 26)¹, my [his brother] Lord FitzHarding's (deceased) brother, who, three months since, was the delight of the Court. Captain Smith of "The Mary" the Duke (age 31) talks mightily of; and some great thing will be done for him.

Note 1. Sir William Berkeley (age 26), see note, vol. iii., p. 334. His behaviour after the death of his brother, Lord Falmouth (deceased), is severely commented on in "Poems on State Affairs", vol. i., p. 29 "Berkeley had heard it soon, and thought not good To venture more of royal Harding's blood; To be immortal he was not of age, And did e'en now the Indian Prize presage; And judged it safe and decent, cost what cost, To lose the day, since his dear brother's lost. With his whole squadron straight away he bore, And, like good boy, promised to fight no more". B.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Jul 1665. So to the office, where all the morning till noon, and so to the 'Change [Map], and thence home to dinner. In the afternoon I abroad to St. James's, and there with Mr. Coventry (age 37) a good while, and understand how matters are ordered in the fleete: that is, my Lord Sandwich (age 39) goes Admiral; under him Sir G. Ascue (age 49), and Sir T. Teddiman; Vice-Admiral, Sir W. Pen (age 44); and under him Sir W. Barkeley (age 26), and Sir Jos. Jordan: Reere-Admiral, Sir Thomas Allen (age 32); and under him Sir Christopher Mings (age 39)¹, and Captain Harman (age 40). We talked in general of business of the Navy, among others how he had lately spoken to Sir G. Carteret (age 55), and professed great resolution of friendship with him and reconciliation, and resolves to make it good as well as he can, though it troubles him, he tells me, that something will come before him wherein he must give him offence, but I do find upon the whole that Mr. Coventry (age 37) do not listen to these complaints of money with the readiness and resolvedness to remedy that he used to do, and I think if he begins to draw in it is high time for me to do so too.

Note 1. The son of a shoemaker, bred to the sea-service; he rose to the rank of an admiral, and was killed in the fight with the Dutch, June, 1666. B. See post June 10th, 1666.

Pepy's Diary. 06 Jul 1665. So home to the office, and thence to Sir W. Batten (age 64), and spent the evening at supper; and, among other discourse, the rashness of Sir John Lawson (deceased), for breeding up his daughter so high and proud, refusing a man of great interest, Sir W. Barkeley (age 26), to match her with a melancholy fellow, Colonell Norton's' (age 49) son, of no interest nor good nature nor generosity at all, giving her £6000, when the other would have taken her with two; when he himself knew that he was not worth the money himself in all the world, he did give her that portion, and is since dead, and left his wife and two daughters beggars, and the other gone away with £6000, and no content in it, through the ill qualities of her father-in-law and husband, who, it seems, though a pretty woman, contracted for her as if he had been buying a horse; and, worst of all, is now of no use to serve the mother and two little sisters in any stead at Court, whereas the other might have done what he would for her: so here is an end of this family's pride, which, with good care, might have been what they would, and done well.

Pepy's Diary. 12 Oct 1665. Called up before day, and so I dressed myself and down, it being horrid cold, by water to my Lord Bruncker's (age 45) ship, who advised me to do so, and it was civilly to show me what the King (age 35) had commanded about the prize-goods, to examine most severely all that had been done in the taking out any with or without order, without respect to my Lord Sandwich (age 40) at all, and that he had been doing of it, and find him examining one man, and I do find that extreme ill use was made of my Lord's order. For they did toss and tumble and spoil, and breake things in hold to a great losse and shame to come at the fine goods, and did take a man that knows where the fine goods were, and did this over and over again for many days, Sir W. Berkeley (age 26) being the chief hand that did it, but others did the like at other times, and they did say in doing it that my Lord Sandwich's (age 40) back was broad enough to bear it.

Pepy's Diary. 18 Apr 1666. [Up] and by coach with Sir W. Batten (age 65) and Sir Thos. Allen (age 54) to White Hall, and there after attending the Duke (age 32) as usual and there concluding of many things preparatory to the Prince (age 46) and Generall's going to sea on Monday next, Sir W. Batten (age 65) and Sir T. Allen (age 54) and I to Mr. Lilly's (age 47), the painter's; and there saw the heads, some finished, and all begun, of the Flaggmen in the late great fight with the Duke of Yorke (age 32) against the Dutch. The Duke of Yorke (age 32) hath them done to hang in his chamber, and very finely they are done indeed. Here is the Prince's (age 46), Sir G. Askue's (age 50), Sir Thomas Teddiman's, Sir Christopher Mings (age 40), Sir Joseph Jordan, Sir William Barkeley (age 27), Sir Thomas Allen (age 33), and Captain Harman's (age 41), as also the Duke of Albemarle's (age 57); and will be my Lord Sandwich's (age 40), Sir W. Pen's (age 44), and Sir Jeremy Smith's. Being very well satisfied with this sight, and other good pictures hanging in the house, we parted, and I left them, and [to] pass away a little time went to the printed picture seller's in the way thence to the Exchange [Map], and there did see great plenty of fine prints; but did not buy any, only a print of an old pillar in Rome made for a Navall Triumph¹, which for the antiquity of the shape of ships, I buy and keepe.

Note 1. The columna rostrata erected in the Forum to C. Duilius, who obtained a triumph for the first naval victory over the Carthaginians, B.C. 261. Part of the column was discovered in the ruins of the Forum near the Arch of Septimius, and transferred to the Capitol. B.

Pepy's Diary. 07 Jun 1666. By and by comes Mr. Wayth to me; and discoursing of our ill successe, he tells me plainly from Captain Page's own mouth (who hath lost his arm in the fight), that the Dutch did pursue us two hours before they left us, and then they suffered us to go on homewards, and they retreated towards their coast: which is very sad newes. Then to my office and anon to White Hall, late, to the Duke of York (age 32) to see what commands he hath and to pray a meeting to-morrow for Tangier in behalf of Mr. Yeabsly, which I did do and do find the Duke (age 32) much damped in his discourse, touching the late fight, and all the Court talk sadly of it. The Duke (age 32) did give me several letters he had received from the fleete, and Sir W. Coventry (age 38) and Sir W. Pen (age 45), who are gone down thither, for me to pick out some works to be done for the setting out the fleete again; and so I took them home with me, and was drawing out an abstract of them till midnight. And as to newes, I do find great reason to think that we are beaten in every respect, and that we are the losers. The Prince upon the Galloper, where both the Royall Charles and Royall Katharine had come twice aground, but got off. The Essex carried into Holland; the Swiftsure missing (Sir William Barkeley (deceased)) ever since the beginning of the fight. Captains Bacon, Tearne, Wood, Mootham, Whitty, and Coppin, slayne. The Duke of Albemarle (age 57) writes, that he never fought with worse officers in his life, not above twenty of them behaving themselves like men. Sir William Clerke (deceased) lost his leg; and in two days died. The Loyall George, Seven Oakes, and Swiftsure, are still missing, having never, as the Generall writes himself, engaged with them. It was as great an alteration to find myself required to write a sad letter instead of a triumphant one to my Lady Sandwich (age 41) this night, as ever on any occasion I had in my life. So late home and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 08 Jun 1666. So back again, he and I talking of the late ill management of this fight, and of the ill management of fighting at all against so great a force bigger than ours, and so to the office, where we parted, but with this satisfaction that we hear the Swiftsure, Sir W. Barkeley (deceased), is come in safe to the Nore, after her being absent ever since the beginning of the fight, wherein she did not appear at all from beginning to end. But wherever she has been, they say she is arrived there well, which I pray God however may be true. At the office late, doing business, and so home to supper and to bed.