But before I come out there
happened news to come to me by an expresse from Mr. Coventry,
telling the most happy news of my Lord Sandwich's meeting with
part of the Dutch; his taking two of their East India ships, and
six or seven others, and very good prizes: and that he is in
search of the rest of the fleet, which he hopes to find upon the
Well-bancke, with the loss only of the Hector, poor Captn.
Cuttle. To Greenwich, and there sending away Mr. Andrews, I to
Captn. Cocke's, where I find my Lord Brouncker and his mistress,
[Mrs. Williams.] and Sir J. Minnes. Where we supped; (there was
also Sir W. Doyly and Mr. Evelyn,) but the receipt of this news
did put us all into such an extasy of joy, that it inspired into
Sir J. Minnes and Mr. Evelyn such a spirit of mirth, that in all
my life I never met with so merry a two hours as our company this
night was. Among other humours, Mr. Evelyn's repeating of some
verses made up of nothing but the various acceptations of MAY and
CAN, and doing it so aptly upon occasion of something of that
nature, and so fast, did make us all die almost with laughing,
and did so stop the mouth of Sir J.
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