27th. To Sir W. Coventry's lodging, and there he showed me
Captain Talbot's letter, wherein he says that the fight begun on
the 25th: that our White squadron begun with one of the Dutch
squadrons, and then the Red with another, so hot that we put them
both to giving way, and so they continued in pursuit all the day,
and as long as he stayed with them: that the blow fell to the
Zealand squadron; and after a long dispute, he against two or
three great ships, received eight or nine dangerous shots, and so
come away; and says, he saw the Resolution burned by one of their
fire-ships, and four or five of the enemy's. But says that two
or three of our great ships were in danger of being fired by our
fire-ships, which Sir W. Coventry nor I cannot understand. But
upon the whole, he and I walked two or three turns in the Park
under the great trees, and no doubt that this gallant is come
away a little too soon, having lost never a mast nor sail. And
then we did begin to discourse of the young genteel captains,
which he was very free with me in speaking his mind of the
unruliness of them; and what a loss the King hath of his old men,
and now of this Hannam, of the Resolution, if he be dead.
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