He tells me this day it is supposed the Peace is
ratified at Bredah, and all that matter over. We did talk of
many retrenchments of charge of the Navy which he will put in
practice, and every where else; though, he tells me, he despairs
of being able to do what ought to be done for the saving of the
kingdom, (which I tell him, indeed, all the world is almost in
hopes of, upon the proceeding of these gentlemen for the
regulating of the Treasury,) it being so late, and our poverty
grown so great, that they want where to set their feet to begin
to do any thing. He tells me how weary he hath for this year and
a half been of the warr; and how in the Duke of York's bedchamber
at Christ Church, at Oxford, when the Court was there, he did
labour to persuade the Duke to fling off the care of the Navy,
and get it committed to other hands; which, if he had done, would
have been much to his honour, being just come home with so much
honour from sea as he was. I took notice of the sharp letter he
wrote (which he sent us to read) to Sir Edward Spragg, where he
is very plain about his leaving his charge of the ships at
Gravesend, when the enemy came last up, and several other things;
a copy whereof I have kept.
Pages:
1226
1227
1228
1229
1230
1231
1232
1233
1234
1235
1236
1237
1238
1239
1240
1241
1242
1243
1244
1245
1246
1247
1248
1249
1250