into it, and so went on board with Sir W. Batten,
[Clarendon describes William Batten as an obscure fellow, and,
although unknown to the service, a good seaman, who was in 1642 made
Surveyor to the Navy; in which employ he evinced great animosity
against the King. The following year, while Vice-Admiral to the
Earl of Warwick, he chased a Dutch man-of-war into Burlington Bay,
knowing that Queen Henrietta Maria was on board; and then, learning
that she had landed and was lodged on the quay, he fired above a
hundred shot upon the house, some of which passing through her
majesty’s chamber, she was obliged, though indisposed, to retire for
safety into the open fields. This act, brutal as it was, found
favour with the Parliament. But Batten became afterwards
discontented; and, when a portion of the fleet revolted, he carried
the “Constant Warwick,” one of the best ships in the Parliament
navy, over into Holland, with several seamen of note. For this act
of treachery he was knighted and made a Rear-Admiral by Prince
Charles. We hear no more of Batten till the Restoration, when he
became a Commissioner of the Navy, and was soon after M.P. for
Rochester. See an account of his second wife, in note to November
24th, 1660, and of his illness and death, October 5th, 1667. He had
a son, Benjamin, and a daughter, Martha, by his first wife.—B.]
and the Vice and Rear-Admirals. At night my Lord supped and Mr. Thomas Crew with Captain Stoakes, I supped with the Captain, who told me what the King had given us. My Lord returned late, and at his coming did give me order to cause the marke to be gilded, and a Crown and C. R. to be made at the head of the coach table, where the King to-day with his own hand did mark his height, which accordingly I caused the painter to do, and is now done as is to be seen.
26th. Thanks to God I got to bed in my own poor cabin, and slept well till 9 o’clock this morning. Mr. North and Dr. Clerke and all the great company being gone, I found myself very uncouth all this day for want thereof. My Lord dined with the Vice-Admiral to-day (who is as officious, poor man! as any spaniel can be; but I believe all to no purpose, for I believe he will not hold his place), so I dined commander at the coach table to-day, and all the officers of the ship with me, and Mr. White of Dover. After a game or two at nine-pins, to work all the afternoon, making above twenty orders. In the evening my Lord having been a-shore, the first time that he hath been a-shore since he came out of the Hope (having resolved not to go till he had brought his Majesty into England), returned on board with a great deal of pleasure. I supped with the Captain in his cabin with young Captain Cuttance, and afterwards a messenger from the King came with a letter, and to go into France, and by that means we supped again with him at 12 o’clock at night. This night the Captain told me that my Lord had appointed me £30 out of the 1000 ducats which the King had given to the ship, at which my heart was very much joyed. To bed.
27th (Lord’s day). Called up by John Goods to see the Garter and Heralds coat, which lay in the coach, brought by Sir Edward Walker,
[Edward Walker was knighted February 2nd, 1644–5, and on the 24th of
the same month was sworn in as Garter King at Arms. He adhered to
the cause of the king, and published “Iter Carolinum”, being a
succinct account of the necessitated marches, retreats, and
sufferings of his Majesty King Charles I., from Jan. 10, 1641, to
the time of his death in 1648, collected by a daily attendant upon
his sacred Majesty during all that time: He joined Charles II. in
exile, and received the reward of his loyalty at the Restoration.
He died at Whitehall, February 19th, 1676–7, and was buried at
Stratford-on-Avon, his daughter having married Sir John Clepton of
that place.]
King at Arms, this morning, for my Lord. My Lord hath summoned all the Commanders on board him, to see the ceremony, which was thus: Sir Edward putting on his coat, and having laid the George and Garter, and the King’s letter to my Lord, upon a crimson cushion (in the coach, all the Commanders standing by), makes three congees to him, holding the cushion in his arms. Then laying it down with the things upon it upon a chair, he takes the letter, and delivers it to my Lord, which my Lord breaks open and gives him to read. It was directed to our trusty and well beloved Sir Edward Montagu, Knight, one of our Generals at sea, and our Companion elect of our Noble Order of the Garter. The contents of the letter is to show that the Kings of England have for many years made use of this honour, as a special mark of favour, to persons of good extraction and virtue (and that many Emperors, Kings and Princes of other countries have borne this honour), and that whereas my Lord is of a noble family, and hath now done the King such service by sea, at this time, as he hath done; he do send him this George and Garter to wear as Knight of the Order, with a dispensation for the other ceremonies of the habit of the Order, and other things, till hereafter, when it can be done. So the herald putting the ribbon about his neck, and the Garter about his left leg, he salutes him with joy as Knight of the Garter, and that was all. After that was done, and the Captain and I had breakfasted with Sir Edward while my Lord was writing of a letter, he took his leave of my Lord, and so to shore again to the King at Canterbury, where he yesterday gave the like honour to General Monk,
[“His Majesty put the George on his Excellency, and the two Dukes
put on the Garter. The Princes thus honoured the Lord-General for
the restoration of that lawful family.”—Rugge’s Diurnal.]
who are the only two for many years that have had the Garter given them, before they had other honours of Earldom, or the like, excepting only the Duke of Buckingham, who was only Sir George Villiers when he was made Knight of the Garter. A while after Mr. Thos. Crew and Mr. J. Pickering (who had staid long enough to make all the world see him to be a fool), took ship for London. So there now remain no strangers with my Lord but Mr. Hetley, who had been with us a day before the King went from us. My Lord and the ship’s company down to sermon. I staid above to write and look over my new song book, which came last night to me from London in lieu of that that my Lord had of me. The officers being all on board, there was not room for me at table, so I dined in my cabin, where, among other things, Mr. Drum brought me a lobster and a bottle of oil, instead of a bottle of vinegar, whereby I spoiled my dinner. Many orders in the ordering of ships this afternoon. Late to a sermon. After that up to the Lieutenant’s cabin, where Mr. Sheply, I, and the Minister supped, and after that I went down to W. Howe’s cabin, and there, with a great deal of pleasure, singing till it was late. After that to bed.
28th. Called up at two in the morning for letters for my Lord from the Duke of York, but I went to bed again till 5. Trimmed early this morning. This morning the Captain did call over all the men in the ship (not the boys), and give every one of them a ducat of the King’s money that he gave the ship, and the officers according to their quality. I received in the Captain’s cabin, for my share, sixty ducats. The rest of the morning busy writing letters. So was my Lord that he would not come to dinner. After dinner to write again in order to sending to London, but my Lord did not finish his, so we did not send to London to-day. A great part of the afternoon at nine-pins with my Lord and Mr. Hetley. I lost about 4s. Supped with my Lord, and after that to bed. At night I had a strange dream of—myself, which I really did, and having kicked my clothes off, I got cold; and found myself all much wet in the morning, and had a great deal of pain … which made me very melancholy.
29th. The King’s birthday. Busy all the morning writing letters to London, among the rest one to Mr. Chetwind to give me an account of the fees due to the Herald for the Order of