hat certainly, let
the Bishops alone, and they will ruin themselves, and he is confident
that the King's declaration about two years since will be the foundation
of the settlement of the Church some time or other, for the King will
find it hard to banish all those that will appear Nonconformists upon
this Act that is coming out against them. He being gone, I to bed.

25th. Up and to my office setting papers in order for these two or three
days, in which I have been hindered a little, and then having intended
this day to go to Banstead Downs to see a famous race, I sent Will to
get himself ready to go with me, and I also by and by home and put on my
riding suit, and being ready came to the office to Sir J. Minnes and Sir
W. Batten, and did a little of course at the office this morning, and
so by boat to White Hall, where I hear that the race is put off, because
the Lords do sit in Parliament to-day. However, having appointed Mr.
Creed to come to me to Fox Hall, I went over thither, and after some
debate, Creed and I resolved to go to Clapham, to Mr. Gauden's, who had
sent his coach to their place for me because I was to have my horse of
him to go to the race. So I went thither by coach and my Will by horse
with me; Mr. Creed he went over back again to Westminster to fetch his
horse. When I came to Mr. Gauden's one first thing was to show me his
house, which is almost built, wherein he and his family live. I find it
very regular and finely contrived, and the gardens and offices about it
as convenient and as full of good variety as ever I saw in my life. It
is true he hath been censured for laying out so much money; but he tells
me that he built it for his brother, who is since dead (the Bishop), who
when he should come to be Bishop of Winchester, which he was promised
(to which bishoprick at present there is no house), he did intend to
dwell here. Besides, with the good husbandry in making his bricks and
other things I do not think it costs him so much money as people think
and discourse. By and by to dinner, and in comes Mr. Creed. I saluted
Mr. Gauden's lady, and the young ladies, he having many pretty children,
and his sister, the Bishop's widow; who was, it seems, Sir W. Russel's
daughter, the Treasurer of the Navy; who by her discourse at dinner I
find to be very well-bred, and a woman of excellent discourse, even so
much as to have my attention all dinner with much more pleasure than I
did give to Mr. Creed, whose di