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