Thence by coach to the Exchange, and there met with Sir H. Cholmly at
Colvill's; and there did give him some orders, and so home, and there to
the office again, where busy till two o'clock, and then with Sir D. Gawden
to his house, with my Lord Brouncker and Sir J. Minnes, to dinner, where
we dined very well, and much good company, among others, a Dr., a fat man,
whom by face I know, as one that uses to sit in our church, that after
dinner did take me out, and walked together, who told me that he had now
newly entered himself into Orders, in the decay of the Church, and did
think it his duty so to do, thereby to do his part toward the support and
reformation thereof; and spoke very soberly, and said that just about the
same age Dr. Donne did enter into Orders. I find him a sober gentleman,
and a man that hath seen much of the world, and I think may do good.
Thence after dinner to the office, and there did a little business, and so
to see Sir W. Pen, who I find still very ill of the goute, sitting in his
great chair, made on purpose for persons sick of that disease, for their
ease; and this very chair, he tells me, was made for my Lady Lambert!
Thence I by coach to my tailor's, there to direct about the making of me
another suit, and so to White Hall, and through St. James's Park to St.
James's, thinking to have met with Mr. Wren, but could not, and so
homeward toward the New Exchange, and meeting Mr. Creed he and I to drink
some whey at the whey-house, and so into the 'Change and took a walk or
two, and so home, and there vexed at my boy's being out of doors till ten
at night, but it was upon my brother Jackson's business, and so I was the
less displeased, and then made the boy to read to me out of Dr. Wilkins
his "Real Character," and particularly about Noah's arke, where he do give
a very good account thereof, shewing how few the number of the several
species of beasts and fowls were that were to be in the arke, and that
there was room enough for them and their food and dung, which do please me
mightily and is much beyond what ever I heard of the subject, and so to
bed.