went away, with giving and
receiving great satisfaction; and so away to White Hall to the
Commissioners of the Treasury; where, waiting some time, I there met with
Colonel Birch; and he and I fell into discourse; and I did give him thanks
for his kindness to me in the Parliament-house, both before my face and
behind my back. He told me that he knew me to be a man of the old way for
taking pains, and did always endeavour to do me right, and prevent any
thing that was moved that might tend to my injury; which I was obliged to
him for, and thanked him. Thence to talk of other things, and the want of
money and he told me of the general want of money in the country; that
land sold for nothing, and the many pennyworths he knows of lands and
houses upon them, with good titles in his country, at 16 years' purchase:
"and," says he, "though I am in debt, yet I have a mind to one thing, and
that is a Bishop's lease;" but said, "I will yet choose such a lease
before any other, yes," says he, plainly, "because I know they cannot
stand, and then it will fall into the King's hands, and I in possession
shall have an advantage by it." "And," says he, "I know they must fall,
and they are now near it, taking all the ways they can to undo themselves,
and showing us the way;" and thereupon told the a story of the present
quarrel between the Bishop and Deane of Coventry and Lichfield; the former
of which did excommunicate the latter, and caused his excommunication to
be read in the Church while he was there; and, after it was read, the
Deane made the service be gone through with, though himself, an
excommunicate, was present, which is contrary to the Canon, and said he
would justify the quire therein against the Bishop; and so they are at law
in the Arches about it; which is a very pretty story. He tells me that
the King is for Toleration, though the Bishops be against it: and that he
do not doubt but it will be carried in Parliament; but that he fears some
will stand for the tolerating of Papists with the rest; and that he knows
not what to say, but rather thinks that the sober party will be without
it, rather than have it upon those terms; and I do believe so. Here we
broke off, and I home to dinner, and after dinner set down my wife and
Deb. at the 'Change, and I to make a visit to Mr. Godolphin

[William Godolphin, descended from a younger branch of that family,
which was afterwards ennobled in the person of Sidney, Earl