or two of meat, and his purser that was with him, for his old kindness to me on board.  After dinner I to Whitehall, where I met with Mrs. Hunt, and was forced to wait upon Mr. Scawen at a committee to speak for her husband, which I did.  After that met with Luellin, Mr. Fage, and took them both to the Dog, and did give them a glass of wine.  After that at Will’s I met with Mr. Spicer, and with him to the Abbey to see them at vespers.  There I found but a thin congregation already.  So I see that religion, be it what it will, is but a humour,

[The four humours of the body described by the old physicians were supposed to exert their influence upon the mind, and in course of time the mind as well as the body was credited with its own particular humours.  The modern restricted use of the word humour did not become general until the eighteenth century.]

and so the esteem of it passeth as other things do.  From thence with him to see Robin Shaw, who has been a long time ill, and I have not seen him since I came from sea.  He is much changed, but in hopes to be well again.  From thence by coach to my father’s, and discoursed with him about Tom, and did give my advice to take him home again, which I think he will do in prudence rather than put him upon learning the way of being worse.  So home, and from home to Major Hart, who is just going out of town to-morrow, and made much of me, and did give me the oaths of supremacy and allegiance, that I may be capable of my arrears.  So home again, where my wife tells me what she has bought to-day, namely, a bed and furniture for her chamber, with which very well pleased I went to bed.

3d.  With Sir W. Batten and Pen by water to White Hall, where a meeting of the Dukes of York and Albemarle, my Lord Sandwich and all the principal officers, about the Winter Guard, but we determined of nothing.  To my Lord’s, who sent a great iron chest to White Hall; and I saw it carried, into the King’s closet, where I saw most incomparable pictures.  Among the rest a book open upon a desk, which I durst have sworn was a reall book, and back again to my Lord, and dined all alone with him, who do treat me with a great deal of respect; and after dinner did discourse an hour with me, and advise about some way to get himself some money to make up for all his great expenses, saying that he believed that he might have any thing that he would ask of the King.  This day Mr. Sheply and all my Lord’s goods came from sea, some of them laid of the Wardrobe and some brought to my Lord’s house.  From thence to our office, where we met and did business, and so home and spent the evening looking upon the painters that are at work in my house.  This day I heard the Duke speak of a great design that he and my Lord of Pembroke have, and a great many others, of sending a venture to some parts of Africa to dig for gold ore there.  They intend to admit as many as will venture their money, and so make themselves a company.  L250 is the lowest share for every man.  But I do not find that my Lord do much like it.  At night Dr. Fairbrother (for so he is lately made of the Civil Law) brought home my wife by coach, it being rainy weather, she having been abroad today to buy more furniture for her house.