Sent Mr Sam Durrant in Lewes (by John Streeter the post) in cash £28 in order for him to send me a bill in the lieu thereof… Paid the widow Carter (by John Seaman) in cash 14/10 for wool received by him today. Paid him also 18d in full for some wool of his own… Rec’d back by the post from Mr Sam Durrant one bill on Sir Joseph Hankey and Partners… Paid the post 3d for some prawns. At home all day, but very little to do. In the afternoon posted my day book whereby I find I have entered in my book since I posted last, which was the 25th ult., between 11 and 12 pounds. Oh, melancholy work! The long credit that I am obliged to give must greatly hurt my trade.
This day I saw in the Lewes Journal, which was an extract from the Gazette, that our troops under the command of the Duke of Marlborough had landed at St Malo in the province of Brittany (in France) and had burnt and otherwise destroyed 137 vessels of all denominations; that is, one man-of-war of 50 guns, about 30 privateers from 30 to 14 guns, a great number of merchants and some small craft. And that after destroying the above vessels, he reembarked his men without any loss (in the reembarkation) in order to proceed according to his instructions. It is conjectured that they are to proceed to attack Brest or Rochefort. This success of our army must doubtless greatly weaken and distress the French (who I believe are already in a very poor state), but yet should there be nothing more done, I do not imagine this to be a loss to the French nation adequate to the charge which our nation are at in fitting out and equipping such a fleet as went upon this expedition, though still I think it is acting the more humane part than burning and destroying of a town and thereby destroy, ruin and take away the lives of thousands of poor innocent wretches that perhaps never did or thought of any hurt to the British nation.
Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom I read part of Thomson’s “Summer”.