In the morning my wife, self, nephew Mr and Mrs Beard, Dame Weller and Master Weller and their daughter went down to Halland to see some turtles. We saw 2, one of which weighed 367 lbs. My brother rode over to Framfield in the morning. Myself and Ann Slater at church in the morning, and while we were at church, my brother and mother came to our house, and both of them came to church… My mother and brother dined with us on the best end of a shoulder of veal roasted, the knuckle boiled and a piece of bacon, a currant. rice pudding, 2 plaice fried and carrots, pickles etc.
This being a public day at Halland, I spent about 3 hours there in the afternoon from about 5 to 8 in company with several of our neighbors. There was a great company of people of all denominations from a duke to a beggar. Among the rest of the nobility were his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, the Hon Lord Cholmondely, Lord Gage, the Earl of Ashburnham, Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, Mr Justice Denison and a great number of gentlemen.
My cousin Potter drank tea with my wife, as did my mother. My mother and brother went home about 7:30. I was down at Halland three times today. What a small pleasure it is to be in such a concourse of people, 1 hour spent in solitude being worth more, in my private opinion, than a whole day in such tumult, there being nothing but vanity and tumult in such public assemblies, and their mirth being rather obstreperous, than serious and agreeable! 0, how silly is mankind to delight so much in vanity and transitory joys, which, instead of leaving a lasting joy behind, must only leave a sting to continually gnaw the consciences of us poor deluded mortals.