One of my servants in the morning went to see her friends. Myself and the other at church in the morning where we had a sermon preached by a gentleman who I presume is come to be Mr Porter’s curate at Ripe (Mr Porter preaching at Mayfield) from Matthew 11:30: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
My old acquaintance Mr Tucker came to see me and dined with me on a piece of pork boiled, a chick boiled and some carrots. There being only prayers at our church in the afternoon (and that more than we knew of till we came from church), Sam Jenner and I took a ride to Seaford where we took a walk by the seaside and took a view of the two forts newly erected there, one of which has 5 24-pounders mounted and the other 5 12-pounders.
We drank tea at the Sign of the Tree. Came home by Alfriston where we overtook on the road my servant and Thomas Durrant. We came home about 11:10–oh, could I say not thoroughly sober. I think I am the most unfortunate fellow in the world, for only a few glasses of wine intoxicates my brains. I was not so far intoxicated today as to be guilty of any indiscretion, still though we only took a ride with no other design than innocent inoffensive amusement, and with an intention of reaping advantage of serious and improving conversation from each other, yet being guilty of this one folly, the whole of our journey must become contaminated, which otherwise could not have been more than a breach of an active obedience. Each of us spent today as follows:
| To tea | 0.0.6 |
| Wine | 0.0.6 |
| Beer | 0.0.2 |
| Horses | 0.0.4 |
| A-coming home | 0.0.7½ |
| 0.2.1½ |