Author: Thomas Turner

At home all day; wrote out bills. In the Lewes newspaper of the 24th think the following worthy of a memorandum:

“York, Feb. 11. — At the adjournment of the Quarter Sessions for this city and county thereof, James Monkman of New Buildens, near Sutton-on-the-forest, yeoman, was convicted of regratings contrary to statutes 5th and 6th of King Edward VI. The fact was that he bought 6 chickens in open market in the city at 6d each and immediately after sold them again, the same manner at 7½d each; for which offense he forfeited the value of the goods, received sentence of 2 months’ imprisonment and was accordingly committed to the city gaol. By the abovementioned statute the punishment for 2nd offense of forestalling, engrossing or regrating is a forfeiture of double the value of the goods and six months’ imprisonment; and for the 3rd offense the offender loses all his goods, must stand in the pillory and be imprisoned during the King’s pleasure.”

In the evening at Master Durrant’s instructing Thomas. After supper read part of Tournefort’s Voyage into the Levant.

Received of Dame Inkpin 0.7.6 in full. Had Braizer at work a-gardening. Settled with Mrs Atkins for Mrs Virgoe and paid Mrs Atkins 0.10.0 in full, which Mrs Virgoe has repaid me.

The following from The Sports of the Muses on Milton:

“Three poets in three distant ages born
Greece, Italy and England did adorn;
The first in loftiness of thoughts surpast,
The next in majesty; in both the last,
The force of nature could no farther go;
To make a third she joined the former two.”

[Dryden]

A cure for poetry from the same:

“Seven wealthy towns contend for Homer dead
Through which the living Homer begged his bread.”

In the evening at Master Durrant’s; otherwise at home all day.

In the morning sent Will to Framfield. Had Braizer at work a-gardening; paid him for two days’ work in goods 19d and money 5d. Paid Thomas Gooding for 7 dozen heath brooms 0.7.0. Paid Francis Smith 0.8.5, which sum he paid Messrs Crowder and Woodgate in London for me. Paid Mr John Clinch for a sparerib weight 9¼ lbs, 0.2.3¾.

Received of John Watford a roasting pig, weight 8 lbs at 3d. My wife and myself drank tea at Joseph Durant’s. Balanced accounts with him and there remains due to him 0.14.2 as under (to wit):

His bill on me	2 6 2
My bill on him	1.12.0

In the evening Mrs Virgoe and Mr Joseph Burgess came, and we balanced the account between Mrs Virgoe and myself, where-in I received 4.5.11½, being, the just balance and in full to this day.

My bill on Mrs Virgoe	7.7.4½
Myself debtor for meat and ousehold goods bought at the sale of her late husband.	3.1.5
	4.5.11½

After supper read part of Hamlet Prince of Denmark; think Hamlet’s character extremely fine and on the whole think it a good play.

At home all day, but not at church. Mr Tucker came in the morning and dined with me on a roast pig. He went home in the evening.

In the evening read, part of The Whole Duty of Man.

At home all day. Sent Messrs Margesson and Collison in a lemon basket £10 (by Smith). Rec’d of John Geal 0.4.1 in full. Rec’d of Elizabeth Babcock 0.4.11 in full. Received of Dame Pilbull 6¼d in full. Posted some London accounts. Rec’d a letter from Ridings’s man to inform me of his being at Lewes on the 4th evening. In the evening at Master Durrant’s instructing Thomas. After supper read part of The Tragedy of Cato, which I think extremely fine.

At home all day. Borrowed of Mrs Virgoe £11 and gave her my note of hand for it. In the evening at Jones’s with Masfen’s rider. Paid for flour etc. 12d. Dame Piper died.

Mr Thomas Thompsett died.

In the morning sent by Masfen’s rider to Mr Stephen Fletcher (Ridings’s rider) at Lewes in cash 10.18.0, and by a bill (enclosed in a letter) drawn on Messrs Margesson and Collison for £5, six weeks’ date, dated today, which makes 15.18.0 and is in full to December last.

Thomas Fuller killed my hog had of Jeremiah French. Weighed him in the evening; weight 19 stone 4 lbs. Paid Mr French for him 2.1.6. In the afternoon I went to Framfield for to get a sheet for Dame Piper. After supper finished The Tragedy of Cato.

Sent Will to Lewes in the morning. He paid Mr Thatcher, wine cooper, 2.1.4 in full to this day. Will spent 2d. At home all day. Paid for a basket 2d. In the evening Ned Smith here. After supper read part of the New Dispensatory.

Sent Thomas Davy to Lewes for 3 oz candy lemon peel for Mrs Porter. Paid him for going 0.1.0. Rec’d of George Colvill 0.9.2 in full. At home all day, except carrying up the wine to Mrs Piper’s after supper read part of Tournefort’s Voyage into the Levant.

At the funeral of Mrs Piper. Distributed at the funeral and afterwards 20 prs men’s and women’s 2d shamy [chamois] gloves, 3 prs youth’s and maid’s and 8 hatbands.

Will served Mr Thompsett’s [funeral] and gave away 8 prs men’s white lamb [gloves]. There was a sermon for Mrs Piper. The text: the 2nd chapter Revelation, 10th verse.

Paid Francis Smith 0.10.6, which sum he paid Messrs Dicey’s in full for me. Rec’d of Martha Mepham 0.10.0 in full to this day. Rec’d of Ed Babcock Jr 0.10.6 in full. In the evening went down to Whyly to hire Mr Virgoe’s house to teach school in. After supper read part of Tournefort’s Voyage into the Levant.