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At home all day. My brother came over about 11 o’clock; stayed and dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. After dinner my brother went down to Osborne’s at Whitesmith to get in their debt for me, but could not. My brother stayed until near 3 o’clock. In the evening read part of the The History of England. It is a sad, melancholic life to live alone and be confined in. Paid the gardener at Halland 6d for 1 peck gooseberries received today.

At home all day and indifferently busy. We dined on the remains of Monday’s dinner and an eel pie and a veal pie. In the evening my brother called on me in his road from Lewes in order to take home some prints, tomorrow being their fair… Drank tea at Mrs Virgoe’s.

At home all day… We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. Read the 31st, 32nd and 33rd of Tillotson’s sermons. Paid John Streeter 6d, which was a wager I laid with him concerning a cricket and lost. Thomas Davy supped with me and stayed until 11:25

At home all day and dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some boiled milk. Read The History of King James II. Paid James Marchant 10d for making a pair of knee cases. In the evening read the 34th, 35th and 36th of Tillotson’s sermons. Sent Joseph Mepham a pickled herring.

In the morning received a horse from Francis Smith to go to Hartfield upon. Paid Thomas Cornwell 2/6 for catching my horse the 29th of May last. My brother came over about 12:25. We dined on a cold rabbit pie and rashers of bacon. About 2 o’clock I set out for Hartfield on the mare of Mr Bachelor’s, which my brother rode home upon, and led Francis Smith’s horse. I got to Hartfield about 5 o’clock and found my wife very ill. Rec’d of Mr Bachelor 5.5.0, being the money he sold my mother’s mare for. Out of it I paid him 5/- for selling her, 1/- for money he spent, 4d for a halter and 2/6 for the use of his horse this week; so the money after disbursements received for my mother was 4.15.2. Spent the evening at my father Slater’s.

In the morning after breakfast I got up on one of Mr Bachelor’s horses and rode with him over to Summerford in order to try him. Stayed and drank one bottle of cider with Mr Mills in company with Mr Jackson, Abraham Spencer, Mr Heyward and Mr Bachelor. Came home again about 11 o’clock. Dined at my father Slater’s on a roasted loin of veal and a plum pudding. After dinner my father Slater, Samuel Slater, Master Paine and myself, with Mr Bachelor, went beyond Buckhurst to see another mare of Mr Bachelor’s, which we caught and brought to Hartfield, calling, as we came along, at Buckhurst and drinking 2 or 3 mugs of beer.

This mare I like very well and am to give 8 guineas for her and to send him word by the carrier whether I will have her or no. We drank tea at my father Slater’s, and about 5:45 my wife and I came away. She gave the maid 12d, and I the man 12d. Samuel Slater brought us on our road about 6 miles. We came home about 9:15, just before there came on a very great tempest, for we had not been at home above ½ an hour before it began to thunder and lighten at a prodigious rate. There also was a very great quantity of hail and rain, and it was also very windy. Our maid at home dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. Rec’d of my father Slater 3.16.4 in full. He gave me, in the way of balancing accounts, about 20/-, but unknown to his wife, who I think is the very picture of ill nature, and to whom in a manner I may partly charge some of my misfortunes. For her temper is not unlike that of Xantippe, nor my father’s far distant from that of Socrates.

At home all day. In the morning Master Piper came along with, “I have got a little job I want you to do.” I did it, but the poor old wretch sneaked away without ever offering to pay for paper etc., though all of it together, paper, sealing-wax and thread, amounted to 1d! His business was for me to write a letter to send with his rent and for me to send it by the carrier, which I did. Also wrote a bill and a receipt for land tax to go with it. But for all this, were I only to ask the poor creature to lend me a horse, it would be, “Pho! I’ve ne’er horse. There is Jack Vine has 2 or 3 that do nothing but run the streets.” Not thinking all the time that he had not worked his above a month. Well, God bless him, and so let him go with only this: that he must be very ungrateful or very ignorant.

Paid Jack Streeter 12d for a knife for the gardener at Halland, which I gave him. I also lent John Streeter in cash 0.2.6. My brother came over today and dined with us on a piece of bacon, plum pudding and spinach. I paid my brother the 4.15.2 received of Mr Bachelor on last Saturday. I also sent word to Mr Bachelor that I intended to have his mare at 8.8.0 and he should accordingly send it by Smith on Friday, which mare is to be kept in common between my mother and myself, both to be joint purchasers of the mare. My wife very bad.

At home all day posted my day book. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a piece of veal for my wife. Gave a boy 3d for going to Dr Stone. Dr Stone came to my wife in the evening. She was very bad with the rheumatism and fever. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house. Read the 33th of Tillotson’s sermons.

At home all day. We dined on the remains of Monday’s dinner with the addition of a bit of mutton for my wife. Dr Stone here again today; my wife very bad. Paid Joseph Fuller 4d for 1½ lbs of mutton.

At home all day. We dined on the remains of Monday’s dinner with the addition of a bit of mutton for my wife. This day balanced accounts with William Sinden and paid him 10/2½ in full. Paid Heaver, Isfield miller, 6/- in full for a bushel of oatmeal. After dinner my brother came over, and he and Mrs Elizabeth Hicks drank tea with us.