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At home all day. Paid for a milk ½d. Wrote out another form of prayer for the fast. In the evening Thomas Fuller Jr at our house. He stayed and supped with us and drank 1 q[uart?] vi [wine?]. Rec’d of William Sinden ½ bushel bran. Gave Thomas Driver 1d. for a lead plummet. Robert Diggens called on me but did not stay.

John Watford at work for me again; he set beans and peas. At home all day. Rec’d of William Sinden ½ bushel wheat. Gave 2d to John Bannister for going to Framfield for me. Wrote out the form of prayer for the fast on Friday next. In the evening Thomas Fuller Sr and Mrs Virgoe stayed chatting till past 10. Thomas Fuller being a little in Liquor, he stayed and drank 2 q[uarts?] vi and 20[?].

At home all day… Had John Watford a-gardening all day for me, who I think is a mighty honest, good sort of a man, only a little inclined to be covetous, a very necessary qualification; and then he is so harmless and innocent with his “o’s” and “good lacks” that really he is very entertaining, for he has no art to set it off. In the evening my wife and I did up about 70 papers of tobacco.

At home all day, very busy. Master Divol brought me from Lewes 20 hundred goods and paid the money I sent him by his son the 29th instant. Rec’d from Mr William Tooth, without a bill, as under:

½ hundred thick bread	0.9.0
Thin do	0.8.0
Sweethearts	0.5.0
	1.2.0

Sent my mother by Divol:

45 Warwickshire cheeses	4.2.18 [weight]
11 Cheshire	2.0.26

In the evening Charles Nebuchar came in, on his way from Burwash to Lewes; he stayed all night. He related to me his travels where he says he has been in 26 countries, and 15 cathedrals. Paid for bread 2d. Rec’d of Mrs Atkins 6/4½ in full. Paid Francis Smith in cash 0.8.0 for 2 gallons of brandy, which he bought in London for me.

At church in the morning, but no sermon. John Jones’s wife buried in the afternoon. I was not at the funeral on account of my being very busy. There was a sermon for her, the text in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Paid for butter 2¾d and milk 1d. After churchtime young Mrs Vine came in and drank tea with us. In the evening Mr Vine came; they both supped with us and played at whist; we neither won nor lost. They went away about 11 o’clock. Thomas Davy was here part of the evening. At home all day. My brother Moses dined here. Borrowed of Mrs. Day near one bottle of brandy.

After dinnertime (for I need not say “after dinner” on account I ate none) I went to the funeral of Mr Adams’s daughter. We came to church about 3:30. There was a sermon for her, the text I Corinthians 15:19: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

After churchtime very busy. Master Piper came and invited us up to see him in the evening. We accordingly went about 6:15 and found there John Vine Jr and wife, Thomas Fuller, son and daughter. We supped there on a rib seep [?] spitted twice, a piece of boiled (tainted) beef, a good piece of bacon, and a good butter pudding, but all in very bad order and odd decorum, which would all have been very excusable had it not been attended with such a mean and stingy spirit in the old man. For that few bottles of beer etc. we got came (as the old saying is) like drops of blood from his heart, and we may justly attribute them more to Thomas Fuller’s boldness in asking for liquor than to the poor old man’s good nature in offering it. We stayed till 1:25. My wife and I won 3/6 and gave them 12d; so this brings back some part of Monday night’s expenses. Gave William Divol in cash 3.18.0 in order for his father to pay in Lewes tomorrow for me; to wit, to Tooth 2.14.0 in full except for what he brings tomorrow, and to Mr Plumer 1.4.0 in full except for what he brings tomorrow.

After breakfast my brother went home, he lying at our house all night. After dinner my wife went up to Mr John Vine Sr’s. I went up also to talk with him about the new schoolhouse but came to no agreement. We both came home about 7:25.

My brother Moses called on me in the morning, and over persuaded me to go to Lewes with him, which I did on a horse I borrowed of Mr French. I paid, Mr Faulkner Bristow 1/- in full to this day, and for 6 lbs of Battle powder and 1 doz of dairy brushes, 12/-, which I bought of him today. Paid Mrs Sarah Mott 16/- in full for 1 year’s interest on £20 due in November last. Bought of Mr Roase 18 cwt of Cheshire and Warwickshire cheese. Called on Mr Hook, Mr Scrase, Dr Snelling, Mr Plumer and Mr Lambert. I came home again in liquor, but got home very well; though to do myself justice, I believe I was not extremely good humored when I got home, and I do think I am prodigiously silly and apish when I am in liquor, having always, for a great while after, a sting of conscience for the same. I will, however, renew my former resolution and use my utmost endeavor to keep to it; that is, not to get drunk again if I can avoid it. Spent for my horse and self 2/-. Drew on Messrs Margesson and Collison… £10 to Mr John Crouch. Thomas Davy taught school for me.

This day paid Mrs Virgoe the 2.17.0 I borrowed of her the 20th instant. Paid for 6 bean nets 12d. The wife of Richard Heath was buried today. Sent my maid over to Framfield for a shroud for Mr Adams’s daughter. Martha Mepham dined here.

My wife went down to Mr Porter’s about 4 o’clock. I went down to her about 7 and found William Piper, his wife and brother there, as also Thomas Fuller, Mr and Mrs Hutson and Dame Durrant. We supped there and stayed until 5 o’clock in the morning, and I may I think justly say there was not one sober man in the company. I am sure I was not, for, finding myself in liquor I came home 1 hour or more before the rest. This is the first time I have been in liquor since Whitsun Tuesday, and I am sorry for this, though I know of no reason except, being in liquor, my wife and I lost at brag between us near or quite 5/-. We also gave the servants 2/6…