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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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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. 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. My brother Moses called on me in his way to Mayfield, but did not stay. We dined on the neck of veal roasted in the oven and a cauliflower. The post, coming in just at dinnertime, ate some dinner with us, Joseph Mepham, having got a rabbit, I did not send him that I bought for him, but in lieu of it sent him 3 eels, which were sent me on Saturday by James Fuller from Mr Tucker. Very bad in the evening with the tooth-ache.

My brother Moses came to my father Slater’s about 9:10. We breakfasted there. Then my father, wife, brother, self and my sister Ann Slater went to church where we heard a sermon preached by the Rev Mr Davis; the text in Matthew 11:29,30: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” We dined at my father Slater’s on a leg of tag mutton boiled, a piece of bacon and greens and a plum pudding. I agreed to take of my father Slater about 6 pieces of poking at 20/- per piece. After dinner Mr Bachelor came down to my father Slater’s, and with him we left my mother’s mare in order for him to dispose of it the best manner he could. At the same time he lent my brother a horse to come home upon.

Samuel Slater came to bring us going on our road as far as Coman’s Hatch where we had a bottle of cider and ¼ of brandy, 5¼d of which I paid. From thence we came to Witch Cross where I called to buy a rabbit for Joseph Mepham, but there being none, we had a half a pint of red wine, which my brother paid for. We called also at Mr Rose’s at Danehill, but he was not at home. We came to Chailey about 6:10, it being 4 when we set out from Hartfield. We stayed at Chailey about 2 hours and came home about 10:25. I bought of Mr Beard 4 pieces of poking at 20/- per piece. Left my wife at Hartfield. When I came home I found T. Davy at our house, who lay there all night. Bought at Chailey a rabbit, which cost me 8d. Our maid dined at home on a piece of pork and a piece of the neck of veal.