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After dinner I carried Mrs Virgoe to Mrs Edwards’s (on a horse of Thomas Fuller’s) where she gave Mrs Edwards a bond for £153 as a collateral security for the same sum due from Mr Isaac Virgoe deceased, with the addition of about £6 for interest, the original debt being no more than 147.6.3. The bond was filled up by Mr Dungate and witnessed by himself and Mr Richard Comber of Wadhurst. There were at Mrs Edwards’s: Mr Comber, Mr Dungate, Mrs Virgoe and a stranger out [of] Kent, and myself. We drank tea there and came as far as Thomas Fuller’s about 7:30, where meeting with Mr French and Joseph Burgess we stayed till about 10 o’clock. We dined today on a piece of bacon, light pudding and greens. Paid Streeter 3d for bringing a parcel for my mother from Lewes.

At home all day. At church in the morning. Paid for 5 doz brooms 5/-. Charles Nebuchar called on me in his way from Burwash to Lewes and stayed from about 3 to 4 o’clock… Dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner and a few rashers of bacon and eggs. My wife very lame. Mrs Virgoe sat with us a little while in the evening. Read the 9th book of Homer’s Odyssey.

At home all day. In the afternoon I was sent for over to Mrs Virgoe’s to talk with Mr Dungate concerning her giving Mrs Edwards security for the money due from Mrs Virgoe to Mrs Edwards, and we appointed to meet Mr Dungate at Mrs Edwards’s on Thursday next at 3 o’clock. John Watford a-gardening for me. For dinner we had pork, light pudding and greens. Mrs Virgoe drank tea with us. In the evening read the writings of a farm called Chillys in Mayfield, which was entailed to Mrs Virgoe’s father and his heirs forever, but he cut the said entailment off and entailed it again to Mrs Virgoe and her heirs forever, after the death of her mother.

At home all day. About 11 o’clock Mr Francis, Messrs Barlow and Wigginton’s rider, called on me. I gave him a bill on Messrs Margesson and Collison, value £18… Charles Nebuchar came in here just as we were going to dinner. He and my brother Moses dined with us on some rashers of bacon. Sent Francis Smith by his man Thomas Hemsley in cash £10…which he is to pay in London for me; see the next time we balance.

Went to Hartfield Church in the morning; heard a sermon preached by their minister, the Rev Mr Davis; the text, Isaiah 57:21: “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” I dined at my father Slater’s. After dinner I went and saw my uncle Woodgate. Called on Mr Bachelor; talked to him about a horse. Stayed till about 4 o’clock. Came home about 8 o’clock. Called at Framfield. My wife and maid dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. Spent 18d.

My father Slater and Sam came back from Lewes about 2 o’clock and dined with us. After dinner I went home with them on a horse I borrowed of Francis Smith. We arrived at Hartfield about 7 o’clock. I spent the evening at my father Slater’s in company with Mr Kelton. We had for dinner a piece of bacon, light pudding and greens. Paid Mr Calverly for Mr Samuel Virgoe the 7/- I stopped for Mr Virgoe when I balanced with F. Smith on the 24th Feb.

At home all day. At church in the morning. My father Slater and Samuel came about 11:45. Sam had lamed his horse in coming; Thomas Daw oiled him. They both dined with us on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. After dinner they smoked one pipe and went to Lewes. In the evening my wife and I papered up about 80 papers of tobacco. I this day received from Mr Ralph Hale of Calne the piece of blanketing which I sent him a bill for some time past. After supper I read the 8th book of Homer’s Odyssey.

After dinner I borrowed John Vine the younger’s horse and went over to Uckfield in order to look at some buckskin breeches. But Mr Hart was not at home; so I was again disappointed. I went by Framfield. My mother was not at home, she being gone to Master Elphick’s. My brother went with me to Uckfield, and I came back by Framfield, but did not stay. I came home about 5:15. Charles Diggens was at our house in my absence to take up a pair of breeches for Mr Burgess’s son, but was gone before I came home. We dined on a piece of boiled beef, suet pudding, pea pudding and potatoes. In the evening Thomas Davy was here and supped with us. We played at cribbage; I lost ½d. I read three books of Homer’s Odyssey.

This day I appointed to go to Lewes to meet Mr Stephen Fletcher, but did not go. I wanted by a small parcel, and the roads were very bad; so my trouble and expense would have been more than the profit arising from what I should have bought. At home all day. Dined on a piece of pickled pork, light pudding and greens.

In the evening I was sent for down to Halland. Accordingly about 7 o’clock I called on Thomas Davy, and we went down. When I came, I found that it was Ann Smith had sent for me to ask my advice in the following affair (as she tells it): About 8 years ago she kept the house of Thomas Baker in the parish of Waldron, who was an elderly man. At the same time in all probability he might have a feeble insurrection of an unruly member, which might prompt him to make his addresses to her, as she says he did. As he found his affections slighted, and understanding she was indebted to Mr Venner of the same parish the sum of 2.7.0, and as a means, as he simply imagined, to ingratiate himself in her favor, he (as she solemnly avers) went and paid the same without her knowledge or orders. When he had so done, he never offered to make any drawback in her wages when she left him, though (she says) he often told her he had paid it. When she went away, she went and asked Mr Venner whether she owed him anything. He answered, “No!” So it is plain Baker had paid the money. But as Baker is now in low circumstances (though still a single person), he has lately made a demand or the same, notwithstanding it has been near 8 years since, and (as she says) [he] never pretended to have any demand on her before, and she always looked upon it as a free gift. Now my advice was as this; to wit, if what she repeated to me was true and that he actually paid it without her knowledge and designed it as a free gift to her without any proviso to the contrary, I thought she was not obliged to pay it. Only change in circumstances and gratitude should always oblige everyone to return favors where they have received any. But if it were any ways by her order he paid it, or if she was to outset it in her wages or to make him any other gratuity, and did not, I thought in justice she ought to pay him. Came home about 8:10. Read part of Homer’s Odyssey. At church in the morning.

This day was Shrove Tuesday. At home all day. Carried up to Mrs Day’s 1 cwt raisins; drank tea there. Rec’d of Mr Samuel Gibbs 8/9 in full except for the boy’s schooling and 1 lb gunpowder. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house. We played at cribbage; I won 3d. We dined today on the remains of Sunday’s dinner with the addition of 3 sausages. Paid for sweeping my chimney 6d. Heard this day that the Duke of Cumberland is a-coming into Sussex to view the seacoast.