Category: Uncategorised

Sunday, February 8 1756

My wife and I both at church in the morning; the text in Romans 4:3: “Abraham believed god, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” As I by experience find how much more conducive it is to my health, as well as pleasantness and serenity to my mind, to live in a low, moderate rate of diet, and as I know I shall never be able to comply therewith in so strict a manner as I should choose (by the instability and over easiness of my temper), I think it therefore right (as it’s a matter of so great importance to my health etc.) to draw up rules of proper regimen, which I do in manner and form following, and which, at all times when I am in health, I hope I shall always have the strictest regard to follow, as I think they are not inconsistent with either religion or morality:

First, be it either in the summer or winter, to rise as early as I possibly can; that is, always to allow myself between 7 and 8 hours’ sleep, or full 8, unless prevented on any particular or emergent occasion.

2ndly, to go to breakfast between the hours of .7 and 6 from Lady Day to St Michael, and from St Michael to Lady Day between the hours of 8 and 9.

3rdly, my breakfast to be always tea or coffee and never to exceed 4 dishes. If neither of those, half a pint of water or water gruel; and for eatables bread and cheese, bread and butter, light biscuit, buttered toast, or dry bread, and one morning in every week, dry bread only.

4thly, nothing more before dinner, and always to dine between the hours of 12 and 1 o’clock if at home.

5thly, my dinner to be meat, pudding, or any other thing of the like nature, but always to have regard, if there is nothing but salt provision, to eat sparingly; and to eat plenty of any sort of garden stuff there is at table, together with plenty of bread and acids, if any, at table; and always to have the greatest regard to give white or fresh meats and pudding the preference before any sort of highly seasoned, salt, or very strong meat; and always one day in every week to eat no meat.

6thly, my drink at dinner to be always boiled water with a toast in it, or small beer, but water if I can have it, and never to drink anything stronger until after dinner.

7thly, if I drink tea at home or abroad to [let it] be small, green tea and not more than 4 dishes; and if I eat anything, not more than two ounces.

8thly, my supper never to be mat but weak broth, water gruel, milk pottage, bread and cheese, bread and butter, apple-pie or some other sort of fruit pie, or some such light diet; my drink, water or small deer, and one night at the least in every week to go to bed without any supper.

9thly, never to drink any sort of drams or spirituous liquors of what name or kind so ever.

10thly, if I am at home, in company, or abroad, if there is nothing but strong beer, never to drink more than 1 glasses, one to toast the king’s health, the 2nd to the royal family, the 3rd to all friends and the 4th to the pleasure of the company; if there is either wine or punch etc., never, upon any terms or persuasions whatever, to drink more than 8 glasses, nor each glass to hold or contain more than half a quarter of a pint, nor even so much if [it is] possibly to be avoided.

11thly, if I am constrained by extreme drought to drink between meals, that to be toast and water, small beer, or very small wine and water; to wit, ¼ pint of red or white wine to one pint of water.

12thly, never to drink any small or strong beer, winter or summer, without being warmed if possible; and lastly always to go to bed at or before ten o’clock when it can be done.

My wife and I both at church in the afternoon the text in Job. 7:20: “I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men?” We had, both forenoon and afternoon, excellent discourses wherein that necessary and excellent duty of repentance was strongly and pathetically recommended and enjoined to be done if we hope for salvation. After evening service my wife and I went up to Mr John Vine Jr’s and drank tea. I smoked one pipe and came home about 6:45. I was obliged to send Roger Vallow to Lewes for the 2 ½ yds serge denim I sent for by James Fuller yesterday, for which I am to give him 12d.

Friday, February 6 1756

This was a day for a public fast and humiliation to implore the blessing of the Almighty on our fleets and armies and to beseech Him, of His infinite and unbounded goodness to spare our nation from the dreadful calamity of an earthquake which hath been lately in many places of the world. Lisbon and many other places in Africa have been entirely ruined and brought as it were to desolation, and some slight shocks have also been felt in this our happy nation, likewise in some of our northern colonies in America. My wife and I were both at church in the morning where we had an excellent sermon on the occasion (by the Rev Mr Thomas Porter,) from the 3rd verse, 18th Psalm: “And the overflowing of ungodliness made me afraid.” [sic]). He endeavored in a very earnest and pressing manner to show what reason we have to repent of our vicious course and to turn to the Lord, or else, as he says, how can we expect the favor of the Almighty to be more extensive upon this our isle than upon the Portuguese nation and other places which have suffered under this dreadful calamity. We likewise endeavored to prove that it is impossible for a king to govern a nation and keep his subjects in a steady course of virtue without the assistance of every individual. At church in the afternoon; there were only prayers. Lent Master Darby in cash (to wit, in silver) 2.2.0.

Wednesday, February 4 1756

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[?].

Tuesday, February 3 1756

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.

Saturday, January 31 1756

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 bread0.9.0
Thin do0.8.0
Sweethearts 0.5.0
1.2.0

Sent my mother by Divol:

45 Warwickshire cheeses4.2.18 [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.

Friday, January 30 1756

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.

Thursday, January 29 1756

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.