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…In the evening wrote my London letters. At home all day. My wife, poor creature, very ill. Oh, the tumult in my troubled breast; I must ere long lose the partner of my soul, one with whom I can converse with sincerity and freedom, one not influenced and guided by the unruly dictates of passion and sense, but whose intellectuals are directed by more nobler motive, even that of religion, for to describe her virtues is beyond the power of my pen!

No service at our church in the morning, Mr Porter preaching at Laughton. We dined on a sparerib roasted, applesauce and a raisin batter pudding. My self and servant at church in the afternoon… Mr Long at our house in the evening, to whom and in the day I read 3 of Tillotson’s sermons. My wife, poor creature, very bad.

In the forenoon Mr John Robinson, rider to Mr Will Margesson, called on me and I balanced accounts with him… Mr Robinson stayed and dined with me on some pork bones broiled. Paid Thomas Burfield 8/9 for 15 beehives received by him today. At home all day. My wife very ill, but rather better than some few days past.

Dr Stone sent me a present of a hare, for which I gave his servant 12d. Paid Edward Hope 21d for a sparerib weighing 7 lbs. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day. My wife, poor creature, very ill.

…Paid Mr Will Blackwell 8/6 for 2 reams of paper received by him today…

My wife, poor creature, very bad. Oh, dreadful melancholy daily repetition; who can find words to describe my grief, a grief I hope thoroughly sincere, not built on passion or lust, but friendship’s more exalted tie, a tie of nature and of love.

This day balanced accounts with Mr Sam Gibbs and received of him 4.6.3 in full. In the morning my uncle Hill called on me and breakfasted with me. We dined on a piece of pork boiled, a plain pudding, greens, turnips and potatoes… At home all day and not very busy.

My wife, poor creature, very ill, constantly in pain, which thanks be to God she bears with great patience and resignation to the divine will.

After breakfast my friend Hill went away. I lent him in cash £6, for which he gave me his note of hand payable to me on order or demand…

My wife, poor creature, very ill. ah, melancholy daily repetition; who can paint or imagine my trouble, which I now labor under, and what is more, the prospect of a change severer for severe? Paid a nephew of Mr John Wilbar’s 6/3 in full for brushes bought of him today…

…In the evening my respected friend and cousin Charles Hill came to see me and stayed all night. Molly Fuller sat up with my wife, who, poor creature, is very bad. Oh, may the God of all goodness and mercy hear our prayers and once more recover my afflicted wife, that the remainder of our days may be employed in praises and thanksgiving to his holy name for his mercies vouchsafe unto us. Sent Will Wenham (per Dame Roase) the 5/- I received of him too much the 20th ult.

Myself only at church in the morning… We had a brief read for the rebuilding of the church of Stokeferry in Norfolk, the charge of which amounted to the sum of £1110, and upwards, to which I gave 2d. During churchtime my brother Will came to see me. He stayed and dined with us on a sparerib roasted and apple sauce. No service at our church in the afternoon, Mr Porter preaching at Laughton. My brother stayed with me till near 6 o’clock. In the evening read part of Young’s Night Thoughts. My wife, poor creature, most extremely ill, but oh, how charming does her fortitude appear for an example, and more so, does it yield complete comfort to her soul; and at the same time shows the purity of her conscience.

…In the afternoon my brother Moses came to see me and stayed and drank tea with me and stayed with me all the evening. Oh, my poor wife is most prodigious bad! No, not one gleam of hope have I of her recovery. Oh, how does the thought distract my tumultuous soul; what shall I do, what will become of me?