Thomas Turner

At home all day. At Master Durrant’s in the evening.
 

At home all day. In the evening at Master Durrant’s. Charles Diggens took up a coat for me.

At home all day; remarkably cold. Paid for a roasting pig 2/5¾. In the evening at Master Durrant’s.

Remarkably cold. Rec’d of Mr John Clinch 1.3.9½ in full to this day. Paid F. Smith in cash 1.14.2, which with 4.15.0 given him the 3rd instant is in full for moneys paid by him as before mentioned (see the 3rd instant). The account stated below:

To Jewson in full	6.3.0
Do. 2 Gallons gin	0.4.8
Do. Charles Brown	0.1.6
	6.9.2

Jewson returned my bill on Dawson dated 27 January of 2.19.10. Balanced with Joseph Fuller and paid him in cash 0.4.3, and by my bill 1.7.8, which together is 1.11.1. in full to this day. Nothing more of moment.

At home all day; not at church. Read part of The Whole Duty of Man.

Paid Mr J. Clinch for a spier [spare] rib 2/11. Paid the post boy for Thomas Freeman 7/- (to wit) for six pair pattens 4/6 and six pair clogs 2/6. Gave Francis Smith 5.16.0 to pay Mr Edmund Hammond in full.

At Master Durrant’s in the evening. After supper, read the 1st Night in Young’s Nights (to wit) on life, death and immortality; think it extremely good. Nothing more of moment; at home all day.

At home all day. Paid Vinal 9d for cleaning the jack. Papered out two bags nails. At Durrant’s in the evening. After supper read part of the 4th volume of P[eregrine] Pickle.

At home all day and took physic. Paid Marchant 3d for mending my coat. John Fuller Esq of Rose Hill in this county was buried at Waldron. Read part of the 4^th volume P. Pickle. Rec’d of Mrs Day 1.1.2½ in full this day.

Think the following [apophthegms] in the aforementioned volume worthy of notice (to wit): “The shortest follies are the best”; “Better to retrench upon conviction then compulsion”; “Self-accusation very often dissolves the closest friendship”; “A man conscious of his own indiscretion is implacably offended at the rectitude of his companion’s conduct, which he considers as an insult upon his failings never to be forgiven, even though he has not tasted bitterness of reproof, which no sinner can commodiously digest”; “ General profession is a necessary armor worn by all state ministers in their own defense against the importunity of those whom they will not befriend and would not disoblige”; “In distress it is high time to weigh solid pudding against empty praise.”

At home all day; posted in my day book and cut out round frocks. In the evening, began Tournefort’s Voyage into the Levant.

Read his Life and the Eulogium on it by M Fontenelle. Memoranding on his life: He was born at Aix; first travels to Provence, Savoy and Dauphine; then Montpellier and Spain; he was robbed on the Pyrenees, traversed Catalonia. In a house where he lodged near Perpignan [it?] fell in the night, by which accident he miraculously escaped with his life, being some time buried in the ruins. Returned to Montpellier, then to Orange and Aix.

He likewise travelled to the Alps, Spain, Portugal, England and Holland — all in the search of botany, chemistry, medicine and anatomy, all of which he seemed to excell in, and in particular in botany, in which he seems never to have been excelled, it being his greatest talent. He renewed and, which is more, demonstrated a system of the vegetative life of stones, He also found several surprising particulars relating to the formation of coral, sponges, sea mushrooms, lithophytes and stony plants or others that grow at the bottom of the sea. He also extended his system of vegetation to minerals, and even to metals, rock crystals and precious stones. He also went further and proved that shells vegetate. He was upon the whole a true philosopher, a good geometrician, an attentive anatomist, an exact chemist and a penetrating naturalist. He died at Paris the 28th December 1708.

Rec’d of Master Bridgman 0.14.5½ in full to this day. In the afternoon went to Mr French’s and bought a hog at 2/2 per stone. Came home very much in liquor; nothing more of moment.