Part 4

Nov. 7th.—Paid earnest of coach, {14c} 2s. 6d. Wine at the ‘White Hart,’ 6d.

10th.—Paid remainder for coach, 2s. 6d., coachman, 6d.; dinner at chop-house, 10d.; breakfast on the road, 9d.; coffee in the afternoon, 4d.

12th.—To Drury Lane Theatre: ‘King Lear,’ by Garrick. Agreed with the barber for shaving me at 6s. a quarter.

14th.—To the theatre: Garrick as Don Felix, in ‘The Wonder.’

23rd.—At 4 to Drury Lane; the King being there to-night, very much crowded. Miss Gunning and her two sisters and a number of people of quality. ‘The Tempest,’ and ‘Harlequin Ranger’; both very foolish to see. Home at 10.

28th.—I was sworn in to-day in the King’s Bench as an Attorney of that Court. Paid Judges’ clerk, when I went to be examined, 7s.; servant, 1s. Admission on stamp, £6. 6s. At 8 with Jenkins and James {15a} to the Robin Hood Society. Stayed there till past 9, then went into a room below and stayed till 11.

30th.—Paid 10s. 6d. for entering as a pupil of Mons. Prieur, a French master. {15b}

Dec. 1st.—To Covent Garden Theatre. Paid for a fortnight’s board and lodging, £1. 4s.; for a bushel of coals, 1s. 2d. Tea at Prosser’s coffee-house, 4d.; wine after dinner, 3d.; a pound of candles, 7d.

7th.—To chambers (Mr. Adderley’s) till near 7, then James came home with me. At whist till 11.

9th.—To chambers. Home to dinner. At 4 to Drury Lane Theatre: ‘The Careless Husband’—Lord Chalkstone, Mr. Garrick.

10th.—To Mr. Adderley’s till dinner. Thither in the afternoon. At 6 drank tea with Jenkins.

11th.—To chambers; after dinner there again. Home at 7; at 9, Jenkins, James, and Mersing, at whist till 11.

Dec. 12th.—To chambers. Paid for cyder with James, after dinner, 3d.; wine with Mersing at night, 3d.

14th.—At whist with Jenkins, James, and Mersing.

17th.—Jenkins and James came home with me at 7; played at draughts with Jenkins. Afterwards Boughton came and took us to his lodgings; at whist till 11.

21st.—With Boughton and James; mobbed it for the first row of the upper gallery at Drury Lane, which we got.

22nd.—To Drury Lane; an old play of Shirley’s, ‘The Gamesters,’ revived.

23rd.—To chambers; after dinner to do. At 7, home; Jenkins, James, and Boughton, to whist till 11.

25th.—To the Temple Chapel, at the Sacrament. In the afternoon with James and Boughton to the Romish Chapel in Lincoln’s Inn Fields; then to Mrs. Emily’s and drank tea. Home at 8.

27th.—With Boughton to St. Michael’s Church, Cornhill, and heard part of a sermon; afterwards to St. Mildred’s, and heard part of the prayers. At whist with Sibthorpe, Boughton, and Jenkins till near 11.

28th.—To an auction of books {16} at the ‘Robin Hood.’

31st.—Between 9 and 10 Mrs. Mouling sent for me, to play at whist with her son and daughter till 11.

1758, Jan. 2nd.—To chambers at 4 till past 7; then home; Boughton, Daniel, and Mersing came, and played at whist till 12.

The following is written on a slip of paper:—‘Jan. 1st, 1758.—In my pocket, £1. 5s. 5d.; purse, £17. 9s. 6d.; money laid out for my brother, &c. £2. 7s. 7½d.; due from my mother at Christmas, £2. 2s.; in my card purse, {17a} 12s. 2d.; Bank 3 per cent. Reduced Annuities, £100.

‘Of wife and children, debts and taxes clear, £123. 16s. 8½d.’

Jan. 29th, Sunday.—Between 2 and 3 to the Speaker’s to dinner; sat an hour before dinner; paid the servant, 2s.

Feb. 19th, Sunday.—To St. Dunstan’s Church. After dinner called on Mr. Maxwell; then to church at St. Andrew’s, Holborn; called on Mersing; soon after 4 Sam Ford came in; I stayed with him till past 7; then went home and got my fire lighted, and at 9 they came and stayed till 12.

21st.—Took a place in the Godalming Machine.