Extracts from the Diary of William Bray | Page 6

Attorney of that Court. Paid Judges' clerk, when I went to be examined, 7s.; servant, 1s. Admission on stamp, 6 pounds 6s. At 8 with Jenkins and James {14} 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. {15}
Dec. 1st.--To Covent Garden Theatre. Paid for a fortnight's board and lodging, 1 pound 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 d0. 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 pound 5s. 5d.; purse, 17 pounds 9s. 6d.; money laid out for my brother, &c. 2 pounds 7s. 7.5d.; due from my mother at Christmas, 2 pounds 2s.; in my card purse, {17} 12s. 2d.; Bank 3 per cent. Reduced Annuities, 100 pounds.
'Of wife and children, debts and taxes clear, 123 pounds 16s. 8.5d.'
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.
22nd.--To the 'New Inn,' Western Bridge, soon after 6; waited till 7; there being eight passengers, they sent a chaise in which I and a gentleman came; stopped at Cobham; arrived at Guildford {18} between 3 and 4. Paid coach, 5s.; breakfast at Cobham, 18. coachman, 1s.
April 17th.--At 6 set out in the coach for London. Dined at Kingston; in about 5. With James and Jenkins to Mr. Boughton's; at whist till 11. Paid coach and man, 5s. 6d.; dinner, 2s.
18th.--To the play: 'The Provoked Husband,' Mr. Garrick.
19th.--Breakfasted with James at Johnstone's Coffee House, Charing Cross. Paid for chocolate and muffin, 2.5d.
23rd, Sunday.--To St. Dunstan's Church; walked in Lincoln's Inn Gardens; to Mr. Emily's to dinner; to the chapel in Russell Court; walked in the Park; at Slaughter's Coffee House for half-an-hour; at 8 called on Boughton.
25th.--To Don Saltero's at Chelsea; paid for breakfast there, 13.5d.; to Marylebone, played at bowls there; at 5, Ford came; he stayed till 7; then I went to the 'Crown and Rolls.' Home about 12.
May 1st.--I catched a great cold yesterday; James and I went home with Jenkins; at cribbage till 11.
8th.--Dined in Butcher Row, 9d.; went to hear Green, the Methodist, dispute in Fetter Lane--shameful. With Jenkins at cribbage till past 11.
10th.--Breakfasted with Mr. Street; at 11 to the Bank, and sold 25 pounds stock; {19} at 4 dined with Mr. Adderley at the 'White Lion,' in Wych Street; drank tea with Clare; between 7 and 8 Gordon and I went to Covent Garden: 'Miss in her teens,' &c. Fribble, Mr. Shuter.
11th.--With Jenkins to Marylebone Bowling green, at bowls. Home at 9; then an hour at the 'Bell.'
18th.--Breakfasted at home; James dined here; he fetched a pigeon pye; afterwards to Prosser's, where