We threatned having a Fire this morning—I wrote at my Sermon—From the Ship lying at Leeds, arrived this afternoon our new Coach—It is a plain carriage, upper part black, lower Sage or Pea-Green—The Harness is neat strong, & suitable for the Country. Price 120£ Sterling—In the same Ship Mrs Carter imports about 30£ value in plate in a pair of fashionable Goblets; Pair of beautiful Sauce-Cups; & a Pair of elegant Decanter-holders—Ben introduced into our Room a plain useful Book-Case, in which we class & place our Books in order. after School, I took a Book, and walked through the Pasture strolling among Horses, Cows, & Sheep, grazing on the Hills & by the River.
Teusday 13.
We thought of Fire this morning, but put it off—Ben's mare is not yet heard of, though he has had a Boy almost constantly searching about for her—It is curious to see the Girls imitating what they see in the great House; sometimes tying a String to a Chair & then run buzzing back to imitate the Girls spinning; then getting Rags & washing them without water—Very often they are knitting with Straws, small round stockings, Garters &c—Sometimes they get sticks & splinter one end of them f[o]r Brushes, or as they call them here Clamps, & spitting on part of the floor, they scrubb away with great vigor—& often at a small game with Peach-stones which they call checks—Evening after School I rode to the much Frequented Cornfield, Mr Taylor was from Home the evening cloudy, cool, but fine, The Planters now begin to cut their Tobacco.
Mr Carter received word to day that he has had brought very lately for his Mill 7000 Bushels of Wheat at 4s 6d pr Bushel.—I am at a Loss to know where he will dispose of such vast Quantities!—The Colonel who is often pidling in some curious experiment, is to day making some Printers Ink—He tells me the Materials are Lint-seed-Oil, Wheat-Bread, Onions, & Turpentine, a rank compound truely—then for Black, Lamp-Black, red, Vermillion—Ben, found his mare lost in last Saturday's Visit, poor Brute! She was confin'd in the Pasture where he left her, in which being very large She had been concealed.—Mr Smith, who was wounded last Spring by a Shot of his Brother is lately dead, & it is said by the Wounds which he received from his Brother!—
Thursday 15.
Ben is much better: he has return'd to his Bed in my Room, but complains often of the pain in his Breast.—I put him to begin & read some select odes in Horace—He works arithmetic but is only in Reduction—He dispises Greek, & therefore makes little or no progress in that Language—He is reading in course the Eneid Lib 3—He has an unconquerable Love for Horses; he often tells me that he should have been a skilfull, & useful Groom; that he should be more fond & careful of a favourite Horse than of a Wife, or than his victuals, or than any thing whatever! I never saw a Person, in any Diversion, Recreation or amusement, who seemed so full of Pleasure & enjoyment as he is when on Horse back, or even in the company of a Horse! He seems to possess as warm a regard for them as Dr Swift had for the Houyhnhnms—But I cannot discover that Ben has so cordial an enmity to Mankind as Swift had for the Yahoos.—Bobs passion for the same Animal is no less strong, but it is furious, & cruel, he rides excessive hard, & would ride always—Harry's Genius seems towards Cocks, & low Betts, much in company with the waiting Boys, &, against my strongest Remonstrances, & frequent severe corrections, he will curse, at times, horribly, & swear fearfully! he always, however, omits it when I am Present.—
Fryday 16.
Mrs Carter, this morning, with Prissy, Nancy, & Bob went in the New-Coach to the Dance at Stratford, the morning is mild, fair & cool—The Colonel informed me that now his Mill-House Bake-Houses, Store Houses &c. with a clear unobstructed navigation is compleated, & that, he will rent them all to a Person properly qualified—or gladly employ a person who is capable, trusty & industrious enough to be the sole Director of so great & valuable Property—Dined with us captain Walker—He threw out several exceeding unpopular Sentiments with regard to the present amazing Disturbances through the Colonies—One in special I think proper to record because it fixes his Character, & declares him, in Spite of all pretence, an enemy to America—He asserted that no Officers (at Boston or elsewhere) are obliged, either by Law, or Right, to question or refuse any kind of orders which they receive from their Sovereign, or commanding Officer—But I account every man, who possesses, & publishes such sentiments in this Crisis of the Fate of a vast Empire, as great an enemy to America at least, as Milton's Arch-Devil was to Mankind!—After School, we took the Theodolite, the Colonel along, & run several Lines, He seems perfectly well acquainted with the Art.
Saturday 17.