Old East comes to me in the morning with letters, and I did give him a bottle of Northdown ale, which made the poor man almost drunk.
In the afternoon my wife went to the burial of a child of my cozen Scott’s, and it is observable that within this month my Aunt Wight was brought to bed of two girls, my cozen Stradwick of a girl and a boy, and my cozen Scott of a boy, and all died.
I in the afternoon to Westminster, where Mr. Dalton was ready with his money to pay me for my house, but our writings not being drawn it could not be done to-day. I met with Mr. Hawly, who was removing his things from Mr. Bowyer’s, where he has lodged a great while, and I took him and W. Bowyer to the Swan and drank, and Mr. Hawly did give me a little black rattoon, painted and gilt.
Home by water.
This day the Duke of Gloucester died of the small-pox, by the great negligence of the doctors.
Letters made the poor man
almost drunk.
He went to the burial of a child
and was ready with his writing—
could eat a swan.
A black rat, painted and gilt,
died of negligence.
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Thursday 13 September 1660.