However, I got him to sign and swear an affidavit
that there was treaties between T. Trice and me with
as much advantage as I could for me, but I will say
that for him he was most exact as ever I saw man in
my life, word by word what it was that he swore to,
and though, God forgive me, I could have been almost
naturally willing to have let him ignorantly have
sworn to something that was not of itself very certain,
either or no, yet out of his own conscience and care
he altered the words himself so as to make them very
safe for him to swear. This I carrying to my
clerk Wilkinson, and telling him how I heard matters
to stand, he, like a conceited fellow, made nothing
of it but advised me to offer Trice’s clerks
the cost of the dismission, viz., 46s. 8d., which
I did, but they would not take it without his client.
Immediately thereupon we parted, and met T. Trice
coming into the room, and he came to me and served
me with a subpoena for these very costs, so I paid
it him, but Lord! to see his resolution, and indeed
discretion, in the wording of his receipt, he would
have it most express to my greatest disadvantage that
could be, yet so as I could not deny to give it him.
That being paid, my clerke, and then his began to
ask why we could not think, being friends, of referring
it, or stating it, first ourselves, and then put it
to some good lawyer to judge in it. From one
word to more we were resolved to try, and to that
end to step to the Pope’s Head Taverne, and
there he and his Clerke and Attorney and I and my Clerke,
and sent for Mr. Smallwood, and by and by comes Mr.
Clerke, my Solicitor, and after I had privately discoursed
with my men and seen how doubtfully they talked, and
what future certain charge and trouble it would be,
with a doubtful victory, I resolved to condescend
very low, and after some talke all together Trice
and I retired, and he came to L150 the lowest, and
I bid him L80. So broke off and then went to
our company, and they putting us to a second private
discourse, at last I was contented to give him L100,
he to spend 40s. of it among this good company that
was with us. So we went to our company, both
seeming well pleased that we were come to an end,
and indeed I am in the respects above said, though
it be a great sum for us to part with. I am to
pay him by giving him leave to buy about L40 worth
of Piggott’s land and to strike off so much of
Piggott’s debt, and the other to give him bond
to pay him in 12 months after without interest, only
giving him a power to buy more land of Piggott and
paying him that way as he did for the other, which
I am well enough contented with, or at least to take
the land at that price and give him the money.
This last I did not tell him, but I shall order it
so. Having agreed upon to-morrow come se’nnight
for the spending of the 40s. at Mr. Rawlinson’s,
we parted, and I set T. Trice down in Paul’s
Churchyard and I by coach home and to my office, and
there set down this day’s passages, and so home