28th.  Early in the morning rose, and a boy brought me a letter from Poet Fisher, who tells me that he is upon a panegyrique of the King, and desired to borrow a piece of me; and I sent him half a piece.  To Westminster, and there dined with Mr. Sheply and W. Howe, afterwards meeting with Mr. Henson, who had formerly had the brave clock that went with bullets (which is now taken away from him by the King, it being his goods).

[Some clocks are still made with a small ball, or bullet, on an inclined plane, which turns every minute.  The King’s clocks probably dropped bullets.  Gainsborough the painter had a brother who was a dissenting minister at Henley-on-Thames, and possessed a strong genius for mechanics.  He invented a clock of a very peculiar construction, which, after his death, was deposited in the British Museum.  It told the hour by a little bell, and was kept in motion by a leaden bullet, which dropped from a spiral reservoir at the top of the clock, into a little ivory bucket.  This was so contrived as to discharge it at the bottom, and by means of a counter-weight was carried up to the top of the clock, where it received another bullet, which was discharged as the former.  This seems to have been an attempt at the perpetual motion.—­Gentleman’s Magazine, 1785, p. 931.—­B.]

I went with him to the Swan Tavern and sent for Mr. Butler, who was now all full of his high discourse in praise of Ireland, whither he and his whole family are going by Coll.  Dillon’s persuasion, but so many lies I never heard in praise of anything as he told of Ireland.  So home late at night and to bed.

29th.  Lord’s day.  I and my boy Will to Whitehall, and I with my Lord to White Hall Chappell, where I heard a cold sermon of the Bishop of Salisbury’s, and the ceremonies did not please me, they do so overdo them.  My Lord went to dinner at Kensington with my Lord Camden.  So I dined and took Mr. Birfett, my Lord’s chaplain, and his friend along with me, with Mr. Sheply at my Lord’s.  In the afternoon with Dick Vines and his brother Payton, we walked to Lisson Green and Marybone and back again, and finding my Lord at home I got him to look over my accounts, which he did approve of and signed them, and so we are even to this day.  Of this I was glad, and do think myself worth clear money about L120.  Home late, calling in at my father’s without stay.  To bed.

30th.  Sat at our office to-day, and my father came this day the first time to see us at my new office.  And Mrs. Crisp by chance came in and sat with us, looked over our house and advised about the furnishing of it.  This afternoon I got my L50, due to me for my first quarter’s salary as Secretary to my Lord, paid to Tho.  Hater for me, which he received and brought home to me, of which I am full glad.  To Westminster and among other things met with Mr. Moore, and took him and his friend, a bookseller of Paul’s Churchyard, to the Rhenish Winehouse, and drinking there the sword-bearer of London (Mr. Man) came to ask for us, with whom we sat late, discoursing about the worth of my office of Clerk of the Acts, which he hath a mind to buy, and I asked four years’ purchase.  We are to speak more of it to-morrow.  Home on foot, and seeing him at home at Butler’s merry, he lent me a torch, which Will carried, and so home.