1744 June 8 (Friday). Exceeding poor and weak, Sweating and fainting Last Night and very little sleep. But in the Morning when I got up and Stirr’d about I revived and was Better. We who were the Committee for drawing up a Result, could not be wholly alone without great Inconvenience. Mr. Hall who had drawn up the most of the Votes which had pass’d in the Council, undertook to draw up the rough Draught for the Result — of that part which was most Critical and difficult. N.B. the church were call’d in (inadvertently) to hear it read, before the Committee themselves could have time to weigh and recommend it, But it was read. Upon my mentioning it to the Moderator how unfit till we had Scann’d and finish’d the Preparation of it — we had the privilege to be alone — and the Draughting the Result took us til late in the Afternoon. Not without many Strivings if not deep mutual Dissatisfactions. But at length it was finish’d, and pass’d in Council though to my great Dislike in many respects. Just before sundown the people were summon’d, Mr. Prentice, at the Moderators desire Read the Result (in Captain Sadlers Entry, for we never went to the meeting House at all) and the Moderator concluded with prayer. Captain Hazzletine and others earnestly requested me to tarry over Night but I was determin’d Home if possible — and Home we came though it was nigh Midnight first. N.B. there had been a press for Soldiers to go up and keep guard in Frontier Towns. Silas Pratt,[1] Silas Newton, Jacob Garfield went out of our South Company and Josiah Cutting and Benjamin Wilson out of the North. We Hear the Earthquake was very great at the Eastward particularly Newbury, last Sabbath. It was much noted how this present war breaks forth with the Earthquake. It is Still a great increase of our Calamitys to have such intestine Broils and so furious Contentions among ourselves. N.B. Reverend Mr. Stone preach’d the Lecture in Westborough to day preparatory to the Communion.
[1]Son of John Pratt.