October 3, 1765

1765 October 3 (Thursday).  Billy Painting.  Thomas mows Bushes a.m.  Works for Mr. Nurse p.m.  My Wife’s Kinswoman, Mrs. Wit, here with her sister Miss Betty.  They dine here.  I Read again Some of the Luxuriences of Dean Swift — which need a great Deal of retrenching but if that office was performed, it might destroy perhaps his main Design.  He appears the great Master of Irony, Sarcasm and Allegory.  But I wish we might have the Instruction and Entertainment without so great Expence of Decency.  Received a Letter from my son Forbes, of the 27th ult., which Shews him very mournful and sunk in his Spirits by reason of Contests among some of his people.  O the instability of human affections and Volubility of popular Applause!  May God Support, direct, and Still improve and bless, him, and his Labours!  I hope Light will arise in Darkness; and that he may yet prove, as I believe he has been, very useful to the People!  At Eve I sent by Mr. Tainter to Boston for Linseed Oyl etc.  Mr. Bowman called here in his Way home.  Master Cushing after school here, and drank Tea: brought his Relation: supped and lodged here.  But memorandum: Mrs. Andrews.  She wants her Child to be baptized; but in order to it, wants I Should own my having abus’d and injured her etc.  See our Conversation in a Paper by it self which I wrote before I went to Bed.   O that God would please rightly to affect me with this holy Dispensation!  The Lord convince of what has been Evil! and Pardon it!  Grant me Grace to improve under this holy Frown!  Pity me and support me under it, and in His own Time deliver me out of it!  And May the Lord Pity this Woman and Shew her Errors, pardon and recover her for His Name’s Sake!