1754 April 5 (Friday). I visited Mrs. Williams (Mr. Samuels wife) who has of late lost a number of Relations, and some of them very near and dear to her, at Sherbourn, by the mortal fever that has rag’d among them. N.B. Mr. Abraham Smith at the other House to answer to Mr. Ebenezer Rice, sheriff. He lodg’d (as I heard) at Lieutenant Bruce’s. N.B. Mr. Ephraim Bruce here, and tells me that Mr. Smith had told Such Things at their House, as if true, he Should be greatly Disaffected to me for: but when I came to understand what they were, it was even astonishing that ever a professing Christian Should pervert and misrepresent the Truth so. Particularly that when our Agreement to throw up all our Bargain, was So clear, and in presence of his Brother Wheeler as well as other he Should so exceedingly misrepresent the plain and express’d Terms thereof. Thus when it was propos’d that we Should throw up all, it was expressly mention’d that a Bag of Feathers which he sent to my Daughter Forbush (of 50£ weight at 7/6 old Tenor per pound, but was thrown in for 10£ in our Bargain) should be given in — and this was the least he could do Since he lay expos’d to an action in Law for Breach of Covenant and for Dammages by his presumptiousness coming into my House; Yet Mr. Smith tells ‘em at Bruce’s that this was not mention’d till after Signing the mutual Discharges; and that though he told me he had forgot that Article, yet I was so unfair and hard as to refuse to Consider it.