for her about L12, and
for myself L55, or thereabouts; having made myself a velvet cloake, two
new cloth suits, black, plain both; a new shagg

[Shag was a stuff similar to plush. In 1703 a youth who was missing
is described in an advertisement as wearing "red shag breeches,
striped with black stripes." (Planche's "Cyclopxdia of Costume ").]

gowne, trimmed with gold buttons and twist, with a new hat, and, silk
tops for my legs, and many other things, being resolved henceforward to
go like myself. And also two perriwiggs, one whereof costs me L3, and
the other 40s.--I have worn neither yet, but will begin next week, God
willing. So that I hope I shall not need now to lay out more money a
great while, I having laid out in clothes for myself and wife, and for
her closett and other things without, these two months, this and the
last, besides household expenses of victuals, &c., above L110. But
I hope I shall with more comfort labour to get more, and with better
successe than when, for want of clothes, I was forced to sneake like a
beggar. Having done this I went home, and after supper to bed, my mind
being eased in knowing my condition, though troubled to think that I
have been forced to spend so much.

Thus I end this month worth L717, or thereabouts, with a good deal of
good goods more than I had, and a great deal of new and good clothes.
My greatest trouble and my wife's is our family, mighty out of order by
this fellow Will's corrupting the mayds by his idle talke and carriage,
which we are going to remove by hastening him out of the house, which
his uncle Blackburne is upon doing, and I am to give him L20 per annum
toward his maintenance. The Queene continues lightheaded, but in hopes
to recover. The plague is much in Amsterdam, and we in fears of it here,
which God defend.

[Defend is used in the sense of forbid. It is a Gallicism from the
French "defendre."]

The Turke goes on mightily in the Emperor's dominions, and the Princes
cannot agree among themselves how to go against him. Myself in pretty
good health now, after being ill this month for a week together, but
cannot yet come to.... well, being so costive, but for this month almost
I have not had a good natural stool, but to this hour am forced to take
physic every night, which brings me neither but one stool, and that in
the morning as soon as I am up, all the rest of the day very costive. My
father has been very ill in the coun