place is a
very Babel for tradesmen and workpeople bringing in goods, and knowing
not where to set them, servants hurrying this way and that, one charged
with a dozen geese, another with silk petticoats, jostling each other,
laughing, quarrelling, and no sort of progress, as it seems, anywhere,
but all tumult and disorder.

_December 22._ Could not sleep a wink all last night for casting up
accounts of all this feasting and finery will cost us, and finding it
must eat up all that money we had of poor Mr. Goodman, and make a deep
hole in our quarter's rents besides, I fell a speculating whether our
tenants would pay me with the same punctuality they have used to pay old
Simon, with grievous fears to the contrary. For, assuredly, Simon hath
not been idle these past days, and will do us an ill turn if he can, by
throwing doubts before these same tenants whether they should pay or not
before Moll's succession is made sure. And I have good reason to fear
they will not, for I observed yesterday when I called upon Farmer Giles
to invite him to our feast, he seemed very jerky and ill at ease, which
perplexed me greatly, until, on quitting, I perceived through a door
that stood ajar old Simon seated in a side room. And 'tis but natural
that if they find prudent excuse for withholding their rents they will
keep their money in pocket, which will pinch us smartly when our bills
come to be paid. Yet I conceived that this feast would incline our
tenants to regard us kindly; but, on the other hand, thinks I, supposing
they regard this as a snare, and do avoid us altogether! Then shall we
be nipped another way; for, having no one to eat our feast but a few
idle rogues, who would get beef and ale for nothing, we shall but lay
ourselves open to mockery, and get further into discredit. Thus, betwixt
one fear and another, I lay like a toad under a harrow, all night, in a
mortal sweat and perturbation of spirit.

Nor has this day done much to allay my apprehension. For at the Court
all is still at sixes and sevens, none of a very cheerful spirit, but
all mighty anxious, save Moll, who throughout has kept a high, bold
spirit. And she does declare they will work all night, but everything
shall be in its place before her lover comes to-morrow. And, truly, I
pray they may, but do think they will not. For such a mighty business as
this should have been begun a full month back. But she will not endure
me in the house (though God knows I am as wi