I came to give him an account of more lands
to be surrendered to us, wherein Piggott's wife was concerned, and she
there to give her consent, Sir Robert would not hear of it, but began
to talk very high that we were very cruel, and we had caution enough
for our money, and he could not in conscience let the woman do it, and
reproached my uncle, both he and his son, with taking use upon use for
this money. To all which I did give him such answers and spoke so well,
and kept him so to it, that all the Court was silent to hear us, and by
report since do confess they did never hear the like in the place. But
he by a wile had got our bond, and I was content to have as much as I
could though I could not get all, and so took Piggott's surrender of
them without his wife, and by Sir Robert's own consent did tell the
Court that if the money were not paid in the time, and the security
prove not sufficient, I would conclude myself wronged by Sir Robert,
which he granted I should do. This kept us till night, but am heartily
glad it ended so well on my uncle's part, he doing that and Prior's
little house very willingly. So the Court broke up, and my father and
Mr. Shepley and I to Gorrum's to drink, and then I left them, and to
the Bull, where my uncle was to hear what he and the people said of our
business, and here nothing but what liked me very well. So by and by
home and to supper, and with my mind in pretty good quiett, to bed.

17th. Up, and my father being gone to bed ill last night and continuing
so this morning, I was forced to come to a new consideration, whether
it was fit for to let my uncle and his son go to Wisbeach about my uncle
Day's estate alone or no, and concluded it unfit; and so resolved to go
with them myself, leaving my wife there, I begun a journey with them,
and with much ado, through the fens, along dikes, where sometimes we
were ready to have our horses sink to the belly, we got by night, with
great deal of stir and hard riding, to Parson's Drove, a heathen place,
where I found my uncle and aunt Perkins, and their daughters, poor
wretches! in a sad, poor thatched cottage, like a poor barn, or stable,
peeling of hemp, in which I did give myself good content to see their
manner of preparing of hemp; and in a poor condition of habitt took them
to our miserable inn, and there, after long stay, and hearing of Frank,
their son, the miller, play, upon his treble, as he calls it, with which
he earns part of his liv