d.

31st. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon
home to dinner, where Creed came and dined with me, and after dinner he
and I upstairs, and I showed him my velvet cloake and other things of
clothes, that I have lately bought, which he likes very well, and I took
his opinion as to some things of clothes, which I purpose to wear, being
resolved to go a little handsomer than I have hitherto. Thence to the
office; where busy till night, and then to prepare my monthly account,
about which I staid till 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and to my great
sorrow find myself L43 worse than I was the last month, which was
then L760, and now it is but L717. But it hath chiefly arisen from my
layings-out in clothes for myself and wife; viz., 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 continu