ht and took a link and so home weary to
bed.

28th. Early in the morning rose, and a boy brought me a letter from
Poet Fisher, who tells me that he is upon a panegyrique of the King,
and desired to borrow a piece of me; and I sent him half a piece. To
Westminster, and there dined with Mr. Sheply and W. Howe, afterwards
meeting with Mr. Henson, who had formerly had the brave clock that went
with bullets (which is now taken away from him by the King, it being his
goods).

[Some clocks are still made with a small ball, or bullet, on an
inclined plane, which turns every minute. The King's clocks
probably dropped bullets. Gainsborough the painter had a brother
who was a dissenting minister at Henley-on-Thames, and possessed a
strong genius for mechanics. He invented a clock of a very peculiar
construction, which, after his death, was deposited in the British
Museum. It told the hour by a little bell, and was kept in motion
by a leaden bullet, which dropped from a spiral reservoir at the top
of the clock, into a little ivory bucket. This was so contrived as
to discharge it at the bottom, and by means of a counter-weight was
carried up to the top of the clock, where it received another
bullet, which was discharged as the former. This seems to have been
an attempt at the perpetual motion.--Gentleman's Magazine, 1785,
p. 931.--B.]

I went with him to the Swan Tavern and sent for Mr. Butler, who was now
all full of his high discourse in praise of Ireland, whither he and his
whole family are going by Coll. Dillon's persuasion, but so many lies I
never heard in praise of anything as he told of Ireland. So home late at
night and to bed.

29th. Lord's day. I and my boy Will to Whitehall, and I with my Lord
to White Hall Chappell, where I heard a cold sermon of the Bishop of
Salisbury's, and the ceremonies did not please me, they do so overdo
them. My Lord went to dinner at Kensington with my Lord Camden. So I
dined and took Mr. Birfett, my Lord's chaplain, and his friend along
with me, with Mr. Sheply at my Lord's. In the afternoon with Dick Vines
and his brother Payton, we walked to Lisson Green and Marybone and back
again, and finding my Lord at home I got him to look over my accounts,
which he did approve of and signed them, and so we are even to this day.
Of this I was glad, and do think myself worth clear money about L120.
Home late, calling in at m