brother Tom, in the business of his getting his servant, an ugly jade,
Margaret, with child. She was brought to bed in St. Sepulchre's parish
of two children; one is dead, the other is alive; her name Elizabeth,
and goes by the name of Taylor, daughter to John Taylor. It seems Tom
did a great while trust one Crawly with the business, who daily got
money of him; and at last, finding himself abused, he broke the matter
to J. Noble, upon a vowe of secresy. Tom's first plott was to go on
the other side the water and give a beggar woman something to take the
child. They did once go, but did nothing, J. Noble saying that seven
years hence the mother might come to demand the child and force him to
produce it, or to be suspected of murder. Then I think it was that they
consulted, and got one Cave, a poor pensioner in St. Bride's parish
to take it, giving him L5, he thereby promising to keepe it for ever
without more charge to them. The parish hereupon indite the man Cave
for bringing this child upon the parish, and by Sir Richard Browne he
is sent to the Counter. Cave thence writes to Tom to get him out. Tom
answers him in a letter of his owne hand, which J. Noble shewed me, but
not signed by him, wherein he speaks of freeing him and getting security
for him, but nothing as to the business of the child, or anything like
it: so that forasmuch as I could guess, there is nothing therein to my
brother's prejudice as to the main point, and therefore I did not labour
to tear or take away the paper. Cave being released, demands L5 more to
secure my brother for ever against the child; and he was forced to give
it him and took bond of Cave in L100, made at a scrivener's, one Hudson,
I think, in the Old Bayly, to secure John Taylor, and his assigns, &c.
(in consideration of L10 paid him), from all trouble, or charge of meat,
drink, clothes, and breeding of Elizabeth Taylor; and it seems, in
the doing of it, J. Noble was looked upon as the assignee of this John
Taylor. Noble says that he furnished Tom with this money, and is also
bound by another bond to pay him 20s. more this next Easter Monday; but
nothing for either sum appears under Tom's hand. I told him how I
am like to lose a great sum by his death, and would not pay any more
myself, but I would speake to my father about it against the afternoon.
So away he went, and I all the morning in my office busy, and at noon
home to dinner mightily oppressed with wind, and after dinner took coa