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12th Aug. [1787] He records that this summer some swallows nested in his bedroom, he has observed them with pleasure and interest. He thinks that they have more than instinct, "these little creatures must have a mind that thinks". [Chronik, pp 307-308]

26th Aug. Bräker records further controversies over building the Prince-Abbot's road and the allotment of mountain pastures in the Toggenburg. In Ganterschwil one Captain Johann Georg Wetter has been excommunicated for referring to a sermon by Pastor Beyl, (in which the pastor alluded to him personally), as "a sermon by the Devil and a tomcat" [Chronik, pp 301, 308]

6th Dec. Bräker has given Imhof his autobiography and diaries of 1782-1785 to read. "Now after some time he asks me - if I would allow them to be printed in the Schweizer-Musaeum - indeed at the time I could see no sense in it - but I left it all to his better judgement". [Chronik, p 311]

The fact that Bräker resumed his diary this year suggests that the autobiography was nearly finished at the beginning of the year and only the final chapter remained to be written. The diary makes it clear that Jakob's death was a great loss, and it does seem a little odd that chapter 81 does not even specifically mention it. The diary shows, however, that Bräker was in a very demoralised state for some weeks afterwards. Probably chapter 81 was not written until later in the year, when Bräker had regained his balance, possibly not until after Imhof had read chapters 1 to 80. This is not contradicted by Bräker's later statement, in the supplement of 1788, that three years have passed since the autobiography was written. The events of 1785 are recounted in chapter 76, the remaining chapters are a summing-up and a description of his present situation, they are long chapters and writing them could have taken quite some time in 1786 and 1787.

It is also not quite certain when, or why, Bräker gave the autobiography and diaries to Imhof to read. Voellmy [v 1 p 9] implies that Imhof came across Bräker's writing by accident: "One day he surprises [...] Bräker in his simple room on the Hochsteig, at his writing. On the table lies, written in secret, the autobiography of a Poor Man". This is borne out by Bräker's supplement in 1788, in which he says that nothing in his parish escaped Imhof's sharp eyes.

Despite this, I strongly suspect that Bräker intended Imhof to read his writings sooner or later. He had not known Imhof for very long, but it was very characteristic of him to like and trust someone on first impressions only, and it would probably not have taken him long to find out that Imhof had connections with possible publishers in Zürich. Imhof's preface to the autobiography also states that he has other writings from the same pen, "from which an original wit, a cheerful disposition, a clear mind and an open, kind heart that loves God and mankind shine forth", but their publication will depend on the reception of this first autobiographical piece.

16th Dec. Bräker makes a formal self-examination [a common practice among the Pietists, but quite probably prompted by the realisation that his life history is going to be exposed to strangers], and finds he has partially failed in all respects. [Chronik, p 311]

30th-31st Dec. After writing his summary of the year and making good resolutions, Bräker goes to Lichtensteig and sees the New Year in with Ambühl's brother and one Kaufmann. He drinks heavily, smokes and takes snuff, and they all sit up till two in the morning. [Chronik, p 312]

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