present pain, but presently, with walking, it went away for the present,
and so the women and W. Hewer and I walked upon the Downes, where a
flock of sheep was; and the most pleasant and innocent sight that ever I
saw in my life--we find a shepherd and his little boy reading, far from
any houses or sight of people, the Bible to him; so I made the boy read
to me, which he did, with the forced tone that children do usually read,
that was mighty pretty, and then I did give him something, and went to
the father, and talked with him; and I find he had been a servant in my
cozen Pepys's house, and told me what was become of their old servants.
He did content himself mightily in my liking his boy's reading, and did
bless God for him, the most like one of the old patriarchs that ever
I saw in my life, and it brought those thoughts of the old age of the
world in my mind for two or three days after. We took notice of his
woolen knit stockings of two colours mixed, and of his shoes shod with
iron shoes, both at the toe and heels, and with great nails in the soles
of his feet, which was mighty pretty: and, taking notice of them, "Why,"
says the poor man, "the downes, you see, are full of stones, and we are
faine to shoe ourselves thus; and these," says he, "will make the stones
fly till they sing before me." I did give the poor man something, for
which he was mighty thankful, and I tried to cast stones with his horne
crooke. He values his dog mightily, that would turn a sheep any way
which he would have him, when he goes to fold them: told me there
was about eighteen scoare sheep in his flock, and that he hath four
shillings a week the year round for keeping of them: so we posted thence
with mighty pleasure in the discourse we had with this poor man, and
Mrs. Turner, in the common fields here, did gather one of the prettiest
nosegays that ever I saw in my life. So to our coach, and through Mr.
Minnes's wood, and looked upon Mr. Evelyn's house; and so over the
common, and through Epsum towne to our inne, in the way stopping a poor
woman with her milk-pail, and in one of my gilt tumblers did drink our
bellyfulls of milk, better than any creame; and so to our inne, and
there had a dish of creame, but it was sour, and so had no pleasure in
it; and so paid our reckoning, and took coach, it being about seven
at night, and passed and saw the people walking with their wives and
children to take the ayre, and we set out for home, the sun by a