indeed till night; and then by a happy
mistake, and that looked like an adventure, we were carried out of our
way to a town where we would lye, since we could not go so far as we
would. And there with great difficulty come about ten at night to a
little inn, where we were fain to go into a room where a pedlar was in
bed, and made him rise; and there wife and I lay, and in a truckle-bed
Betty Turner and Willett. But good beds, and the master of the house a
sober, understanding man, and I had good discourse with him about this
country's matters, as wool, and corne, and other things. And he also
merry, and made us mighty merry at supper, about manning the new ship,
at Bristol, with none but men whose wives do master them; and it seems
it is become in reproach to some men of estate that are such hereabouts,
that this is become common talk. By and by to bed, glad of this mistake,
because, it seems, had we gone on as we intended, we could not have
passed with our coach, and must have lain on the Plain all night. This
day from Salisbury I wrote by the post my excuse for not coming home,
which I hope will do, for I am resolved to see the Bath, and, it may be,
Bristol.

12th (Friday). Up, finding our beds good, but lousy; which made us
merry. We set out, the reckoning and servants coming to 9s. 6d.; my
guide thither, 2s.; coachman, advanced, 10s. So rode a very good way,
led to my great content by our landlord to Philips-Norton, with great
pleasure, being now come into Somersetshire; where my wife and Deb.
mightily joyed thereat,--[They were natives of that county.-B.]--I
commending the country, as indeed it deserves. And the first town we
came to was Brekington, where, we stopping for something for the horses,
we called two or three little boys to us, and pleased ourselves with
their manner of speech, and did make one of them kiss Deb., and another
say the Lord's Prayer (hallowed be thy kingdom come). At Philips-Norton
I walked to the Church, and there saw a very ancient tomb of some Knight
Templar, I think; and here saw the tombstone whereon there were only two
heads cut, which, the story goes, and credibly, were two sisters, called
the Fair Maids of Foscott, that had two bodies upward and one belly, and
there lie buried. Here is also a very fine ring of six bells, and they
mighty tuneable. Having dined very well, 10s., we come before night to
the Bath; where I presently stepped out with my landlord, and saw the
baths, with p