t, 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 and by going down, and we in the cool of
the evening all the way wi