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 Epsom town to our
inn, 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
cream: and so to our inn, and there had a dish of cream, 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 air, and we set out
for home, the sun by and by going down, and we in the cool of the
evening all the way with much pleasure home, talking and pleasing
ourselves with the pleasure of this day's work, Mrs Turner mightily
pleased with my resolution, which, I tell her, is never to keep a
country-house, but to keep a coach, and with my wife on the Saturday to
go sometimes for a day to this place, and then quit to another place;
and there is more variety and as little charge, and no trouble, as
there is in a country-house. Anon it grew dark, and as it grew dark we
had the pleasure to see several glow-worms, which was mighty pretty,
but my foot begins more and more to pain me, which Mrs Turner, by
keeping her warm hand upon it, did much ease; but so that when we come
home, which was just at eleven at night, I was not able to walk from
the lane's end to my house without being helped, which did trouble {46}
me, and therefore to bed presently, but, thanks be to God, found that I
had not been missed, nor any business happened in my absence. So to
bed, and there had a cere-cloth laid to my foot and leg alone, but in
great pain all night long.

(_Diary_.)

DANIEL DEFOE 1660-1731

CAPTAIN SINGLETON IN CHINA

In the meantime, we came to an anchor under a little island in the
latitude of 23 degrees 28 minutes, being just under the northern
tropic, and about twenty leagues from the island. Here we lay thirteen
days, and began to be very uneasy for my friend William, for they had
promised to be back again in four days, which they might very easily
have done. However, at the end of thirteen days, we saw three sail
coming directly to us, which a little surprised us all at first, not
knowing what might be the case; and we began to put ourselves in a
posture of defence: but