with me; and there talked with the two women that farm the well, at L12
per annum, of the lord of the manor, Mr. Evelyn (who with his lady, and
also my Lord George Barkeley's lady, and their fine daughter, that the
King of France liked so well, and did dance so rich in jewells before the
King at the Ball I was at, at our Court, last winter, and also their son,
a Knight of the Bath, were at church this morning). Here W. Hewer's horse
broke loose, and we had the sport to see him taken again. Then I carried
them to see my cozen Pepys's house, and 'light, and walked round about it,
and they like it, as indeed it deserves, very well, and is a pretty place;
and then I walked them to the wood hard by, and there got them in the
thickets till they had lost themselves, and I could not find the way into
any of the walks in the wood, which indeed are very pleasant, if I could
have found them. At last got out of the wood again; and I, by leaping
down the little bank, coming out of the wood, did sprain my right foot,
which brought me great 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