Pepys’ Diary.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 638, 16 December 1932, Page 6

Pepys’ Diary.

July 14th, 1667. 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 And 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. lie 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