36 THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF LEONARD WHEATCROFT. 



" But as for my daly travills and idle jorneys to and fro, they 

 came to above 550 miles a yeare, which I believe I went for above 

 20 years togather, as my accounts shewed me. 



"Dec. 25, 1670. Being Chrismas Day I went to pay for a 

 stacke of hay I had bought at Tupton. After that, in the time 

 of Chrismus I went with a freind and kinsman of mine vnto one 

 Francis Steevinsons who had a mind to sell his land, for which 

 we bad him 400 and 60 pounds, but it would not be taken vnles 

 my freind would give 20 pound more, which he would not, and 

 so we parted. But he sould it for les after, and now goes vp and 

 down the cuntry like a begger. 



"Jan. I. I fell to worke and rought very hard till Feb. 19. 



[Perhaps Leonard's retrospect of time wasted had inspired 

 better resolves for the new year. A closer application to the 

 needle seems to have been the result for a time ; but a little 

 respite from the board was now no doubt thought desirable.] 



"That day I fetched Mr. ])aykin (of Stubben Edge) a vine 

 and a cherry tree from Bateman's [? of Youlgrave] so I continued 

 gardening till Feb. 28. That day being Chesterfeild faire day, 

 I, like a bad lad, went to it, and staid there all night. 



" March 7, being Fassen-Tuesday [Shrove Tuesday] my wife 

 and I according to our ould custom went over to Winster to se 

 our relations and freinds. 



" March 11. I had sum notions of being clarke of the Church 

 of Workes worth, and the 16"' day I went over to speak to sum 

 freinds of whom I had good hopes of the place, but preveled 

 not. 



" June 4, 1 67 1, my wife and I went over vnto Winster againe 

 to the christening of my Brother Robard's child whose name was 

 Eliz. After that I rought hard at my trade till July 25, That 

 day I thought to have built me a house at Sir William's Well 

 [probably a corruption of St. AVilliam's Well], but our goodly 

 Parson Obediah— y small profit — would not suffer it, because I 

 had pulled down his father's ' Intacke ' [enlcosure of waste land] 

 in Asher Hill. Then did I fall on my owne ground and began 

 to rid for a house stid, in a place which I call now by the name 



