38 THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF LEONARD WHEATCROFT. 



"Aug. 26. I went on sum busines to Matlocke, and upon 

 Aug. 31 I went againe to y° Wakes, where I met with one 

 Antoney Souter with whom I bargined to plant an orchard, 

 and vpon Sep. 25 I began. On that day I removed 45 trees, 

 and Oct. 5, 14 trees at Mr. Coates garden. The 16 day, 

 I tuned the Virginalls at Overton. 



[A virginal — either so called from the Virgin Queen, or because 

 it afforded musical recreation for the unmarried — was the precursor 

 of the spinet, as the latter was of the harpsichord, the forerunner 

 of the modern grand piano — but with this difference, the 

 vibration of the wires of the earlier instruments was produced by 

 pointed quills inserted in extremities of the key rods. The 

 leathered hammers are a more modern invention. Col. Coke, 

 of Brookhill, possesses the spinet (perhaps from the word 

 "spinster") used by Miss Chaworth, of Byron celebrity.] 



"Upon the 25 of August, my wife and I went to Will. Hibard's 

 to a feast of Crispin where we was merry that night. 



" So in gardening and Taylering I spent my time : till the 4 day 

 of Feb. 1 67 1, being Sunday, I with my wife and 2 children went 

 over to Winster, to brother Ralph's wive's churching (of her 

 daughter Betty). There we were forced to stay till Feb. 12 

 before I could get them home by reason of a great snow that 

 then did fall. 



" After our retourne, I went to Chesterfeild Faire, which was 

 then Feb. 28, 167 1. There I did buy of one Richard Cempe 

 [Kemp] 52 quarters of malt, and a horse of John Buxton my 

 brother; the malt was at 20'- the quarter all y' yeare ; t'horse 

 price was 37^ 



"Mar. 26, 1672, I bargined with John Farnsworth for his house 

 another yeare till I had made mine ready, for which I was to pay 

 three pound seven shillings the yeare. Wedensday after being 

 Apr. 17, was a fast day for our preparation against y" Duch 

 [Dutch] . 



"July 10, 1672, I and my wife besides 100 more went to 

 Ashley Heay to welcome Brother Toby and Sister Sarah to 

 house, who was then lately married. 



