THE PEPYS OF SOUTH DORSET. 47 



my Will before her eyes." Shortly after this, Mrs. Richards went 

 to London by the Dorchester coach : she seemingly returned too 

 soon, for more Italian follows not long after. 



In fascinating contrast to what he had written, Mr. Richards 

 quotes the following from a letter received from a correspon- 

 dent : " I lately advised y u of Mrs. Peter Harblin's death. This 

 week Mr. Peter Harblin also dyed, most think through grief for 

 the loss of his wife." Why did the South Dorset Pepys 

 transcribe this ? 



Having thus had varied domestic experience, Mr. Richards' 

 advice was sometimes sought in cases of home trouble; hence: 

 "Wednesday the i5th June 1698, by 7 in ye morning Cousin 

 Mary Symes came hither from Came having layen there last 

 night at Gammer Coward's. Shee came to complaine of her 

 husband's intolerable humour, and went hence againe twixt 

 9 and 10 yt morning." The bad-tempered husband was Thomas 

 Symes, the would-be borrower of the year before. 



Nor was Mr. Richards free from some of the annoyances 

 which usually attend country life ; one of these arose from 

 poachers. He writes : " i3th Oct. 1701. Coming home from 

 Dorch r , Knighton way, I espyed a pack of hounds with a man 

 on horseback in my green lewell, ab* my chalk hills. Shortly 

 after we espyed the hare (wch they pursued) in Knighton field ; 

 yt ran into my Brors adjoining mead hedg. I waited awhile to 

 speak wth ye huntsman whome I met as he was rideing after the 

 hounds in a wheat land, asking him by what authority he 

 presumed to enter upon my ground disturb my sheep and break 

 down my fences. He told me they were Dorch r dogs and he a 

 gentleman's serv 1 and at last after I had pressed to know his 

 name and place of abode, he told me he was Counsell 1 " Loder's * 

 serv*. I scolded him very passionately whip't off his dogs and 

 forbad him coming any more in yt circuit on pain of having all 



* Probably "old Loder," to whom the pieces of gold were offered (ante 

 p. 37); or, perhaps, his son; Andrew Loder, senr., and Andrew Loder, 

 junr., were both living at Dorchester at this time, 



