HISTORY OF HARTING. 157 



sheep 93. to IDS. a-piece ; a coach horse 20 ; wool 

 i/s. per todd ; wood 143. a cord ; and fagotts 73. 

 Oak timber in the Harehurst, is. per foot; ash, 8d. ; 

 other wood, 6d. ; a labourer's pay per day. is. ; a 

 woman's, 6d. Thus, " Goody Whitington and her 

 gang, for haying in the Canonlands for 31 days," are 

 paid by the Squire the modest sum of 153. 6d. Salt 

 at its cheapest was 53. the bushell ; within the memory 

 of man i : o : o per bushell has been paid for it in 

 Harting : "To be worth your salt" was in these days to 

 be of no trifling value. Tea an almost unknown luxury 

 at 2 : 2 : o a pound. In September cheese was bought 

 wholesale at St. Giles's fair, Winchester. At Christmas 

 the " moresque dancers " are not forgotten ; and " 4 

 parcel of Wasling boys " (still called " Wassailers," or 

 carol singers) are entered in the account book as re- 

 ceiving 8s. For corn he dealt with " my Cobden "* of 

 Midhurst. 



The Squire seems to have been a visitor at every 

 house of note in this part of England ; and doubtless 

 so susceptible a man was glad to have some change as 

 a relief from sorrows at home and trials in his family. 



In 1725-6, Feb. 3, he buried another son, Richard 

 not Henry, as Mr. Elwin notes on Pope's letter No. 91, 

 where Pope says, " Upon the most violent strokes one 

 rather faints than groans." In the March following 

 young Bluett was just saved from transportation, and 

 two guineas were paid by the Squire to save him a 

 public whipping. The scapegrace was finally settled 

 at St. Omer under one Captain Dunn. Poor Mrs. 

 Cope had a terrible operation for cancer at Paris in 

 1728, towards the cost of which the Squire sent her 

 2$. She died shortly afterwards. Sometimes John 

 Caryll would receive begging letters from some worth- 

 less kinsfolk or namesakes : as when Mrs. Elizabeth 



* This Richard Cobden, malster, was Churchwarden of Mid- 

 hurst as early as 1709. Another of the same name in 1741. I 

 am indebted for this information to Rev. W. Haydon, Vicar of 

 Midhurst, Rural Dean. 



