le the red
Clouds gone, then?" quoth Mr. _Milton_, "and what Business hathe the
Moon yonder?" "Then we must go Indoors," quoth I. But they cried
"No," and _Robin_ helde me fast, and Mr. Milton sayd I might know even
by the distant Sounds of ill-governed Merriment that we were winding up
the Week's Accounts of Joy and Care more consistentlie where we were
than we coulde doe in the House. And indeede just then I hearde my
_Father's_ Voice swelling a noisie Chorus; and hoping Mr. _Milton_ did
not distinguish it, I askt him if he loved Musick. He answered, soe
much that it was Miserie for him to hear anie that was not of the
beste. I secretlie resolved he should never heare mine. He added, he
was come of a musicalle Familie, and that his Father not onlie sang
well, but played finely on the Viol and Organ. Then he spake of the
sweet Musick in _Italy_, until I longed to be there; but I tolde him
nothing in its Way ever pleased me more than to heare the Choristers of
_Magdalen_ College usher in _May_ Day by chaunting a Hymn at the Top of
the Church Towre. Discoursing of this and that, we thus sate a good
While ere we returned to the House.

. . . Coming out of Church he woulde shun the common Field, where the
Villagery led up theire Sports, saying, he deemed Quoit-playing and the
like to be unsuitable Recreations on a Daye whereupon the _Lord_ had
restricted us from speakinge our own Words, and thinking our own (that
is, secular) Thoughts: and that he believed the Law of _God_ in this
Particular woulde soone be the Law of the Land, for Parliament woulde
shortlie put down _Sunday_ Sports. I askt, "What, the _King's_
Parliament at _Oxford_?" He answered, "No; _the Country's_ Parliament
at _Westminster_." I sayd, I was sorrie, for manie poore hard-working
Men had no other Holiday. He sayd, another Holiday woulde be given
them; and that whether or no, we must not connive at Evil, which we doe
in permitting an _holy Daye_ to sink into a Holiday. I sayd, but was
it not the _Jewish_ Law, which had made such Restrictions? He sayd,
yes, but that _Christ_ came not to destroy the moral Law, of which
Sabbath-keeping was a Part, and that even its naturall Fitnesse for the
bodily Welfare of Man and Beast was such as no wise Legislator would
abolish or abuse it, even had he no Consideration for our spiritual and
immortal Part: and that 'twas a well-known Fact that Beasts of Burthen,
which had not one Daye of Rest in seven, did