ries of
a moor, which they told us we must go over. We had by chance lighted
on a house that was noted for good drink and a shovel-borde table,
which had invited some Derbyshire blades that lived at Bakewell, but
were then at Chesterfield about some business, to take a
strengthening cup before they would encounter with their journey home
that night. We, hearing of them, were desirous to ride in company
with them, so as we might be conducted in this strange, mountainous,
misty, moorish, rocky, wild country; but they, having drank freely of
their ale, which inclined them something to their countrie's natural
rudeness, and the distaste they took at our swords and pistols with
which we rid, made them loth to be troubled with our companies, till
I, being more loth to lose this opportunity than the other (one of
which had voted to lie in bed the rest of the day), went into the
room and persuaded them so well, as they were willing, not only to
afford us their company, but stayed for us till we accoutred
ourselves. And so we most courageously set forward again, the
weather being not one whit better, and the way far worse; for the
great quantity of rain that fell, came down in floods from the tops
of the hills, washing down mud, and so making a bog in every valley;
the craggy ascents, the rocky unevenness of the roads, the high
peaks, and the almost perpendicular descents, that we were to ride
down: but what was worse than all this, the furious speed that our
conductors, mounted upon such good horses, used to these hills, led
us on with, put us into such an amazement, as we knew not what to do,
for our pace we rode would neither give us opportunity to speak with
them or to consult with one another, till at length a friendly bough
that had sprouted out beyond his fellows over the road, gave our file
leader such a brush of the jacket as it swept him off his horse, and
the poor jade, not caring for its master's company, ran away without
him: by this means, while some went to get his courser for him,
others had time to come up to a general _rendezvous_; and concluded
to ride more soberly: but I think that was very hard for some of
these to do. Being all up again, our light-horsed companions
thundered away, and our poor jades, I think, being afraid, as well as
their masters, to be left alone in