FIRST PART OF THE SHEPHE-RD SALISBURY-PL Alf DUBLIN: SOLD BY WILLIAM WATSON", AND SON No. 7, CapeL Street, Printers tt the Chenp Repofitory for ReligUus and Moral Tract t And by th 5 Bookseller,, Crap r e jj and Hawked in Town and Country. K£RI ' fcjT .Oreat Allowance to Shopkeepers, Chapmen and Hawkc* Price Ove Penny. in the rmijir of thefe reflections, Mr^ Tohnfotvs attention was all of a fudden cal- Jed off By the barking of a Shepherd's dog, and looking, up, he. fpied one 6i thofe little huts which are here and there to be feen on thole great Downs; and neurit was^he Shepherd hirnfelf, bufiiy employed with hib dog in collecting together his vail flock of Cheep. As he drew nearer, he perceiv-. ed him . to be a clean, well-looking, poor man, near fifty years of age, His ;Coat, though at firrt it had probably been of one dark colour, had been in a long courfe of years' fo often .patched with different r orts of cloth, that it had now become hard to fay which had been the original colour- Bti' this, while it gave a plain proof of the Shepherd's poverty, equal!) proved the exceeding neatnefs, induftry and good ma- nagement of fife wife. His dockings no lei s proved her good houfewii 1 to; they were entirely covered with darns or diffe- rent coloured worded, but .had not a hole in them ; and his (hirt, thougti near 1 1 as coarfe as the lads of a (hip, was. as white as the drifted fnow, and neatly mended where time had either made a rent or worn i ? . thin. This is a rule of judging, by which one fliall feldom be deceived If I meet with a la- bourer, hedging, ditching, or mending the highways, with his flocfcingsand Hurt tight and whole, however mean and bad his other A 3 , gar- garments are, I havefeidom failed, in v\Cit ing his cottage, to find that alfo clean and wefl ordered, and his wife notable, and wor- thy of encouragement. Whereas a poor woman, who will be lying a bed, or goffip- ping with her neighbours, when fhe ought to be fitting out her hufband in a cleanly manner, will feldom be found to be very good in other refpf £ts. This was not the cafe with our Shepherd; And Mr. John/on was not more firuck with the decency of his mean and frugal drefs> than with his open honeft countenance, which bore flrong marks of health, cheer- fuinefs, and fpirit. Mr. Johnjon, who was on a journej^ and fomewhat fearful, from the appearance of the fky, that rain was at no great dif- tance, accofted the Shepherd with afking what fort of weather he thought it would be on the morrow. — " It will be fueh weather . as pleafes me/* anfwered the Liiepherd. Though the anfwer was deli- vered in the mildeft and civilleft tone that could be imagined, the Gentleman thought the words rhemfelves rather rude and iur- ly, and afked him how that could be; " Becaufe," replied the Shepherd," it will be fuch weather as fhall pleafe God, and whatever pleafes him always pleafes me." Mr. ( 7 \ v. / / Mr, Johtifpn, who delighted in gobd meii and good things, was very well fatisfied with this reply. For he juftly thought that, though an hypocrite may eafily con- trive to appear better than he really is to a Granger ; and that no one fhould be too foon trufted, merely for having a few good words in his mouth : vet as he knew that €i out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh £* he always accuftomed himfelf to judge favourably of thofe who had a ferious deportment and folid manner of fpeaking. " it looks as if it proceeded from a good habit," faid he, and though I may now and then be deceived by it, yet it has not often happened to me to be fo. — Whereas if a man accofts me with an idle, diflbiute, vulgar, indecent, or prophane expreflxon, I have never. been decerned in him, but have generally on inquiry f und his character to be as bad as his language gave me room to exped." He entered into converfation with the Shepherd in the following manner. Yours is a troublefome life, honeit friend, faid he. To befure, Sir, replied the Shepherd, 'tis not a very lazy life ; but 'tis not near fo toilfome as that which my Great Mafter led for my fake, and he had every ft ate and condition of life at his choice, and chofe a hard one-— while I only (\ 4 fubmit ( 8 ) ftibmit to the lot that is appointee] me.— You are expofed to great cold and heat, faid the Gentleman :—true, Sir. faid the Shep- herd ; but then I am not expofed to great temptations; and fo throwing one thing againft another, God is pieafed to contrive to make things more equal than we poor, ignorant, fhort-fighted creatures, are apt to think. David was happier when be kept his father's fheep on fuch a plain as this, and finging fome of his own Pfalms perhaps, than ever he was when fee- be- came king of Ifrael and Judah. And I dare fay we fhould never have had fome of the rnoft beautiful texts in all thofe fine Pfalms, if he had not been a Shepherd, which enabled him to make fo many fine companions and fi mihtudeS, as one may fay, from country life, flocks of fheep, hills, and vallies, and fountains of water. Yo\i^hink then, faid the Gentleman, that a jtafefcjdo.us life is a happy one. 1 do, Sir, and more fo efpecially, as it expofes a man to fewer fins. If king Saul had con- tinued a poor -laborious man to the end of his days, he might have lived happy and ■honefr, and died a natural death in his bed at laft, which you know, Sir, was moie than he did. But 1 fpeak with reverence, for it was divine Providence over ruled all iat> you know, Sir, and I do not prefume to to make comparifons— Refides, Sir, rfff employment has been particularly honour- ed— Mofes was a Shepherd in the plains of Midian. —It was" to " Shepherds keening then flocks by night" that 'the angels ap- peared in Bethlehem, to telj the belt news, the gladdeft tidings, that ever were reveal ed to poorfinful men ; often, and often has the thought warmed my poor heart in the cc>ldett night, and filled me with more joy and thankfulnefs than the beft fupper could have done. Here the Shepherd flopped, for he began to feel th if he had made too free, and had talked too long. But Mr. John/on was fo well plea fed. with what hefaid, and with the cheerful, contented manner in which he faid it, that he defired him to go on freely, for that it was a pleafure to him to meet with a plain man, who without any kind or learning, but what he had got from the Bible, was able to talk fo well on %. fubjed in which all men, high and rich and poor, are equally concerned/ Indeei I am afraid I make too bold, Sif 4 for it better becomes me to liften to fuch a Gentleman as you fee.n> to be, than to talk in mv poor way.;' bin as 1 was faying, Sir, I wonder all working men do not de- rive as great joy ah'd delight as I do, from A 5 thinking ( 10 ) thinking how God has honoured poverty ! Oh ! Sir, what great, or rich, or mighty mm have had fuch honour put on them, or their condition, as Shepherds, Tent-makers, Fiihermen, and Carpenters have had ? My honeft friend, faid the Gentleman, F perceive you are well acquainted with Icripture. Yes, Sir, pretty well, blefled be God ! through his mercy I learnt to read when I was a little boy ; though read- ing was not fo common when I was a child, as, I am told, through the gopdnefs of providence and the generofity of the rich, it is likely to become now a-days. I be- lieve there is no day for the laft thirty years, that 1 have not peeped at my Bible — If we can't find time to read a chapter, I defy any man to fay he can't -•find time to read a verfe ; and a fingle text, Sir, well followed and put in pra&ice every day, would make no bad figure at 'the vear's end ; three hundred and fixty-five tex*ou can Hve there with fuch a family > O ' n !S V erv l oflible, and very certain ' too', cned .he Shepherd. How many better men have been worft lodged! how many good chrifljans have periled in wiicns and dv ngecns, in companion of which my eoHage is a palace. The houfe is very well, Sir, and if the rain did not fometimes bent dev. n upon us through the thalch when we are a bed, I mould not deCre a beer ; tor I nave health, peace, and liberty, and Ko man maketh me afraid. Well, I will certainly call oft you be- fore it be long: But bow can you an- tnve to lodge io many children f X\ - do the beft we can, Sir. Mv poor wife is a very fickly woman,' pt We mould always have done tolerably well, there are no gentry in the parifh, fo that The has not met with any great amfunce in. her ficknefs 1 he good curate of the parifh who lives in that pretty parlonage in the valley, is very willing, but n«t \er. able to imft vs on thek- trying occahons, tor he has little enough lor himfelf and a large family iuto Ibe La: gain. Yet he does What he can, and and more than many richer men do, and more than he can well afford. Pefides that, his prayers and good advice we are • always fine of, and we are truly thankful for that, for a man muff give, you know, Sir, according to what he hath, and not according to what he hath not. Are you in any difirefs at prefent ? faid Mr. johnjon. ho, Sir, thank God, re- plied the Shepherd. I get my fhilling a day, and mofr of my children will foon be able to earn fomething ; for ue have only three under five years old. Only ! faid the Gentleman, that is a heavy burden. iSlot at all , Gc d fits the back to it. Though my wife is not able to do any Cm of door work, yet fhe breeds up our children to fuch habits of induf ry, that our little maids, before they are fix years old can fifft get a halfpenny, and then a penny a 4t v , by knhtfrig. 1 he boys who are too little to do hard work, get a trifle by keep- ing the birds off the corn ; for this the farmers will give them a pennj or two- pence and now and ihen a bit of bt\ad aini 'heefe into the bargain. Whtn the feak n oi crow keeping is over, then they glean or pick ftones : any tiring is hetrer than idlentfs, Sir, and if they did not get a farth inj by it, I would make ihem do it jufl the -me, for the lake of giving them early habits of labour. g ( H ) So you fee, Sir, I am not fo badly off as many are; nay, if it were not that it coils me io much in Totecary's fluff for my poor wile, I (hould reckon myfelf well off Nay, I do reckon myfelf well off; for* blefled be God, he has granted h-er life to my prayers, and 1 would work myfelf to a 'natomy, and live on one meal a'day to add any comfort to her valuable life \ in- deed I have often done the laft, and thought it no great matter neither. While they were in this part of their difcourfe a fine plump cherry cheek litle girl ran up out of breath, with a fmile on her young happy face/, and without taking any notice of the Gentleman, cried out with great joy— Look here, father, onfy fee how much 1 have, got to da> ! Mr. John/on was much firuck^With her fimplicity, but puzzled to know what was the occafion of this great joy. On ! ooking at her, he per- ceived a fipall quantity uf coarfe wool, fome of which hau found its way through the holes of her clean, but fcanty and rag- ged woollen apron. The father faid, this has been a iuccefsful day indeed, Molly ; but don't you fee the gentleman ? Moffy ; now madea curt ey dewnto the very ground; while Mr. Johnjon inquired into the caufe ©f the mutual Satisfaction which both fas her and daughte, had exp^ehed, at the unulual good fortune of the day. Sir, (15 ) Sir, faid the Shepherd, poverty is a great iharpener of the wits. — My wife and I cannot endure to fee our children (poor as they are) without (hoes and (lockings, not only on account of the pinching cold which cramps their poor little limbs, but becaufe it degrades and debafes them ; and poor people, who have but little re- gard to appearances will feldom be found to have any great regard for honefly and goodnefs : I don't fay this is always the cafe ; but I am fure it is fo too often. Now Ihoes and (lockings being very dear, we could never afford to get thern without a little contrivance. I muft fhow you how 1 manage about the (hoes when you conde- fcend to call to our cottage, Sir ; as to dock- ings, this is one way we take to help to get them. My young ones, who are too little to do much work, fome^nes wander at odd hours over the hills for the chance of find- ing what little wool the fheep may drop wilt- they rub themfeives, as they are apt to d : in the bufhes.* Thefe fcattered bits of wool the children pick out of the bram- bles, which I fee, have torn fad holes in Mofly's apron to day ; they carry this wool home, and when they have got a pretty parcel * This piece of frugal induftry is not imaginary, but a real fact, as is the character • f the Shepherd, and his uncommon knowledge of the fcriptures. pared together, their mother cards it ; for fhe can fit and -card it in the chimney corner, when The is not able to wafh, or work about the houjfe. Thebiggeft girl then fpins it: it does very well for us without dying, for poor people mail not /land for the colour of their (lockings. After this our little boys knit it for themfelves, while they are employed in keeping crow? in the fkids, and after they get home at night. As for the knitiing the girls 'anu their mother do, that is chiefly for fale, which helps to pay our rent. Mr, Johnjon lifted up his eyes in filent . .aftoniflimcnt at the fhifts which honed poverty can make rather than beg or ilea! ; snd was furprifed to think how many ways of fuhfirhng there arg which .thofe who live at their eafe little fuipeft. He lecretly Fefblved to. be more attentive to his own petty -expeac.es than he had hitherto been; and to be more watchful that nothing was wafteu in his family. But to. return to the Shepherd, Mr. John on told him that as he mulr needs be ai his friends houfe, who lived many miles off that ni^ht, he could not, as he Wiihed to do, make a vifit to his cottage at prefent. But I will certainly do it, faid ( 17 ) he, on my return, for 1 long \o ke your wife and her nice little family, and to be an eye witnefs of her neatnefs and good management. The poor man's tears fiart- cd into his eyes on hearing the commen- dation beflowed on his wife ; and wiping them off with the fibeve of his coat, for he was not worth a handkerchief in the world, he fa id— Oh, Sir, you juft now cal- led me an humble man, but 1 am afraid, . g indeed, I am a very proud one. Proud ! ex- 1 claimed Mr. Johnjon, I hope not— Pride 1 is a great f:n, and as the poor are liable to k it asw ? ell as the rich, fo good a man as you V ieem to be, ought to guard againft it. Sir, * laid he, you are right, but I am not proud of myfelf, Ggd knows, I have nothing to be proud of. I am a poor finner— hut in- | deed, Sir, I am proud of my wife. She is J no' only the mo ft tidy notable woman on the Plain, but fhe is (tie kindefl wife and mother, and the mod contented, thankful | chrifliah that I know. Laft year I thought , ^ J I fhauld have iof! her in a violent fit of the rheumatifm, caught by going to work too foon after her lying in, 1 fear ; tor 'us but a | bjeak, coldifh place, as you may fee. Sir, 4 in winter, and fometimeb, the tnow lies fo long cinder the hill, that 1 can hardly make | myleU a path to get out and buy a few ne- | ceiiaries in the next village; and we are afraid ( i8 ) afraid to *nd out the children, for fear they fliould be loll when the fnow is deep. So, as I was faying, the poor foul was very bad indeed, and for feveral weeks loft the ufe of all her limbs except her hands: a merciful Providence fpared her the ufe of thefe, fo that when fhe could not turn in her bed (he could contrived to patch a rag or two for her family She was always faying, had it not been for the great good- nefs of God, fhe. might have had the palfy infiead of the rheumarifm, and then fhe could have done nothing— h v ul nobody had fo many mercies as flie had. I will not tell you what we fufFered dur- ing that bitter weather, Sir ; bu> my wife's faith and patience during that trying time, were as good a lefTon to me as any Sermon 1 could hear, and yet Mr. Jenkins gave us very comfortable ones too, that helped to keep up my fpirirs. One Sunday afternoon when my wife was at the worfh as 1 was coming out of Church, for I went one part of the day, and my eldeft daughter the other, fo my poor wife was never left alone— As I was coming out of Church, I fay, Mr. Jen- kins, the minifies called out to me, and afked me how my wife did, faying he had been kept frora coming to fee her by the deep fall of fnow, and indeed from the parfonage-houfe to my hove!, it was quite \ impaffible. I gave him all the particulars • - he aiked, and 1 am afraid a good many more ; for my heart was quite full. He kindly gave me a (hilling, and faid he would certainly try to pick out his way and come and fee her in a day or two. Which he was talking to me, a plain farmer looking gentlemen in boots, who flood by, hftened to all I faid, but teemed to take no notice. It was Mr. Jenkins's wife's father, who was come to pafs the Chriftmas holidays at the parfonage-houfe : I had always heard him fpoken of ■ as a plain frugal man, who lived clofe himfelf, but was remarked to give away more than any of his fhew-away neighbours* Wei! ! I went home with great fpivitr at this feafcnable and unexpected fu pp'i^ tmj we had tapped our laft fixpence, and there was little work to be had on account of the weather. I toid my wile 1 was not come back empty-banded. No I dare fay not, fawsihe; you have been ferving a mafler " who fiNeth the hungry with good things, though he iindeth the rich empty away." 1 rue, Mary, fays I ; we feidom fail to get %0 % ■ i' good ( zo ) good fpiritua-I food from Mr Jenkins, h%t to day he has kindly fupplied our bodily wants. She was more thankful when I fhewed her the (hilling, than I dare fay, feme of your great people are when they get an hundred pounds. Mr. John/on s heart fmote him when he heard iuch a value fet upon a [hilling: fureiy faid he to himfeif, 1 will never wafle another ; but he faid nothing to the Shep- herd, who thus purfued his {lory. Next morning before T went out. T fent part of the money to buy a little ale and brown fugar to put into her water gruel : which you know Sn. made^it nice and nounfhing. I went ut to cleave wood in a farm yard, for there was no Handing out on the p ! a4n, after fuch mow as had fai en in \he night. I went with a lighter heart than ufuai, becftiifi? 1 }'^4 ieh mi poor wife a ■ ; ire -better, and comfortably iupplicd for this dav, and I n^w refolved moJt. than ever to trufi God for the fupplies oi the next.- When 1 came b*ck at night, my wife fell a -crying as Toon a^ ft*~ me. This i owh 1 'thought but a bad ctur-. tor the bleffirms Hie h iaidy received and fo I told her O, faid fh w »s too we are too rich— 1 am now frightened, not