A JUNE MORNING 5
plots about them, with sparse room for cabbage or onion, and
only rarely a pig or a few fowls.
Within most of these houses men were stirring, and before
long began to appear at their cottage doors, taking a look at the
sky before they ate a brief meal (if such it might be called) of a
lump of bread and a draught of ale. Then they came out again,
fetched their scythes and rakes from the sheds, and started off
down the street, so that for a few minutes the noisy chatter and
greetings of neighbours broke the silence. They soon passed by
the church and came out into open country, for no hedges or
fences were to be seen. One large tract, however, had clearly
been cultivated recently, for as they passed they saw how it was
divided into narrow plots, each with grassy raised strips dividing
it from its neighbours. Now, however, this field was fallow, and,
early as it was, one of their fellows was there before them, and
was guarding the sheep which were quietly feeding on such
sparse vegetation as was to be found, for the first ploughing had
already taken place, and next month any weeds the sheep might
leave would all be ploughed in.
A little farther on they passed a stone cross. Almost un-
consciously (some even in perfunctory fashion) they crossed
themselves, and a moment later turned from the main path to
follow a track which led to a piece of meadow land. This, unlike
the fallow, was enclosed on three sides with a hedge, whilst a
little stream formed its other boundary. On entering the field
the peasants broke up in little groups, some going to one and
some to another part of the meadow, for amongst the long grass
there were little pegs and twigs marking off one portion of the
field from another. By this time the sug. was well up and the
dew was drying rapidly as they prepared for work. The wide
blade of the scythe was sharpened with the whetstone, and then
they turned, and with rhythmic movement began to mow the
grass in wide sweeping swathes.
In one corner of the field John Wilde and his two sons, Richard
and Roger, kept to their task for some time without pause. The