JOHN CLARE BY HIMSELF

neighbour, one John Turnill, 1 4 who was a good mathematical scholar, I found I was not sufficient to become master of these things without better assistance as a superficial knowledge of them was next to nothing and I had no more he kindly enough put me in a plan but cirscumstances soon calld him from me and I luckily abandond the project, not without great reluctance - I was now thought fit for some other employment then th[r]eshing with my father which the neighbours said was far too hard for my weak constitution and the first step taken for my releasment from it was an application to put me apprentice to a shoemaker15 to a neighbour in the town, but this, on my being apprisd of it, I dislikd, for at that time I hardly knew what I liked I was such a silly, shanny boy that I dreaded leaving home were 1 had been coddled up so tenderly and so long and my mother was determind if I was [i.e. bound to] a trade that I shoud have my choice, far as cirscumstances woud let me, for they coud give not a sixpence with me - however my lot was not for shoe making nor did I ever repent missing it - a next door neighbour, who kept the Blue Bell public house, got me a week or two to drive plough for him, having a small cottage of 6 or 8 acres, and knowing me and my parents he usd me uncommon well his name was Francis Gregory16 he was a single man and lived with his Mother they both used me as well as if I was their own and after I had been there awhile I got used to them they hired me for a year, the only year I livd in hired service in my life my master was of very bad health and dyd a year or two after I left I have reason to drop a good word to his memory my friend John Turnill wrote his epitaph on his grave stone, such as it is; for he used to dabble in poetry tho I saw very little of it - Here I got into a habit of musing and muttering to ones self as pastime to divert melancholly, singing over things which I calld songs and attempting to describe scenes that struck me tis irksome to a boy to be alone and he is ready in such situations to snatch hold of any trifle to divert his loss of company and make up for pleasenter amusments, for as my master was weak and unwell he seldom went to work with me unless necessary as ploughing etc I

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