"It is a long time to look back to the beginning of it," said the old man; "yet, upon the whole, I am not sorry to have lived it all." "How have you passed your time ?" said I.

"As well as I could," said the old man; "always enjoying a good thing when it came honestly within my reach; not forgetting to praise God for putting it there." "I suppose you were fond of a glass of good ale when you were young ?" "Yes," said the old man, "I was; and so, thank God, I am still." And he drank off a glass of ale.
On I went in my journey, traversing England from west to east--ascending and descending hills--crossing rivers by bridge and ferry--and passing over extensive plains.

What a beautiful country is England! People run abroad to see beautiful countries, and leave their own behind unknown, unnoticed--their own the most beautiful! And then, again, what a country for adventures! especially to those who travel it on foot, or on horseback.

People run abroad in quest of adventures, and traverse Spain and Portugal on mule or on horseback; whereas there are ten times more adventures to be met with in England than in Spain, Portugal, or stupid Germany to boot.

Witness the number of adventures narrated in the present book--a book entirely devoted to England.