It Lay Across A Common, Which Was Of A
Considerable Extent, And Bare And Naked, Excepting That Here And
There I Saw Sheep Feeding.
I now began to be very tired, when, to my astonishment, I saw a tree
in the middle of the common that stood quite solitary, and spread a
shade like an arbour round it.
At the bottom, round the trunk, a
bench was placed, on which one may sit down. Beneath the shade of
this tree I reposed myself a little, read some of Milton, and made a
note in my memorandum-book that I would remember this tree, which
had so charitably and hospitably received under its shade a weary
traveller. This, you see, I have now done.
The short English miles are delightful for walking. You are always
pleased to find, every now and then, in how short a time you have
walked a mile, though, no doubt, a mile is everywhere a mile, I walk
but a moderate pace, and can accomplish four English miles in an
hour. It used to take me pretty nearly the same time for one German
mile. Now it is a pleasing exchange to find that in two hours I can
walk eight miles. And now I fancy I was about seventeen miles from
London, when I came to an inn, where, for a little wine and water, I
was obliged to pay sixpence. An Englishman who happened to be
sitting by the side of the innkeeper found out that I was a German,
and, of course, from the country of his queen, in praise of whom he
was quite lavish, observing more than once that England never had
had such a queen, and would not easily get such another.
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