labours, like
our modern tongues, seem but constructed out of their fragments.' Having
thus moralised, he remembered that he was hungry, and pursued his walk to
a small public-house, at which he proposed to get some refreshment.

The alehouse, for it was no better, was situated in the bottom of a
little dell, through which trilled a small rivulet. It was shaded by a
large ash tree, against which the clay-built shed that served the purpose
of a stable was erected, and upon which it seemed partly to recline. In
this shed stood a saddled horse, employed in eating his corn. The
cottages in this part of Cumberland partake of the rudeness which
characterises those of Scotland. The outside of the house promised little
for the interior, notwithstanding the vaunt of a sign, where a tankard of
ale voluntarily decanted itself into a tumbler, and a hieroglyphical
scrawl below attempted to express a promise of 'good entertainment for
man and horse.' Brown was no fastidious traveller: he stopped and entered
the cabaret. [Footnote: See Note 2.]

The first object which caught his eye in the kitchen was a tall, stout,
country-looking man in a large jockey great-coat, the owner of the horse
which stood in the shed, who was busy discussing huge slices of cold
boiled beef, and casting from time to time an eye through the window to
see how his steed sped with his provender. A large tankard of ale flanked
his plate of victuals, to which he applied himself by intervals. The good
woman of the house was employed in baking. The fire, as is usual in that
country, was on a stone hearth, in the midst of an immensely large
chimney, which had two seats extended beneath the vent. On one of these
sat a remarkably tall woman, in a red cloak and slouched bonnet, having
the appearance of a tinker or beggar. She was busily engaged with a short
black tobacco-pipe.

At the request of Brown for some food, the landlady wiped with her mealy
apron one corner of the deal table, placed a wooden trencher and knife
and fork before the traveller, pointed to the round of beef, recommended
Mr. Dinmont's good example, and finally filled a brown pitcher with her
home-brewed. Brown lost no time in doing ample credit to both. For a
while his opposite neighbour and he were too busy to take much notice of
each other, except by a good-humoured nod as each in turn raised the
tankard to his head. At length, when our pedestrian began to supply the
wants of little Wasp, the Sc