XLIII + 

I had not gone above two leagues and a half, before the man with his gun began to look at his priming. + 

I had three several times loiterвАЩd terribly behind; half a mile at least every time; once, in deep conference with a drum-maker, who was making drums for the fairs of Baucaira and TarasconeвБ†вАФI did not understand the principlesвБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

The second time, I cannot so properly say, I stoppвАЩdвБ†вЄЇвБ†for meeting a couple of Franciscans straitened more for time than myself, and not being able to get to the bottom of what I was aboutвБ†вЄЇвБ†I had turnвАЩd back with themвБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

The third, was an affair of trade with a gossip, for a hand-basket of Provence figs for four sous; this would have been transacted at once; but for a case of conscience at the close of it; for when the figs were paid for, it turnвАЩd out, that there were two dozen of eggs coverвАЩd over with vine-leaves at the bottom of the basketвБ†вАФas I had no intention of buying eggsвБ†вАФI made no sort of claim of themвБ†вАФas for the space they had occupiedвБ†вАФwhat signified it? I had figs enow for my moneyвБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

вАФBut it was my intention to have the basketвБ†вАФit was the gossipвАЩs intention to keep it, without which, she could do nothing with her eggsвБ†вЄЇвБ†and unless I had the basket, I could do as little with my figs, which were too ripe already, and most of вАЩem burst at the side: this brought on a short contention, which terminated in sundry proposals, what we should both doвБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

вЄЇвБ†How we disposed of our eggs and figs, I defy you, or the Devil himself, had he not been there (which I am persuaded he was), to form the least probable conjecture: You will read the whole of itвБ†вЄїnot this year, for I am hastening to the story of my uncle TobyвАЩs amoursвБ†вАФbut you will read it in the collection of those which have arose out of the journey across this plainвБ†вАФand which, therefore, I call my + 

plain stories. + 

How far my pen has been fatigued, like those of other travellers, in this journey of it, over so barren a trackвБ†вАФthe world must judgeвБ†вАФbut the traces of it, which are now all set oвАЩ vibrating together this moment, tell me вАЩtis the most fruitful and busy period of my life; for as I had made no convention with my man with the gun, as to timeвБ†вАФby stopping and talking to every soul I met, who was not in a full trotвБ†вАФjoining all parties before meвБ†вАФwaiting for every soul behindвБ†вАФhailing all those who were coming through crossroadsвБ†вАФarresting all kinds of beggars, pilgrims, fiddlers, friarsвБ†вЄЇвБ†not passing by a woman in a mulberry-tree without commending her legs, and tempting her into conversation with a pinch of snuffвБ†вЄїIn short, by seizing every handle, of what size or shape soever, which chance held out to me in this journeyвБ†вАФI turned my plain into a cityвБ†вАФI was always in company, and with great variety too; and as my mule loved society as much as myself, and had some proposals always on his part to offer to every beast he metвБ†вАФI am confident we could have passed through Pall-Mall, or St.¬†JamesвАЩs-Street for a month together, with fewer adventuresвБ†вАФand seen less of human nature. + 

O! there is that sprightly frankness, which at once unpins every plait of a LanguedocianвАЩs dressвБ†вАФthat whatever is beneath it, it looks so like the simplicity which poets sing of in better daysвБ†вАФI will delude my fancy, and believe it is so. + 

вАЩTwas in the road betwixt Nismes and Lunel, where there is the best Muscatto wine in all France, and which by the by belongs to the honest canons of MontpellierвБ†вАФand foul befall the man who has drank it at their table, who grudges them a drop of it. + 

вЄЇвБ†The sun was setвБ†вАФthey had done their work; the nymphs had tied up their hair afreshвБ†вАФand the swains were preparing for a carousalвБ†вЄЇвБ†my mule made a dead pointвБ†вЄЇвАЩTis the fife and tabourin, said IвБ†вЄЇвБ†IвАЩm frightenвАЩd to death, quoth heвБ†вЄЇвБ†They are running at the ring of pleasure, said I, giving him a prickвБ†вЄЇвБ†By saint Boogar, and all the saints at the backside of the door of purgatory, said heвБ†вАФ(making the same resolution with the abbesse of Ando√Љillets) IвАЩll not go a step furtherвБ†вЄївАЩTis very well, sir, said IвБ†вЄЇвБ†I never will argue a point with one of your family, as long as I live; so leaping off his back, and kicking off one boot into this ditch, and tвАЩother into thatвБ†вАФIвАЩll take a dance, said IвБ†вАФso stay you here. + 

A sunburnt daughter of Labour rose up from the group to meet me, as I advanced towards them; her hair, which was a dark chesnut approaching rather to a black, was tied up in a knot, all but a single tress. + 

We want a cavalier, said she, holding out both her hands, as if to offer themвБ†вАФAnd a cavalier ye shall have; said I, taking hold of both of them. + 

Hadst thou, Nannette, been arrayвАЩd like a dutchesse! + 

вЄЇвБ†But that cursed slit in thy petticoat! + 

Nannette cared not for it. + 

We could not have done without you, said she, letting go one hand, with self-taught politeness, leading me up with the other. + 

A lame youth, whom Apollo had recompensed with a pipe, and to which he had added a tabourin of his own accord, ran sweetly over the prelude, as he sat upon the bankвБ†вЄЇвБ†Tie me up this tress instantly, said Nannette, putting a piece of string into my handвБ†вАФIt taught me to forget I was a strangerвБ†вЄЇвБ†The whole knot fell downвБ†вЄЇвБ†We had been seven years acquainted. + 

The youth struck the note upon the tabourinвБ†вАФhis pipe followed, and off we boundedвБ†вЄЇвАЬthe duce take that slit!вАЭ + 

The sister of the youth, who had stolen her voice from heaven, sung alternately with her brotherвБ†вЄЇвАЩtwas a Gascoigne roundelay. + 

Viva la joia! + 

Fidon la Tristessa! + 

The nymphs joinвАЩd in unison, and their swains an octave below themвБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

I would have given a crown to have it sewвАЩd upвБ†вАФNannette would not have given a sousвБ†вАФViva la joia! was in her lipsвБ†вАФViva la joia! was in her eyes. A transient spark of amity shot across the space betwixt usвБ†вЄЇвБ†She lookвАЩd amiable!вБ†вЄЇвБ†Why could I not live, and end my days thus? Just Disposer of our joys and sorrows, cried I, why could not a man sit down in the lap of content hereвБ†вЄЇвБ†and dance, and sing, and say his prayers, and go to heaven with this nut-brown maid? Capriciously did she bend her head on one side, and dance up insidiousвБ†вЄЇвБ†Then вАЩtis time to dance off, quoth I; so changing only partners and tunes, I danced it away from Lunel to MontpellierвБ†вЄЇвБ†from thence to Pes√Іnas, BeziersвБ†вЄЇвБ†I danced it along through Narbonne, Carcasson, and Castle Naudairy, till at last I danced myself into PerdrilloвАЩs pavillion, where pulling out a paper of black lines, that I might go on straight forwards, without digression or parenthesis, in my uncle TobyвАЩs amoursвБ†вЄЇвБ† + 

I begun thusвБ†вЄЇвБ† + 