hat he had a nice room and bed above at my service. I,
however, declined; and bidding him farewell, mounted my horse, and
departed. Regaining the road, I proceeded once more in the direction of
the north; and, after a few hours, coming to a comfortable public-house,
I stopped, and put up for the night.

CHAPTER XXII

The Singular Noise--Sleeping in a Meadow--The Book--Cure for
Wakefulness--Literary Tea Party--Poor Byron.

I did not awake till rather late the next morning; and when I did, I felt
considerable drowsiness, with a slight headache, which I was uncharitable
enough to attribute to the mead which I had drunk on the preceding day.
After feeding my horse, and breakfasting, I proceeded on my wanderings.
Nothing occurred worthy of relating till mid-day was considerably past,
when I came to a pleasant valley, between two gentle hills. I had
dismounted, in order to ease my horse, and was leading him along by the
bridle, when, on my right, behind a bank in which some umbrageous ashes
were growing, heard a singular noise. I stopped short and listened, and
presently said to myself, "Surely this is snoring, perhaps that of a
hedgehog." On further consideration, however, I was convinced that the
noise which I heard, and which certainly seemed to be snoring, could not
possibly proceed from the nostrils of so small an animal, but must rather
come from those of a giant, so loud and sonorous was it. About two or
three yards farther was a gate, partly open, to which I went, and peeping
into the field, saw a man lying on some rich grass, under the shade of
one of the ashes; he was snoring away at a great rate. Impelled by
curiosity, I fastened the bridle of my horse to the gate, and went up to
the man. He was a genteelly-dressed individual; rather corpulent, with
dark features, and seemingly about forty-five. He lay on his back, his
hat slightly over his brow, and at his right hand lay an open book. So
strenuously did he snore that the wind from his nostrils agitated,
perceptibly, a fine cambric frill which he wore at his bosom. I gazed
upon him for some time, expecting that he might awake; but he did not,
but kept on snoring, his breast heaving convulsively. At last, the noise
he made became so terrible, that I felt alarmed for his safety, imagining
that a fit might seize him, and he lose his life while fast asleep. I
therefore exclaimed, "Sir, sir, awake! you sleep over-much." But my
voice failed to rou