or ramparts of earth. Though I had
never been in such a place before, I knew that I stood within the
precincts of what had been a Roman encampment, and one probably of the
largest size, for many thousand warriors might have found room to perform
their evolutions in that space, in which corn was now growing, the green
ears waving in the morning wind.

After I had gazed about the space for a time, standing in the gateway
formed by the mounds, I clambered up the mound to the left hand, and on
the top of that mound I found myself at a great altitude; beneath, at the
distance of a mile, was a fair old city, situated amongst verdant
meadows, watered with streams, and from the heart of that old city, from
amidst mighty trees, I beheld towering to the sky the finest spire in the
world.

And after I had looked from the Roman rampart for a long time, I hurried
away, and, retracing my steps along the causeway, regained the road, and,
passing over the brow of the hill, descended to the city of the spire.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

THE HOSTELRY--LIFE UNCERTAIN--OPEN COUNTENANCE--THE GRAND POINT--THANK
YOU, MASTER--A HARD MOTHER--POOR DEAR!--THE ODDS--THE BETTER
COUNTRY--ENGLISH FASHION--LANDLORD-LOOKING PERSON

And in the old city I remained two days, passing my time as I best
could--inspecting the curiosities of the place, eating and drinking when
I so felt disposed, which I frequently did, the digestive organs having
assumed a tone to which for many months they had been strangers--enjoying
at night balmy sleep in a large bed in a dusky room, at the end of a
corridor, in a certain hostelry in which I had taken up my
quarters--receiving from the people of the hostelry such civility and
condescension as people who travel on foot with bundle and stick, but who
nevertheless are perceived to be not altogether destitute of coin, are in
the habit of receiving. On the third day, on a fine sunny afternoon, I
departed from the city of the spire.

As I was passing through one of the suburbs, I saw, all on a sudden, a
respectable-looking female fall down in a fit; several persons hastened
to her assistance. 'She is dead,' said one. 'No, she is not,' said
another. 'I am afraid she is,' said the third. 'Life is very
uncertain,' said the fourth. 'It is Mrs. ---,' said the fifth; 'let us
carry her to her own house.' Not being able to render any assistance, I
left the poor female in the hands of her townsfolk, and proceeded on my
wa