"In the country it shows him leading a life of roving adventure, becoming
tinker, Gypsy, postillion, ostler; associating with various kinds of
people, chiefly of the lower classes, whose ways and habits are
described; but, though leading this erratic life, we gather from the book
that his habits are neither vulgar nor vicious, that he still follows to
a certain extent his favourite pursuits, hunting after strange
characters, or analysing strange words and names. At the conclusion of
Chapter XLVII., which terminates the first part of the history, it hints
that he is about to quit his native land on a grand philological
expedition.

"Those who read this book with attention--and the author begs to observe
that it would be of little utility to read it hurriedly--may derive much
information with respect to matters of philology and literature; it will
be found treating of most of the principal languages from Ireland to
China, and of the literature which they contain. . . ."

Away from the dingle and Jasper his view of life is as follows--ale, Tate
and Brady, and the gloves:

"But, above all, the care and providence of God are manifested in the
case of Lavengro himself, by the manner in which he is enabled to make
his way in the world up to a certain period, without falling a prey
either to vice or poverty. In his history there is a wonderful
illustration of part of the text quoted by his mother, 'I have been
young, and now am old, yet never saw I the righteous forsaken, or his
seed begging bread.' He is the son of good and honourable parents, but
at the critical period of life, that of entering into the world, he finds
himself without any earthly friend to help him, yet he manages to make