Chapter 15

           "Blackeyesyouhaveleft,yousay,Blueeyesfailtodrawyou;Yetyouseemmoreraptto-day,Thanofoldwesawyou.

           "Oh,ItrackthefairestfairThroughnewhauntsofpleasure;FootprintshereandechoesthereGuidemetomytreasure:

           "Lo!sheturns—immortalyouthWroughttomortalstature,Freshasstarlight’sagedtruth—Many-namedNature!"

           Agreathistorian,asheinsistedoncallinghimself,whohadthehappinesstobedeadahundredandtwentyyearsago,andsototakehisplaceamongthecolossiwhosehugelegsourlivingpettinessisobservedtowalkunder,gloriesinhiscopiousremarksanddigressionsastheleastimitablepartofhiswork,andespeciallyinthoseinitialchapterstothesuccessivebooksofhishistory,whereheseemstobringhisarmchairtotheprosceniumandchatwithusinallthelustyeaseofhisfineEnglish.ButFieldinglivedwhenthedayswerelonger(fortime,likemoney,ismeasuredbyourneeds),whensummerafternoonswerespacious,andtheclocktickedslowlyinthewinterevenings.Webelatedhistoriansmustnotlingerafterhisexample;andifwedidso,itisprobablethatourchatwouldbethinandeager,asifdeliveredfromacampstoolinaparrot-house.Iatleasthavesomuchtodoinunravelingcertainhumanlots,andseeinghowtheywerewovenandinterwoven,thatallthelightIcancommandmustbeconcentratedonthisparticularweb,andnotdispersedoverthattemptingrangeofrelevanciescalledtheuniverse.