Howcomfortingitistoseeacheerfulandcontentedoldage;andtobeholdapoorfellow,likethis,afterbeingtempest-tostthroughlife,safelymooredinasnugandquietharborintheeveningofhisdays!Hishappiness,however,sprungfromwithinhimself,andwasindependentofexternalcircumstances;forhehadthatinexhaustiblegood-nature,whichisthemostpreciousgiftofHeaven,spreadingitselflikeoiloverthetroubledseaofthought,andkeepingthemindsmoothandtranquilintheroughestweather.
OninquiringfurtherabouthimIlearnedthathewasauniversalfavoriteinthevillage,andtheoracleofthetap-room;wherehedelightedtherusticswithhissongs,and,likeSindbad,astonishedthemwithhisstoriesofstrangelands,andshipwrecks,andsea-fights.Hewasmuchnoticedtoobygentlemensportsmenoftheneighborhood;hadtaughtseveralofthemtheartofangling;andwasaprivilegedvisitortotheirkitchens.
Thewholetenorofhislifewasquietandinoffensive,beingprincipallypassedabouttheneighboringstreams,whentheweatherandseasonwerefavorable;andatothertimesheemployedhimselfathome,preparinghisfishingtackleforthenextcampaign,ormanufacturingrods,nets,andflies,forhispatronsandpupilsamongthegentry.