To the left lay the green Island of Wight, with its long, low, curving hills peeping over each other's shoulders to the sky-line; to the right the wooded Hampshire coast as far as eye could reach; above a steel-blue heaven, with a wintry sun shimmering down upon them, and enough of frost to set the breath a-smoking.
"By St.Paul!" said Sir Nigel gayly, as he stood upon the poop and looked on either side of him, "it is a land which is very well worth fighting for, and it were pity to go to France for what may be had at home.

Did you not spy a crooked man upon the beach ?" "Nay, I spied nothing," grumbled Sir Oliver, "for I was hurried down with a clam stuck in my gizzard and an untasted goblet of Cyprus on the board behind me." "I saw him, my fair lord," said Terlake, "an old man with one shoulder higher than the other." "'Tis a sign of good fortune," quoth Sir Nigel.

"Our path was also crossed by a woman and by a priest, so all should be well with us.

What say you, Edricson ?" "I cannot tell, my fair lord.

The Romans of old were a very wise people, yet, certes, they placed their faith in such matters.