The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle Volume 1 Chapter 1

In which we meet Mr. Gamaliel Pickle, a man of moderate temperament and modest means, who, after disappointing ventures in commerce, yields to the persistent entreaties of his singularly devout and exacting sister to retreat from the bustling city to the quieter shores of the country. This new life, though surrounded by cordial neighbours and rural civility, proves a wearisome adjustment to a gentleman who finds solace in the solace of a humble public-house and the company of a loquacious landlord.