'Well, master, now I dare say you'd buy books out of foreign countries if you could.' 'That I would, to enrich my own, and not to impoverish them.' 'Well, master, then why mayn't others do the same by us? What's the difference betwixt traffic in sheep and traffic in books?' 'A wonderful deal of difference. We buy books to increase the knowledge of the world.' 'And we sell sheep to increase the clothing thereof. What's the difference?' 'If you sell the staple commodity of a community, you create a want of general employment, and injure trade for the future, in that country. Our flocks produce the finest wool in the world, and, consequently, our wool-combers and their families thrive; but if you sell the flocks which produce the wool, you immediately take off their families from their accustomed employment, and your own people are destitute. Books are but few now-a-days, and scholars are far less. Printing is but in its infancy, and is a matter of art and ingenuity. If I were a legislator I would protect the flock-growers against you wholesale flock-sellers.' 'Well, master, all that's easy said, but not so easy done; but yonder troops of gipsies look as if they would have no objection to case us, either of our sheep or our money.' 'Ay, and I would control them as well; and see if I could not get rid of an idle set of vagabonds, who do nothing but live in the wastes upon the plenty of others, which they either pilfer, petition for, or purloin, just as they please.' 'You would make a rare statesman, if you could rid the country of such folk: but I think, master, you would be too hard upon us poor flock-dealers.' It was well the party advancing on the road towards Hampstead were as strong as they were, for there was then at that place a formidable encampment of that artful and imposing people, who had gained such a footing in the midland counties as to make it dangerous to affront them, or to refuse their demands. Woe to the unfortunate traveller who had anything worth losing in his purse, and lost his way in that neighborhood. It was even dangerous for small parties to travel unprotected. The gipsies and the robbers were in league against the liege subjects of the realm. Nothing worthy of being called a surprise occurred to any of the party until they had passed through the metropolis, and those who were journeying towards the eastern counties became less apparently able to defend themselves.