The Broad Highway

Another cracker of romance and adventure from Jeff Farnol; set in Regency times it has hardly dated at all, even though it was written nearly a hundred years ago and follows the adventures of young Peter Vibart, a classical scholar and gentlemen; who upon finding himself left almost destitute by his guardians will ,(who also happened to be his uncle), unless some unlikely circumstances take place , sets out on foot upon The Broad Highway of life to find himself an occupation he likes before the small amount of money he has is gone, saying that if he cannot find himself something by then there is no hope for him. Then he travels down from London into Kent and is soon robbed by a highwayman and wins a boxing match at a wayside Inn to save himself from starving and after saving a lost heiress and reuniting her with her destitute aristocratic lover, settles at a haunted and ruined cottage in a hollow in a wood beside a stream, in the middle of Kent. Then gets a job with the local blacksmith in nearby Sissinghurst, which is harder than just handing in his C.V. and soon has some company there. Beautiful descriptions and masterful sub plots, in the style of Don Quixote . I also think it was quite an advertisement for the walking tours of the countryside popular in those days for people on their holidays. There are several interesting chapters perhaps inspired by poetry and all the classical references as Peter studied Homer and Virgil. Peter must of been quite a walker as he went all round Kent and Sussex and up to London and back and out ran a Bow Street Runner, when they were after him.