A sweaty reaper from his tillage brought / First fruits, the green ear and the yellow sheaf.

By then too Mozart's opera, from Da Ponte's libretto, had made Figaro a stock character in the European imaginary and set the whole Continent whistling Mozartian airs and chuckling at Figaresque humour.

ember fasts

'He's comfortable in bed — the best bed. A thorough gentleman; the smilingest, affablest gentleman I ever had to do with.'