Part 1, Section 2 (p. 79)
“
Riding beneath dark trees at the close of that first day’s travel, they sing; it lifts the tired heart, and dispels spirits lurking in the verges; never underestimate the superstition of the average Englishman.
— Hilary Mantel
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Riding beneath dark trees at the close of that first day’s travel, they sing; it lifts the tired heart, and dispels spirits lurking in the verges; never underestimate the superstition of the average Englishman." in the context of "Part 1, Section 2 (p. 79)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Hilary Mantel" (Quotes, Bring Up the Bodies (2012): All page numbers from the American trade paperback edition published by Henry Holt in 2022, , 3rd printing
Won the 2012 Booker Prize and the 2012 Costa Book Award for Novel
Italics as in the book. Bold face added for emphasis. )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Hilary Mantel
Dame Hilary Mary Mantel DBE FRSL (/mænˈtɛl/ man-TEL; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories.
About Hilary Mantel
Dame Hilary Mary Mantel DBE FRSL (/mænˈtɛl/ man-TEL; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories.
View all quotes →