It was the best of times it was the worst of times it was the age of wisdom it was the age offoolishness it was the epoch of belief it was the epoch of incredulity it was the season of Lightit was the season of Darkness it was the spring of hope it was the winter of despair we hadeverything before us we had nothing before us we were all going direct to Heaven we were allgoing direct the other way in short the period was so far like the present period that some ofits noisiest authorities insisted on its being received for good or for evil in the superlative degreeof comparison only.