The String of Pearls (1850), p. 533

Upon this, Ben poured them each out about a quart of the strong ale, and requested them to take an easy pull at that.
They found that it was of no use requesting Ben to diminish the quantity he helped them to; so they just, as he advised, took it easy, and ate what they had a mind to do.
As for Ben himself, he cut one large slice off the round of beef, and then placed upon it two slices of ham, so that the thickness—for he was not a delicate carver—was about three inches; and so he set to work, every now and then taking up one of the half-gallon ale flagons, and pledging the company all round.
Probably, rough and homely as was Ben's lunch, not one of them present had ever enjoyed such a meal more than they this did; and if we might judge by
the loud laughter that echoed about the old arched roof, a merrier hour was never spent than in the Tower with Big Ben.
But it was a sadness to Ben to find that such little progress was made in the consumption of his eatables and drinkables; and he uttered many groans as he watched Johanna and Arabella.

CHAPTER CXXIII.
MRS. LOVETT GIVES JUSTICE A LESSON, AND ESCAPES.

All good things must have an end, and Ben's lunch in the Tower was not any exception to the rule. At last even he was satisfied that nobody would eat
any more, although he was very far indeed from being satisfied that they had had enough.
"Won't anybody be so good," he said, "as just to try and pick a little bit of something?"
"No—no!" was the general response.
"Indeed, Ben," said Colonel Jeffery, "if we take any more we shall positively be ill, and I'm sure you don't wish that."
"Oh, dear, no," groaned Ben; "but it's quite clear to me, of course, that you don't like the lunch, or else you could not have took it so very easy."
With one accord upon this, everybody declared that they had liked it amazingly well.
"Then you will all try a drop more ale?"
Upon this, they rose from the table, for they had a well-grounded suspicion that if they staid any longer, Ben would try to force something down their throats, whether they would or not.
"Ah, well," said Ben, with a sigh, when he found that they would not be prevailed upon to take anything else. "Then we may as well go and see the lions in the Tower."
"Oh, yes," added Johanna, "I have heard so much of them, that I quite long to see them."
"Should you, my duck?" cried Ben; "then come along."
Here Ben would have carried Johanna again, for somehow he had got the idea fixed in his head that the kinedst thing he could possibly do as regarded Johanna was to prevent her from using her feet; but Mark Ingestrie interposed, saying—
"Ben, she would much rather walk. You forget, my kind friend, that she is no longer now a child."
"Oh, dear," said Ben, with a look of profound wisdom, "if you come to that, we are all children. Look at me, I'm only a fine baby."
Everybody laughed at this sally of Ben's, as well they might and then, being fully convinced that no more eating nor drinking was at all practicable, Ben
proceeded to lead the way to the lions.
"Is there any danger?" said Arabella. "I hope you will not let any of them out of their cages, Mr. Ben."