《四季随笔》是吉辛的散文代表作。其中对隐士赖克罗夫特醉心于书籍、自然景色与回忆过去生活的描述，其实是吉辛的自述，作者以此来抒发自己的情感，因而本书是一部富有自传色彩的小品文集。

吉辛穷困的一生，对文学名著的爱好与追求，以及对大自然恬静生活的向往，在书中均有充分的反映。本书分为春、夏、秋、冬四个部分，文笔优美，行文流畅，是英国文学中小品文的珍品之一。

以下是由网友分享的《四季随笔》节选 - 夏 15的内容，让我们一起来感受吉辛的四季吧!

I have been at the seaside—enjoying it, yes, but in what a doddering, senile sort of way! Is it I who used to drink the strong wind like wine, who ran exultingly along the wet sands and leapt from rock to rock, barefoot, on the slippery seaweed, who breasted the swelling breaker, and shouted with joy as it buried me in gleaming foam? At the seaside I knew no such thing as bad weather; there were but changes of eager mood and full-blooded life. Now, if the breeze blows too roughly, if there comes a pelting shower, I must look for shelter, and sit with my cloak about me. It is but a new reminder that I do best to stay at home, travelling only in reminiscence.

我来到了海边—感觉很愉快，不错，但是瞧我步履蹒跚、老态龙钟的模样！曾经的我不是大风灌喉权当酒，在湿润沙滩上快乐奔跑，在岩石上跳跃嬉戏，赤脚踩在滑溜的海草上，迎着奔涌而来的浪花冲去，被吞没后快乐大叫吗？在海边，我从来不觉得有坏天气，只有热切情绪和旺盛精神的变化。现在，如果微风稍劲，或者阵雨忽至，我必须找到一处庇护所，紧裹斗篷坐在那里。这又一次提醒我最好呆在家里，只在回忆中旅行就好。

At Weymouth I enjoyed a hearty laugh, one of the good things not easy to get after middle age. There was a notice of steamboats which ply along the coast, steamboats recommended to the public as being "REPLETE WITH LAVATORIES AND A LADIES' SALOON." Think how many people read this without a chuckle!

在韦茅斯时，我开怀大笑了一次，这在中年以后就难能可贵了。有一则告示，是为沿海岸来往的汽船做广告的，上面向公众推荐汽船理由是，“有充足的盥洗室和女士交谊厅”。想想有谁读了这个不会莞尔！