gn conspicuously displayed in
front of a small public-house in the village of Folkesworth,[4] near
Stilton, Hunts. It contains as much poetry as, perhaps, the rustic
Folkesworth folks are worth; and doubtless they think it to be (in the
Stilton vernacular) 'quite the cheese:'

[A rude figure of a Fox.]

'I . HAM . A . CUNEN . FOX
YOU . SEE . THER . HIS
NO . HARME . ATCHED
TO . ME . IT . IS . MY . MRS.
WISH . TO . PLACE . ME
HERE . TO . LET . YOU . NO
HE . SELS . GOOD . BEERE.'

"The Captain Rawlinson of the district has deciphered this inscription,
and conjectures its meaning to be as follows:

'I am a cunning fox, you see;
There is no harm attach'd to me;
It is my master's wish to place me here,
To let you know he sells good beer.'"

CUTHBERT BEDE, B.A.

[Footnote 4: It was in the lane between Folkesworth and the Norman Cross
Barracks, that Borrow was first induced to try the gipsy life. (Vide
_Lavengro_.)]

{627}

Bradford:

"Who lives here? who do you think?
Major Lister: give him a drink.
Give him a drink--for why?
Because, when he's sweeping,
He's always dry."

"John Thompson doth live here,
He sweeps your chimney not too dear.
And if your chimney should get on fire,
He puts it out at your desire.
Sweep that chimney clean,
And then come down and drink."

The public-houses to which the above are appended are kept by sweeps.

"Call here, my boy, if you are dry.
The fault's in you, and not in I.
If Robin Hood from home is gone,
Step in and drink with Little John."

The name of the public-house is "The Robin Hood."

Over another tavern door I noticed the following very pithy and brief
sentence:

"Tobacco given away to-morrow."

CHARLES WILLISON.

Bradford, Yorkshire.

A sign at Newhouse, a small public-house on Dartmoor, hard by a
rabbit-warren, on the roadside leading from Moreton to Tavistock, six miles
from the former town. John Roberts was the worthy landlord some
considerable time since. It ran thus:

"John Roberts lives here,
Sells brandy and beer,
Your spirits to cheer;
And should you want meat,
To make up the treat,
There be rabbits to eat."
(A verbatim copy.)

A swinging sign on the front of a public-house on the borders of Dartmoor
could once boast of like following quaint invitations.

The side presented to view, prior to