, or
riders; a kind of commercial knights-errant, who are incessantly
scouring the kingdom in gigs, on horseback, or by coach. They are the
only successors that I know of, at the present day, to the
knights-errant of yore. They lead the same kind of roving adventurous
life, only changing the lance for a driving-whip, the buckler for a
pattern-card, and the coat of mail for an upper Benjamin. Instead of
vindicating the charms of peerless beauty, they rove about spreading
the fame and standing of some substantial tradesman or manufacturer,
and are ready at any time to bargain in his name; it being the fashion
now-a-days to trade, instead of fight, with one another. As the room
of the hotel, in the good old fighting times, would be hung round at
night with the armour of wayworn warriors, such as coats of mail,
falchions, and yawning helmets; so the travellers room is garnished
with the harnessing of their successors, with box-coats, whips of all
kinds, spurs, gaiters, and oil-cloth covered hats.

I was in hopes of finding some of these worthies to talk with, but was
disappointed. There were, indeed, two or three in the room; but I
could make nothing of them. One was just finishing his breakfast,
quarrelling with his bread and butter, and huffing the waiter; another
buttoned on a pair of gaiters, with many execrations at Boots for not
having cleaned his shoes well; a third sat drumming on the table with
his fingers, and looking at the rain as it streamed down the
window-glass; they all appeared infected by the weather, and
disappeared, one after the other, without exchanging a word.

I sauntered to the window, and stood gazing at the people picking
their way to church, with petticoats hoisted mid-leg high, and
dripping umbrellas. The bell ceased to toll, and the streets became
silent. I then amused myself with watching the daughters of a
tradesman opposite; who, being confined to the house for fear of
wetting their Sunday finery, played off their charms at the front
windows, to fascinate the chance tenants of the inn. They at length
were summoned away by a vigilant vinegar-faced mother, and I had
nothing further from without to amuse me.

What was I to do to pass away the long-lived day? I was sadly nervous
and lonely; and every thing about an inn seems calculated to make a
dull day ten times duller. Old newspapers, smelling of beer and
tobacco-smoke, and which I had already read half-a-dozen
times--good-for-nothing boo