ol in summer. It has a look of homely
welcome and soothing rest. It has a remarkably cosy fireside, the very
blink of which, gleaming out into the street upon a winter's night, is
enough to warm all Rochester's heart." The matron receives us politely,
and shows us two large books of foolscap size with ruled columns, one of
these containing a record of the visitors to the Charity, and the other
a list of the recipients thereof. A little pleasantry is caused by one
of us entering his name in the wrong book, but this mistake is promptly
rectified by the matron, who informs us that we are scarcely objects for
relief as "Poor Travellers." She then kindly repeats to us the two
legends respecting the origin of the Charity, the first of which is
tolerably well known, but the other is less familiar. Before recording
these, it may be well to give an extract from the will of Master Richard
Watts (a very curious and lengthy document), which was industriously
hunted up by the late Mr. Charles Bullard, author of the _Romance of
Rochester_, and by him contributed to the _Rochester and Chatham
Journal_, of which it fills a whole column.

The will (dated, as previously stated, August 22nd, 1579) directs,
_inter alia_, that "First the Alms-house already erected and standing
beside the Markett Crosse, within the Citty of Rochester aforesaid,
which Almshouses my Will Purpose and Desire is that there be reedified
added and provided with such Roomes as be there already provided Six
Severall Roomes with Chimneys for the Comfort placeing and abideing of
the Poore within the said Citty, and alsoe to be made apt and convenient
places therein for Six good Matrices or Flock Bedds and other good and
sufficient Furniture to harbour or lodge in poore Travellers or
Wayfareing Men being noe Common Rogues nor Proctors, and they the said
Wayfareing Men to harbour and lodge therein noe longer than one Night
unlesse Sickness be the farther Cause thereof and those poore Folkes
there dwelling shall keepe the House sweete make the Bedds see to the
Furniture keepe the same sweete and courteously intreate the said poore
Travellers and to every of the said poore Travellers att their first
comeing in to have fourpence and they shall warme them at the Fire of
the Residents within the said House if Need be."

The reason for the exception in the testator's will as regards rogues is
sufficiently obvious, and therefore all the point of this singular
bequest lies in t