xford,
till yesterday, when they went to dinner at twelve, and to supper at six,
nor were there any fritters at dinner, as there used always to be. When
laudable old customs alter, 'tis a sign learning dwindles."

I hope that modern Oxford has returned to pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

There is a pleasant touch of mediaevalness in the following:--

10_th July_ 1723.--"There are two fairs a year at Wantage, in Berks, the
first on 7th July, being the translation of St Thomas a Becket, and the
second on the 6th of October, being St Faith's day. But this year, the
7th of July being a Sunday, the fair was kept last Monday, and 'twas a
very great one; and yesterday it was held too, when there was a very
great match of backsword or cudgell playing between the hill-country and
the vale-country, Berkshire men being famous for this sport or
excercise."

The following account makes one inclined to sympathise with Hearne's
avoidance of travelling:--

21_st Sept._ 1723.--"They wrote from Dover, Sept. 14, that the day
before, col. Churchill, with two other gentlemen, arrived there from
Calais, by whom they received the following account, viz., that on
Thursday morning last, Mr Seebright and Mr Davis being in one chair, and
Mr Mompesson and a servant in another chaise, with one servant on
horseback, pursuing their way to Paris, were, about seven miles from
Calais, attacked by six ruffians, who demanded the three hundred guineas
which they said were in their pockets and portmanteaus. The gentlemen
readily submitted, and surrendered the money; yet the villains, after a
little consultation, resolved to murder them, and thereupon shot Mr
Seebright thro' the heart, and gave the word for killing the rest: then
Mr Davis, who was in the chaise with him, shot at one of them, missed the
fellow, but killed his horse; upon which he was immediately killed, being
shot and stabb'd in several places. Mr Mompesson and the two servants
were likewise soon dispatched in a very barbarous manner. During this
bloudy scene, Mr John Locke coming down a hill within sight of them, in
his return from Paris, the ruffians sent two of their party to meet and
kill him; which they did before the poor gentleman was apprized of any
danger; but his man, who was a Swiss, begging hard for his life, was
spared. This happening near a small village where they had taken their
second post, a peasant came by in the interim, and was also murdered.
They partly flead, and