The King's Arms has had more than one king as a guest. The
Emperor Alexander I of Russia and King Frederick William of Prussia
dined there in the year before Waterloo; a more famous and a more
greedy monarch who knew the King's Arms was Peter the Great in the days
of Queen Anne. He had a suite of twenty with him, and the record of his
bill of fare for the day is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. I have
not seen it, but the historians who have supply abounding details. Peter
and his twenty had for breakfast besides side-dishes, half a sheep, half
a lamb, ten pullets, a dozen chickens, seven dozen eggs and something
over a quart apiece of mulled wine, with a gallon or so of brandy.
Dinner was a better meal; three stone of ribs of beef was the main dish,
with a sheep, a lamb, and a couple of joints of veal to help it out;
capons and rabbits tempted the jaded, and four dozen of sack and wine
made up for what was lacking at breakfast.

[Illustration: _The Town Hall, Godalming._]

Besides the inns, two old houses in particular set their mark on the
High Street. One is dated 1663; both are of rich brickwork, almost
extravagantly ornate with ledges, patterned courses, elaborate parapets
and casements. The unhappy addition is the paint. If they had never been
painted, or if the paint could be done away with, the pattern would take
on twice its charm. But that is the main regret for all Godalming. If
the High Street could have its false fronts pulled down, and all its old
timber and brick shown to the road, it would fascinate as Guildford
does. It would be worth the town's while to spend money to show what it
possesses of older centuries. But that is a frequent reflection in other
towns.

[Illustration: _Timbered House in the Market Place, Godalming._]

One memory of the past has survived the attacks of Godalming's newest
and noisiest citizens. The little Town Hall, built squarely in the
middle of the road at the west end of the High Street on the site of an
older building, has been threatened by a section (I am told) of
Godalming tradesmen for many years, and would tremble still, if it were
not so solidly built of good Georgian brick. It is said to be awkward
for motor traffic, to be not handsome, and generally to be out of date
and in the way. As to its looks, it belongs to 1814, and is plain and
simple enough, but it carries a graceful clock tower and a copper
cupola, and its destruction is not to be thought of. The day h