tones are numbered agreeably to that
admeasurement," viz. to that from Hicks' Hall through Barnet, as
_Patterson's Roads_ plainly informs us. Along this road you will find
several of the best specimens of old coaching inns in England. The
famous "George" at Huntingdon, the picturesque "Fox and Hounds" at
Ware, the grand old inns at Stilton and Grantham are some of the best
inns on English roads, and pleadingly invite a pleasant pilgrimage. We
might follow in the wake of Dick Turpin, if his ride to York were not
a myth. The real incident on which the story was founded occurred
about the year 1676, long before Turpin was born. One Nicks robbed a
gentleman on Gadshill at four o'clock in the morning, crossed the
river with his _bay_ mare as soon as he could get a ferry-boat at
Gravesend, and then by Braintree, Huntingdon, and other places reached
York that evening, went to the Bowling Green, pointedly asked the
mayor the time, proved an alibi, and got off. This account was
published as a broadside about the time of Turpin's execution, but it
makes no allusion to him whatever. It required the romance of the
nineteenth century to change Nicks to Turpin and the bay mare to Black
Bess. But _revenir a nos moutons_, or rather our inns. The old "Fox
and Hounds" at Ware is beautiful with its swinging sign suspended by
graceful and elaborate ironwork and its dormer windows. The "George"
at Huntingdon preserves its gallery in the inn-yard, its projecting
upper storey, its outdoor settle, and much else that is attractive.
Another "George" greets us at Stamford, an ancient hostelry, where
Charles I stayed during the Civil War when he was journeying from
Newark to Huntingdon.

And then we come to Grantham, famous for its old inns. Foremost among
them is the "Angel," which dates back to medieval times. It has a fine
stone front with two projecting bays, an archway with welcoming doors
on either hand, and above the arch is a beautiful little oriel window,
and carved heads and gargoyles jut out from the stonework. I think
that this charming front was remodelled in Tudor times, and judging
from the interior plaster-work I am of opinion that the bays were
added in the time of Henry VII, the Tudor rose forming part of the
decoration. The arch and gateway with the oriel are the oldest parts
of the front, and on each side of the arch is a sculptured head, one
representing Edward III and the other his queen, Philippa of Hainault.
The house belo