STATE OF ENGLAND IN IG85

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from the degree of wealth and civilisation which the nationhad even then attained. On the best lines of communicationthe ruts were deep, the descents precipitous, and the way oftensuch as it was hardly possible to distinguish, in the dusk, fromthe uninclosed heath and fen which lay on both sides. RalphThorcsby,the antiquary, was in danger of losing his way on thegreat North road, between Barnby Moor and Tuxford, andactually lost his way between Doncaster and York.* Pepysand his wife, travelling in their own coach, lost their way be-tween Newbury and Reading. In the course of the same tourthey lost their way near Salisbury, and were in danger of ha-ving to pass the night on the plain.** It was only in fineweather that the whole breadth of the road was available forwheeled vehicles. Often the mud lay deep on the right andthe left; and only a narrow track of firm ground rose abovethe quagmire.*** At such times obstructions and quarrels werefrequent, and tbe path was sometimes blocked up during along time by carriers, neither of whom would break the way.It happened, almost every day, that coaches stuck fast, until ateam of cattle could be procured from some neighbouringfarm, to tug them out of the slough. But in bad seasons thetraveller had to encounter inconveniences still more serious.Thoresby, who was in the habit of travelling between Leedsand the capital, has recorded, in his Diary, such a series ofperils and disasters as might suffice for a journey to theFrozenOcean or to the Desert of Sahara. On one occasion helearned that the floods were out between Ware and London,that passengers had to swim for their lives, and that a higglerhad perished in the attempt to cross. In consequence of, these tidings he turned out of the high road, and was con-ducted across some meadows, where it was necessary for him

* Thoresby's Diary, Oct. 21. 1G80, Aug. 3. 1712.

** Pcpys's Diary, June 12. and 10. 1GG8.

*** Ibid. Feb. 2S. 1060.

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