STATE OF ENGLAND IN 1685 .

377

him on the heath; how his vivacious gallantry stole away the a ’^ p '

hearts of all women; how his dexterity at sword and pistol -

made him a terror to all men; how, at length, in the year 1670,he was seized when overcome by wine; how dames of highrank visited him in prison, and with tears interceded for hislife; how the King would have granted a pardon, but for theinterference of Judge Morton, the terror of highwaymen,who threatened to resign his office unless the law were carriedinto full effect; and how, after the execution, the corpse layin state with all the pomp of scutcheons, wax lights, blackhangings and mutes, till the same cruel Judge, who had inter-cepted the mercy of the crown, sent officers to disturb theobsequies.* In these anecdotes there is doubtless a largemixture of fable; but they are not on that account unworthyof being recorded; for it is both an authentic and an impor-tant fact that such tales, whether false or true, were heard byour ancestors with eagerness and faith.

All the various dangers by which the traveller was beset inns,were greatly increased by darkness. He was therefore com-monly desirous of having the shelter of a roof during thenight; and such shelter it was not difficult to obtain. From avery early period the inns of England had been renowned.

Our first great poet had described the excellent accommoda-tion which they afforded to the pilgrims of the fourteenth cen-tury. Nine and twenty persons, with their horses, foundroom in the wide chambers and stables of the Tabard inSouthwark. The food was of the best, and the wines such asdrew the company on to drink largely. Two hundred yearslater, under the reign of Elizabeth, William Harrison gave alively description of the plenty and comfort of the greathostelries. The Continent of Europe, he said, could shownothing like them. There were some in which two or three

•Pope's Memoirs ol Duval, published immediately after the ex-ecution. Oates’s Eixtlw flaoiZir.ri, Part. I.