330 Lifeof the Rev. John Flainsteed. [Nov. 



where coals are not to be had, except [at] too large rates), 

 and a barefoot boy was called in to bait a fire, which made 

 me fear such an entertainment as might be afforded from an 

 Irish house : but we were brought afterwards into a back 

 room, indifferently handsome, where we had a table neatly 

 spread with as fair and fine linen as ordinarily in England, 

 and accommodation better than I expected. 



In the morning (Sept. 8) we rose early to be going on our 

 journey, and by noon we reached to Carlow, some fourteen 

 miles from Killcullen, where we baited at a handsome inn ; 

 and this town is one of the fairest I saw on our journey. 

 It stands by the side of a river, of an indifferent depth, and 

 seemed to be indifferent large to me, who had not leisure to 

 perambulate it, or any other we passed through. 



We went forward to Laugh ton Bridge, five miles farther ; 

 a little town standing upon a large river, passable only, as 

 I was informed, at the bridge, on which stood a large stone 

 house, builded, I suppose, for a fort to command that place. 

 Here we stayed not, but went forward to Goaren, five miles 

 beyond it. Here we thought to have lodged : but having 

 time to go farther, we resolved to proceed, and so came to 

 Bennit's Bridge ; a little town, where, at that time, was 

 held a fair, composed, for aught I saw, of nothing but sheep, 

 kine and oxen, of the Irish sort. A company of bouzes 

 were raised, covered all over with blankets, sheets, rugs, 

 and linen cloth, fashioned like those in our fairs in England, 

 but that they were scarce so handsome. They were covered 

 on every side, so that you could not see into them, except 

 they were opened, as one of them was by chance as I passed 

 by it, in which I could perceive nothing but a company of 

 people set round about the sides of [it] : and whether they 

 were eating and drinking by turns, as they use to do, I could 

 not, without too much boldness, attain to perceive. This place 

 is three miles from Goaren, and stands upon a large river. 

 Here we thought to have lodged ; but supposing that because 

 of the fair we could neither have quiet rest nor good accom- 

 modation, we were persuaded, by a Nottinghamshire man, 

 seated there, to pass forward to Barneschurch, three miles 

 farther, a little town, standing partly on a hill ; whither we 

 went with the people from the fair, and lodged at one Shar- 

 man's house, where we had indifferent good accommodation. 

 In this day's journey, as I remember, we saw no woods at 



