108 ENGLISH ROADS AND INNS, &C. 



renient somewhere else, whereby he getteth an inkling 

 whether it be monie or other short wares, and therot" 

 giveth warning to such od ghests as hant the house 

 and are of his confederacie, to the utter undoing of 

 manie an honest yeoman as he journeyeth by the 

 waie. The tapster in like sort for his part dooth 

 mark his behaviour, and what plentie of monie he 

 draweth when he paieth the shot, to the like end : so 

 that it shall be an hard matter to escape all their 

 subtile practises. 



In all our innes we have plentie of ale, beere, and 

 sundrie kinds of wine, and such is the capacitie of 

 some of them that they are able to lodge 200 or even 

 300 persons, and their horses at ease, and therto with 

 a verie short warning make such provision for their 

 diet, as to him that is unacquainted withall may 

 seeme to be incredible. Howbeit of all in England 

 there are no worse ins than in London, and yet manie 

 are there far better than the best that I have heard 

 of in anie forren countrie, if all circumstances be dulie 

 considered. But to leave this and go in hand with 

 my purpose, I will here set downe a table of the best 

 thorowfares and towns of greatest travel in England 

 in some of which there are 12 or 16 such innes at 

 the least, as I before did speak of. And it is a world 

 to see how ech owner of them contendeth with other 

 for goodnesse of intertainment of their ghests, as 

 about finenesse and change of linen, furniture of bed- 

 ding, beautie of roomes, service at the table, costli- 

 nesse of plate, strength of drinke, varietie of wines, 

 or well using of horses. Finallie there is not so much 

 omitted amongst them as the gorgeousness of their 

 very signs at their doores. 



