April 8. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



331 



In the parlour of the " Three Pigeons," Brent- 

 ford, is an old painting, dated 1704, representing 

 a landlord attending to his guests seated at a table 

 in the open air, with these lines above : 

 ** Wee are new beginners, 



And thrive wee would faine ; 

 I am Honest Ralf of Reading, 

 My wife Susand to name." 



Wright, in his Historia Histronica, 1699, tells us 

 that — 



" Lowin (one of the original actors in Shakspeare's 

 plays), in his latter days, kept an inn, the * Three 

 Pigeons,' at Brentford, where he died very old." 



At the " Old Parr's Head," Aldersgate Street, 

 was, in 1825, a sign of an ancient gentleman, with 

 these lines under : 



" Your head cool, 

 Your feet warm ; 

 But a glass of good gin 

 Would do you no harm." 



The author of Tavern Anecdotes, 12mo., 1825, 

 records the following : 



" Rhyming Host at Stratford. 



At the Swan Tavern, kept by Lound, 



The best accommodation's found — 



Wine, spirits, porter, bottled beer, 



You'll find in high perfection here. 



If, in the garden with your lass, 



You feel inclin'd to take a glass, 



There tea and coffee, of the best, 



Provided is for every guest ; 



And, females not to drive from hence, 



His charge is only fifteen pence. 



Or, if dispos'd a pipe to smoke, 



To sing a song, or crack a joke, 



You may repair across the green, 



Where nought is heard, tho' much is seen : 



There laugh, and drink, and smoke away, 



And but a mod'rate reck'ning pay, — 



Which is a most important object, 



To every loyal British subject. 



In short, 

 The best accommodation's found, 

 By those who deign to visit Lound." 



Edward F. Rimbatjlt. 



1. At a public-house near Cambridge, known 

 to the natives of Cambridgeshire as " Tew-Pot 

 House," formerly kept by one Cooper, there used 

 to be, I cannot say decidedly is, as I have not 

 passed the place for ten years and more, the fol- 

 lowing : 



" Rest, traveller, rest ; lo ! Cooper's hand 

 Obedient brings two pots at thy command. 

 Rest, traveller, rest, and banish thoughts of care. 

 Drink to thy friends, and recommend them here." 



2. The Robin Hood inscription is found, with 

 a very little variation, in front of a public-house 



at Cherryhinton, at the corner of the road to Ful- 

 bourn, in this county. 



3. Who can forget the suggestion by Walter 

 Scott, of 



" Drink, weary traveller, drink and pay" 



as a motto for the public-house at Flodden ? (See 

 Lockhart's Life of Scott, cap. xxv.) 



I remember seeing the following in the parlour 

 of a house at Rancton, I believe in Norfolk : 



" More beer score clerk 



For my my his 



Do trust pay sent 



I I must have 



Shall if I brewer 



What and and my."* 



P. J. F. Gantillon. 



In Deansgate, Manchester, under an artistic 

 representation of Llangollen Castle, is the follow- 

 ing : 



" Near the above place, in a vault, 

 There is such liquor fixed, 

 You'll say that water, hops, and malt 

 Were never better mixed." 



As a parallel to the case cited by Newbtjriensis, 

 I may mention the sign of the " Brown Cow," near 

 the village of Glodwick, Oldham : 



" This cow gives such liquor, 

 'Twould puzzle a viccar" [sic]. 



John Scribe. 



The following verse from the sign-board of the 

 Bull Inn at Buckland near Dover, may not be 

 an uninteresting addition to your list of poetical 

 tavern signs. 



" The bull is tame, so fear him not, 

 All the while you pay your shot ; 

 When money 's gone, and credit 's bad, 

 It's that which makes the bull run mad !" 



Fras. Brent. 

 Sandgate. 



At the Red Lion, Stretton, near Warmington : 



" The Lion is strong, the Cat is vicous [sic], 

 My ale is good, and so is my liquors." 



E. P. Paling. 

 February 20, 1854. 



At Swainsthorpe, a village five miles from Nor- 

 wich, on the road to Ipswich, is a public-house 

 known as the " Dun Cow." Under the portrait 

 of the cow, in former days, stood the following 

 couplet : 



" Walk in, gentlemen ; I trust you'll find 

 The dun cow's milk is to your mind." 



* Begin with the bottom word of the right-hand 

 column and read upwards, treating the other columns- 

 in a similar way. 



