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make it a point to " spend their shot," with " mine host at the inn," 

 but there is no longer any approach to the mirth and hilarity of 

 former days. 



By an examination of the history of old inns of town and country, 

 we find in connection interesting episodes in the lives of many of 

 our greatest men, who were formerly in the habit of patronising 

 them as meeting places for social enjoyment, and we are thus 

 enabled to form an idea of some of the habits and customs of our 

 ancestors who lived in bygone times, in days when — 



The gentrie went to the King's Head, 



The nobles into the Crown, 

 The knights went to the Golden Fleece, 



And the ploughman to the Clowne. 



"A tavern," says an ancient writer, " is a common consumption 

 of the afternoon and the murderer or maker away of a rainy day. 

 To give you the total reckoning of it, it is the busy man's recreation, 

 the idle man's business, the melancholy man's sanctuary, the 

 stranger's welcome, the inn of court man's entertainment, the 

 scholar's kindness, and the citizen's country ; it is the study of 

 sparkling wits and a cup of canary their book." Goldsmith, in his 

 beautiful poem of "The Deserted Village," thus describes the 

 village inn : — 



Near yonder thorn that lifts its head on high, 



Where once the sign-board caught the passing eye, 



Low lies that house, where nut-brown draughts inspired, 



Where grey beard mirth and smiling toil retired, 



Where village statesmen talked with looks profound, 



And news much older than their ale went round. 



Imagination fondly stoops to trace 



The parlour splendours of that festive place ; 



The whitewashed wall, the neatly sanded floor ; 



The varnished clock that ticked behind the door ; 



The chest contrived a double debt to pay — 



A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day ; 



The pictures placed for ornament and use ; 



The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose ; 



The hearth, e.\cept when winter chilled the day. 



With aspen boughs and flowers and fennel gay ; 



While broken teacups, wisely kept for show. 



Ranged o'er the chimney, glistened in a row. 



