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By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 325 
“ Seven Stars,” three times; the latter very probably a masonic em- 
blem. The well-known “ Drwid’s Head,’ on Salisbury Plain, seems 
also to be attributed to a masonic brotherhood, rather than to any 
special reverence for the sacred rites of the Ancient Britons. 
The number “ Three ” again appears to have had great attractions — 
in sign selecting : thus, in addition to the “ Zhree Tuns,’ spoken of 
above, there are the “ Three Swans,’ at Salisbury; the “ Zhree 
Cups,’ at Chippenham and Malmesbury ; the “‘ Ziree Magpies,” at 
Marston Maizey ; the “ Three Lions,’ at Holt ; the “ Three Crowns,” 
at Whaddon, Harnham, Devizes, and Brinkworth, the origin of 
which some would refer to the three kings at Cologne, but of this I 
confess myself sceptical. There are also the “ Three Horseshoes,” 
seven times repeated in the county, but the latter may be readily ex- 
plained, as they comprise the arms of the Farriers’ Company. 
Of the sign-boards connected with the road and travelling on it, 
upon which so much of the trade of our hostelries used to depend, 
there are fewer emblems than might have been expected. We 
have the ‘ Coach and Horses,” at Marlborough and Salisbury ; the 
“ Waggon and Horses,’ at Devizes, Salisbury, Beckhampton, and 
Wootton Bassett; and the “ Packhorse,’ at Warminster, Chippen- 
ham, and Corsham. Add to this the “ Horse and Groom,” at Trow- 
bridge, and Charlton, near Malmesbury; and the “ Horse and 
Jockey,’ at Ashton Keynes, West Lavington, and Box; and I 
believe we have exhausted all that appertain to this schedule. 
(9) “ TheProsaic.”” With such a wealth of devices,enumerated in the 
foregoing list,to choose from,consisting too of such a variety of subjects 
to suit the taste of every individual, it seems not a little remarkable 
howmany have, notwithstanding,descended to the most common-place 
titles, and have contented themselves with prosaic senseless signs. 
Thus what can be more dull and dreary than the title of the “ New 
Inn,” a title which is more and more falsified every hour of its 
existence? and yet this is the chosen name of no less than twenty- 
nine of our Wiltshire hostelries; nay, if we add the new “ Bear,” 
the new “ Crown,” the new “ George,” the new “ Red Lion,” &e., in 
-contradistinction to the old, the number of these “ zew inns” is 
increased by six, making a total of thirty-five, which nearly equals 
