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% grotto where Sheridan wrote his famous poem for the celebrated 
Miss Linley who he married.” ‘The letter unfortunately is 
undated but as the North Parade bridge is mentioned it must 
have been about or after 1836, the year the bridge was opened. 
The Directory for 1819 gives at 13 North Parade G. Lye 
. esq, and this in 1826 is again Mr Lye and in 1829 
Captain Lye. In 1833 this is captain Jones Lye. The 
house at this time numbered 13 and the last, would seem on 
_ the opening of the bridge to have been divided and the necessary 
_ work for this may have disturbed the tenancy of captain Lye as in 
1837 there appears a No. 14, number 13 being omitted as 
possibly not in order, presumably vacant. The plates or drawings 
_ of the North Parade up to this time show only one doorway, one 
house here. A little later at No. 14 appears captain L. Lye who 
_ was lord Manvers’ agent. 
The letter quoted then shows the tradition existing at this time 
leaving only about fifty or sixty years back to the actual event. 
Could a similar mention have been found dated say 1800, thirty 
) ears earlier and only about thirty years after the event it would 
have made the search very satisfactory. Yet this tradition must 
have existed from an earlier time, a time before captain Lye, it 
could not arise and be accepted without some effluxion of time, 
and the chance building of such a place say about 1800 
could not have been so soon forgotten. By good fortune, 
persevering, a long search was rewarded by a find which will 
well settle all doubt. In the topographical collections in the 
Bodleian library at Oxford there came up a drawing entitled— 
a north west view of Bath—dated 1773, and here reproduced.* 
Made actually at the Sheridan time it shows the elevated 
North Parade, ‘‘one of the noblest walks in Europe,” 
with its abrupt ending and the river passing beneath, 
nd shows also exactly for the present purpose, the grotto, 
* Gough Maps 28. No q1 b. 
