146 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 10. | 
and various others subsequently printed, could 
not be included. There is no English author 
who gives us such minute and curious information 
respecting old customs, edifices, and peculiarities, 
as Taylor, the Water-poet, the contemporary and 
friend of Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and of nearly 
all our poets and dramatists from the close of the 
reign of Elizabeth to the Restoration. 
SARTORIUS. 
As your correspondent G. G. seems fond of in- 
quiring into the modus itinerandi of bygone days, 
and thinks a series of travelling hand-bills would 
be interesting, I send you two, copied from an 
original news-book almost two centuries old, and 
which I believe have never been reprinted. They 
are interesting, as showing not only the snail-like 
pace at which our ancestors were content to travel, 
but also how much they were willing to give for 
the tardy infliction. G. M. 
East Winch, 14th Dee. 1849. 
* AN ADVERTISEMENT. 
«“ From the 26th day of April, 1658, there will con- 
tinue to go stage coaches from the George Inn without 
Aldersgate, London, unto the several cities and towns, 
for the rates, and at the times, hereafter mentioned and 
declared. 
« Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 
“ To Salisbury in two days for xxs. To Blandford 
and Dorchester in two days and half for xxxs. To 
Burput in three days for xxxs. To Exmaster, Hun- 
nington, and Exeter, in four days for xs, ‘To Stam- 
ford in two days for xxs. ‘To Newark in two days and 
a half for xxvs. ‘To Bawtrey in three days for xxxs. 
To Doncaster and Ferribridge for xxxvs. To York 
in four days for xts. 
“ Mondaysand Wednesdaysto Ockintonand Plimouth 
for rs. Every Monday to Helperby and Northallerton 
for xtvs. To Darneton Ferryhil for rs. To Durham 
for tvs. To Newcastle for mi/. Once every fortnight 
to Edinburgh for 1v/. a peece, Mondays. Every 
Friday to Wakefield in four days for xxs. 
« All persons who desire to travel unto the cities, 
towns, and roads, herein hereafter mentioned and ex- 
pressed, namely, to Coventry, Litchfield, Stone, Nampt- 
wich, Chester, Warrington, Wiggan, Chorley, Preston, 
Gastang, Lancaster, and Kendal; and also to Stam- 
ford, Grantham, Newark, Tuxford, Bawtrey, Don- 
caster, Ferribridge, York, Helperby, Northallerton, 
Darneton, Ferryhill, Durham, and Neweastle, Wake- 
field, Leeds, and Hallifax; and also to Salisbury, 
Blandford, Dorchester, Barput, Exmaster, Hunnington 
and Exeter, Ockinton, Plimouth and Cornwall; let 
them repair to the George Inn at Holborn Bridge, 
London, and thence they shall be in good coaches 
with good horses, upon every Monday, Wednesday, 
and Friday, at and for reasonable rates.’— From 
Mercurius Politicus for Thursday, April 8th, 1658. 
«“ The post-masters on Chester road petitioning, have 
received orders, and do accordingly publish the follow- 
ing Advertisement : — 
«“ All gentlemen, merchants, and others, who have 
occasion to travel between London and Westchester, 
Manchester, and Warrington, or any other town upon 
the road, for the accommodation of trade, dispatch of 
business, and ease of purse, upon every Monday, Wed- 
nesday, and Friday morning, betwixt six and ten of 
the clock at the house of Mr. Christopher Charteris, 
at the sign of the Harts Horns in West Smithfield, and 
post-master there, and at the post-master of Chester, at 
the post-master of Manchester, and at the post-master 
of Warrington, may have a good and able single horse, 
or more, furnished, at threepence the mile, without 
charge of a guide; and so likewise at the house of Mr. 
Thomas Challenor, post-master at Stone in Stafford- 
shire upon every Tuesday, and Thursday, and Saturday 
mornings to go into London; and so likewise at all the 
several post-masters upon the road, who will have all 
such set days so many horses with furniture in readi- 
ness to furnish the riders without any stay, to carry 
them to or from any the places aforesaid in four days, 
as well to London, as from thence, and to places nearer 
in less time, according as their occasions shall require, 
they ingaging at first stage where they take horse, for 
the safe delivery of the same to the next intermediate 
stage, and not to ride that horse any further, without 
consent of the post-master by whom he rides, and so 
from stage to stage on their journey’s end. 
“ All those who intend to ride this way, are desired 
to give a little notice beforehand, if conveniently they 
can, to the several post-masters where they first take 
horse, whereby they may be furnished with so many 
horses as the riders shall require with expedition. 
«“ This undertaking began the 28th of June, 1658, at 
all the places abovesaid, and so continues by the several 
post-masters,”—From Mercurius Politicus for Thursday, 
24th June, 1658, 
SONG IN FLETCHER’S PLAY OF “THE NICE VALOUR” 
— THE EX-ALE-TATION OF ALE, A POEM ATTRI- 
BUTED TO BEAUMONT. 
Many of your readers will remember the beau- 
tiful song in Fletcher’s play of The Nice Valour, 
act lll. scene 3., beginning — 
«« Hence, all you vain delights, 
As short as are the nights 
Wherein you spend your folly ! 
There’s nought in this life sweet, 
i If man were wise to see ’t, 
But only melancholy, 
Oh, sweetest melancholy !” 
Milton was indebted to it for the idea of his Z7 
Penseroso; and Hazlitt calls it “the perfection of 
this kind of writing.” 
My object in now calling your attention to it, 
is to point out a copy, hitherto, I believe, unno- 
ticed, among Malone’s MSS. in the Bodleian 
Library. It is entztled, A Song in ye praise of 
Melancholy, and has appended to it, in the hand- 
writing of Malone, the following note :— 
“ Dy, Strode, the author of this beautiful little piece, 
part of which has been ascribed unjustly to Fletcher, 
