Way side Inns. 57 



England and Scotland smiled upon the coaching party, 

 and compelled us all to fall deeply in love with their 

 unrivalled charms. We thought that even in tears this 

 blessed isle must still be enchanting. 



The same horses (with one exception) took us 

 through from Brighton to Inverness. This has sur- 

 prised some horsemen here, but little do they know of 

 the roads and climate, or of Perry's care. Our average 

 distance, omitting days when we rested, was thirty-two 

 miles, and horses will actually improve on such a jour- 

 ney, as ours did, if not pushed too fast and not forced 

 to pull beyond their strength up steep hills. The 

 continual desire of most of our party to dismount and 

 enjoy a walk gave our horses a light coach where the 

 road was such as to bring them to a walk, and they 

 were actually in better condition after the journey than 

 when we started. 



For luncheon, " good my liege, all place a temple 

 and all seasons summer," but for lodgings and entertain- 

 ment for man and beast, how did we manage these ? 

 Shall we not take our ease in our inn ? and shall not 

 mine host of The Garter, ay and mine hostess too, 

 prove the most obliging of people? I do not suppose 

 that it would be possible to find in any other country 

 such delightful inns at every stage of such a journey. 

 Among many pretty objects upon which memory lov- 

 ingly rests, these little wayside inns stand prominently 

 forward. The very names carry one back to quaint days 



