THE PORTSMOUTH ROAD 



167 



comfortable practice of most provincial towns, most of 

 them equally suggestive of laudanum, mandragora, 

 poppies, hop-pillows, and other sedatives ; few of them 







A Corner of Abbot's Hospital at Guildford. 



(as to their High Street, at all events) half so picturesque. 

 I have heard that the record of Guildford goes back to the 

 days of Alfred, but I have not, I confess, inquired too 

 curiously into this matter ; having found a passage in the 

 town's history to my mind more interesting, and of a 



