THE SQUIEE AMONG HIS NEIGHBOURS. 175 



customers made way for him to sit next tlie fire, 

 and whilst lie was drying himself a sweep came to 

 the door, and looked in ; but, seeing the Squire, he 

 was making off again. * Hollo,' said Mr. Forester, 

 'what news from the lower region? ' 'Oh,' replied 

 the sweep, ' things are going on there. Squire, much 

 as they are here — the gentlemen are nearest the 

 Hre /' " A third of our informants remarked : " He 

 was one of the old sort, but a right 'un. Why, 

 when there was a bad harvest, and no work for 

 men, after one of them war times, and the colliers 

 were rioting and going to break open the shops, to 

 tear down the flour mill, and do other damage, the 

 old Squire was the only man that could stop them 

 — ^he had such influence with the people. The 

 poor never wanted a friend whilst old George 

 Forester lived. There were plenty of broken victuals 

 to be had for the fetching, a tankard of right good 

 ale, with bread and cheese, or cold mutton, for all 

 comers." 



The years 1774 — 1782 were periods of local 

 gloom and distress, when haggard hunger and 

 ignorant force banded together to trample down the 

 safeguards of civil rights, and armed ruffians took 

 the initiative in violent scrambles for food. The 



