London to John O 1 Groat's. 271 



quities and customs. It, too, has its unique speciality 

 or prerogative. I was told that every person of title 

 driving through the town, or coming to reside within 

 the jurisdiction of its bye-laws, must leave his card 

 to the authorities in the shape of a veritable horse-shoe. 

 It is said that the walls of the old town hall are hung 

 with these iron souvenirs of distinguished visits ; thus 

 constituting a museum that would be instructive to 

 a farrier or blacksmith, as well as to the antiquarian. 



From Oakham I walked to Melton Mowbray, a 

 cleanly, good-looking town in Leicestershire, situated 

 on the little river Eye. One cannot say exactly in 

 regard to Rutlandshire what an Englishman once said 

 to the authorities of a pigmy Italian duchy, who 

 ordered him to leave it in twenty-four hours. " I only 

 require fifteen minutes," said cousin John, with a look 

 and tone which Jonathan could not imitate. This 

 rural county is to the shire-family of England what 

 Rhode Island is to the American family of States the 

 smallest, but not least, in several happy characteristics. 



I spent a quiet sabbath in Melton Mowbray ; 

 attended divine service in the old parish church and 

 listened- to two extemporaneous sermons full of simple 

 and earnest teaching, and delivered in a conversational 

 tone of voice. Here, too, the parish church was seated 

 in the midst of the great congregation which had long 



