STROOD 95 



to passe," says he, " to Rochester, and in the midway 

 I fear'd no robbing, although I passed that woody, and 

 high old robbing Hill (Gadds Hill), on which I alighted, 

 and tooke a sweet and delightfull prospect of that faire 

 streame, with her pleasant meads she glides through." 

 The lieutenant's description is delightful, and if he 

 drew the sword to such good purpose as he wielded 

 the pen, why, I think he must have been a warrior of 

 no little distinction. He says nothing of Strood ; 

 and, indeed, I think Strood has through the centuries 

 been entreated in quite a shabby and inadequate 

 manner. The reason of this, of course, is that Strood 

 is over the water and suburban to Rochester ; a kind of 

 poor relation so to speak, and treated accordingly. 



But the place is old and historic, and celebrated 

 not only for the great fight which the barons made 

 in the thirteenth century against the king, when they 

 fought their way across the bridge, and, taking 

 possession of Rochester, sacked town, castle, and 

 cathedral, but also for that exploit of the townsfolk 

 who cut off the tail of one of Becket's sumpter-mules, 

 whereupon that wrathful prelate cursed them, and 

 caused them and their descendants to go with tails for 

 ever. Thus the story which accounts for the county 

 nickname of " Kentish long-tails," but I do not perceive 

 that the Strood folks are so unusually decorated. 

 Perhaps they are at pains to hide their shame. 



XIX 



Strood, too, deserves some notice. The place-name 

 has been thought to derive from strata, " the street," 

 standing as it does on that ancient way, the Roman 

 Watling Street. But, in the recent advance in the 

 study of place-names, it is held to be from the Anglo- 

 Saxon " strode " : a marshy region. 



The original meaning of " Watling Street " is never 



