4 THE EXETER ROAD 



A writer of that period, advocating the setting up 

 of turnpikes on the direct road to Exeter, anticipated 

 little trouble in convertino- that ' wao-o-on-track ' into 

 a first-class highway. Four turnpikes, he considered, 

 would suffice very w^ell from Salisbury to Exeter ; nor 

 would the improvement of the way over the Downs 

 demand much lal)our, for the bottom was solid, and 

 one general expense for jDickaxe and spade work, for 

 levelling, and for widening at the approaches to the 

 villages would last a long while ; experience proving 

 so much, since those portions of the road remained 

 pretty much the same as they had been in the days 

 of Julius Caesar. 



' It may be oljjected,' continues this reformer, 

 ' that the peasantry will demolish these turnpikes so 

 soon as they are erected, but we will not suppose this 

 is in a well-governed happy state like ours. Lex non 

 supponet odiosa. If such terrors were to take place, 

 the great legislative power w^ould lie at the mercy of 

 the rabble. If the mob will not hear reason they 

 must be taught it. 



' It may be urged that there are not passengers 

 enough on the Western Road to defray the expenses 

 of erecting these turn23ikes. To this I answer by 

 denying the fact ; 'tis a road very much frequented, 

 and the natural demands from the West to London 

 and all England on the one part, and from all the 

 eastern counties to Exeter, Plymouth, and Falmouth, 

 etc., on the other are very great, especially in war- 

 time. Besides, were the roads more practicable, the 

 number of travellers would increase, especially of 

 those who make best for towns and inns — namely. 



