WEYHILL FAIR 145 



do, beino; refused it here, have a rioht to send to 

 other houses for it, and to drink it here.' 



Mine host, alarmed at this declaration of inde- 

 pendence, M'ithdrew the prohiliition, and indeed 

 brought M^ pipes, toljacco, and the desired drinks 

 himself; and soon after this entered the room with 

 two gentlemen who had inquired for Mr. Col)bett, 

 and laying his hand on Cobbett's knee, smiled and 

 said the gentlemen wished to lie introduced. ' Take 

 away your paw,' thundered the agitator, shaking the 

 strangers by the hand ; ' I am happy to see you, even 

 thouoh introduced bv this fellow.' After which thev 

 all indulged in the English equivalent of the Scotch 

 ' willie wauclit ' until half-past two in the morning. 



' But,' remarks Cobbett, as a parting shot, ' the 

 next time this old sharp-looking fellow gets 5 /x* shillings 

 from me for a dinner, he shall, if he choose, cook me, 

 in any manner that he likes, and season me with 

 .hand so unsparing as to produce in the feeders thirst 

 unquenchable.' 



XXI 



AVeyhill Fair, which brought Cobbett and the 

 people he harangued into Andover, is a thoroughly old 

 English institution, and although the old custom of 

 fairs is gradually dying out, and this, the Largest Fair 

 in England, is not so important as it was a hundred 

 years ago, it is still a place where much money 

 changes hands once a year. Weyhill is su^jposed to 



L 



