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 as HISTORY OF BISHOP AUCKLAIH). It was in the course of this expedition that Scott first made acquaintance with the late excellent and venerable Shute Banington, Bishop of Durham. The travellers having reached Auckland over night, were seeing the public rooms of the castle at an early hour next morning, when the Bishop happened, on passing through one of them, to catch a glimpse of Scott's person, and immediately recognising him from the likeness of the engravings, by this time multiplied, introduced himself to the party, and insisted upon acting as cicerone. After shewing them the Picture Gallery, and so forth, his Lordship invited them to join the morning service at the chapel, and when that was over, insisted on them remaining to breakfast. But Scott and his Lordship were by this time so much pleased with each other, that they could .not easily be parted. The good Bishop ordered his horse, nor did Scott observe without admiration the proud curveting of the animal on which his Lordship proposed to accompany him during the next stage of his progress. " Why, yes, Mr. Scott," said the gentle but high-spirited old man, " I still like to feel my horse under me." He was then in his 79th year, and survived to the age of 92, the model in all things of a real prince of the Church. They parted after a ride of ten miles, with mutual regret, and on all subsequent rides in that direction Bishop Auckland was one of the Poet's halting places. CHAPTEE VII. A century ago the roads in this neighbourhood were in a very imperfect state. With the exception of the remains of the old Roman road, which extended, across the hills from Lanchester to Binchester, and from thence across Brusselton to Piercebridge, and so on to Watling Street, they were only bridle roads, merely admitting horses to pass over them. The traffic was carried on by means of pack horses, travelling in droves of from ten to twenty, each wearing a collar, from which bells were suspended to give notice of their approacL There is still standing at the entrance to what is now called "Wilkinsons Yard," in Back Bondgate, an old archway (recently opened out again), under which the horses, travelling between Durham and Auckland, passed to be unloaded. It was only about the middle of the eighteenth century that wheeled conveyances, for purposes of this kind, were introduced into the neighbourhood. There is ,an amusing anecdote told of their first introduction into the neighbouring vale of the Tees, the inhabitants of which, when the surveyor of a new road came riding up in a four-wheeled conveyance to inspect it, turned out and ran after him, declaring to each other — "Darra lad, d'girt wheil's gaun towertak t'little un." Only one passenger coach, the Exmouth, passed through Bishop Auckland in the early part of the present century. It ran between Lancaster and Newcastle, and, on passing through the town, put up at the Talbot Hotel, kept at that time by Peter SewelL The Exmouth, however, very soon had an opponent, which made the Three Tuns Inn, in Newgate-street, kept by Tommy Dibbs, its halting place ; and when the two coaches came dashing up the street, driven four in hand, the guard of each sounding his long tin horn, the inhabitants turned out en masse to witness their arrival Both coaches having their partisans, it was with considerable difficulty that Messrs. Hedley, Waller, and Borrowdale — ^to whom the safe keeping of the town was entrusted, and of whom we mean to speak hereafter — ^prevented a breach of the peace, or a collision between the rival teams. In " LongstaflTs Annals of Darlington" we find much curious information respecting the roads and means of transit in South Durham in those days, when travelling by stage coach was declared efieminate and very murderous. The drivers were, also, charged with proceeding at a fatal pace, several passengers having died of apoplexy. He quotes from " The Darlington Pamphlet" the following announcement : — Newcastle Post Coach, Darlington, May 22nd, 1770. Began to run three days a week, on Monday, 29th January, 1770, and continues setting out from the George and Blue Boar Inn, Holborn, London, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday ; and from the Bull and Post Boy, in Newcastle, on the same day : will go from London to Newcastle in three days, and from Newcastle to London in the same time (prorided no material accident happens) ; to carry six inside passengers, each to pay threepence per mile ; to be aUowed 141b. of luggage ; all above to pay fourpence halfpenny per pound, or in proportion to the miles they go. No livery servants will be carried, except such servants' master or mistress is in the coach at the same time. The proprietors of this machine beg leave to acquaint the public that they are determined not to carry money, plate, jewels, or watches, upon any consideration whatever. This precaution, we presume, was taken in consequence of the danger that attended even stage coach Digitized by Google