Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 7.djvu/81

 12 S. VII. JULY 24, 1920.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 61 LONDON, JULY 24, 1920. CONTENTS. No. 119. 1804, 61 Irish Family History : Keon, 65 The Warwick- shire Ardens, 66 Warwickshire Songs and Sayings Principal London Coffee-houses, Taverns and Inns in the Eighteenth Century, 67 Etymology of "Liverpool" Prisoners who have Survived Hanging, 68. ^QUERIES*: Mushroom Freemen : Mandamus Voters Origin of "John Bull," 69-Peladan Arms of Joan of Arc" Airworthy "Illustrator of Garcilasso de la Vega Enigmatical Epitaphs " Honie Presse": "Ceife": " Crescloth " Ketty Costar, 70 Culcheth Gordon Portraits at Moncreift'e House Campbell : Tempest- Charles Grant (1746- 1823): Date of Birth Coinage of Charles II. Young of Milvenon, 71 Croydon Parish Church : Archbishop Herring's Tomb Source of Anecdote Wanted Words of Song Wanted Author of Quotation Wanted Snow : a Ship's Name, 72. ^REPLIES : Catharine Macaulay and St. Stephen's, Walbrook, 72 -John Aikin's Excursions Sarah's Coffee- house, 73 Militia Acts H. Hope Crealock 84th Regi. ment in India " Apple" in Place-Names, 74 Crypto- graphy Emerson's ' English Traits.' 76" Bug " in Place- Names- Kaspar Hauser Legend, 77 Kipling : Reference Wanted Uncollected Kipling Items : Quatrain on G. W. Steevens Royal Oak Day, 78 Spoonerisms, 79. NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Spanish and Portuguese Romances of Chivalry ' ' The Quarterly Reveiw.' iNotices to Correspondents. JOHN AIKIN'S EXCURSIONS. III. JUNE 25- JULY 9, 1804. 'Tnis, the third, is also the longest of John Aikin's excursions, the journal of which is now being printed for the first time from, the manuscript. He went from Stoke Newington along the Thames Valley to Wantage, thence into Gloucestershire and Herefordshire and back through Oxford, which he had visited the year before. June 25, Monday. Left home at seven ; made -one long stage to Stains. The dust laid, but a very hot sun. Tedious straight road over Hounslow heath. The inn Bush at Stains is charmingly situated close by the Thames, with a pleasant garden on the brink. A branch of the Coin joins it just under the inn windows, and the little fish seen in its clear stream are very amusing. 'They dart in shoals at a crumb of bread, and pursue it down the stream, successively seizing .and^quitting it. The new iron bridge over the Thames is a beautiful structure a single very flat arch. Left Stains after dinner under a burning sun without a cloud. Took the forest road, leading across Windsor forest, a delightful ride. After leaving the enclosed part of that forest, passed through a very striking tract of wild country, with green open heaths, intermixed with woodland scenery, and interspersed with gentlemen's seats and neat cottages. Drank tea at a village inn, and pushed on to Beading, though our horse exhibited manifest signs of weariness at the latter part of the stage. This alone was a drawback upon a most pleasant drive in a charming evening. Arrived about half past nine. 2Qth. Of Beading we were satisfied with seeing as much as lay in our way through it. Set out after breakfast and took the Wallingford road which follows the course of the Thames. The road was soon extremely beautiful, presenting on the Oxfordshire bank a series of bold wooded slopes, and on the Berkshire, fine meadows. The Vale of Thames at length began to contract and afforded similar slopes on the Berkshire side as we came into the chalky soil. In several parts it put us in mind of the vale of Leatherhead, with this improvement, that it was the Thames, and not the Mole, which flowed in the bottom. About the village of Pangbourn the scene is exquisitely sweet, and few travellers would not feel a longing for a summer residence in one of the pretty cottages of that place. At Streatley we quitted the Wallingford road and the bank of the Thames and took across the country to Wantage. The road is a new turnpike, now in the process of making, and therefore much worse than an unmade one. Country for some miles, open hilly downs, with a meagre chalky soil, but seldom uncultivated. We toiled or rather our horse over the loose flints and chalk forming the neic road, till at length we came to the junction of the Wallingford road to Wantage, after which it was good. Vast plains waving with corn in the open field tillage, but richer and better cultivated than usual in that system. Great fields of beans, now in full fragrance. The sun, which had kindly kept concealed during the morning, at length dispelled the clouds, and gave us fine extensive prospects, but purchased by oppressive heat. The wind carried our dust along with us, so that we were glad to end a fatiguing stage at Wantage, before three. Wan- tage is but a petty town, and I could find no other object of curiosity in it than to mount the church steeple, which, though low, and seated in a bottom, gave a pretty extensive view. Saw the White-horse hills but not the horse itself and traced the wide vale, or rather plain called from them, in part of which Wantage lies. After tea drove to Faringdon, chiefly along a level enclosed country. It rises on approaching Faringdon hill, which the road crosses. We could only imperfectly enjoy the extensive pros- pect from it, as the dusk of evening was beginning. The town lies just behind it, and struck us very agreeably with its neat stuccoed houses, all as fresh as if just done. Took a walk round its elegant churchyard before supper. 21th Wednesday. Out early drove to Fairford to breakfast. The road lay through a level enclosed country, affording little interesting. The
 * NOTES : John Aikin's Excursions: III. June 25-July 9,