Evening journal., 1913-10-23

Inc tOuntam, IN Canterbury. the
Oldest inn in England, which is to be
rased, to make room for modern inn
proyement, lays claim to the title Of be-
ing the oldo It tavern in that country. 1t
was here that the wife of Earl Goodwin
stopped, when she went TO meet her hus-
band upon his return from Denmark in
1929 This is "some' antiquity. indeed
Also, it is recorded that the Archbishop
Lanfranc resided there temporarily dur
ing the rebuilding OF his palace in 1910.
Furthermore, it is told that the four
knights who assassinated Thomas a.
Beckett, met at "The Fountain" Later,
in 1899, that inn was the scene of much
gayety when the marriage of King Ed
ward ] TO Margaret of France was sol
emnized at Canterbury Cathedral.
Some chroniclers claim that the Ro-
mans, who occupied Britain from A. ID.
43 to 260, established inns there Anti
quariars declare that official posting
houses were dotted along the main high
way. But if this was the case, no trace
remains Of them, and / take it that
with the coming OF the Anglo-Saxons
they were destroyed when the land was
rudely devastated. England must have
been nnless for centuries, but chance
travellers were Hospitality received at
the numerous monasteries. As travel
grew larger these monasteries were OBJ
lged to establish inns, which were pa
tronized mostly by pilgrims on their
way to. aud from local sbrines.
Next to "The Fountain" the oldest
inn perhaps is ''The Ostrich at Coin
brook. said to be 700 odd years in ex-
istence. The George and Dragon" at
Speedhurst, Kent, is known to date
back to the days OF Henry H. and "The
Running Horse" at Leatherhead, IS mem
toned in chronicles of the reign of
Henry VIII Signs of the "Saracen's
Head" in London streets used to be as
common as "The Red Lion" or "The
Kings Arms in later centuries. These
inns are 10 be traced back 10 the cru
sades. But their number diminished
gradually until by the middle of the
eighteenth century only two hostelries
with this sign We're left:
As the Saracen's head tour poured ale
and wine
Until his head was like the sign.
One Of these inns was without New
gate" on the steep ascent now known
as Snow Hill while the other was be-
tween Leadenhall street and Allgate
Both have disappeared long ago.
London once boasted two "devil" tav
erns At one of them the society of /
Antiquaries was started. The other was /
more famous still owing to its associa- /
tions with Ben johnson and his "gang." /
The latter was the original "Devir' inn
and stood opposite ST. Dunstan's I
Church. It was named in honor of the
sainted blacksmith in the act Of taking |
the devil by the nose. Next to the |
Mermaid it was the favorite rendez- /
vous of tho wits OF the Ehzabethan
age. It was demolished in l7Ss. and on
its site stands now Child's Bank.
At the "Devil" Inn Ben Johnson's
celebrated club met in the Apollo room.
for the gatherings of which he composed
the "Leges GeG*i*alcs." One of these
commanded that 'lnsipida poemata null
recitantur' (No insipid verses are to be
read herel His word was law in the
"Devil:"
A Scot will fight for christ's kirk O.
the green,
And each true Briton is to Ben so civil
He swears the MUSES. met him at the
"Devl."
In the eighteenth century the Apollo
became public hall. where great ladies
auctioned of their Jewels and laureates
rehearsed their court odes
When laureates make odes, do you ask
Of what sort
DO you ask if they're good or are evil
You may iudge-from the "Devil' they
came to the court
And 60 from the court to the "Devill"
Less famous. perhaps. but more motor
ious. was the Rose Tavern, in Russell
street Covent Garden, next door to the
old Drury Lane Il as demolished in
l7T6, when Garrick enlarged his theater,
upon the new front of which the sign of
tn Rose was enclosed in an oval medal
lion. Actors, authors, wits and royster-
ers frequented that inn and from its
hosptable tables sailed forth to COM
NIT all sorts of nocturnal depredations.
These titled bullics and rufiians had
distinct organizations. the leading
among them being the Mohock Society
It's rival was the "Scowrer" gang, whose
headquarters was the Rose Inn;
Who has not heard the Scowrer's
famef
Who has not trembled at the Mo-
hooks name?
Was there watchmau on his hourly
rounds
Safe from their blows or new-invent-
ed wounds?
Not so well known is the fact that at
the "Rose,' in November. l7l2,, the
tragedy had its beginning when Lord