negs, as they call their small horses, with long beards, cloaks, and long broad-swords with basket hilts hanging in broad belts [so] that their legs and swords almost touched the ground, and every one in his turn, with his short cloak and other equipage, came up cheek by jowl, and talked with my lord judge." Was not this marked boldness and inde pendence of spirit, rustic though it was, largely attributable to the manorial customs and the course of procedure in the manorial courts, where the tenant could face his lord, and insist on his customary rights? In the light of such facts we can readily see why our Massachusetts ancestors, in obtaining their patent from the crown, desired to hold according to the customs of the manor of East Greenwich, in Kent. When the travellers reached Carlisle, they found good ale and small beer supplied from the houses of the prebends of the church, and they boasted of brewing it at home. The northern districts did not then abound in wealth, for it was observed that nearly all over the North " the common people walked barefoot, and the children leaped as if they had hoofs, and those shod with iron." It seems incredible that the England of to-day could a little more than two hundred years ago be the England described by Roger North. Notwithstanding the author in general speaks slightingly of the " female faction," he cannot avoid a passing and glowing tribute to " an incomparable lady," the Count ess of Pembroke, then deceased. She had had with other noble qualities surpassing generosity, so that no person ever made her a visit that went away without a present, in geniously contrived according to the quality of the person. Roger, in recounting this fact, adds with a sigh, " and we were sorry that we could not be witnesses of that piece of grandeur." So say we all. At Lancaster they first saw " candle" coal, burning till it was all consumed without leaving any cinder. " It was lighted by a
candle like amber, and the grate stands not against the back of a large chimney as common coal-grates, but in the middle, where ballads are pasted round, and the folk sit about it working or merry-making." But the greatest wonder they saw was the " burning well." Petroleum had, no doubt, come to the light of day. Roger's description of it will bear quoting : " The manner of it is this : First in some place where they know the sulphurous vapor perspires (often in a ditch) they dig up a turf and clap it down in its place again; and then they are ready for projection. When the show company are come, a man takes up the turf, and after a little puffing of a brown paper match, gives fire, and instantly the hole is filled with a blue spirituous flame like brandy. It seemed to waste, and I believe it would not have burnt in that manner long; but while it was burning they put water in the hole, and the flame continued upon the water as if it had been spirits. And some people said they used to boil eggs there." It occurred to no one that the burning substance was in the na ture of oil; but it was assumed to be a vapor which permeated the water as water through sands. This early discovery of the inflam mable qualities of petroleum seems to have attracted no practical attention at the time, as it was merely regarded as a curiosity, being wrongly interpreted. A hundred years later petroleum was observed at I^ancaster again. The record of the journey of the brothers closes at Lichfield, where they listened to a noble church service performed at the cathe dral, " with more harmony and less huddle" than in any other church in England. The cathedral church, after being ruined in the Civil War, had then been fully restored by the zeal and diligence of Bishop Hacket, by "barefaced begging." No gentleman lodged or scarce baited in the city to .whom he did not pay his respects by way of visit, which ended in plausible entreaties for some as sistance towards completely rescuing his dis tressed church from its calamities. His success was signal.
