philosopher and certainly the pain connected with the want of an inn would prevent him attempting a flight. There is no use in denying it—a good comfortable inn is the desideratum of every traveller towards the end of the day.

Now Stratford is very well provided with inns— better than most places of its size; and though they are of various standing and attractions, so that the visitant may choose among them according to his taste, or the depth of his pocket, yet are they all-to speak in good plain guide-book style-held in repute for the quality of their accommodation and the moderation of their charges. Each of them, however, boasts of something all its own; and on so important a matter it may be well to add a word. There is first the White Lion, in Henley-street, near Shakspere's house, which was the inn the Jubilee magnates made their headquarters; here, you will be reminded, it was that Dr. Greville and Mr. Wildgoose, in that not unclever, though now everywhere-but-at-Stratfordforgotten novel, "The Spiritual Quixote,' are made to stop in their way from Gloucester to Warwickshire. The landlord there spoken of, Sam. Welchman, was the son of Dr. Welchman, author of the 'Illustrations of the Thirty-nine Articles.' Sam was not himself overburdened with learning, but he was conscious of the honour reflected on him by that of his father, and he used to take care that his guests should not be ignorant of it. "Gentlemen," he used to say, as soon as he became ever so slightly familiar with them, "I dare say you have heard of my father, gentlemen-a very great man-he made the Thirty-nine Articles." Another inn, not unknown to fame, is the Red Horse of Wash

ington Irving, where they show his room, his hand-writing, and some other things of hiswhereof more hereafter. Then adjoining the townhall there is the Shakspere, which, besides the attraction of its name for all, has an excellent kitchen for the man of taste, and for the ardent Shaksperian a relic of the mulberry-tree, and, on its lawn, the font in which the bard was baptized. Opposite to the site of New-place is the Falcon, which tradition assigns as originally the residence of Shakspere's friend Julius Shaw, but there is better reason to believe that his house was a few doors from New-place, on the same side of the way, between it and the Shakspere Hotel. The Falcon is, however, a very old house, and may be as old as Shakspere's time: the present front is quite recent. It too has its relics. The wainscoting of the large room in which the Shakspere Club holds its meetings, was brought from Newplace when it was pulled down, and affixed where it now remains. The present landlord has a branch of the mulberry-tree, and some other matters. Having fixed on an inn, there can be no question whither next the pilgrim will bend his footsteps.

THE IMMORTAL SHAKSPEARE WAS BORN IN
THIS HOUSE,

is the inscription on a rudely painted sign-board, fixed over what looks like a very miserable butcher's shop in Henley-street. All the most minute details connected with the life of Shakspere have been so canvassed within the last few years, that it may perhaps be necessary to say that the belief that he was born in this house remains undisturbed. Tradition has constantly affirmed this to be his birth

place, and in a matter of this kind tradition is much more trustworthy than when she tattles of the actions or sayings of eminent men. Nor is her testimony unsupported. Proper official documents exist, which prove that the poet's father, John Shakspere, did, in 1555, nine years before William Shakspere's birth, purchase a house and appurtenances situated in Henley-street; and it is equally well authenticated that the son owned this very house till his death. John Shakspere had, at the same time, other property in Stratford, and some a little way out of it, but we may fairly receive the tradition which makes this his dwelling-place in April, 1564. Whatever he may have read about the house, or however familiar he may be with the engravings of it, he who looks upon it for the first time will experience a feeling of surprise and disappointment at its extreme humbleness. Could a substantial yeoman, as John Shakspere appears to have been, have dwelt in such a place? he will ask himself, and it will require an effort to believe in the affirmative. But the dwellings of wealthy yeomen were very different then to those of a similar class now; besides which, this house has undergone strange vicissitudes since he occupied it. Then, and long afterwards, we know that it had extensive orchards and gardens attached to it— now it is divided into three tenements, and its grounds are severed from it and built upon, or otherwise occupied. But its history will best enable us to understand its mutations, and that may be told in a very brief space. From John Shakspere it descended to his eldest son, the poet, who bequeathed it, now described as two houses, to his eldest daughter Susannah, reserving to his sister