| To all whom it may concern
; with my kind remembrance to the Posts, Carriers, Waggoners and Higglers.
If any man or woman whatsoever hath either occasion
or patience to read this following description, it is no doubt but that
they shall find full satisfaction for as much as they laid out for the book
: if not, it is against my will; and my good intentions are lost and frustrate.
I wrote it for three causes. First, for a general and necessary
good use for the whole commonwealth. secondly, to express my grateful duty
to all those who have honestly paid me my money which they owed me for my
books of The collection of Taverns in London
and Westminster, and ten shires or counties next round about London;
and I do also thank all such as as do purpose to pay me hereafter. Thirdly,
for the third sort, that can pay me and will not; I write this as a document
: I am well pleased to leave them to the hangman's tuition, as being past
any other man's mending, for I would have them to know, that I am sensible
of the too much loss that I do suffer by their pride or cousenage; their
number being so many and my charge so great, which I paid for paper and
printing of these books, that the base dealing of those sharks is insupportable.
But the tedious toil that I had in this collection, and the harsh and unsavoury
answers that I was fain to take patiently, from Hostlers, Carriers, and
Porters, may move any man that thinks himself mortal to pity me.
In
some places, I was suspected for a projector; or one that had devised some
trick to bring the Carriers under some new taxation; and sometimes I was
held to have been a Man-taker, a Sergeant, or Bailiff to arrest or attach
men's goods or beasts. Indeed I was scarce taken for an honest man amongst
the most of them. All which suppositions I was enforced oftentimes to wash
away with two or three jugs of beer, at most of the Inns I came to. In some
Inns or Hostelries, I could get no certain intelligence, so that I did take
instructions at the next Inn unto it; which I did oftentimes take upon trust
though I doubted it was indirect and imperfect.
Had the Carriers, Hostlers, and others known
my harmless and honest intendments, I do think this following relation had
been more large and useful: but if there be anything left out in this first
impression, it shall be with diligence inserted hereafter, when the Carriers
and I shall be more familiarly acquainted; and they, with the Hostlers,
shall be pleased in their generosity, to afford me more ample directions.
In the mean space, I hope I shall give none of my readers cause to curse
the Carrier that brought me to town.
Some may object that the Carriers do often
change and shift from one Inn or Lodging to another, whereby this following
direction may be hereafter untrue. To them I answer, that I am not bound
to bind them or to stay them in one place; but if they do remove, they may
be inquired for at the place which they have left or forsaken; and it is
an easy matter to find them by the learned intelligence of some other Carriers,
an Hostler, or an understanding Porter.
Others may object and say that I have not
named all the towns and places that Carriers do go unto in England and Wales.
To whom I yield; but yet I answer, that if a Carrier of York hath a letter
or goods to deliver at any town in his way thither, he serves the turn well
enough: and there are Carriers and Messengers from York to carry such goods
and letters as are too be passed any ways north, broad and wide as far or
farther than Berwick. So he that sends to Lancaster may from thence have
what he sends conveyed to Kendal or Cockermouth; and what a man sends to
Hereford may from thence be passed to St. Davids in Wales. The Worcester
Carriers can convey anything as far as Caermarthen; and those that go to
Chester may send to Caernarvon. The Carriers or Posts that go to Exeter
may send daily to Plymouth, or to the Mount in Cornwall. Mixfiled, Chippenham,
Hungerford, Newberry, and all those towns between London and Bristol; the
Bristol Carriers do carry letters unto them: so likewise all the towns and
places served, which are betwixt London and Lincoln, or Boston, Yarmouth,
Oxford, Cambridge, Walsingham, Dover, Rye, or any place of the King's dominions,
with safe and true carriage of goods and letters; as by this little book's
directions may be perceived.
Besides, if a man at Constantinople or some
other remote part or region shall chance to send a letter to his parents,
master, or friends that dwell at Nottingham, Derby, Shrewsbury, Exeter,
or any other town in England; then this book will give instructions where
the Carriers do lodge that may convey the said letter, which could not easily
be done without it; for there are not many that by heart or memory can tell
suddenly where and when every Carrier is to be found.
I have (for the ease of the reader and the
speedier finding out of every town's name, to which any one would send,
or from whence they would receive ) set them down by way of Alphabet; and
thus Reader if thou beest pleased, I am satisfied; if thou beest contented,
I am paid; if thou beest angry, I care not for it. |
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Ancient Inn Yards |