An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

52 AUTOBIOGRAPHY in editing the first two volumes of the Visitation of 1563. We had meant to ride back to London, but not g-etting proper accommodation at Brandon, railed to Cambridge .and put up at the " Ho0p," Winthrop's favourite inn, at which, however, he met but a cold welcome, and which struck me as very dear, dirty and dark. I hear it has been greatly improved since. We saw the buttery at Clare, bis -old college. Incidentally, he sat a radical blacksmith on the hot ashes of his own anvil until his leather breeches were -singed and be bad apologised for a disloyal remark on the late Qneen. He was a perfect Porthos and I shall never forget how at the '' Saracen's Head," at Ware, when his .appetite was tempted by the sight in the larder of partridges belonging to a shooting party, and therefore, not available to ordinary customers, be introduced himself to such party with the expression "Gentlemen, I have need of partridges," -and offered to barter bottles of champagne for birds, which offer I need hardly say was gladly accepted. Next day we rode back by Hampstead, and I looked in at Brompton and saw my mother and brother Frank, just back from Canada. This was, I think, the last time I saw my mother. The Christmas I spent at Frank's at Ventnor, where be bad gone for his health, and made my acquaintance with the Undercliff with its scarlet geraniums, and "Bon– church Chimney" and Pond, with its eucalyptus trees grow– ing in the open. The rest of the year I was at Norwich. During this year I brought out a terribly long book, an index to N orfo1k Topography which had taken me years of patient labour to compile, which was printed by the Index Society (pp.416and 29). To this I afterwards issued an appendix (pp. 417-513), and later on an Index Rerum. I also printed a pamphlet containing all the deeds relating to the parish and other charities of Wandsworth, and my Calendar of Norfolk Feet of Fines for Richard I. and John, this year. In 1882 I bought a " Meteor" tricycle which was much lighter and went well on it,getting 30 miles before lunch with J. H. A. Reay. On the 10th February my mother died and was buried on the I 5th at Kensal Green. On the 29th April I wrote the last "Easterling'' article in the Sporting Gazette. The bound copies of them and my very complete