Social and Public Life.--Wrestling and Cock-Fighting.--An Eighteenth Century Debating Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CHAPTER IV. The Parochial Parliament and the Old Poor-Law . . . . . . . 32 CHAPTER V. Dogberry "On Duty" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 CHAPTER VI. The Dark Night of the Eighteenth Century.--The Shadow of Napoleon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 CHAPTER VII. Domestic Life and the Tax-Gatherer.--The Doctor and the Body-Snatcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 CHAPTER VIII. Old Pains and Penalties.--From the Stocks to the Gallows . . 83 CHAPTER IX. Old Manners and Customs.--Soldiers, Elections and Voters.--"Statties," Magic and Spells . . . . . . . . . . . 92 CHAPTER X. Trade, Agriculture and Market Ordinaries . . . . . . . . . . 103 CHAPTER XI. Royston in 1800-25.--Its Surroundings, its Streets, and its People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 CHAPTER XII. Public Worship and Education.--Morals and Music . . . . . . 117 CHAPTER XIII. Sports and Pastimes.--Cricket, Hunting, Racing, and Prize-Fighting.--The Butcher and the Baronet, and other Champions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 CHAPTER XIV. Old Coaching Days.--Stage Wagons and Stage Coaches . . . . . 142 CHAPTER XV. New Wine and Old Bottles.--A Parochial Revolution.--The Old Poor-House and the New "Bastille" . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 CHAPTER XVI. When the Policeman Came.--When the Railway Came.--Curious and Memorable Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 CHAPTER XVII. Then and Now.--Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 ERRATA--Page 16, lines 9 and 29, for _Dr. Monsey_, read _Dr. Mowse_. [Transcriber's note: These changes have been incorporated into this e-book.] LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Portrait of King George III. . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ Old Stage Wagon, A.D. 1800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The "Fox and Hounds," Barley, Herts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Lady in Reign of George III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Old Jockey House--King James' Stables--Near Royston . . . . . 22 Staircase into Royston Cave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Illustration of a portion of the Interior of Royston Cave . . 37 Dogberry "On Duty" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Napoleon Buonaparte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Tinder-Box, Flint, Steel, and Matches . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 A Lady of the Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 The Old Parish Stocks at Meldreth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Reading the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 The Hunt Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131