Space forbids us to mention more than a very few of these old London Inns. That old Tabard—what a picture of fourteenth-century life does its very name recall! The earliest mention of this typical old Southwark Inn—an inn which after seeing all the changes and chances of five centuries, fell a victim but yesterday to that modern Vandal, the improver (save the mark!)—occurs in a register of the Abbey of Hyde, near Winchester, where we find that two tenements were conveyed by William de Ludegarsale to the Abbot in 1306, the site being described as extending in length from the common ditch of Southwark eastwards, as far as the royal way towards the west. This royal way was none other than the old Roman road which connected London with Kent and the south. Stow, writing three centuries later, thus mentions the inn and its sign: “From thence towards London Bridge,” he writes, “bee many faire Innes, for receit of travellers, by these signes, the Spurre, Christopher, Bull, Queen’s Head, _Tabard_, George, Hart, King’s Head, etc. Amongst the which the most ancient is the Tabard, so called of the signe, which as wee do now terme it, is of a Jacket or sleevelesse coate whole before, open on both sides, with a square collar, winged at the shoulders; a stately garment, of old time commonly worne of noblemen and others, both at home and abroad in the warres; but then, (to wit in the warres) their Armes embroidered, or otherwise depict upon them that every man by his coate of Armes might be knowne from others: But now these Tabards are onely worne by the Heralds, and bee called their coates of Armes in service. Of the Inne of the Tabard, Geffrey Chaucer Esquire, the most famous poet of England, in commendation thereof, writeth thus:— “Byfel, that in that sesoun, on a day In Southwark at the Tabard as I lay, Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage To Caunterbury with ful devout corage, {201} At night was come into that hostelrie Wel nyne and twenty in a compainye, Of sondry folk, by aventure i-falle, In felawship and pilgrims were thei alle, That toward Caunterbury wolden ryden.” Then follows an unrivalled description of typical fourteenth-century society.   The Knight,           . . . . a worthy man, That from the tyme that he first bigan To ryden out, he lovede chyvalrye, Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie. * * * * * He was a very perfight gentil knight.” —The Squire, whose gay dress is thus described:— Embrowded was he, as it were a mede Al ful of fresshe flouers, white and reede— —The Yeoman attending him, “clad in coote and hood of greene.” —The “Nonne, a Prioresse,” so “symple and coy,” whose “gretteste ooth was but by seynt Loy”:— And Frensch sche spak ful faine and fetysly, After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe For Frensch of Parys was to hire unknowe.