The Poems of Richard Corbet, late bishop of Oxford and of Norwich: 4th editionCorbet, Richard
General
The Poems of Richard Corbet, late bishop of Oxford and of Norwich: 4th edition
Corbet, Richard
English poetry
The tourist next observes on the extortion of the innkeeper, who,
reckoning by the number of his guests rather than the goodness of his
provision, charged them seven shillings and sixpence for bread and beer;
but, after a kindly caution to the publican to forbear such cozenage upon
Divines in future, lest they should be suspected of drinking as freely
as he charges them, turns from a subject so unworthy of his Pegasus in
disgust, and inquires if this be not the burial-place of Richard the
Third; and, finding that there is no memorial for him, moralizes upon the
neglected state in which he lies, as the eventual fate of all greatness:
then from Richard proceeds to Wolsey, who was also buried at Leicester,
and produces similar reflections; and from Wolsey, to William the ostler
of the inn, who outdoes the company in years as well as drink, and calls
them to horse as imperiously as if he had a warrant from the earl of
Nottingham.
The earl of Nottingham here glanced at was Charles lord Howard of
Effingham, lord high admiral of England under queen Elizabeth and king
James the First. He died in 1624.
[Sidenote: 25]
From Leicester to Nottingham (twenty-five miles) the travellers pass
without noticing any thing on their way, until approaching the latter
place they cross the Trent, pray to St. Andrew as they ride up hill, into
the town, and observe that the people burrow, like conies, in caverns,
from whence the smoke ascends at the feet of the woman who stands on the
surface watching, down the chimney, the cooking of her dinner. The part
of the town at which they enter is described as the Rocky Parish, higher
than the rest; and the church of St. Mary, as embracing her Baby in her
arms. From hence they proceed to the Castle, which is described as a
ruin, with two statues of giants at the gates, whom the tourist severely
censures for their negligence in permitting their charge to come to ruin,
and reproaches them with the fidelity of the giants at Guildhall and
Holmeby, who had carefully kept the buildings committed to their charge
when the founders were dead. The poet might still compliment the giants
at Guildhall; but of Holmeby (Holdenby House, Northamptonshire, built
by queen Elizabeth’s lord chancellor, sir Christopher Hatton,) not one
stone remains upon another: nay, the very memory of the giants might have
perished but for the Iter Boreale.
The travellers then go to dinner at the Bull’s Head, where the archbishop
of York had been before them, and where their discontent with bed and
diet was answered by a reference to the satisfaction which _he_ had
received; and where the aged landlord, formerly an ostler, is noticed as
a rare example to those who have an itch for gold.
[Sidenote: 20]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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