A very interesting list of the inns in Essex (107 in all) in 1636 is given in John Taylor’s--the “Water Poet’s”--_Catalogue of Tavernes in Tenne Shires about London_, published in that year. Unfortunately, however, in only thirteen cases does he give the sign. In all other cases he merely gives the name of the holder. Frequent allusion will hereafter be made to this list of inns. In the first edition of _Pigot’s Commercial Directory_, published in 1823, is a list of the inns in the principal Essex towns at that day, which has proved very useful. An asterisk placed before the sign of any particular existing inn, or the name of the place at which it is situated, indicates that the inn in question is mentioned in the above _Directory_, and that it is therefore at least 64 years old. It is much to be regretted that, although the inns are, as a rule, among the oldest and most interesting houses in any small town or country village, our Essex historians have, almost without exception, been too fully occupied in tracing the descent of manors and estates, even to notice them. The list given in the _London Directory_ for 1885 enumerates no less than 1,742 distinct signs or devices, as appearing in the metropolis alone. Some of these are, of course, repeated as many as fifty times. [Illustration: HAND AND STAR. (_Date 1550, after Larwood and Hotten._)] [Illustration] CHAPTER II. _HERALDIC SIGNS._ ... “a coat of arms, ... and wild beasts on their hind legs, showing it, as if it was a copy they had done, with mouths from ear to ear,--good gracious!” DICKENS: _Little Dorrit_, book ii., chap. ix. As the quaint art of Heraldry has given to us many, if not a majority, of our most interesting signs, it is only reasonable that signs of this class should be treated first.