history of them, and deciphered and translated inscriptions which would cost even the best of scholars much time and trouble to make out. These, and extracts from Dugdale and other early authors he had transcribed in a manuscript book, which he generously loaned to me for the notice I wished to make of the building and its monuments. He took us to his school, which was a great stone martin-box standing on four posts, with a stairway at one end ascending to the door. The room was full of children, rural, ruddy, and happy as birds, and looked as much surprised on seeing such strangers step suddenly on to their perch. Our visit to this little village, which we seemed to have stumbled upon by accident, was very enjoyable and gave us the satisfaction of an unexpected discovery.
From Tong we continued our walk to the chief point of interest we had in view when we left home; or Boscobel. The weather continued fine, and we made our way first by cross-roads and by-paths, and then over meadow and pasture fields, until we came in sight of a green mound wearing a crest of tall lime trees. From this we had our first sight of that house so celebrated in English history and so vitally connected with the life-and-death crisis in the experience of Charles II. As we approached it, we saw "Charles's Oak" a few rods distant in a meadow adjoining the
