wrought-iron hinges intact. Almost next door is "The Crown," one of
the old coaching inns with the courtyard opening on the street. At one
time an open gallery ran round the first floor, and traces of this may
be seen on the further side. A little above the old house we have just
noticed was the White Hart Inn, the most celebrated house when country
inns were in their prime. It is now in the occupation of a market
gardener and has been much altered, but some of the passages and rooms
are still to be seen in the back premises. An amusing story connected
with the White Hart Inn has been revived by Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps,
who by means of it has endeavoured to explain the line in "Troilus and
Cressida." "The fool slides o'er the ice that you should break." The
anecdote is related by Robert Armin, who claims to have been an
eye-witness of the incident; and this would seem probable, as the
local touches are correct and Armin was for some time a member of the
company alluded to. It is to be found in a work entitled, _Foole Vpon
Foole, or Sixte Sortes of Sottes_, published in 1605, and re-edited
and issued, with the author's name attached, in 1608, as _A Nest of
Ninnies_. The fool referred to in the line quoted above is suspected
to be not merely the imaginary representative of a type but the
popular local Fool of Shakespeare's time, a fellow of brilliant parts,
but eccentric, and, we must suppose, lacking in balance and common
sense. We are told that one winter Lord Chandos's players visited
Evesham, and Jack Miller, our Fool, became greatly attached to the
company and in particular to Grumball the clown; indeed, so greatly
was he enamoured that he "swore he would goe all the world over with
Grumball." The townspeople being loth to lose so popular a character,
Jack was locked in a room at the back of the White Hart Inn from which
he could see the players journeying on their way to Pershore, their
next stage, by the road on the farther side of the river. With
difficulty he contrived to escape by the window, and ran down to the