f Mr. Pensile is very
appropriate.

Before Leamington rose into esteem, there was a facetious man resided
there, named Benjamin Satchwell, by trade a shoemaker, who, when any
differences arose among the villagers, he was in general the mediator;
they not being at that time cursed with either a wrangling lawyer
or an hypocritical methodist. He was also the village poet, and
frequently exercised his talents in praise of the waters, and likewise
of any respectable person who came with intent to derive benefit
from them. He is said to have kept annals in verse of its rise and
progress, and also cases of cures performed by the virtues of the
saline spring, and that he let them out to the visitors for their
amusement, on certain terms. Admitting this to be true, is it not
very singular that Mr. Bisset, nor his predecessor, Mr. Pratt, should
neither of them introduce these jeu des esprits, for the entertainment
of their readers, or why did not Mr. Moncrief collect them together;
they certainly would have increased the sale of his work? As they are
overlooked by the local historians, it is not likely that a casual
visitor should stumble upon them.

This village having for a series of years been celebrated for a spring
of saline water, it has for some time become fashionable to resort
there. The first baths were erected in the year 1786, now called
the Centre well, by Mr. Thomas Abbotts, a native of the place; the
beneficial effects of the water having been noticed and recommended by
Dr. Kerr, of Northampton, and Dr. Allen. At this time there were two
baths, one of them hot and the other cold, which for several years
afforded sufficient accommodation for all invalids who resorted there,
and were in general lodged at the adjacent cottages, there being no
more than two small inns, the Bowling Green and the sign of the Dog.

Dr. Edward Johnstone, of Birmingham, having recommended the use of
these waters to several of his patients, the number of visitants
increased annually, so that in 1790, Matthew Wise, Esq. caused another
well to be opened, now called the Road well, where he erected a
range of baths, more spacious than the others, to which was annexed
considerably more conveniences, with some pretensions to elegance; but
as yet no additional apartments were provided for the accommodation of
strangers, except a few more of the cottagers fitting up additional
rooms, it being no more than a rural and retired village.

In the ye