otwithstanding his
patronage of and comrades in the prize-fighting ring, could hardly find
enough champions for a fight, even among the boys.

In later years Chartism reached Royston and caused a flutter in the
breasts of those concerned with the _status quo_, for it appears that
one Joseph Peat had "held forth" by permission of the landlord at the
"Coach and Horses." The Magistrates had a meeting to prevent the
spread of Chartism in consequence of this event, and the landlord was
sent for and cautioned that if he allowed such a thing again he would
lose his licence.

The beginning of all positive work set about by negative process is
slow, and this, I suppose, would apply to keeping outside a
public-house, for the Teetotal folk in Royston--handicapped, as in
other places, by a name that has ever prejudiced and hampered a public
movement--found out this to their cost.

They did not lack stimulants when they first began to hold meetings,
for the opposition camp came to the meeting, took care to come
provided, and, fortifying themselves with bottles of beer, raised so
much clamour that the recently enrolled policeman had to try his hand
at checking intemperance and some broken heads rewarded his exertions.
The publicans generally attended the meetings in good force and between
the rival parties, instead of applause there was sometimes breaking of
windows if nothing worse. The British School was one of the first
public rooms used for these meetings.

Of popular entertainments, as we now understand them, there were very
few, not one where we now have a score, and until the erection of the
British School no suitable building. It must not, however, be supposed
that the town was entirely without the means of occasional recreation.
The Assembly Room at the Red Lion was still a place of importance for
public assemblies, and, for some years before Queen Victoria came to
the throne, this room was the scene of some creditable displays of
local talent. This talent took the thespian form, and the tradesmen of
the town, banded together as the Royston Theatrical Amateur Society,
were accustomed to draw the _elite_ of the town and neighbourhood into
3s. and 2s. 6d. seats (nothing less!) while they placed on the boards a
rattling good version of _Bombastes Furioso_ and other pieces in
popular favour at the time.

{128}

Reference has been made to the reluctance of the Parish
Authorities--once bitten, twice shy--to let the Par