n of La Belle Sauvage, or 'The Beautiful Savage,') I have found
rational and attentive beings; and I have known those who have bolted
through 'The Bolt in Tun,' in order to avoid being bolted in a prison."

"Vastly well, indeed," exclaimed Sparkle; "and after all there is much
to be done by a sign as well as by an advertisement in the newspapers,
however inappropriate. The custom is of very ancient date, having been
made use of even by the Romans; and not many years back a bush of ivy,
or a bunch of grapes, was used for the purpose; nay, to the present day
they may be met with in many places. The Bush is perhaps one of the
most ancient of public-house signs, which gave rise to the well-known
proverb,

"Good wine needs no bush."

That is to say, it requires nothing to point out where it is sold.
At country fairs, you will frequently see the houses in its vicinity
decorated with a Bush or a Bough, from which they are termed Bough
Houses, where accommodation may be found. This practice, I know, is
still in use at Boroughbridge, in Yorkshire, during their annual fair in
June, which lasts a week or ten days. But putting up boughs as a sign of
any thing to be sold, was not confined to alehouses; for in old times,
such as sold horses were wont to put flowers or boughs upon their heads,
to reveal that they were vendible.{1}

1 In all probability from this practice originated the well
known proverb,

"As fine as a horse,"

an illustration of which, from the "Life of Mrs.
Pilkington," is here subjoined:--

"They took places in the waggon for Chester, and quitted
London early on May morning; and it being the custom on the
first of this month to give the waggoner at every Inn a
ribbon to adorn his team, she soon discovered the origin of
the proverb 'as fine as a horse;' for before they got to
the end of the journey, the poor beasts were almost blinded
by the tawdry party-coloured flowing honours of their
heads."

~~398~~~ In Scotland, a wisp of straw upon a pole, is or was some years
ago the indication of an alehouse; and to this day a ship or vessel for
sale may be discovered by a birch broom at the mast head. I remember
reading, that in Fleet Market, on the eastern side, there were some
small houses, with a sign post, representing two hands conjoined, with
words, "Marriages performed within" written beneath them, whilst a dirty
fellow assailed the ears of