old
Cathedral town. Let it stand in these pages as Cloisterham. It was once
possibly known to the Druids by another name, and certainly to the Romans
by another; and a name more or less in the course of many centuries can be
of little moment in its dusty chronicles." Dickens describes it thus:

"An ancient city, Cloisterham, and no meet dwelling-place for any one with
hankerings after the noisy world. A monotonous, silent city, deriving an
earthy flavour throughout from its cathedral crypt, and so abounding in
vestiges of monastic graves that the Cloisterham children grow small salad
in the dust of abbots and abbesses, and make dirt-pies of nuns and friars;
while every ploughman in its outlying fields renders to once puissant Lord
Treasurers, Archbishops, Bishops, and such like, the attention which the
Ogre in the story-book desired to render to his unbidden visitor, and
grinds their bones to make his bread.... In a word, a city of another and
a bygone time is Cloisterham, with its hoarse Cathedral bell, its hoarse
rooks hovering about the Cathedral tower, its hoarser and less distinct
rooks in the stalls far beneath."

For the Dickens pilgrim, the first landmark that will strike his eye will
be the Corn Exchange, "with its queer old clock that projects over the
pavement" ("Edwin Drood"). Watts' Charity, a triple-gabled edifice in the
High Street, has become world-famous through Dickens' "Christmas Story."
"Strictly speaking," he says, "there were only six poor travellers, but
being a traveller myself, and being withal as poor as I hope to be, I
brought the number up to seven."

The building is to be recognized both by the roof angles and the
inscriptions on the walls, the principal one of which runs thus:

RICHARD WATTS ESQ.,

_by his Will, dated 22 Aug. 1579,_
_founded this Charity_
_for Six poor Travellers,_
_who not being Rogues or Proctors_
_may receive gratis for one night,_
_Lodging, Entertainment,_
_and Fourpence each._

Could good Richard Watts come forth some morning from his resting-place in
the south transept over the way, he would have the pleasure of seeing how
efficiently the trustees are carrying on their work.

The visitor, too, who desires to see the preparation for the coming
evening's guests, may calculate on being no less "curtuoslie intreated"
than the guests proper. In the little parlour to the left, as we enter
from the street door, is the famous book containing the na