cipal founders were Sir Humphrey Davy
and Sir Stamford Raffles.

The rambler in old London, whether he be on foot or in a cab, or by the
more humble and not inconvenient "bus," will, if he be in the proper
spirit for that edifying occupation, be duly impressed by the mile-stones
with which the main roads are set. Along the historic "Bath Road," the
"Great North Road," the "Portsmouth Road," or the "Dover Road," throughout
their entire length, are those silent though expressive monuments to the
city's greatness.

In old coaching days the custom was perhaps more of a consolation than it
proves to-day, and whether the Londoner was on pleasure bent, to the Derby
or Epsom, or coaching it to Ipswich or Rochester,--as did Pickwick,--the
mile-stones were always a cheerful link between two extremes.

To-day their functions are no less active; the advent of the bicycle and
the motor-car makes it more necessary than ever that they should be there
to mark distance and direction.

No more humourous aspect has ever been remarked than the anecdote
recounted by a nineteenth-century historian of the hunt of one Jedediah
Jones for the imaginary or long since departed "Hicks' Hall," from which
the mile-stones, cryptogrammatically, stated that "this stone was ten
(nine, eight, etc.) miles from Hicks' Hall." The individual in question
never was able to find the mythical "Hicks' Hall," nor the equally vague
"Standard in Cornhill," the latter being referred to by an accommodating
'bus driver in this wise: "Put ye down at the 'Standard in
Cornhill?'--that's a good one! I should like to know who ever seed the
'Standard in Cornhill.' Ve knows the 'Svan wi' Two Necks' and the 'Vite
Horse' in Piccadilly, but I never heerd of anybody that ever seed the
'Standard in Cornhill.' Ve simply reckons by it."

The suburbs of London in Dickens' time were full of such puzzling
mile-stones. As late as 1831 a gate existed at Tyburn turnpike, and so, as
if marking the distinction between London and the country, the mile-stones
read from Tyburn.

Hyde Park Corner is still used in a similar way. Other stones read merely
from London, but, as it would be difficult to know what part of London
might best be taken to suit the purposes of the majority, the statement
seems as vague as was Hicks' Hall. Why not, as a writer of the day
expressed it, measure from the G. P. O.? which to the stranger might prove
quite as unintelligible, meaning in this case, however, Ge