At present, though it is possible that some one or two of this peculiar class of wild-cats may still exist, their talons must be much impaired by age; and I think they can do little more than sit, like the Giant Pope, in the Pilgrim's Progress, at the door of their unfrequented caverns, and grin at the pilgrims over whom they used formerly to execute their despotism.
FOOTNOTES: [I-1] See Editor's Notes at the end of the Volume.

Wherever a similar reference occurs, the reader will understand that the same direction applies.
[I-2] See the old Ballad of King Estmere, in PERCY'S _Reliques_.
[I-3] In a colloquy of Erasmus, called _Diversaria_, there is a very unsavoury description of a German inn of the period, where an objection of the guest is answered in the manner expressed in the text--a great sign of want of competition on the road.
[I-4] This circumstance shows of itself, that the Meg Dods of the tale cannot be identified with her namesake Jenny Dods, who kept the inn at Howgate,[I-B] on the Peebles road; for Jenny, far different from our heroine, was unmatched as a slattern.
[I-5] This was universally the case in Scotland forty or fifty years ago; and so little was charged for a domestic's living when the author became first acquainted with the road, that a shilling or eighteenpence was sufficient board wages for a man-servant, when a crown would not now answer the purpose.

It is true the cause of these reasonable charges rested upon a principle equally unjust to the landlord, and inconvenient to the guest.

The landlord did not expect to make any thing upon the charge for eating which his bill contained; in consideration of which, the guest was expected to drink more wine than might be convenient or agreeable to him, "_for the good_," as it was called, "_of the house_." The landlord indeed was willing and ready to assist, in this duty, every stranger who came within his gates.

Other things were in proportion.