robustness, about six feet two in height, few durst try upon him

the practical jokes which cowardly persons are sometimes disposed
to play upon the blind.

Notwithstanding his mischievous tricks and youthful wildness, there
must have been something exceedinglywinning about the man,

possessed, as he was, of a strong, manly, and affectionate nature;
and we are not, therefore, surprised to learn that the land lord's

daughter of "The Granby" fairly fell in love with Blind Jack and
married him, much to the disgust of her relatives. When asked how

it was that she could marry such a man, her woman-like reply was,
"Because I could not be happy without him: his actions are so

singular, and his spirit so manly and enterprising, that I could
not help loving him." But, after all, Dolly was not so far wrong in

the choice as her parents thought her. As the result proved,
Metcalf had in him elements of success in life, which, even according

to the world's estimate, made him eventually a very "good match,"
and the woman's clear sight in this case stood her in good stead.

But before this marriage was consummated, Metcalf had wandered far
and "seen" a good deal of the world, as he termed it. He travelled

on horseback to Whitby, and from thence he sailed for London,
taking with him his fiddle, by the aid of which he continued to

earn enough to maintain himself for several weeks in the
metropolis. Returning to Whitby, He sailed from thence to

Newcastle to "see" some friends there, whom he had known at
Harrogate while visiting that watering-place. He was welcomed by

many families and spent an agreeable month, afterwards visiting
Sunderland, still supporting himself by his violin playing.

Then he returned to Whitby for his horse, and rode homeward alone to
Knaresborough by Pickering, Malton, and York, over very bad roads,

the greater part of which he had never travelled before, yet
without once missing his way. When he arrived at York, it was the

dead of night, and he found the city gates at Middlethorp shut.
They were of strong planks, with iron spikes fixed on the top; but

throwing his horse's bridle-rein over one of the spikes, he climbed
up, and by the help of a corner of the wall that joined the gates,

he got safely over: then opening; them from the inside, he led his
horse through.

After another season at Harrogate, he made a second visit to
London, in the company of a North countryman who played the small

pipes. He was kindly entertained by Colonel Liddell, of Ravensworth
Castle, who gave him a general invitation to his house. During

this visit which was in 1730-1, Metcalf ranged freely over the
metropolis, visiting Maidenhead and Reading, and returning by

Windsor and Hampton Court. The Harrogate season being at hand,
he prepared to proceed thither,--Colonel Liddell, who was also about

setting out for Harrogate, offering him a seat behind his coach.
Metcalf thanked him, but declined the offer, observing that he

could, with great ease, walk as, far in a day as he, the Colonel,
was likely to travel in his carriage; besides, he preferred the

walking. That a blind man should undertake to walk a distance of
two hundred miles over an unknown road, in the same time that it

took a gentleman to perform the same distance in his coach, dragged
by post-horses, seems almost incredible; yet Metcalf actually

arrived at Harrogate before the Colonel, and that without hurrying
by the way. The circumstance is easily accounted for by the

deplorable state of the roads, which made travelling by foot on the
whole considerably more expeditious than travelling by coach.

The story is even extant of a man with a wooden leg being once offered
a lift upon a stage-coach; but he declined, with "Thank'ee, I can't

wait; I'm in a hurry." And he stumped on, ahead of the coach.
The account of Metcalf's journey on foot from London to Harrogate

is not without a special bearing on our subject, as illustrative of
the state of the roads at the time. He started on a Monday

morning, about an hour before the Colonel in his carriage, with his
suite, which consisted of sixteen servants on horseback. It was

arranged that they should sleep that night at Welwyn, in
Hertfordshire. Metcalf made his way to Barnet; but a little north

of that town, where the road branches off to St. Albans, he took
the wrong way, and thus made a considerable detour. Nevertheless

he arrived at Welwyn first, to the surprise of the Colonel. Next
morning he set off as before, and reached Biggleswade; but there he

found the river swollen and no bridge provided to enable travellers
to cross to the further side. He made a considerablecircuit, in

the hope of finding some method of crossing the stream, and was so
fortunate as to fall in with a fellow wayfarer, who led the way

across some planks, Metcalf following the sound of his feet.
Arrived at the other side, Metcalf, taking some pence from his

pocket, said, "Here, my good fellow, take that and get a pint of beer."
The stranger declined, saying he was welcome to his services.

Metcalf, however, pressed upon his guide the small reward, when the
other asked, "Pray, can you see very well?" "Not remarkably well,"

said Metcalf. "My friend," said the stranger, "I do not mean to
tithe you: I am the rector of this parish; so God bless you,

and I wish you a good journey. " Metcalf set forward again with
the blessing, and reached his journey's end safely, again before the

Colonel. On the Saturday after their setting out from London,
the travellers reached Wetherby, where Colonel Liddell desired to

rest until the Monday; but Metcalf proceeded on to Harrogate, thus
completing the journey in six days,--the Colonel arriving two days

later.
He now renewed his musical performances at Harrogate, and was also

in considerable request at the Ripon assemblies, which were
attended by most of the families of distinction in that

neighbourhood. When the season at Harrogate was over, he retired
to Knaresborough with his young wife, and having purchased an old

house, he had it pulled down and another built on its site,--he
himself getting the requisite stones for the masonry out of the bed

of the adjoining river. The uncertainty of the income derived from
musical performances led him to think of following some more

settled pursuit, now that he had a wife to maintain as well as
himself. He accordingly set up a four-wheeled and a one-horse

chaise for the public accommodation,--Harrogate up to that time
being without any vehicle for hire. The innkeepers of the town

having followed his example, and abstracted most of his business,
Metcalf next took to fish-dealing. He bought fish at the coast,

which he conveyed on horseback to Leeds and other towns for sale.
He continued indefatigable at this trade for some time, being on

the road often for nights together; but he was at length forced to
abandon it in consequence of the inadequacy of the returns. He was

therefore under the necessity of again taking up his violin; and he
was employed as a musician in the Long Room at Harrogate, at the

time of the outbreak of the Rebellion of 1745.
The news of the rout of the Royal army at Prestonpans, and the

intended march of the Highlanders southwards, put a stop to
business as well as pleasure, and caused a general consternation

throughout the northern counties. The great bulk of the people
were, however, comparativelyindifferent to the measures of defence

which were adopted; and but for the energy displayed by the country
gentlemen in raising forces in support of the established

government, the Stuarts might again have been seated on the throne
of Britain. Among the county gentlemen of York who distinguished

themselves on the occasion was William Thornton, Esq., of
Thornville Royal. The county having voted ninety thousand pounds

for raising, clothing, and maintaining a body of four thousand men,
Mr. Thornton proposed, at a public meeting held at York, that they

should be embodied with the regulars and march with the King's
forces to meet the Pretender in the field. This proposal was,

however, overruled, the majority of the meeting resolving that the
men should be retained at home for purposes merely of local

defence. On this decision being come to, Mr. Thornton determined
to raise a company of volunteers at his own expense, and to join

the Royal army with such force as he could muster. He then went
abroad among his tenantry and servants, and endeavoured to induce