Charles Dickens

The Seven Poor Travellers Charles Dickens

Strictly speaking, there were only six Poor Travellers; but, being a Traveller myself, though an idle one, and being withal as poor as I hope to be, I brought the number upto seven. This word of explanation is due at once, for what says the inscription overthe quaint old door?RICHARD WATTS, Esq.by his Will, dated 22 Aug. 1579, founded this Charityfor Six poor Travellers, who not being ROGUES, or PROCTORS, May receive gratis for one Night, Lodging, Entertainment, and Fourpence each. It was in the ancient little city of Rochester in Kent, of all the good days in the yearupon a Christmas-eve, that I stood reading this inscription over the quaint old door inquestion. I had been wandering about the neighbouring Cathedral, and had seen thetomb of Richard Watts, with the effigy of worthy Master Richard starting out of it likea ship's figure-head; and I had felt that I could do no less, as I gave the Verger his fee, than inquire the way to Watts's Charity. The way being very short and very plain, Ihad come prosperously to the inscription and the quaint old door."Now," said I to myself, as I looked at the knocker, "I know I am not a Proctor; Iwonder whether I am a Rogue!"Upon the whole, though Conscience reproduced two or three pretty faces whichmight have had smaller attraction for a moral Goliath than they had had for me, whoam but a Tom Thumb in that way, I came to the conclusion that I was not aRogue. So, beginning to regard the establishment as in some sort my property, bequeathed to me and divers co-legatees, share and share alike, by the WorshipfulMaster Richard Watts, I stepped backward into the road to survey my inhe