Thrale history

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through St. Albans in the previous week; and reports are abroad that the female escaped at the same time.

There seems no doubt that the animal had been in the neighbourhood three or four days, as several places were found in which he had formed his lair; the feet, tail and the entrails of a dog belonging to Mr. House, which was lost on the previous Friday, were also found near one of them, and to the circumstances of his satisfying his cravings of hunger by devouring the dog, is perhaps owing to the preservation of human life. It appears that on Friday there were two women weeding in the field in which he was discovered and Mr. Lattimore so late as Sunday had about one o' clock hung his horse at the stile and walked into the same field to look at the state of the growing wheat. Two women have also stated that since the affair took place they saw an animal stealing along the side of the hedge of an adjoining field, which they supposed to be a very Newfoundland dog; how long this respect for the human species could have continued it is difficult to surmise, but it is fair to presume that unless the beast had happened to have discovered the proximity of a flock of sheep, belonging to Mr. Mardall, which were within two fields of him, our present extraordinary narration would have been accompanied with a tale of horror. As it has fortunately terminated, with the exception of the wounded old man Field who we hear is doing well, it only requires the addition of the elephants, and our quiet hedgerows turned into a jungle, to realise some of those marvellous and exciting accounts with which travellers astonish us under the title Hunting in the East.

It is a matter of regret that an enquiry did not take place immediately upon its escape; as from a knowledge of its peculiarities we think the necessity for destroying it might have been prevented. The dog in this instance it is feared will not recover as he was bitten through the brisket by the enraged beast'.

William Thrale was also a very keen anecdotist. A perfect example is that of Clibbon's Post. This post stands on the left side of the road from Bramfield to Datchworth half way up the hill rising up to Bull's Green and Datchworth. Round about 1780 the neighbourhood of Hertford and Ware was troubled by highwaymen, often disguised in carters' smocks, waylaying farmers on their way back to market. There was a pieman called Walter Clibbon who overheard conversations in the local tavern, especially one concerning Benjamin Whittenbury and his relatives of Queen Hoo Hall. One of the Whittenburys on going home was attacked by Clibbon and his sons; he escaped and raised the alarm back