It has been conjectured that Stane Street (which we first saw at Chichester under the name of East Street, and again as it descended Bignor hill in the guise of a bostel) was constructed by Belinus, a Roman engineer, who gave to the woods through which he had to cut his way in this part of Sussex the name, Billingshurst, and to the gate by which London was entered, Billingsgate.
Billingshurst's place in literature was made by William Cobbett, for it was here that he met the boy in a smock frock who recalled to his mind so many of his deeds of Quixotry.

The incident is described in the _Rural Rides_:-- [Sidenote: COBBETT AND THE LITTLE CHAP] "This village is seven miles from Horsham, and I got here to breakfast about seven o'clock.

A very pretty village, and a very nice breakfast, in a very neat little parlour of a very decent public-house.

The landlady sent her son to get me some cream, and he was just such a chap as I was at his age, and dressed just in the same sort of way, his main garment being a blue smock-frock, faded from wear, and mended with pieces of _new_ stuff, and, of course, not faded.

The sight of this smock-frock brought to my recollection many things very dear to me.