The stages, and the official distances between the stages, at this time from London to Berwick, were as follows:--
London to Waltham, 12 miles. Waltham " Ware, 8 " Ware " Royston, 13 " Royston " Caxton, 9 " Caxton " Huntingdon, 7 " Huntingdon " Stilton, 9 " Stilton " Stamford, 14 " Stamford " Witham, 8 " Witham " Grantham, 8 " Grantham " Newark, 10 " Newark " Tuxford, 10 " Tuxford " Scroby, 12 " Scroby " Doncaster, 7 " Doncaster " Ferribrigs, 10 " Ferribrigs " Tadcaster, 10 " Tadcaster " Yorke, 8 " Yorke " Burrowbridge 12 " Burrowbridge " N. Allerton, 15 " N. Allerton " Darlington, 12 " Darlington " Durham, 12 " Durham " Newcastle, 12 " Newcastle " Morpeth, 12 " Morpeth " Alnwicke, 16 " Alnwicke " Belford, 12 " Belford " Berwick, 14 " ---- 272 ====
The number of despatches weekly to the principal continental cities, and the times allowed for transit to or from London, were these:--
Madrid, once a week, transit, 21 days. Venice, " " " 15 " Geneva, " " " 17 " Marseilles, " " " 11 " Paris, twice " " 4 " The Hague, " " " 3 " Brussells, " " " 3 " Frankfort, once " " 12 " Dantzicke, " " " 16 " Stockholme, " " " 20 " Cologne, twice " " 6 " Mayence, once " " 10 " Hamburg, twice " " 8 " Copenhagen, " " " 14 " Leghorne, " " " 21 " Naples, once " " 25 "
About this time Joseph Williamson became editor of the _London Gazette_; and for his purpose, as well as for the use of the Government, all manner of news was collected through the Post Office. Williamson had a rival in the news business in one Muddiman, who had previously had charge of Williamson's correspondence. Hickes exerted himself to the utmost in opposing Muddiman, writing to his correspondents "to assure them that Muddiman, being dismissed by Williamson from the management of his correspondence, for turning it to his own advantage, could not communicate much news, and that his letters were no longer to be franked." The zeal of Hickes carried him so far as to violate Muddiman's letters; and as listeners often hear unpleasant things of themselves, so Hickes had a like experience in looking into the rival's letters. A copy of one of Muddiman's letters to his correspondents, left in Hickes' own handwriting, runs as follows:--