"The billeting of soldiers in inns and elsewhere is not in dispute", eh?

Yes it is -- look again at your post of 0801 am, where you state dogmatically that a soldier wouldn't live "at the sign of' anything.

So what do you think he means then, Lighter: either by living "alongside of" or "at the sign of"? I mean, why introduce the phrase into the song at all if it is to have no referent?

~M~