388 The Traveller's Oracle. [OcT. 



by any silly Imposition, the Credit that he has been years in establishing by care- 

 ful integrity. 



" Of Chariots, that appear to be equally handsome to a common Eye, which 

 has not been taught to look minutely into the several parts of their machinery ; 

 One may be cheap at 250/., and Another may be dear at 200/. : notwithstanding, 

 the Vender of the latter may get more Profit than the Builder of the former. 



" The faculty of Counting, too frequently, masters all the other Faculties, and is 

 the grand source of deception which Speculating Shopkeepers are ever ready to 

 take advantage of; for catching the majority of Customers, Cheapness is the 

 surest bait in the world, how many more people can count the difference 

 between 20 and 25, than can judge of the Quality of the article they are about 

 to buy ? 



" Be not so perfunctory as to permit your Coachman to order what he pleases. 

 If you send a Carriage to be repaired, with the usual Message, " To do any little 

 jobs that are wanted," you will most likely not have a little to pay. 



" When any Repair is required, desire your Coachman to tell you ; examine it 

 with your own Eyes, and with your own hand write the order to the Coachmaker, 

 &c. for every thing that is wanted ; and warn him you will not pay for any Jobs, 

 &c. not so ordered, and desire him to keep such Orders, and return them to you 

 when he brings his Bill, that you may see it tallies therewith, and you may keep a 

 little Book yourself, into which you may copy such Orders. 



" Persons who order Carriages, are frequently disappointed in the convenience 

 and appearance of them, from not giving Directions in terms sufficiently explicit; 

 when those who buy Carriages make any such a mistake, it is said, that those 

 who sell are not always remarkably anxious to rectify it, unless at the expense of 

 the proprietor. 



" An Acquaintance of the Editor's, ordered that the interior of a New Chariot 

 should be arranged exactly like his former Carriage : .when it was finished, he 

 found that there were several very disorderly deviations from the old plan, which 

 were extremely disagreeable to him : the Builder said, civilly enough, that he 

 was exceedingly sorry, and would soon set it all right which he did ; but pre- 

 sented a Bill of Ten pounds for mending these mistakes, which having arisen 

 entirely from his own Inattention to the fitting up of the Old Carriage, his Cus- 

 tomer successfully resisted the payment of, having been prudent enough to have 

 the Agreement for building the Carriage, worded, " That it should be finished in 

 all respects to his entire satisfaction, by a certain Time, for a certain Sum." 



Tables follow, given at considerable length, of the cost at which all 

 descriptions of carriages can be built and maintained (or jobbed) ; with 

 calculations as to the expense of keeping horses ; their wear and tear, with 

 wages of servants, &c. &c., well suited to shew a man who has made 

 a stroke in the stocks how he should go about to commence gentleman ; 

 and all done with an evident personal knowledge of the matter on which 

 the writer treats. 



Of the purchase of horses, as well as carriages, the author speaks like a 

 man who has kept them : 



" I would not recommend a Carriage Horse to be less than Seven years old, 

 especially if to be driven in Crowded Streets; Horses that have not been taught 

 how to behave in such situations, are extremely awkward and unmanageable, and 

 often occasion Accidents. 



" If you keep Horses for useful purposes, you must not be too nice about either 

 their Colour, or the condition of their Coats. 



" The ordinary Town Carriage Work can be done just as well by a Pair of 

 Horses, which may be had for 70/. or 80/. as with those that cost three times that 

 Sum ; indeed it will most likely be done better. If you have Horses worth an 

 hundred pounds a piece, you will be afraid of using them when you most want 

 them, i. e. in Cold and Wet Weather, for fear of their catching Cold and break- 

 ing their Coats, &c. Moreover, the Elegance of an Equipage, in the Eyes of 

 most people, depends more upon the Carriage, Harness, and Liveries, than 



