COACHING DAYS AND WAYS 



become a charioteer after the manner of the 

 illustrious ancients."^ "You must have been long 

 in foreign parts, sir," observes the proprietor. In 

 five minutes, or less, after the parley commenced, 

 the wheels went round, and in another five the 

 coach arrived at Hyde Park gate ; but long before 

 it got there, the worthy gentleman of 1742 (set 

 down by his fellow-travellers for either a little 

 cracked or an emigrant from the backwoods of 

 America) exclaimed, " What ! off the stones 

 already?" "You have never been on the stones," 

 observes his neighbour on his right ; *' no stones in 

 London now, sir." ^ 



* In five minutes under the hour the Comet arrives 

 at Hounslow, to the great delight of our friend, 

 who by this time waxed hungry, not having broken 



^ The old gentleman's conjecture was not far wrong. At this time, 1835, It 

 is true fewer men of good birth occupied the box than had been the case a few 

 years before — if we rightly interpret Nimrod's own remarks on the point. When 

 the box had been set on springs or made an integral part of the coach-body, when 

 the roads had been made worthy of the name and fast work the rule, coach- 

 driving became popular among men of social position. Some drove for pleasure, 

 horsing the coaches themselves, others took up driving as a profession and made 

 good incomes thereby. These gentlemen coachmen did much to raise the 

 standard of conduct among the professionals of humble origin. Lord Algernon 

 St. Maur (Driving, Badminton Library) says that Mr. Stevenson, who was driving 

 the Brighton Age in 1830, was ' the great reformer who set a good example as 

 regards punctuality, neatness, and sobriety.' 



^ Until Macadam was adopted the streets In London were cobbled or paved. 



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