COACHING DAYS AND WAYS 



for the humane and cautious old gentleman, even 

 the Regulator was about to show tricks. Although 

 what now is called a slow coach, she is timed at 

 eight miles in the hour through a great extent of 

 country, and must, of course, make play where she 

 can, being strongly opposed by hills lower down 

 the country, trifling as these hills are, no doubt, 

 to what they once were. The Regulator, moreover, 

 loads well, not only with passengers, but with 

 luggage ; and the last five miles of this stage, called 

 the Bridge Flat, have the reputation of being the 

 best five miles for a coach to be found at this time 

 in England. The ground is firm ; the surface un- 

 dulating, and therefore favourable to draught ; 

 always dry, not a shrub being near it ; nor is 

 there a stone upon it much larger than a marble. 

 These advantages, then, are not lost to the Regulator, 

 or made use of without sore discomposure to the 

 solitary tenant of her gammon board. 



* Any one that has looked into books will very 

 readily account for the lateral motion, or rocking, 

 as it is termed, of a coach, being greatest at the 

 greatest distance from the horses (as the tail of a 

 paper kite is in motion whilst the body remains 



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