176 COACHING. 



must take care that every horse does his 

 work, and must keep the jades up to the 

 collar. He must then be careful to ease his 

 horses up a hill, spirting down one, and taking 

 advantage of any level piece of road, make up 

 for the slower pace of a heavier one. He must 

 also learn how to handle his whip, so as to 

 flip off a horse-fly from his leaders, and to 

 double thong a refractory wheeler when gibbing 

 or refusing to work ; he must remain perfectly 

 placid upon the box, even amidst danger never 

 losing his head or his temper, always remember- 

 ing that upon his presence of mind depends the 

 fate of his passengers. 



Many noblemen and gentlemen there are who 

 can drive cleverly broken thorough-bred horses 

 admirably well, but who would be at a loss if 

 called upon to drive a stage-coach or a 

 " scratch " team to Epsom or Ascot. There 

 are, of course, many honourable exceptions, 

 and T select a few, and there may be others, 

 who could worthily fill the places of the late 

 "Oxford Will," Jack Adams, "Piers," " Falk- 

 ner," " Probyn," and Parson Dennis. 



At the head of the list I would place two 

 noble Plantagenets — the Duke of Beaufort and 

 his sen, the Marquis of AYorcester, who are 



