240 COACHING. 



the sporting mail-coacli phaeton, the vis-a-vis, 

 and the cabriolet, a French invention, which 

 was introduced into England after the campaign 

 in the Peninsula. 



Of the above few remain. Eoyalty and 

 some of the leading aristocrats alone patronise 

 coaches. Travelling-carriages, tilburies, dennets, 

 curricles, vis-a vis, cabriolets, are things of the 

 past, and all that remain to us are town- 

 chariots, " drags," and mail-phaetons, in addi- 

 tion to which we have " broughams," " vic- 

 torias," waggonettes, and a few private Hansom 

 cabs. 



It will scarcely be believed that, some five- 

 and-forty years ago, almost every nobleman and 

 gentleman used the cabriolet, " slightly altered 

 from the French" (as the playbills say), to 

 convey him to dinner, balls, and parties ; for 

 example, the late Duke of Wellington, when 

 Ambassador to the newly-restored monarch, 

 Louis XVIII. , in 1814-15, seldom, except on 

 state occasions, made use of any other vehicle, 

 the carriages being devoted to the service of 

 the Duchess. This I can vouch for, for at 

 that period I was attached to his Grace's staff, 

 and was always in the habit of driving him 

 when occupied in paying visits in the morning 



