288 COACHING. 



amount of " ge-upping" and " go-alonging," 

 "with the additional aid of whipping, to get 

 his half-starved, broken-down animals into a 

 trot. 



What a contrast to the Hansom of the present 

 day, which, generally speaking, is clean, admir- 

 ably horsed, and well driven, so much so that 

 the driver of a well-appointed two-wheeler, like 

 Tom Tug, in " The Waterman," " is never in 

 want of a fare /" Would that I could say 

 the same of the four-wheeler ! There are 

 some exceptions : but the majority savour too 

 much of the old hackney-coach to merit a 

 eulog^ium. 



Practical jokes have often been played 

 by persons representing highwaymen for the 

 time being; a most memorable one was 

 practised by the celebrated John Mytton, of 

 Halston. 



Upon one occasion, a neighbouring clergyman 

 was invited to dine at the Squire's, as Mytton 

 was called, and in the course of the evening, 

 the conversation turned upon the knights of the 

 road. Whether this casual topic gave the idea 

 to the arch-hoaxer, or that the affair was pre- 

 meditated, I know not, but it was shortly carried 

 out. After a quiet rubber of whist, the Reverend 



