296 coAOHma. 



of broken down cattle, rickety coaches, and 

 highwaymen armed to the teeth. The dihgences 

 gave birth to the messageries, chaises, chaises- 

 de-poste, and at a later period to the malle- 

 postes, which, however, did not prevent certain 

 provinces from enjoying a sort of progeniture 

 of ancient coches, under the various names of 

 voiturines, guimbardes, carrioles, and other in- 

 struments of torture, which enabled the traveller 

 to accomplish easily, as the saying went, 

 " twenty leagues in fifteen days." 



After that the real diligences, the real mes- 

 sageries, attained a degree of comfort for which 

 the public were most grateful. To frequent 

 changes and improvement of the horses were 

 added the comfort of the vehicle ; and last, not 

 least, the lowness of the prices. The maVe- 

 2wstes, destined for the more rapid conveyance 

 of letters, and at the same time of travellers 

 eager to get over their journey quickly — thanks 

 to the attention of the administration — were 

 rendered admirably adapted to the public ser- 

 vice, the primary object of their establishment, 

 and to the private service of those who wished 

 for comfort in their travels. 



The caisse containing the despatches, the 

 high station occupied behind by the courrier- 



