214 ECHOES OF OLD COUNTY LIFE. 



a holiday, which he spent sitting in the corner of the 

 post-chaise where the King had sat, smoking his pipe, 

 drinking sundry pots of beer, and treating all comers 

 that they might pledge the King's health ; and he 

 enlivened his company, and destroyed the peace of all 

 -who heard him, by playing "God save the King" on the 

 key-bugle till late at night, when the beer and smoke 

 began to take effect, and the notes on the bugle got 

 more entangled and fainter, till it ceased altogether. 

 Poor old Tom's loyalty never failed. When he ceased 

 to be a " boy," and had become a pensioner on my 

 family, he was regaled with a good dinner and plenty of 

 ale on each anniversary, but on this condition — that he 

 did not play the key-bugle. 



A propros of the old yellow post-chaise, I can just 

 remember a singular adventure. One evening — when a 

 little boy — 1 was standing in the portico of the White 

 Hart with my father, when a post-chaise and four horses 

 came down the street at a furious rate. On pulling up at 

 the door a handsome, military-looking young gentleman 

 got out, and handed out a charming and beautiful young 

 lad}', ordering another chaise and horses out directly. 

 /\lmost before the order was given, a }'Oung gentleman 

 galloped up, jumped off a horse which was covered with 

 foam, seized the first gentleman by the collar, knocked 

 him down, and thrashed him with his riding-whip. The 

 young lady screamed and ran up the street and took 

 refuge in a small public-house. In a few minutes a 

 second chaise and pair came rattling down the street, 

 containing an old gentleman, who jumped out demand- 

 ing, " Where is my daughter?" A crowd had collected, 



