THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



time, seventeen chestnut coacli-horses, with whole legs, in his 

 stable ! and that a regular driving club is in agitation, 

 patronised Ijy John Warde, Prouse, Oakover, Bamfylde, and 

 some others, who. are great patrons of the road. Prouse, I 

 hear, has already composed a song for the occasion, in which 

 every individual coachman, guard, and horsekeeper, between 

 London and Exeter, is introduced by name and character. 

 I fancy I see you smile ; neither can I avoid doing so myself, 

 at the recollection of such absurdity ; but there is no harm 

 in it, after all ; au contraire, they say, good will be the result 

 If so, flor eat Auriga.' 



' Well, Frank,' observed the uncle, ' I know not whether 

 I am not myself of the same opinion with your father. We 

 have to thank an amateur of " the ribbons," as you call 

 amateur coachmen, for the present improved mode of con- 

 veying our mails. I allude to Mr. Palmer, who suggested 

 that they should be carried by coaches, drawn by four horses, 

 contracted for by Government, and guarded, instead of in the 

 old mode by a boy on horseback ; and his plan was carried 

 into effect in 1784. He assured ministers that Government 

 would be put to a very little additional expense, inasmuch 

 as the coach proprietors would have a strong inducement to 

 contract for conveying the mails at a cheap rate, on account 

 of the additional recommendation to passengers their coaches 

 would thereby acquire, in point of security, regularity, and 

 despatch. Strange to say, however, although Government 

 approved of this plan, and the public in general were satisfied 

 of its utility, yet, like all new schemes, however beneficial they 

 may promise to be, it met with a strong opposition in some 

 quarters. It was represented by a number of the oldest and 

 ablest officers and clerks in the post-office, not only as im- 

 practicable, but dangerous. Notwithstanding this opposition, 

 powerful as we may suppose it to have been, it was at length 

 established, and gradually extended to different parts of the 

 kingdom, chiefly by the exertions of country gentlemen, who 

 took an interest in the coaches which were running on the 

 various roads in their neighbourhood. It soon appeared that 

 not only was the revenue improved by the introduction of this 

 system, but that a prodigious saving of time was the effect of 

 it. For example : previously to the extension of it to Scotland, 

 the mails were eighty-two hours on the road fi-om London to 



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