THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



Edinburgli, and ciolity-tive from Edinlmroli to London; and, 

 subsequently, tlie time has been shortened to sixty-two in each 

 case.' 



'I am happy to hear this account from you,' observed tlie 

 nepliew, ' and I will retail it to Sir John Avhen I see him ; 

 but will you have tlie kindness to inform me when the con- 

 veyance of letters by post, as the term is, connnenced in the 

 world ? I have often heard the subject discussed, but never 

 satisfactoril}^ so.' 



' You have iniposed a task upon me,' answered the uncle, 

 ' that I scarcely know how to perform ; but I imagine the case 

 to have been something like this : — 



' In the earh^ periods of society, communication between 

 the difi'erent parts of a country must always be rare and 

 difficult; individuals, at a distance, had little occasion for 

 mutual intercourse; and, when such counnunication was found 

 necessary, special messengers were employed. As order and 

 civilisation advanced, occasicms for correspondence multiplied. 

 The sovereign, for instance, found it requisite to transmit 

 orders and laws to every part of his kingdom ; and for this 

 purpose he made use of messengers, or " couriers," as they are 

 now called, to whom he committed the charge of forwarding 

 his despatches. But, without stations in the way, where could 

 these messengers find refreshment f(jr either tliemselves or 

 their horses ? Experience soon pointed out the necessity of 

 ensuring such accommodation, by erecting, upon all the great 

 roads, houses, or stations, where the messengers might stop, 

 as occasion required, and where, for their still greater con- 

 venience, relays of horses were kept in readiness, to enable 

 them to pursue their journey with uninterrupted despatch. 

 Thus, these houses were called po,s'^.s, and the messenger who 

 made use of them was dignified by the appellation of a post. 

 Though, at first, the institution was, no doubt, intended solely 

 for the use of the sovereign and the necessities of the state, 

 yet, by degrees, individuals, seeing the benefit resulting from 

 it, availed themselves of the opportunity to carry on their own 

 correspondence, and for which they willingly paid a certain 

 rate to the sovereign. Thus a post-office, of some kind or 

 other, gradually came to be established in every civilised 

 country, although we find Cicero lamenting the absence of 

 one in Ital}^ in his time. Still thej' can be traced, I believe, 



135 



