8 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



availed himself of the momeDtum of increased speed, when it arrived on 

 level ground. 



Although my ride by the side of Watson was a short one, as I was 

 going no further than Rochester, we discussed many subjects in suc- 

 cession by the way. At last the New Sporting Magazine turned up. 

 '' I wonder," said he, *' who wrote that punishing account of us Dover 

 coachmen, though to be sure the description he gave of the changing at 

 Gravesend was not much amiss. I dare say it was Nimrod. But I 

 won't have^ that £20 a year for the washerwoman's bill ; no — no — that 

 wont do ; — what's to become of the baker's bill at that rate ? But the 

 best of the joke was," continued he, " I was spending an evening at the 

 house of a friend of mine, in London, about the time that number of the 

 Magazine came out, when it was read aloud to the party, and no one but 

 my friend knew I was a coachman, and a Dover coachman too ! 'Twas 

 a hardish hit, but I stood it like brick and mortar, tailor's bill and allf." 

 But really looking at Watson on his box this day — his clean shirt, his 

 well starched neckcloth, and every thing else clean about him — not omit- 

 ting the good bit of broad-cloth and well brushed beaver, nor, above all 

 things the neat balconyed house, on the terrace, a mile out of Dover, 

 where he pulled up to drop a word to Mrs. Watson, — looking at all this, 

 I say, who can but rejoice that the liberality of the British public enables 

 a man of this grade in life to do credit to his calling — one of no small 

 importance to such a gad-about people as the English — and to induce 

 him to persevere in that line of conduct which will ensure him a 

 lengthened continuance of it. 



* A flash word for " believe" or " acknowledge." 

 t Stated at c£lOO per annum.— vide, vol. 7, p. 316. 



