4o ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



CHAPTER IX. 



PROCESSION OF MAILS ON THE KING'S BIRTHDAY. 



The great clay of the year for the mails was the King's 

 birthday, when a goodly procession of four-in-hands 

 started from the great coach manufactory of Mr. John 

 Vidler, in the neighbourhood of Millbank, and wended 

 its way to St. Martin's-le-Grand. Splendid in fresh 

 paint and varnish, gold lettering and royal arms, they 

 were the perfection of neatness and practical utility in 

 build, horsed to perfection, and leathered to match. 

 They were driven by coachmen who, as well as the 

 guards behind, were arrayed in spic-and-span new scarlet 

 and gold. No delicate bouquets, but mighty nosegays 

 of the size of a cabbage adorned the breasts of these 

 portly mail coachmen and guards, while bunches of 

 cabbage roses decorated the heads of the proud steeds. 

 In the cramped interior of the vehicles were closely 

 packed buxom dames and blooming lasses, the wives, 

 daughters, or sweethearts of the coachmen or guards, 

 the fair passengers arrayed in coal-scuttle bonnets and 

 in canary-coloured or scarlet silks. On this great occa- 

 sion the gaiard W as allowed two seats and the coachman 

 two, no one allowed on the roof. But the great feature 



