COACHMEN. 79 



I must not omit here the sketch of yet another coach- 

 man, Cracknell of - Tantivy ' fame, drawn by a writer 

 who siens himself ' Whiz.' 1 



' Almost any tidy whip can push along the Brighton 

 " Age " or the " Taglioni " in the style of Sir Baronet or 

 Charles Brackenbury ; but I doubt whether they could 

 keep the pace with the cripples we had the other night 

 in the Bristol Mail, over the long hill at mail speed and 

 under Post Office regulations. If I were to name one 

 man above another who does fast work in the most 

 finished style, and who possesses tact and perseverance 

 almost more than any other coachman, it would be Crack- 

 nell, on the London side of " Tantivy" ; and although not 

 a most finished ribbon-holder, still he is a most wonderful 

 time-keeper and nurser of weak stock. He seems to con- 

 sider minutely the constitution and disposition of every 

 horse he handles, and eases them wonderfully when in 

 difficulty, and his head seems always at work for their 

 indulgence. Driving is a science not easily obtained by 

 amateurs ; the science consists in apportioning the labour 

 and shifting the load, so as to keep the stock above their 

 work ; and not as many amateurs suppose, in neatly 

 taking off a fly on the leaders' ears.' 



Of the ' Yards ' at this time, Mr. Chaplin's was the 

 largest, having 1,300 horses at work. He owned the 

 1 Spread Eagle ' 2 and ' Cross Keys,' Gracechurch Street, 

 the ' Swan with two Necks,' 2 in Lad Lane, and the 

 ' White Horse,' in Fetter Lane. 



1 < Sporting Magazine,' 1837. 



2 These two inns were afterwards long held, first by Mrs. Nelson, and 

 afterwards by Mrs. Ann Mountain. 



