THE BRIGHTON ROAD. 121 



his passengers are at any time displeased with him, they 

 must be guilty of the most gross ingratitude in the world ; 

 for he shows them, beyond a doubt, the most extra- 

 ordinary countenance of any man on the road. Mr. 

 Genn's old servant, Charles Newman, drives, and I be- 

 lieve horses, part of the other side of this concern ; but 

 were it not to notice his coach — I had almost written — 

 I should pass him over sub silentio ; as it gives me no 

 pleasure to find fault, and it is out of my power to com- 

 pliment him on his performance as a dragsman, which, 

 considering the number of years he has been at it, is but 

 a slovenly piece of business, and, meet him whenever you 

 will, his horses are never in hand as they should be. Let 

 me, however, give him his due. I have ridden with him 

 more than once (not on his present coach) and always 

 found him exceedingly civil, obliging, and good-tempered; 

 and I believe his career has been singularly fortunate so 

 far as regards the chapter of accidents. The drag he 

 is just now at work upon, his own fancy, I am given to 

 understand, is certainly a most extraordinary one, con- 

 sidering the "march of intellect" on the road as elsewhere; 

 being built — though on some fantastic new-fangled con- 

 struction — on the old principle of six in and twelve out, 

 very roomy, high and lofty from the ground, and alto- 

 gether as heavy in appearance and reality as the old 

 waggons of fifty years back. If I mistake not, they 

 advertise it to run in six hours ; but in my opinion the 

 cattle have yet to be foaled that will keep this time with 

 it three journeys together. 



' If in anything that I have remarked I seem to 



