218 ANNALS OP THE ROAD. 



man goes to descend a hill, he draws the rein through 

 his hand, and is, at that moment, driving with the long 

 wheel-rein. It is true that the rein does not then rest on 

 his hand ; but from the comparatively short length of it 

 when compared with the usual length of the professed 

 long rein, it only forms a sort of bow behind the coach- 

 man's hand, which prevents a possibility of a mistake, in 

 catching hold of it, either by day or by night. 



STANHOPES AND FASHIONABLE CARRIAGES. 



To spend our lives amid one set of unchanging objects 

 would afford us neither variety of sensations, images, nor 

 ideas — all around us would have the sameness of a cell ; 

 whereas travelling frees us from prejudices, and enlarges 

 the sphere of our imaginations, by comparisons and 

 observations essential to the character of a man. In 

 humbler English, when on the road, every scene is a 

 picture ; and, as Sterne observes, I pity the person who 

 can travel from Dan to Beersheba, and cry, ' 'Tis all 

 barren ! ' For my own part, I have always filled a 

 bumper to my favourite toast — ' As we travel through 

 life, may we live on the road ! ' Solomon himself had 

 his hobbyhorse, therefore I may be allowed to have 

 mine ; and I am free to admit, that so fond am I of the 

 road, that when I have been in London more than a 

 week, the sight of even the Exeter waggon does me 

 good. As for Mr. Waterhouse's yard, when his seven 

 mails are starting, it has more charms for me than the 



