26o ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



Sir Henry Peyton told me that, wishing to pay him a 

 compliment, he once told a coachman, that, although a 

 little man, he thought him strong on his box. ' Why, 

 Sir Henry,' replied Coachee, ' the truth is, what the 

 big ones does by strength, I does by hartifiz.' 1 



Among the moderns I must not omit nearly the most 

 elegant coachman that this country ever saw, and this is 

 Jack Moody, son of William Moody, so long known on 

 the road. The last time I travelled with Jack Moody 

 was between two and three years ago, when he was at 

 work on the Exeter mail ; since which time he has 

 retired from public life in consequence of his health, and 

 does a little in the horse-dealing business. He is quite 

 an out-and-outer, and it is much to be regretted that so 

 fine a performer should be obliged to leave the road. A 

 friend of mine — a good judge — told me he saw him in 

 the procession of the mails the last birthday but one, and 

 that his appearance and execution on the box were as 

 superior to the other coachmen as day is superior to 

 night. 



I must not pass over a very pretty light coachman by 

 the name of Ball, who is at work from Southampton to 

 Oxford. He changed places — not being quite equal to 

 the hard service — with Gentleman 2 Taylor, on the South- 



1 Artifice. 



2 My having given Taylor this title in a Letter on the Road, some time 

 back, occasioned a humorous dialogue between us on his coach. He asked 

 me if I knew who Nimrod was ? Of course I did not. ' If I could find him 

 out,' said he, ' I would bring an action against him.' ' For what ?' I asked. 

 ' For a libel, in calling me a gentleman .' ' was his reply. ' Why, you keep 

 gentlemen's company,' said I. 'To be sure,' added he, 'my passengers 

 generally wear pretty good collars to their coats.' 



