ON ACCIDENTS. 297 



and then it might have been avoided. I was told it had 

 happened the last journey but one with the regular 

 coachman, and therefore I ought to have been more on 

 my guard. The leaders in that instance twisted the 

 pole-hook from the end of the pole, and went across two 

 fields with the bars rattling at their heels, but the coach 

 was kept on the road and did not go over. In my own 

 case things were not quite so bad ; but it being lamp- 

 light I imprudently got on the pitch of the hill before I 

 was aware of it, and then the merry rogues would not be 

 stopped to have the chain on. The road was very hard, 

 approaching to rock, so we went a rattling pace ; but as 

 the tackle was good, I continued to keep them straight, 

 and the coach being low, she kept her legs. Having a 

 blind wheeler, I was most afraid of an ugly grip at the 

 bottom of the hill, but all was right at last. Poor Davey 

 Jones — since killed on that ground, and then just re- 

 covered from a broken leg — sate behind me on the roof, 

 and I had an Irish gentleman on the box. Neither of 

 them spoke, but when we got into a trot, the Irishman 

 exclaimed, ' By the powers, but we had a fine escape for 

 it ! ' There were but eight horses to work the fourteen 

 miles, so that one would have thought they would have 

 been cured of running away. 



By the Roman law, and a very salutary one, all 

 offences committed in drunkenness were visited with 

 twofold penalties. I am happy to have it in my power 

 to say, that, much as I have been amongst them, by day 

 and by night, it is upwards of fifteen years since I have 

 found a coachman drunk at his duty. The last I met 

 with was upon a night coach, and he was in a dreadful 



