318 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



They united the subjects of the most distant provinces by 

 an easy and familiar entercourse ; but their primary ob- 

 ject had been to facilitate the marches of the legions ; 

 nor was any country considered as completely subdued 

 till it had been rendered, in all its parts, pervious to the 

 arms and authority of the conqueror. The advantage of 

 receiving the earliest intelligence, and of conveying their 

 orders with celerity, induced the Emperors to establish, 

 throughout their extensive dominions, the regular institu- 

 tion of posts. Houses were everywhere erected at the 

 distance of five or six miles ; each of them was constantly 

 provided with forty horses ; and, by the help of these 

 relays, it was easy to travel a hundred miles a-day along 

 the Roman roads.' 



Now, as it is my present object to form somewhat of 

 a comparison between ancient and modern travelling, it 

 is but right to observe, that the use of these post-horses, 

 as they may be called, was for the public service, and 

 could only be called upon by an Imperial order. Even 

 Pliny, who was a minister, and a favourite one too, offers 

 an apology, in one of his Epistles, for letting his wife 

 make use of post-horses on a very urgent occasion. 

 There is, however, in this historian's letters, more than 

 one mention of his travelling post. In that to Trajan, 

 when on his road to Bithynia, he informs his royal 

 master that he intends pursuing his journey, partly in 

 light vessels, and partly in post chaises ; but here 

 he was travelling on official business. In his letter to 

 Gallus, descriptive of his villa, he says — ' This is but 

 seventeen miles from Rome ; so that, having finished my 



