DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING. 345 



and his knees nearly straight : with the exception of a 

 pliant motion of his loins, on any jolting of his coach, his 

 body should be quite at rest, and particularly so when 

 he hits a horse. In handling the ribbons also, as little 

 motion of the arm should be observed as the nature of 

 the act will admit ; the reins should be shifted, when 

 necessary, with almost as gentle a motion as if he were 

 sorting a hand of cards at whist, and apparently with as 

 little difficulty. To see a Johnny Raw (and I could name 

 a few — particularly two or three of these nondescripts, 

 half waggoners, half 'coachmen — who are to be seen coming 

 into Piccadilly with their coaches, one or two of them in 

 smockfrocks) clawing at his reins, and reaching down to 

 his knees for them, is not only most annoying to the 

 eye, but it is dangerous to go within some yards of him — 

 for, command over his horses he cannot have. 



There is an excellent way of handling reins, not 

 generally adopted. This is, when you want to take a 

 pull at your horses, to open the fingers of the right hand, 

 and put the reins into them. Then pass the left hand, 

 with the fingers open in front of the right hand, and 

 receive the reins into it again. Thus you get extra power 

 over your team without disturbing their mouths. 



I have often amused myself, in the progress of these 

 letters, with looking back into those times which every 

 man of taste delights to think of, and comparing the 

 pursuits of gentlemen sportsmen of ancient days with 

 those of the present period. Virgil's account, in his third 

 Georgic, of a race with chariots, is said to excel all other 

 descriptions ; but we must not look to this enchanting 



