353 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



quiet as leaders, that would never go at the wheel ; the 

 reason is, they will not bear being confined by the pole- 

 piece. I forgot to mention that all horses ought to have 

 their sides frequently changed, particularly young ones.' 



To the excellent advice contained in this letter I have 

 only one remark to add, and that applies to the road, and 

 not to gentlemen's work. Coach proprietors — at least all 

 those who do business on a large scale — should be in 

 possession of a break, into which they should put their 

 young horses previous to their going into regular work. 

 The practice of putting a young horse never accustomed 

 to harness into a coach laden with passengers — the lives of 

 whom, putting their individual selves out of the question, 

 may be most valuable to their families and their country 

 — is most reprehensible, and one that, when injury is sus- 

 tained by it, should be visited by the severest penalties 

 the law can inflict. Were any further proof wanting to 

 show the hicrh estimation in which the lives and limbs 

 of His Majesty's subjects are held by the law of the land, 

 it would be found in that statute which pardons homi- 

 cide if committed (' se defendendo ') in order to preserve 

 them. 



WAGES AND COACHMEN. 



Wages of coachmen are very trifling, certainly not 

 sufficient to find the superior order of them in clothes. 

 Those of the highest attainments in their art do not get 

 more than eighteen shillings or a pound a week ; but the 



