io 



one but the affrighted Mrs. Cox on the coach and two passengers inside, 

 who were happily, wholly unconscious of the danger to which they had 

 been exposed ! The coachman and guard soon arrived in a post-chaise. 

 Poor Mrs. Cox drank many quarterns of gin to steady her nerves before 

 she felt able to continue her journey to Devonport, where she carried on 

 a prosperous trade for many years. Many people patronised her, on purpose 

 to hear her narrate the great event of her life. I often used to chaff her, 

 and hear her repeat the history of her memorable adventure. 



I will add a little anecdote of Bob Pointer, who was on the Oxford 

 road. Giving his ideas on coaching to a young gentleman who was on the 

 box with him, on his way to college, he said : " Soldiers and sailors may 

 " soon learn to fight ; lawyers and parsons go to college, where they are 

 " crammed with all sorts of nonsense that all the Nobs have read and 

 " wrote since Adam of course, very good if they like it but to be a 

 " coachman, sir, you must go into the stable almost before you can run 

 " alone, and learn the nature of horses and the difference between corn 

 " and chafF. Well can I remember, the first morning I went out with four 

 " horses ; I never slept a wink all night. I got a little flurried coming 

 " out of the yard, and looking round on the envious chaps who were 

 "watching me it was as bad as getting married at least, I should 

 " think so, never having been in that predicament myself. I have 

 " escaped that dilemma, for," he concluded, " when a man is always 

 " going backwards and forwards between two points, what is the use 

 " of a wife, a coachman could never be much more than half married. 

 " Now, if the law in the case of coachmen allowed two wives, that would 

 " be quite another story, because he could then have the tea-things set out 

 " at both ends of his journey. Driving, sir, is very like life, it's all so 

 " smooth when you start with the best team, so well-behaved and 



