21 



eye was soon directed to this new and delightful object, when, guess the consterna- 

 tion that prevailed upon seeing, instead of the new "Defiance," the poor old 

 Subscription trotting nimbly up to the George Inn door, and Tom Goodman, the 

 guard, playing on the key-bugle, with his usual excellence, " Should auld 

 acquaintance be forgot ?" The scene is more easily imagined than described ; it 

 would have been a fine subject for Hogarth. The bells were now ordered to cease ; 

 the Squire walked off and was seen no more. Honest Tom was not accustomed to 

 this kind of reception ; he had enlivened the town with his merry notes a thousand 

 times, but now every one looked on him with disdain, as if they did not know him. 

 He could scarcely suppress his feelings ; but after a few minutes' reflection he 

 mounted his seat again, and, casting a good-tempered look to all around him, went 

 off, playing a tune which the occurrence and the sublimity of the day seemed to 

 dictate to him " Through all the changing scenes of life." Some of the good 

 people of Ilminster who were going to church admired Tom's behaviour, and said 

 it had a very good effect. Tom arrived safe with his coach at Exeter about one 

 o'clock, having started from London one hour and a half after the " Defiance," 

 and performed the journey in nineteen hours and a half. The " Defiance" arrived 

 about an hour after the Subscription ; but the proprietors of the latter did not 

 approve of this system, and gave Tom a reprimand, directing him in future to keep 

 on his regular steady pace,* and not to notice the other coach, which he promised 

 to attend to, but said he only wished to show them, on their first journey, the way 

 along. This, under all the circumstances, was admitted as an excuse. Tom went 

 away much pleased with the adventures of his journey, and said he should never 

 meet the Squire again without playing on his bugle " Hark to the merry Christ 

 Church bells." 



I beg leave to remain, Mr. Editor, 



Your obliged Servant, 

 A FRIEND TO THE SUBSCRIPTION COACHES. 



: The regular time is to perform the journey in twenty-two hours to leave London at 

 six in the evening, and arrive in Exeter at four the following afternoon. 



