240 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



The narratives of the remarkable experiences 

 of many of the travellers in those early coaches 

 would make up almost enough letterpress to fill 

 a volume. For from the very outset the public 

 stages became the unlawful prey of half the 

 rascals with which a vast tract of the whole of 

 England at that time teemed. Coaches were 

 plundered almost daily, and while sometimes 

 blood was spilt intentionally, often this happened 

 rather by accident. 



Charles II., who used his influence to help on 

 the development of the stage coach, appears at 

 times to have become frankly impatient with the 

 ultra-conservatism of the bulk of his nobility and 

 of the aristocracy who strove hard to check the 

 progress of the new form of locomotion. 



Whatever Charles's shortcomings may have 

 been — and we know that he had many — he had 

 enough of nous to be able to foresee the enor- 

 mous advantages that would be derived from the 

 general adoption of the public stage. 



Consequently he encouraged the importation 

 of stallions and the breeding of animals of the 

 stamp best adapted for coach work. 



Himself a finished whip, most likely, he desired 

 that all his nobles should emulate his example by 

 learning to drive well, though driving in those 

 days was a form of amusement comparatively 

 seldom indulged in by the well-to-do, who, as 

 we are told, preferred being driven by postillions. 



