THE AMATEURS 189 



The members of the Four Horse Club affeded the 

 following apparel: "The costume of each gentleman 

 consisted of a bottle green body coat, a milk white 

 double breasted great coat reaching to the heels, several 

 large capes, and buttons of mother of pearl, as large as 

 crown pieces; a many flowered bouquet in a buttonhole 

 at the side; upon the head a low crowned, broad- 

 brimmed hat, with a broad riband and buckle, the hair 

 sleeked down under it, coachmanlike." 



In the farce of Hit or Miss, Charles Matthews, 

 in the part of Dick Cipher, caricatured coaching 

 amateurs; "belonging to the honourable neck or nothing, 

 having gone through all the gradations of buggy, gig 

 and dog cart, tandom, curricle, unicorn and four-in- 

 hand; neglefted nothing, dashed at everything — pegg'd 

 at a Jarvey — tool'd a mail coach, and now have attained 

 the credit of being bang up." 



The great hit of the piece was the Bang up coaching 

 song: 



"With spirits gay I mount the box, the tits up to their traces, 

 My elbows squar'd, my wrists turn'd down, dash off to Epsom 



races. 

 With Buxton bit, bridoon so trim, three chestnuts and a grey, 

 Well coupl'd up my leaders then, ya hip, we bowl away. 

 Some push along with four-in-hand, while others drive at 



random, 

 In whiskey, buggy, gig, or dog-cart, curricle or tandem. 



Prime of life to go it, where's a place like London? 

 Four-in-hand to-day, the next you may be undone: 

 Where belles as well as beaux, to get the Whip hand strive. 

 And Mrs. Snip the tailor's wife, can teach her spouse to drive. 



