CH. XXII THE RULE OF THE ROAD 49 1 



side would lead to passing to the right in a narrow 

 street, by all the persons moving in it. 



With persons on horseback it would be different ; 

 each one would then prefer to have his sword arm 

 on the side of the person approaching, and not to 

 be obliged t Q strike across his horse in case of an 

 encounter, so that it is probable that mounted men 

 observed a different rule, as knights in tilting would 

 of course do. 



In early days, when the majority of vehicles were 

 guided by a man who rode, or walked beside, the 

 left-hand horse, it was natural that he should keep 

 his vehicle on the riorit-hand side of the road so as 

 to see how much room to give an approaching 

 vehicle. In all countries it is certain that horses 

 were led and handled from their left side, and the 

 English terms, and American terms as well, of near 

 side and off side indicate that this custom was iden- 

 tical in both countries. 



When carriages with a seat for the driver came 

 into use, the reins were held in the left hand be- 

 cause on horseback they were so held, in order to 

 leave the right hand free for the sword, and the 

 driver sat on the right-hand side of the vehicle to 

 avoid having his whip project over the road, and 

 then it would be more convenient for him to permit 

 approaching carriages to go on his right, so that 

 he could see how near he went to them, and thus 

 the present English fashion might have been, and 

 probably was, established. 



