THE' INTRODUCTION OF CARRIAGES ii 



service, "whensoever his occasion shall require 

 them." 



This despotic measure was amended in 1637, 

 when fifty hackney-coachmen for London were 

 licensed, to keep not more than twelve horses each. 

 This meant either tliat three hundred or a hundred 

 and fifty public carriages then came into use, 

 according to Avhether tAvo or four horses were 

 harnessed. " And so," says Taylor, " there grew 

 up the trade of coach-huilding in England." 



These early carriages, whether hackney or 

 private, were not only without springs, hut were 

 innocent of windows. In their place were shutters 

 or leather curtains. The first " glass coach " 

 mentioned is that made for the Duke of York in 

 1661. Pepys at this period becomes our principal 

 authority on this subject. On May 1st, 1665, 

 he is found witnessing experiments with newly- 

 designed carriages with springs, and again on 

 September 5th, finding them go not quite so easy 

 as their inventor claimed for them. Yet, since 

 private carriages were clearly becoming the 

 fashion, Mr. Secretary-to-the-Admiralty Pepys 

 must needs have one ; and accordingly, on 

 December 2nd, 1668, he takes his first ride : 

 " Al)road with my wife, the first time that I 

 ever rode in my own coach." 



Pepys always delighted in being in the fashion. 

 He would not be in advance of it, and not, if he 

 could help it, behind. The fact, then, of his 

 setting up a carriage of his own is sufiicient to 

 show how largely the moneyed classes had begun 



