THE EARLY MAIL-COACHES 147 



postboys, excellent at the l)eginiiing, did not Avholly 

 sncceed in keeping abreast of the times. Roads 

 improved : everyone and everything went at a 

 much greater rate of progression, save the Post 

 Office postboys, who for forty-six years continued 

 to go at the same sj^eed as that of their predecessors 

 of an earlier generation. They were, indeed, sent 

 out more frequently on certain routes on which 

 business had increased, and on the more frequented 

 roads the mails were, from June 17^1, despatched 

 six days in the week, instead of twice and thrice, 

 as had formerly been the case ; but up to the 

 time of Allen's death, in 1764, speed remained 

 what it had always been, and it was not until the 

 following year that the postboys' regulation rate 

 of travelling was raised by Act of Parliament from 

 five to six miles an hour, inclusive of stops. The 

 post-horses were, hoAvever, of the same inferior 

 kind as of old. The best animals Avere, very 

 naturally, kept back by the postmasters — Avho were 

 generally the innkeepers also — for their customers, 

 and for the Post Office the worst nags in the stable 

 were invariably reserved. An Act of Parliament, 

 backed by the power of the executive, is a very 

 dread thing, but it has not the poAA^er of counselling 

 a horse incapable of going more than a certain 

 number of miles an hour to add another mile to 

 his speed. The improvement could thus have 

 been only nominal. 



The Post Office officials in Lomlsard Street, 

 where the General Post Office AA^as then situated, 

 were very Avell content for the public service to 



