THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: 1800— 1824 189 



much faster, and secondly, might jnit into twenty- 

 four hours of continuous running Avhat had 

 formerly heen the work of three days. It is 

 obviously easy to go over a hundred miles in the 

 twenty-four hours even if you only go five miles 

 in every hour. These great truths once perceived 

 and acted ujwn, the coaching Avorld Avas revolu- 

 tionised. 



No longer did coaching announcements propose 

 to perform journeys in so many hours if the roads 

 were good. They boldly promised that they Avould 

 complete their course by a certain time, and 

 altogether disregarded contingencies. By this 

 time the " God-permits " had also become things 

 of the past, and no proprietor was so old-fashioned 

 as to announce that his coach Avould set out or 

 arrive, " God permitting," as aforetime had been 

 the cautious or pious proviso. They now 

 " started " instead of " setting out," and arrived, 

 as an irreverent Avag observed, " God willing, 

 or not." 



In fine, the Avorld Avas made to go according to 

 time-tables, and much faster than of old. Coaches 

 actually, as an ordinary everyday thing, Avent at a 

 quicker pace than an able-bodied man could Avalk, 

 and it Avas no longer j^ossible for a weary traveller 

 when ofi'ered a lift, to decline Avith the bond-fide 

 excuse that he was in a hurry ; and so, continuing 

 afoot, to arrive before the coach. Fielding shows 

 us Parson Adams outAvalking the coach, about 

 1715 ; but in this era the passengers just too late 

 for the stage could by no means hope to catch it 



