THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: 1800—1824 193 



the act of leaving the " Hen and Chickens," New 

 Street, Birmingham, and reproduced from a 

 curious contemporary painting executed on sheet 

 tin — an extraordinary numher of place-names are 

 seen ; some those of towns this coach could not 

 possibly have served. The explanation is that the 

 " Express" made connections with other routes and 

 booked passengers for them, whom they set down 

 at ascertained points to wait for the connecting 

 coach. This in itself, an early attempt at the 

 through booking and junction system obtaining on 

 raihvays, is evidence of the progress made towards 

 exact time-keeping in this era. 



De Quincey, as a mail-passenger, has a 

 scornful passage reflecting upon the gold and 

 colour that adorned these stage-coaches, which, 

 being furiously competitive, could not afford to be 

 quiet and plain, like the mails. " A tawdry thing 

 from Birmingham," was his verdict upon the 

 " Tally-Ho " or " Highflyer," that overtook the 

 Holyhead Mail between ShrcAvsbury and Oswestry. 

 " All flaunting Avitli green and gold," it came up 

 alongside. "What a contrast with our royal 

 simplicity of form and colour is this plebeian 

 wretch, Avith as much writing and painting on 

 its sjirawling flanks as Avould have puzzled a 

 decipherer from the tombs of Luxor ! " Precisely 

 the same things might be said of omnibuses in our 

 OAvn days. 



VOL. I. 13 



