STAGE-COACH GUARDS ^79 



The last twenty years of the coaching era 

 were remarkable for the development of musical 

 ability on the part of the guards, both of the 

 mail- and stage-coaches, who, relieved from their 

 old-time anxieties and fears of highwaymen, kept 

 their blunderlousses safely stowed away, and, 

 turning their attention, like so many scarlet- 

 coated Strephons, to the ballad-music of the 

 moment, became expert practitioners on the key- 

 bugle. That instrument came over from Germany 

 in 1818, and for a time pretty thoroughly dis- 

 placed the old " yard of tin " the earlier guards 

 had blown so lustily. The new generation 

 developed a passion for this strident kind of 

 minstrelsy. Like the hero (or is it heroine ?) of 

 the " Lost Chord," their " fingers wandered idly 

 over the sounding keys," and although many 

 were expert players and, unlike the organist in 

 that song, did know what they were playing, 

 the jolting of the coaches must often have dis- 

 composed their harmony to some extent, so that 

 the passengers could not always boast the same 

 knowledge. 



Piccadilly, one of the chief starting-points in 

 London, was in this manner a highly musical 

 thoroughfare at the period now under review. 

 Ten guards, blowing ten dilferent tunes at once, 

 produced, we are told — and can well believe — 

 a wonderful effect ; and the roads became ex- 

 cruciatingly lively when every gay young blood 

 of a guard learned to play " Cherry Eipe," the 

 " Huntsman's Chorus," " Oh ! Nanny, wilt Thou 



