no IF THE COACHES WERE NAMED 293 



an approach to that absolute privacy only obtained 

 by specially hiring- a j^ost-horse or a post-chaise. 

 Indeed, the earliest Post Coaches not a little 

 resembled a post-chaise hired by a party of friends 

 for the journey. In securing a seat by post-coach, 

 the traveller, in view of the limited accom- 

 modation, mathematically reduced his chances 

 of meeting and journeying with vulgar and 

 objectionable characters ; while the higher fare 

 tended to produce the same effect by eliminating 

 all but those who were rich enough to afford 

 the cost, and were therefore, by an easily under- 

 stood process of reasoning, likely to l)e cleanly 

 and well-mannered. How highly objectionable 

 the company in a stage-coach might and could 

 be we have the testimony of many travellers to 

 tell, from Dean Swift to John Wesley and 

 Macready, the actor. Their trials and experiences 

 are mostly recorded elsewhere in these pages ; 

 but two examples may take their place here to 

 illustrate the reason why Post Coaches flourished 

 so greatly. 



Let us, then, hear Wesley : — 



" I went," he says, " to Norwich (from London) 

 in the stage-coach with two very disagreeal)le 

 companions, called a gentleman and gentle- 

 woman, but equally igiiorant, insolent, lewd, 

 and profane. 



''July 21s/, 1779.— (Prom Coventry) I took 

 coach for London. I was nobly attended : behind 

 the coach were ten convicted felons, loudly 

 blaspheming and rattling their chains; by my 



