148 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



they thus escaped was the imminent risk of being 

 molested by highwaymen and stripped of all their 

 valuables; for those gay "Collectors," as they 

 deli":lited to style themselves, did not attend to 

 business on the Sabljath. AYe arc not, from this, 

 to suj)pose that the higliAvaymen were at church, 

 or at home, reading improving literature. Not at 

 all : they did not expect wayfarers, and so took 

 the day off. The Sunday Trading Act for many 

 years forbidding Lord's Day employment, prevented 

 coaches running then, and so helped to give the 

 hard-worked nocturnal gentlemen of the road their 

 needed weekly rest, and ensured them from missing 

 very much. Yet anxious travellers did sometimes 

 go on Sundays, and risk an information. When 

 at last the mail-coaches Avere started, to go seven 

 times a Aveek, and the Post Office itself set the 

 example of Sunday travel, aAvay Avent the high- 

 Avayman's Aveek-ends and the travellers' respite 

 from AA^ayside "Stand and deliver!" The stages 

 then jilied on Sundays also. 



As for the mails, they were immune from 

 attack. The Post Office early issued a Avarning 

 against sending gold by them ; but it did so, not 

 from fear of the higliAvaymen, but " from the 

 prejudice it does the coin by the friction." Higli- 

 Avaymen Avere, in fact, little feared either by the 

 Department or by the mail-j)assengers, for not 

 only did the guard's embattled condition secure 

 them from attack, l)ut the Post Office introduced 

 enactments dealing very severely AAitli higliAvay 

 rol)bery applied to the mail-coaches, The standing 



