196 THE HORSE. 



road has passed away, with its kindred adventurous 

 insanity of public companies, and that some reforma- 

 tion has taken place, more thanks to the parental 

 care and discretion of certain coach proprietors than 

 to those who had, or ought to have had, the most 

 intense interest in the business. The number of 

 skilful and careful dragsmen has increased, which is 

 in no small degree to be attributed to the exertions 

 of our spirited young men of quality, in extending 

 and patronizing the science of the ribbons. Our 

 modern gentlemen dragsmen have' superior and more 

 laudable motives than some few whom I knew in 

 former days, whose delight was bribery for the exe- 

 crable letch of whipping a set of tired horses through 

 an additional stage ! On the other hand it must not 

 be passed over that, excessive, and beyond all animal 

 endurance, and human safety, as our speed on the 

 road has been, an attempt was made two or three 

 years since to increase it, and when the results of 

 the experiment were reported in a great assembly, 

 namely, the broken legs, loins, and hearts of the 

 many horses, these formed no objection in the view 

 of certain individuals, who still called out for a 

 general rate of twelve miles per hour. 



" But public vigilance ought not to slumber in 

 this every man's case; the risk of life and limb for 

 a noble cause is not only meritorious, but a bounden 

 duty with the brave ; but to put those to an immi- 

 nent risk for something of less consequence than a 

 good old song, is the part of insanity, stupidity, or 

 sheer folly. Notwithstanding what I have said of 

 some awakening to caution and improvement, a re- 



