56 A BYE-GONE REMINISCENCE. 



driver, or the distress of the animal, comes before us 

 in a very questionable shape ; for it is just in these 

 matters possible he may allow as great a latitude to 

 his conscience as Mr. Burke himself. I mean no illi- 

 beral insinuation against Spring in a general way 

 by this remark : he keeps a very respectable house, 

 conducts it in a very respectable manner, and, " this 

 present enterprise set off his head," and a participation 

 in similar pursuits, is himself a very respectable man. 

 Thinking thus of him, I would in all good feeling 

 just hint, that attending to his friends and customers, 

 who are always glad to see him, will be to the ad- 

 vantage of them and himself, and attending a little 

 less to Mr. Burke and his pursuits will increase the 

 estimation in which our worthy landlord is held 

 by those who wish him well, or whose estimation is 

 worth having. 



Reverting to the boast of the pony having been 

 driven without a whip reminds me of an anecdote 

 told of a noted coachman. He was for some reason 

 or other taken off one coach to be put on another : 

 he was told by the late coachman of the latter that 

 no man could get the first team he would have to 

 start with along, or, at all events, u thrashing in a 

 barn was light work to driving them." He made no 

 reply, but contrived to get into the stable during the 

 morning, and unobserved locked himself in with the 

 aforesaid team ; he then took a broomstick, and bela- 

 boured each and all of them, shouting at them at the 

 same time till they would have jumped through the 

 wall, if they could, the moment he spoke to them. This 

 done, he walked quietly out. On the team being put 

 to the coach, they from habit took the thing as coolly 

 as ever; sundry jokes passed on the new coachman; 



