CHAP. XVI. TRAVELLING BY RAIL. 355 



condemned themselves to jog along the old highway in 

 the accustomed family chariot, dragged by country post- 

 horses. But the superior comfort of the railway shortly 

 recommended itself to even the oldest families ; posting 

 went out of date ; post-horses were with difficulty to be 

 liad along even the great high-roads; and nobles and 

 servants, manufacturers and peasants, alike shared in 

 the comfort, the convenience, and the despatch of rail- 

 way travelling. The late Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, re- 

 garded the opening of the London and Birmingham line 

 as another great step accomplished in the march of 

 civilisation. " I rejoice to see it," he said, as he stood 

 on one of the bridges over the railway, and watched the 

 train flashing along under him, and away through the 

 distant hedgerows " I rejoice to see it, and to think 

 that feudality is gone for ever : it is so great a blessing 

 to think that any one evil is really extinct." 



It was long before the late Duke of Wellington would 

 trust himself behind a locomotive. The fatal accident 

 to Mr. Huskisson, which had happened before his eyes, 

 contributed to prejudice him strongly against railways, 

 and it was not until the year 1843 that he performed 

 his first trip on the South- Western Eailway, in attend- 

 ance upon her Majesty. Prince Albert had for some 

 time been accustomed to travel by railway alone, but in 

 1842 the Queen began to make use of the same mode 

 of conveyance between Windsor and London. Even 

 Colonel Sibthorpe was eventually compelled to acknow- 

 ledge its utility. For a time he continued to post to 

 and from the country as before. Then he compromised 

 the matter by taking a railway ticket for the long 

 journey, and posting only for a stage or two nearest 

 town ; until, at length, he undisguisedly committed him- 

 self, like other people, to the express train, and per- 

 formed the journey throughout upon what he had 

 formerly denounced as " the infernal railroad." 



2 A 2 



