296 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



invention of the locomotive steam-engine, to in- 

 augurate an entirely new mode of travelling, which 

 was to have a greater influence upon the progress 

 of civilisation than any other invention of this or past 

 centuries. But, as I have shown, a hundred years ago, 

 or, in fact, any part of the last century, was the 

 period when coaches were the principal means of 

 travelling ; many of the distinguished men I have 

 mentioned must have been in the constant habit of 

 travelling on coaches. Nelson, for instance, may have 

 driven down the Portsmouth road to join his ship, the 

 Victory, before starting in pursuit of the French, and 

 immortalising himself by his glorious victory at 

 Trafalgar. 



It is by associating in our minds these famous 

 characters of the last century with the road travelling 

 about which this book treats so especially, that we 

 best appreciate the fact of how short a time it is since 

 these celebrated men lived ; but if we were to extend 

 this hundred years so as to include the distinguished 

 personages living at the commencement of the last 

 century, we might supplement the list very con- 

 siderably. 



It must not be forgotten that some of the most 

 distinguished politicians England has ever known, a 

 hundred years ago were the leading spirits of the age, 

 since William Pitt's death did not occur till 1806 ; 

 whilst Burke, Fox, Sheridan, Lord Lyttleton, and 

 Grattan were living considerably into this century. 



It has been said that during the eighteenth century 

 England made greater strides in civilisation than she 

 had done during the whole of her existence. Mr. 

 Seeley says this in his " Expansion of England," a 

 clever series of essays ; but I certainly should not 



