THE " AGE," " TAGLIONI," OR " TANTIVY." 



29 



of fasliion, the direct cause of the suffering she occa- 

 sions. The latter is only one among hundreds who 

 thoughtlessly enjoy a rapid mode of conveyance, 

 which they are not aware is only to be accomplished 

 by a vast deal of aninjal suffering. 



Reader, hast ever been in that abode of crippled 

 horses, a coachstable ? Probably not : but I have in 

 hundreds, and have there seen the direful havoc of 

 fast-coaches. We must recollect that nothing but a 

 high-couraged and high-bred horse is fit for a coach- 

 horse (in these days). Carrying this in our minds, 

 we must not infer, because we see four horses going 

 along without the constant application of the whip, that 

 they are going at their ease : quite the reverse : they 

 are probably even at that moment suffering much, 

 either from distress by pace or bodily infirmity ; for 

 we are not to expect such coaches as a Brighton Age, 

 a Windsor Taglioni, or a Birmingham Tantivy (were) 

 on every road. Here horses were bought in their prime, 

 were kept in the highest possible condition, and from 

 their number were allowed proper intervals and days 

 of rest. But, taking a long line of road, many brutes 

 of coachowners purchase only infirm horses, which by 

 dint of punishment are made to do work for which 

 they are really totally unfit. It is enough for their 

 owner that they do it, their free and generous spirit 

 inducing them to prefer the agony of going to that 

 inflicted by the whip. But even here the suffering, 

 great though it be, is slight in comparison to that 

 endured by night-horses. Even coach-owners are 

 ashamed to exhibit to the public the dreadful wrecks 

 of horses turned over to the night-coaches. Here is 

 suffering with a vengeance ! Here the short docker 

 can be used without exciting the cry of " shame " 



