THE LIBERTY OF ST. MARTIX'S-LE-GRAND 25 



driving at a furious rate over one of the most mountainous 

 roads in the North of England, "have you no consideration for 

 our hves and hmbs ?" " What are your hves and hmbs to 

 me ?" was the reply. " I'm behind my time I" ' 



The Quarterly Review referred not without reason 

 to unmerciful speed and heavy loads. England was 

 said to be the Inferno of horses. 



It is no doubt true that it is the pace rather than 

 the distance which kills. In Persia it is, at least in 

 the beginning of the century it was, the habit of a 

 chupper, or express horseman, to travel enormous 

 distances, even from Teheran to Bushire, which cities 

 are seven hundred miles apart, without change. 

 Stages of forty miles were not unusual. But then 

 the pace was an even four or five miles an hour, and 

 at • that rate sixty or seventy miles could be traversed 

 daily for several days in succession. 



With us, for the mails, at any rate, short stages of 

 eight or at most ten miles were the rule, but the pace 

 was in many cases very great, the roads sometimes 

 deep, and the hills always trying. 



Even now, the stages of some of the heavily laden 

 parcel-coaches are longer than desirable ; as, for 

 example, from Barnet to Welwyn, fourteen miles ; 

 Welwyn to Henlow Station, fifteen and a half miles. 

 However, the pace is moderate, the running time for 

 the last-mentioned stage being two hours and three 

 minutes. 



The Review was not alone in its strictures. Anstey's 

 ' New Bath Guide ' had already furnished, in its 



