314 THE COACHING AGE. 



called a perfect master of the art of driving without 

 possessing a matured judgment and experience on 

 these points. He may have admirable skill in using 

 the whip, but without the former qualifications he 

 will never attain anything like perfection.' 



The proprietors were the most important men con- 

 nected with the road, as they provided the capital 

 for purchase of the horses, harness, etc. ; but although, 

 according to the old adage, it is ' money makes the 

 mare to go,' there was a good deal besides money 

 required to make many of the mares go that were put 

 into the coaches, especially with some men's stock, 

 with whom it was rather a principle, though not 

 openly avowed, to engage their coachmen by the 

 same rule that a man would enlist the services of a 

 professional pugilist ; it being considered that the 

 man that could hit hardest would produce the 

 greatest effect on the horses, and get them along 

 when a man of less athletic power might be unequal 

 to the task. A man would be rather chary of com- 

 plaining that he could not get the horses along, as 

 he might have been met with the remark that 

 perhaps some other man could. This would apply 

 more to the days when coaches were not so well 

 horsed as in later times, and also to heavy night- 

 coaches. 



When a coach was loaded with two or three hundred 



