CHAPTER XVIII. 



ACCIDENTS. 



How accidents to coaches sometimes occurred through 

 what I will charitably call the indiscretion of the 

 coachman, the following narrative will sufficiently 

 show, I would first observe that from the constant 

 stoppages, not only at the end of the different stages, 

 but also at numerous intermediate public-houses, in 

 the days when, comparatively speaking, no coaches 

 were fast, the coachman was in a state of almost 

 continuous imbibition from the commencement to the 

 termination of his journey. 



Invitations to 'take something' were given to 

 him by some of the passengers whenever the coach 

 stopped, in addition to some probably before starting, 

 and thus it cannot be wondered at if he became 

 reckless in his driving) or incapable of managing his 

 horses. 



An old coachman on the North road, who used 

 to drive from London down to the village of Eed- 

 bourn, four miles beyond St. Albans, and remain 



