ON THE MANCHESTER COACH 
4 
1824-33 
'^here should be a vacancy, for the Worcester 
^oach had to carry us on to Manchester ; how- 
ever, it was full inside, so I was compelled to 
Blount the box. The rain slackened about four 
the morning. I was “ nid-nid-noddin’,” and saw 
manner of odd things in the road — thought I 
Saw you sitting on the off leader’s crupper, and 
'learly bolted forwards in an attempt to shake 
hands ; when I recovered myself, you were 
gone and the leaders were making towards the 
parapet of a small bridge. I punched coachee In 
ribs, and seized hold of the reins ; he woke up 
.lust in time to back us into the middle of the 
'"oad, but got to nodding again as soon as he 
cleared the bridge, so that I was kept effectually 
awake for the rest of the stage when daylight 
fairly broke upon us. The thick white masses 
^f cloud rolled sullenly off, scattering a few drops 
as they passed over us ; but at length the sun 
^b'Uggled upwards and shone out upon us all day. 
eleven o’clock in the morning I reached 
hfanchester, at six in the evening Lancaster. 
approach to the town was rendered very 
f’cautiful by the clearness of the atmosphere, and 
evening sun gilding the turrets of the old 
castle.’ 
After his return to London his mother writes : 
f have, my dear lad, read your Catalogue quite 
’through, Latin and English, and have had the 
Pleasure of seeing your name In a philosophical 
