troubling themfelves to inveftigate in what 
manner thofe properties have been demon- 
ftrated to exift ; for which reafon they re- 
main always in ignorance, and confe- 
quently lable to error. But as .this 
Work has correfted the faults, and: re- 
moved the blemifhes, which were in Eu- 
clid, and asit was undertaken in order to 
ferve as an introduion for thofe who with 
to know the reafon of things, and who 
éarneltly defire to make a progrefs in the 
mathematics and natural philofophy, as 
they are now taught, by means of de- 
monftration and experiment, we hope for 
their fakes that the trouble we have had 
in tranflating it will not proye altogether 
ufelefs, and that it will prove acceptable 
to all thofe capable of diftinguifhing a 
firi& and legitimate demonttration. 
It remains to fay, that a morecompre- 
henfive and feientific form might have 
been given to this book ; but as it was 
particularly defigned for the ufe of begin- 
ners, the advantage of the prefent method 
appeared fuperior to every other confidera- 
tion. 
While preparing and arranging this 
Tranflation, we examined and collated 
with it the Elements of Euclid, by Nafir- 
ed-din Toufy; when it appeared that the 
foregoing rematks and objections were 
equally applicable to that Work alfo. 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monikly Magazine. 
SIR, 
Confiderable time ago, Tread aletter 
from one of your Correfpondents, 
complaining of the fufferings endured in a 
journey, from the difproportionate fize of 
a ftage-coach to the paflengers it carried. 
It might have been expected that the no- 
tice of fo frequent an evil would have 
been followed by fome propofals for re- 
drefs ; but, in fact, fupinenefs in matters 
of public concern is one of the charaéte- 
riftics. of this country ; and almoft every 
one calculates whether it is not better for 
himfelf to fubmit to an inconvenience, 
than to take any trouble in preventing its 
recurrence to himfelf and others.. For my 
own part, I confefs that it is only the fti- 
mulus of pain not yet forgotten, that has 
induced me to take up the fubject. 
A fhort time fince, I entered the fifth 
into a ftage-coach, (I fhall openly name 
it—the Luton and Ampthill.) One fide 
was fo completely filled by two tolerably 
bulky perfcns, that no doubt was left 
which 1 was to take. With difficulty I 
Aqueezed in the midft of the other two, 
Want of Space in Stage Coaches. 
317 
and was thrown fo forwards, that I nat 
only fat very ill at eafe, but touched the 
oppofite feat with my knees. It was 
agreed by all, that to have placed a fixth 
would have been impolitble; yet we were 
under continual alarms left our coachman 
fheuld force another upon us. I need 
fay little of the cramps and aches eridured 
in riding thirty or forty miles under fuch 
circumiiances. ‘They completely deftroy- 
ed the pleafure I fhould otherwife have 
derived from an agreeable fet of compa- 
nions. Now, I think it cannot be denied, 
that to take an adequate price for convey- 
ing paffengers from place to place, and not 
to provide the means for doing this with 
a reafonable degree of comfort and conve- 
nience, is downright impofition. The 
perfon who takes his place, can know no- 
thing of his accommodations beforehand, 
and has a right to expeé&t that the {pace 
provided fhould bear a proportion to the 
number carried, and that fix are not, by 
dint of cramming,, to be compreffed into 
the room of four. It is furely no tri- 
fling confideration, that not a day in the 
year paffes in which numbers of public 
vehicles co out trom, and arriveat, Lon- 
don, with companies of paffengers, the 
comfort of whofe journey is entirely de- 
ftroyed by fuch unjult treatment. 
I am not much of a projector, but I am 
tempted, Sir, on the prefent occafion, to 
offer a remedial plan, which fome of your 
abler Correfpondents may confder and 
improve. Let ail the ftage-coaches going 
from London be placed under the in{pec- 
tion cf the commiffioners of hackney- 
coaches, for the purpole of enforcing a 
certain dimenfion of infide length. and 
breadth, accommodated (according to. 
fome fair and reafonable calculation,) to 
the propofed number of paffengers. Let 
every fuch coach be obliged, under a hea- 
vy penalty, to have on the outfide, ina 
con{picuous place, a {mall plate, (ftamped 
by the office,) indicating the number it is 
to carry, and Jet all paflengers be entitled 
to refilt any attempt on the part of the 
coachman to. introduce moré. A {mail 
fee for the admeafurement and plate 
would be a fufficient recompence for the 
trouble incurred by the office : indeed, 
confidering the heavy taxes already levied 
on every mode of travelling, it would not 
be much for Government to confer fuch a 
benefit onthe public gratis. 
I flatter mytelf fome attention will be 
paid to this propofal.. In the meantime 
you may depend upon it, Mr. Editor, that 
whenever I again meet with a fimilar im- 
pofition, 
