,illustration3 ,photographed from ,life 
by ,maull  ,co4 ,london4                
,,hints ,,on ,,driving4                 
,,by                 ,c4 ,s4 ,,ward1    
,,the ,,well-,,known ,,whip ,,of ,,the  
,,west1   ,,paxton ,,stables1 ,,opposite
 ,,tattersall',s4                       
,,london3          ,,published ,,by     
,,the ,,author1    #gd1 ,,little        
,,cadogan ,,place1 ,,belgravia4         
#ahgj4     ,,hints ,,on ,,driving4  ,,by
 ,c4 ,s4 ,,ward1  ,,the ,,well-,,known  
,,whip ,,of ,,the ,,west1  ,paxton      
,stables 7opposite ,tattersall's74   ,it
 has been said1 and not1 perhaps1       
without reason1 that a man who is       
conscious that he possesses some        
practical knowledge of a science1 and   
yet refrains from giving the public the 
benefit of his information1 is open to  
the imputation of selfishness4 ,to avoid
 that charge1 as far as lies in my      
power1 ,i purpose1 in the course of the 
following pages1 to give my readers the 
benefit of my tolerably long experience 

in the art of driving four horses--an   
art which ,i acquired under the         
following circumstances4--  ,my father  
was a coach proprietor as well as a     
coachman1 and1 ,i am proud to say1 one  
of the best whips of his day4 ,he gave  
me many opportunities of driving a team4
 ,i will not1 however1 enter into all   
the details of my youthful career1 but  
proceed to state1 that at the early age 
of seventeen ,i was sent nightly with   
the ,norwich and ,ipswich ,mail as far  
as ,colchester1 a distance of fifty-two 
miles4 ,never having previously         
travelled beyond ,whitechapel ,church1  
on that line of road1 the change was    
rather trying for a beginner4 ,but      
,fortune favoured me2 and ,i drove ,his 
,majesty's ,mail for nearly five years  
without an accident4 ,i was then        
promoted to the ,quicksilver1 ,devonport
 ,mail1 the fastest at that time out of 
,london4 ,it must be admitted that ,i   
undertook this task under difficult     
circumstances--involving as it did1     

sixty miles a night--since many had     
tried it ineffectually1 or at all events
 were unable to accomplish the duty     
satisfactorily4 ,it is gratifying to me 
to reflect1 that ,i drove this coach    
more than seven years without a single  
mishap4  ,getting at length rather tired
 of such incessant and monotonous       
nightly work1 ,i applied for a change to
 my employer1 the well-known and        
much-respected ,mr4 ,chaplin1 who at    
that time had seventeen hundred horses  
employed in coaching4 ,his reply was    
characteristic4 ,i cannot find you all  
day coaches1 said he2 besides1 who am ,i
 to get to drive your ,mail8 ,i must    
say1 ,i thought this rather severe at   
the time1 but1 good and kind-hearted man
 as he was1 he did not forget me4  ,not 
long after this interview1 the ,brighton
 ,day ,mail being about to start1 he    
made me the offer1 to drive the whole   
distance and horse the coach a stage1   
with the option of driving it without   
horsing4 ,like most young men ,i was    

rather ambitious1 and closed with the   
former conditions4 ,the speculation1    
however1 did not turn out a very        
profitable one1 and1 the railway making 
great progress1 ,i sold my horses to    
,mr4 ,richard ,cooper1 who was to       
succeed me on the box4 ,i was then      
offered the far-famed ,exeter           
,telegraph1 one of the fastest and      
best-appointed coaches in ,england4 ,my 
fondness for coaching still continuing1 
and not feeling disposed to settle to   
any business1 ,i drove this coach from  
,exeter to ,ilminster and back1 a       
distance of sixty-six miles1 early in   
the morning and late at night4 ,after   
driving it three years1 the railway     
opened to ,bridgewater2 this closed the 
career of the once-celebrated           
,telegraph4 ,but those who had so long  
shared its success1 were not inclined to
 knock under4 ,my brother coachman and  
myself1 together with the two guards1   
accordingly started a ,telegraph from   
,devonport to ,london1 a distance of    

ninety-five miles by road1 joining the  
rail at ,bridgewater1 thus making the   
whole journey two hundred and fifty     
miles in one day4 ,at that time there   
was a coach called the ,nonpareil1      
running from ,devonport to ,bristol4    
,the proprietors of this vehicle1       
thinking that our's would take off some 
of their trade1 made their's a ,london  
coach also1 and started at the same time
 as we did4 ,we then commenced a strong 
opposition4 ,i had a very good man to   
contend against--,william ,harbridge1 a 
first-class coachman4 ,we had several   
years of strong opposition1 the rail    
decreasing the distance every year1 till
 it opened to ,exeter4 ,the ,nonpareil  
was then taken off1 and they started a  
coach called the ,tally ,ho6 against the
 poor old ,telegraph4 ,both coaches left
 ,exeter at the same time1 and this     
caused great excitement4 ,many bets1 of 
bottles of wine1 dinners for a dozen1   
and five-pound notes1 were laid1 as to  
which coach would arrive first at       

,plymouth4 ,i had my old friend         
,harbridge again1 as my competitor4 ,the
 hotel that ,i started from1 was a      
little farther down the street than the 
one whence the ,tally ,ho6 appeared1 so 
that as soon as ,i saw my friend        
,harbridge mounting the box1 ,i did the 
same1 and made the running4 ,we had all 
our horses ordered long before the usual
 time4 ,harbridge came sailing away     
after me2 the faster he approached1 the 
more ,i put on the steam4 ,he never     
caught me1 and1 having some trifling    
accident with one of his horses over the
 last stage1 he enabled me to reach     
,plymouth thirty-five minutes before he 
came in4 ,my guard1 who resided in ,st4 
,albans-street1 ,devonport1 hurried     
home1 and as the other coach passed1 he 
called out and asked them to stop and   
have some supper2 they also passed my   
house1 which was a little farther on1 in
 ,fore-street4 ,i was sitting at the    
window1 smoking1 and offered them a     
cigar as they passed--a joke they did   

not1 of course1 much relish4 ,the next  
night they declared they would be in    
first2 but it was of no use1 the old    
,telegraph was not to be beaten4 ,thus  
it went on for several weeks2 somehow   
they were never able to get in first4   
,we did the fifty miles several times in
 three hours and twenty-eight minutes   
7that is1 at the average rate of a mile 
in four minutes and nine seconds1       
including stoppages71 and for months    
together1 we never exceeded four hours4 
,still1 in every contest1 one party must
 ultimately give in2 that one1 however1 
was not the ,telegraph4 ,we settled our 
differences1 and went on quietly for the
 remainder of the time1 occasionally    
having a little flutter1 as we used to  
call it in those days1 but we were      
always good friends4 ,should this       
narrative chance to meet the eye of some
 of those who used to travel with us in 
bygone times1 they will doubtless well  
remember the pace we used to go4  ,after
 a few years1 the railway opened to     

,plymouth1 and many gentlemen asked me  
to start a fast coach into ,cornwall1   
promising to give it their patronage2 ,i
 accordingly started the ,tally ,ho6    
making it a day coach from ,truro to    
,london1 joining the rail at ,plymouth2 
this was a very difficult road for a    
fast coach1 but we ran it1 till         
,government offered the contract for a  
,mail2 we then converted the ,tally ,ho6
 into a ,mail1 and ran it till the rail 
opened to ,truro4 ,it will have been    
seen that ,i kept to coaching nearly as 
long as there were any coaches left to  
drive4  ,i had for some years given up  
driving regularly1 having taken the     
,horse ,bazaar at ,plymouth1 where ,i   
used to supply officers of the garrison 
with teams1 and give them instructions  
in driving2 this ,i still continue to   
do1 and in every variety of driving4 ,it
 gives me1 indeed1 much pleasure to see 
many of my pupils daily handling their  
teams skilfully2 not a few of them      
giving me good reason to be really proud

 of them1 as ,i know they do me credit4 
,in my description of my driving career1
 ,i stated that ,i had never had an     
accident2 ,i ought to have said1 no     
serious casualty1 never having upset or 
injured any one2 but ,i have had many   
trifling mishaps1 such as running foul  
of a waggon in a fog1 having my whole   
team down in slippery weather2 on many  
occasions ,i have had a wheel come off1 
but still nothing that could fairly be  
termed a bad accident4  ,during the last
 twenty-five years ,i have been engaged 
keeping livery stables and breaking     
horses to harness1 and in that period ,i
 have had some very narrow escapes4 ,in 
one instance1 the box of a new double   
break came off and pitched me astride   
across the pole between two young       
horses2 ,i once had the top of the pole 
come off when driving two high-couraged 
horses2 a horse set to kicking1 and ran 
away with me in single harness4 ,as ,i  
was of course pulling at him very hard1 
my feet went through the bottom of the  

dog-cart1 he kicking furiously all the  
time4 ,fortunately ,i escaped with only 
a few bruises4 ,on another occasion1 in 
single harness1 a mare began kicking1   
and1 before ,i could get her head up1   
she ran against the area railings of a  
house in ,princess ,square1 ,plymouth1  
broke both shafts1 and split the break  
into matches2 myself and man nearly went
 through the kitchen window1 into the   
arms of the cook2 she did not1 however1 
ask us to stop and dine4  ,i could      
mention many little events of a similar 
kind1 and consider myself very fortunate
 in having never had anything more      
serious than a sprained ankle or wrist  
during my tolerably long career4 ,i will
 now commence my instructions4   ,,rule 
,i4  ,,selection ,,of ,,the ,,team4     
,the first thing the pupil should do1 is
 to select four horses as nearly as     
possible of the same temper4 ,never keep
 a puller1 for it takes your attention  
from things that require all your care1 
makes your arm ache1 in fact1 does away 

with all pleasure4 ,i should recommend  
hiring or purchasing four horses that   
will give you no trouble1 and when you  
can pull them about1 and do nearly as   
you please with them1 you can then get  
your permanent team1 which will require 
a very judicious selection1 particularly
 if you intend to pride yourself upon   
colour as well as action4 ,i was told by
 a gentleman1 that he was ten years1    
getting a perfect team of black browns2 
he did not confine himself to price1 and
 he certainly now has a very nice       
team--and they ought indeed to be       
perfect1 after all the time1 labour and 
expense that have been bestowed upon    
them4   ,,rule ,,ii4  ,,mounting ,,the  
,,box4  ,put the forefinger of your     
right hand through the leading reins1   
and the third finger between the wheel  
reins1 feel your wheel horses' mouths   
lightly1 take your near side reins a    
little shorter than your off1 so that in
 case your horses attempt to start      
before you are properly seated1 you have

 the reins all of the same length1 and1 
being properly separated1 you can put   
them into your left hand as quickly as  
possible1 and at once have your horses  
under control2 this will1 if attended   
to1 always prevent accidents4 ,some     
gentlemen get on the box and have the   
reins handed to them by a groom1 who    
does not know how to separate them2 this
 is not only an unbusiness-like1 but a  
dangerous practice4   ,,rule ,,iii4     
,,the ,,seat4  ,place yourself well on  
the box1 sit upright1 but easily1 with  
your knees a little bent4 ,some         
gentlemen almost stand1 with a thick    
cushion reaching above the rail of the  
box1 and their toes several inches over 
the foot-board4 ,this is not only       
unsightly1 but attended with risk1 for  
if you came in contact with the         
curbstone1 or any trifling obstruction1 
you might very readily1 and most likely 
would1 be thrown from your seat4 ,the   
rail of the box1 ought always to be a   
few inches above the cushion4   ,,rule  

,,iv4  ,,turning4  ,in going round a    
corner1 point your leader--that is1 take
 hold of your leading rein1 and get your
 leaders well round2 then take hold of  
your wheel rein as well1 all four horses
 will come round as evenly as though    
they were on a straight road4 ,most     
persons are careless about the mode of  
going round a corner2 as long as they   
get round safely1 they think it quite   
sufficient2 they take hold of both reins
 and haul away2 the consequence is1 they
 get the fore part of the carriage and  
the wheel horses round before the       
leaders are square4 ,this1 ,i think1    
looks very bad1 for it is a really      
pretty sight1 to see four horses coming 
round straight1 and thus showing that   
they are under perfect control4 ,always 
steady your carriage before attempting  
to turn1 in case you should chance to   
meet anything coming in the opposite    
direction4 ,besides1 there is no object 
in going fast round a corner4 ,even if  
pressed for time1 always use precaution1

 for in driving1 as in other phases of  
life1 you will find it much easier to   
keep out1 than to get out1 of grief6    
,,rule ,v4  ,,descending ,a ,,hill4  ,in
 going down a hill1 steady and feel the 
weight of the carriage you have behind  
you2 go off the top as quietly as you   
can1 for you will discover before you   
get half way down1 if it is at all a    
steep hill1 the impetus will be so much 
increased1 that you will have quite     
enough to do1 to keep your coach steady 
and your horses under control4 ,the     
patent drag is a great boon1 which we   
had not in the old coaching days4 ,i    
have many times gone off the top of a   
hill1 and1 before ,i got half way down1 
wished that ,i had put on the shoe2 but 
another coach coming behind1 with       
perhaps a lighter load than ,i had1 they
 would have passed me while ,i was      
putting on the drag2 this was the reason
 we sometimes neglected it1 but you can 
always go faster down hill1 with the    
drag1 than without it4   ,,rule ,,vi4   

,,position ,,of ,,the ,,hands4  ,keep   
your left hand up1 within about ten or  
twelve inches of your chest1 with your  
arm and wrist a little bent2 you will   
then have your reins in such a position1
 that your right hand will be able to   
assist the other1 without throwing your 
body forward to reach them4 ,many1      
instead of putting their right hand just
 in front of the left1 and drawing the  
reins back towards them1 put the right  
hand at least a foot before the other1  
and push the reins1 consequently they   
lose nearly all power over the horses1  
and draw the reins away from the left   
hand4 ,besides being unskilful1 this has
 a very ugly appearance4   ,,rule ,,vii4
  ,,uniformity ,,of ,,draught4  ,to     
drive slowly1 is much more              
gentlemanlike1 and1 at the same time1   
more difficult than going fast4 ,keep   
your horses well together2 to do this   
properly1 you must know how to arrange  
their couplings4 ,i think ,i cannot     
better explain this1 than to ask my     

readers to notice the working of the    
horses4 ,if you see one a little in     
front of the other1 you may judge that  
he is either stronger or more free1     
consequently his coupling requires      
shortening1 or that of the other horse  
lengthening4 ,to shorten it1 you must   
bring the buckle towards you2 and to let
 it out1 put the buckle towards the     
horse's head4 ,most inexperienced       
persons resort to the whip1 not knowing 
what is the cause of the fault they wish
 to remedy2 this will make the strong or
 free horse1 throw himself more into his
 collar2 the other1 meanwhile1 cannot   
get up to him1 however much he may try2 
the result is1 he becomes more and more 
disheartened4 ,if you use the whip at   
all1 it must be very lightly and        
quietly1 so that the freer or stronger  
horse may not hear it4 ,at the same     
time1 hold them both well together2 if  
he is not a sluggard1 he will gradually 
work up to the other4 ,again1 if you    
notice one horse carrying his head      

unpleasantly1 you may judge there is    
some cause for it2 perhaps he is curbed 
too tightly1 or his coupling is too     
short1 or his rein ought to be over that
 of the other horse instead of under it1
 for1 as may be supposed1 all horses do 
not carry their heads alike2 but all    
these little matters require watching   
and studying1 and1 with practice1 they  
will all become familiar enough2 and you
 will notice whether or not1 all your   
horses go pleasantly together1 for1     
depend on it1 the more pleasantly they  
go1 the more pleasure and comfort you   
will experience in driving them2 and1 as
 the old coaching term expressed it1    
when you can cover them over with a     
sheet1 you may conclude they are going  
about right4   ,,rule ,,viii4  ,,the    
,,use ,,of ,,the ,,whip4  ,i will now   
come to the whip1 the use of which1 most
 young beginners want to acquire in the 
first instance4 ,let me advise them to  
practice the art of catching it in their
 sitting or bed-room1 for if they try to

 learn it when they are driving1 they   
annoy their horses4 ,a gentleman1 whom  
,i was teaching1 said it was so simple1 
he would not go to bed till he could    
catch it properly4 ,i saw him a         
fortnight afterwards1 but he had not    
even then succeeded2 he told me he had  
not been to bed2 but ,i will not vouch  
for the accuracy of this part of the    
anecdote4 ,the art1 like many others1 is
 very easy when you know how to do it4  
,the turn of the wrist1 with a slight   
jerk of the elbow1 is the proper way to 
accomplish it4  ,the less the whip is   
used while driving1 the better1 for it  
will only get you into trouble if used  
improperly4 ,if a horse shies1 never    
flog him for it2 timidity is generally  
the cause of shying1 unless his eyes are
 defective4 ,of course whipping can do  
no good in that case2 speak kindly to   
him1 that is the best way1 if he be     
young2 as he becomes better acquainted  
with objects and gains confidence1 he   
will most likely give up the trick4 ,i  

will make a few more observations on the
 whip4 ,if you can use it well1 use it  
seldom1 and before you strike a horse1  
always take hold of his head2 if you do 
this1 you will find the slightest touch 
will have the desired effect4 ,it is a  
pretty art1 to be able with certainty1  
to touch a leader under the bar1 without
 making a noise with the lash or letting
 any of the other horses know anything  
about it4 ,the near leader is the most  
difficult one to reach1 as you must     
completely turn your wrist over4 ,very  
few can do it well2 in fact1 many of the
 old professionals could never do it    
neatly4  ,i trust that some will benefit
 from these instructions1 for there are 
really few more agreeable sights than   
that of a good-looking team handled     
neatly by a gentleman1 who sits well1   
with1 perhaps a lady beside him on the  
box4 ,i am much pleased to find that the
 taste for four-in-hand driving is      
increasing of late1 and am glad to say1 
some gentlemen drive very well4 ,it is  

easy enough1 to detect those who are    
self-taught from those who have received
 instruction from a professional man4   
,many think that driving can be acquired
 without teaching4 ,i wonder if any     
gentleman would like to dance in a      
ball-room without first taking lessons2 
and yet some1 do not hesitate to drive  
four horses--a feat attended with much  
danger1 not only to the public          
generally1 but to themselves and those  
who accompany them1 if undertaken       
without due knowledge4  ,before         
concluding1 ,i will relate some of the  
difficulties we had to encounter in     
foggy weather4 ,we were obliged to be   
guided out of ,london with torches1     
seven or eight ,mails following one     
after the other1 the guard of the       
foremost ,mail lighting the one         
following1 and so on till the last4 ,we 
travelled at a slow pace1 like a funeral
 procession4 ,many times ,i have been   
three hours going from ,london to       
,hounslow4 ,i remember one very foggy   

night1 instead of my arriving at        
,bagshot 7a distance of thirty miles    
from ,london1 and my destination7 at    
eleven o'clock1 ,i did not get there    
till one in the morning4 ,i had to leave
 again at four the same morning4 ,on my 
way back to town1 when the fog was very 
bad1 ,i was coming over ,hounslow ,heath
 when ,i reached the spot where the old 
powder-mills used to stand4 ,i saw      
several lights in the road1 and heard   
voices1 which induced me to stop4 ,the  
old ,exeter ,mail1 which left ,bagshot  
thirty minutes before ,i did1 had met   
with a singular accident2 it was driven 
by a man named ,gambier2 his leaders had
 come in contact with a hay-cart on its 
way to ,london1 which caused them to    
turn suddenly round1 break the pole1 and
 blunder down a steep embankment1 at the
 bottom of which was a narrow deep ditch
 filled with water and mud4 ,the ,mail  
,coach pitched on to the stump of a     
willow tree that over-hung the ditch2   
the coachman and outside passengers were

 thrown over into the meadow beyond1 and
 the horses went into the ditch2 the    
unfortunate wheelers were drowned or    
smothered in the mud4 ,there were two   
inside passengers1 who were extricated  
with some difficulty2 but fortunately no
 one was injured4 ,i managed to take the
 passengers1 with the guard and         
mail-bags1 on to ,london1 leaving the   
coachman to wait for daylight before he 
could make an attempt to get the ,mail  
up the embankment4 ,they endeavoured to 
accomplish this1 with cart-horses and   
chains4 ,they had nearly reached the top
 of the bank when something gave way1   
and the poor old ,mail went back into   
the ditch again4 ,i shall never forget  
the scene2 there were about a dozen men 
from the powder-mills trying to render  
assistance1 and1 with their black faces1
 each bearing a torch in his hand1 they 
presented a curious spectacle4 ,this    
happened about thirty years ago4 ,posts 
and rails were erected at the spot after
 the accident4 ,i passed the place last 

summer2 they are still there1 as well as
 the old pollard willow stump4  ,i      
recollect another singular circumstance 
occasioned by a fog4 ,there were eight  
,mails that passed through ,hounslow4   
,the ,bristol1 ,bath1 ,gloucester and   
,stroud1 took the right-hand road from  
,hounslow2 the ,exeter1 ,yeovil1 ,poole1
 and ,quicksilver1 ,devonport 7which was
 the one ,i was driving71 went the      
straight road towards ,staines4 ,we     
always saluted each other when passing1 
with ,good night1 ,bill1 ,dick1 or      
,harry1 as the case might be4 ,i was    
once passing a ,mail1 mine being the    
faster1 and gave my wonted salute4 ,a   
coachman named ,downs was driving the   
,stroud ,mail2 he instantly recognised  
my voice1 and said1 ,charlie1 what are  
you doing on my road8 ,it was he1       
however1 who had made the mistake2 he   
had taken the ,staines1 instead of the  
,slough1 road out of ,hounslow4 ,we both
 pulled up immediately2 he had to turn  
round and go back1 which was a feat     

attended with much difficulty in such a 
fog4 ,had it not been for our usual     
salute1 he would not have discovered his
 mistake before arriving at ,staines4   
,this mishap was about as bad as getting
 into a wrong train4 ,i merely mention  
the circumstance to show that it was no 
joke driving a night ,mail in those     
days4 ,november was the month we dreaded
 most1 the fogs were generally so bad4  
,a singular event happened with the     
,bath ,mail that ran between ,bath and  
,devonport4 ,its time for arriving at   
,devonport was eleven o'clock at night4 
,one eventful evening1 they had set down
 all their outside passengers except a  
,mrs4 ,cox1 who kept a fish-stall in    
,devonport ,market4 ,she was an immense 
woman1 weighing about twenty stone4 ,at 
,yealmpton1 where the coachman and guard
 usually had their last drain before    
arriving at their destination1 being a  
cold night1 they kindly sent ,mrs4 ,cox 
a drop of something warm4 ,the          
servant-girl who brought out the glass1 

not being able to reach the lady1 the   
ostler very imprudently left the horses'
 heads to do the polite4 ,the animals   
hearing some one getting on the coach1  
doubtless concluded that it was the     
coachman2 at the same time finding      
themselves free1 and being1 probably1   
anxious to get home1 started off at     
their usual pace1 and performed the     
seven miles in safety1 passing over the 
,laira ,bridge and through the toll-bar1
 keeping clear of everything on the     
road4 ,mrs4 ,cox meanwhile sat on the   
coach1 with her arms extended in the    
attitude of a spread-eagle1 and vainly  
trying to attract the attention of those
 she met or passed on the road4 ,she    
very prudently1 however1 abstained from 
screaming1 as she thought she might     
otherwise have alarmed the horses4      
,they1 indeed1 only trotted at their    
ordinary speed1 and came to a halt of   
their own accord at the door of the     
,king's ,arms ,hotel1 ,plymouth1 where  
they were in the habit of stopping to   

discharge some of the freight of the    
coach4 ,the boots and ostler came       
running out to attend to their          
accustomed duties1 but1 to their        
astonishment1 beheld no one but the     
affrighted ,mrs4 ,cox on the coach and  
two passengers inside1 who were happily1
 wholly unconscious of the danger to    
which they had been exposed6 ,the       
coachman and guard soon arrived in a    
post-chaise4 ,poor ,mrs4 ,cox drank many
 quarterns of gin to steady her nerves  
before she felt able to continue her    
journey to ,devonport1 where she carried
 on a prosperous trade for many years4  
,many people patronised her1 on purpose 
to hear her narrate the great event of  
her life4 ,i often used to chaff her1   
and hear her repeat the history of her  
memorable adventure4         99       99
       99       99       99  ,i will add
 a little anecdote of ,bob ,pointer1 who
 was on the ,oxford road4 ,giving his   
ideas on coaching to a young gentleman  
who was on the box with him1 on his way 

to college1 he said3--,soldiers and     
sailors may soon learn to fight2 lawyers
 and parsons go to college1 where they  
are crammed with all sorts of nonsense  
that all the ,nobs have read and wrote  
since ,adam--of course1 very good if    
they like it--but to be a coachman1 sir1
 you must go into the stable almost     
before you can run alone1 and learn the 
nature of horses and the difference     
between corn and chaff4 ,well can ,i    
remember1 the first morning ,i went out 
with four horses2 ,i never slept a wink 
all night4 ,i got a little flurried     
coming out of the yard1 and looking     
round on the envious chaps who were     
watching me--it was as bad as getting   
married--at least1 ,i should think so1  
never having been in that predicament   
myself4 ,i have escaped that dilemma1   
for1 he concluded1 when a man is always 
going backwards and forwards between two
 points1 what is the use of a wife1 a   
coachman could never be much more than  
half married4 ,now1 if the law--in the  

case of coachmen--allowed two wives1    
that would be quite another story1      
because he could then have the          
tea-things set out at both ends of his  
journey4 ,driving1 sir1 is very like    
life1 it's all so smooth when you start 
with the best team1 so well-behaved and 
handsome2 but get on a bit1 and you will
 find you have some hills to get up and 
down1 with all sorts of horses1 as they 
used to give us over the middle ground4 
,another thing1 sir1 never let your     
horses know you are driving them1 or1   
like women1 they may get restive4 ,don't
 pull and haul1 and stick your elbows   
a-kimbo2 keep your hands as though you  
were playing the piano2 let every horse 
be at work1 and don't get flurried2     
handle their mouths lightly2 do all     
this1 and you might even drive four     
young ladies without ever ruffling their
 feathers or their tempers4     ,my     
readers will not1 perhaps1 deem it      
altogether an inappropriate conclusion  
to this very humble little treatise1 if 

,i annex for their amusement1 if not for
 their edification1 ,the last ,dying    
,speech of the ,coachmen from           
,beambridge1 and some two or three other
 mementoes of a period and of an        
institution which have both1 alas6 long 
since passed away--and for ever4        
,,the ,,last ,,dying ,,speech ,,of ,,the
 ,,coachmen ,,from ,,beam ,,bridge4     
,the days1 nay1 the very nights of those
 who have so long      reined supreme   
over the ,nonpareils and the            
,brilliants1 the      ,telegraphs and   
the ,stars1 the ,magnets and the        
,emeralds1 are      nearly at an end1   
and the final way-bill of the total     
,eclipse is      made up4 ,it is        
positively their last appearance on this
 stage4       ,in a few weeks they will 
be unceremoniously pushed from their    
boxes      by an inanimate thing of     
vapour and flywheels--by a meddling     
fellow      in a clean white jacket and 
a face not ditto to match1 who1 mounted 
on the engine platform1 has for some    

weeks been flourishing a red      hot   
poker over their heads1 in triumph at   
their discomfiture and      downfall2   
and the turnpike road1 shorn of its     
glories1 is left      desolate and lone4
 ,no more shall the merry rattle of the 
wheels1 as      the frisky four-in-hand 
careers in the morning mist1 summon the 
village beauty from her toilet to the   
window-pane to catch a      passing nod 
of gallantry2 no more shall they loiter 
by the way to      trifle with the      
pretty coquette in the bar1 or light up 
another      kind of flame for the      
fragrant ,havannah fished from amongst  
the      miscellaneous deposits in the  
depths of the box-coat pockets4 ,true1  
the race were always a little fond of   
raillery1 and therefore      they die by
 what they love--we speak of course of  
professional      demise--but no doubt  
they hold it hard1 after having so often
      pulled up to be thus pulled down  
from their high eminences1 and          
compelled to sink into mere landlords of

 hotels1 farmers1 or      private       
gentlemen4 ,yet so it is4 ,they are     
regularly booked4      ,their places are
 taken by one who shows no disposition  
to make      room for them2 even their  
coaches are already beginning to crumble
      into things that have been2 and   
their bodies 7we mean their coach       
bodies7 are being seized upon by rural  
loving folks1 for the vulgar            
purpose of summer-houses4 ,but a few    
days and they will all vanish--         
,and like the baseless fabric of a      
vision1         ,leave not a trace      
behind4       ,no1 not even a buckle1 or
 an inch of whipcord2 and if1 some years
      hence a petrified whipple tree1 or
 the skeleton of a coachman1      should
 be turned up1 they will be hung up side
 by side with rusty      armour and the 
geological gleanings of our antediluvian
 ancestors4       ,we cannot part with  
our civil1 obliging1 gentlemanly friends
 of the      road without a feeling of  
regret1 and an expression of gratitude  

for the benefits they have done us4 ,it 
was pleasant1 after a warm              
breakfast1 to remove our heels from the 
hob1 and ensconce oneself      by the   
side of our modern whip--to establish a 
partnership in his      cosy leathern   
apron--to see him handling his four     
spirited bays as      though his reins  
were velvet--and having1 with a few     
familiar words      and a friendly      
cigar1 drawn the cork from the bottle of
 his varied      information1 to learn1 
as we slapped along at ten miles an     
hour1      whose park it was1 stretching
 away to the left1 to listen to his     
little anecdotes of horse and flesh1 and
 his elucidation of the      points of  
the last ,derby4 ,peace to the manes and
 to the names      of our honest        
coachmen1 one and all of them1 and of   
their horses      too--we speak of their
 whippish names1 for in the body we hope
      they may long tarry1 and flourish 
to boot1 in other departments      of   
the living4     ,,an ,,old ,,friend     

,,and ,a ,,new ,,face4   ,to the ,editor
 of the ,exeter and ,plymouth ,gazette4 
,,sir1  ,you will oblige me by inserting
 the following in your paper1 which may 
be amusing to some of your readers3--   
,it is a fact well known that when the  
subscription coaches started1      in   
the year #ahab1 ,william ,hanning1      
,esq41 a magistrate of the county       
of ,somerset1 residing near ,ilminster1 
was a strenuous advocate for      their 
support1 and it was in great measure    
owing to his exertions      that they   
were established4 ,this gentleman1 from 
some motive or      other1 or perhaps   
from his known fondness for new         
speculations1 is      now the avowed    
supporter of a new coach1 called1 above 
all other      names1 the ,defiance1 and
 it is professedly meant as an          
opposition      to the subscription     
coaches4 ,it started from ,exeter for   
the first      time on ,sunday1 ,april  
#acth1 #ahbc4 ,one really would have    
supposed      that under such patronage 

a name better calculated to keep the    
peace of his ,majesty's liege subjects1 
and to preserve harmony and             
good-will among men1 would have been    
adopted for this coach1 and      that   
some other day might have been selected 
for its first      appearance4 ,however1
 the ,defiance started on the ,sunday   
afternoon1 amidst the shouts and        
imprecations of guards1 coachmen1       
and ostlers1 contending one against the 
other1 and having one      ill-looking  
outside passenger1 whose name was       
,revenge4       ,an interesting         
occurrence took place at ,ilminster4    
,the new      ,defiance was expected to 
arrive there1 on its way from town1     
between nine and ten on the ,sunday     
morning1 and it was determined      to  
honour it with ringing the church bells4
 ,the heroes of the      belfry were all
 assembled1 every man at his rope's end1
 their      souls on fire1 and eager for
 the fray2 the ,squire was stationed    
about a mile from ,ilminster1 and seeing

 the coach1 as he thought1      coming  
at a distance1 he galloped through the  
street in triumph1      gave the signal1
 and off went the merry peal4 ,every eye
 was soon      directed to this new and 
delightful object1 when1 guess the      
consternation that prevailed upon       
seeing1 instead of the new              
,defiance1 the poor old ,subscription   
trotting nimbly up to the      ,george  
,inn door1 and ,tom ,goodman1 the guard1
 playing on the      key-bugle1 with his
 usual excellence1 ,should auld         
acquaintance be      forgot8 ,the scene 
is more easily imagined than described2 
it would      have been a fine subject  
for ,hogarth4 ,the bells were now       
ordered to      cease2 the ,squire      
walked off and was seen no more4 ,honest
 ,tom was      not accustomed to this   
kind of reception2 he had enlivened the 
town      with his merry notes a        
thousand times1 but now every one looked
 on      him with disdain1 as if they   
did not know him4 ,he could scarcely    

suppress his feelings2 but after a few  
minutes' reflection he      mounted his 
seat again1 and1 casting a good-tempered
 look to all      around him1 went off1 
playing a tune which the occurrence and 
the      sublimity of the day seemed to 
dictate to him--,through all the        
changing scenes of life4 ,some of the   
good people of ,ilminster who      were 
going to church admired ,tom's          
behaviour1 and said it had a      very  
good effect4 ,tom arrived safe with his 
coach at ,exeter about      one o'clock1
 having started from ,london one hour   
and a half after      the ,defiance1 and
 performed the journey in nineteen hours
 and a      half4 ,the ,defiance arrived
 about an hour after the ,subscription2 
but the proprietors of the latter did   
not approve of this system1      and    
gave ,tom a reprimand1 directing him in 
future to keep on his      regular      
steady pace1#ba-99 and not to notice the
 other coach1 which      he promised to 
attend to1 but said he only wished to   

show them1 on      their first journey1 
the way along4 ,this1 under all the     
circumstances1 was admitted as an       
excuse4 ,tom went away much      pleased
 with the adventures of his journey1 and
 said he should      never meet the     
,squire again without playing on his    
bugle ,hark to      the merry ,christ   
,church bells4    ,i beg leave to       
remain1 ,mr4 ,editor1            ,your  
obliged ,servant1        ,a ,,friend    
,,to ,,the ,,subscription ,,coaches4    
,,footnotes3  ,footnote #ba-993 ,the    
regular time is to perform the journey  
in twenty-two hours--to leave ,london at
 six in the evening1 and arrive in      
,exeter at four the following afternoon4
     ,,all ,,the ,,world ,,is ,a ,,stage
 ,,coach3 ,,it ,,has ,,its ,,insides    
,,and ,,outsides1 ,,and ,,coachmen ,,in 
,,their ,,time ,,see ,,much ,,fun4--,old
 ,play4   ,tune--,the ,huntsman ,winds  
his ,horn4      ,some people delight in 
the sports of the turf       ,whilst    
others love only the chace1     ,but to 

me1 the delight above all others is     
,a good ,coach that can go the pace4    
,there are some1 too1 for whom the sea  
has its charms       ,and who'll sing of
 it night and morn1     ,but give me a  
,coach with its rattling bars       ,and
 a ,guard who can blow his horn4        
,but give me a ,coach1 c4      ,when the
 ,coach comes round to the office door1 
,what a crowd to see it start1     ,and 
the thoughts of the drive1 cheer up many
 who leave       ,their friends with an 
aching heart4     ,the prads are so     
anxiously tossing their heads1          
,and a nosegay does each one adorn1     
,when the ,dragsman jumps up1 crying out
 sit fast1       ,while the shooter     
blows his horn4                 ,when   
the ,dragsman jumps up1 c4      ,now    
merrily rolls the ,coach along1         
,like a bird she seems to fly1     ,as  
the girls all look out from the roadside
 ,inns1       ,for a wink from the      
,dragsman's eye1     ,how they long for 
a ride with the man who's the pride     

,of each village through which he is    
borne1     ,on that ,coach which he     
tools with so skilful a hand1           
,while the ,guard plays a tune on his   
horn4                                ,on
 that ,coach1 c4      ,how the girls all
 dote on the sight of the ,coach1       
,and the ,dragsman's curly locks1       
,as he rattles along with eleven and    
four1       ,and a petticoat on the box4
     ,that box is his home1 his teams   
are his pride1       ,and he ne'er feels
 downcast or forlorn1     ,when he lists
 to the musical sound of the bars1      
,and the tune from the shooter's horn4  
,when he lists1 c4      ,i have sung of 
the joys one feels on a ,coach1         
,and the beauty there is in a team1     
,so let us all hope they may ne'er be   
destroyed       ,by the rascally        
railroads and steam4     ,there are     
still some good friends who'll stick by 
the old trade1       ,and who truly     
their absence would mourn1     ,so      
here's a health to the ,dragsman1       

success to the bars1       ,and the     
,guard who blows his horn4              
,so here's a health1 c4     ,tune--,the 
,queen1 ,god bless her4       #a4       
,see that splendid fast ,coach1         
well-named ,,tally ,,ho1       ,with    
prads that can come the long trot2      
,do their twelve miles an hour--like    
flashes they go1       ,spinning        
smoothly along as a top4      #b4       
,with ,ward and ,john ,hex1 or          
,hardcastle and ,judd1       ,how       
devoted they are to the fair2     ,in   
their vests there you find the red rose 
in the bud1       ,perfuming the ,summer
 soft air4                              
,tally ,ho1 c41 c4      #c4      ,four  
within and twelve out1 see they usually 
start1       ,and the horn sounding     
right merrily2     ,good humour and glee
 do these gay lads impart1       ,and   
their management's right to a ,t4       
#d4      ,but1 how shall we grieve1 when
 the fam'd ,tally ,ho1       ,shares the
 fate of those now long gone by8        

,yet--we'll toast its fond mem'ry       
wherever we go1       ,for the sound of 
its name shall ne'er die4               
,tally ,ho1 c41 c4   ,printed by ,jas4  
,wade1 #ah1 ,tavistock-street1          
,covent-garden4