en
nothing was given them, as would occasionally happen--for how could they
receive from those who had nothing? and nobody was bound to give them
anything, as they had certain wages from their employers--then what a
scene would ensue! Truly the brutality and rapacious insolence of
English coachmen had reached a climax; it was time that these fellows
should be disenchanted, and the time--thank Heaven!--was not far distant.
Let the craven dastards who used to curry favour with them, and applaud
their brutality, lament their loss now that they and their vehicles have
disappeared from the roads; I, who have ever been an enemy to insolence,
cruelty, and tyranny, loathe their memory, and, what is more, am not
afraid to say so, well aware of the storm of vituperation, partly learned
from them, which I may expect from those who used to fall down and
worship them.

Amongst the coachmen who frequented the inn was one who was called "the
bang-up coachman." He drove to our inn, in the fore part of every day,
one of what were called the fast coaches, and afterwards took back the
corresponding vehicle. He stayed at our house about twenty minutes,
during which time the passengers of the coach which he was to return with
dined; those at least who were inclined for dinner, and could pay for it.
He derived his sobriquet of "the bang-up coachman" partly from his being
dressed in the extremity of coach dandyism, and partly from the peculiar
insolence of his manner, and the unmerciful fashion in which he was in
the habit of lashing on the poor horses committed to his charge. He was
a large tall fellow, of about thirty, with a face which, had it not been
bloated by excess, and insolence and cruelty stamped most visibly upon
it, might have been called good-looking. His insolence indeed was so
great that he was hated by all the minor fry connected with coaches along
the road upon which he drove, especially the ostlers, whom he was
continually abusing or finding fault with. Many was the hearty curse
which he received when his back was turned; but the generality of people
were much afraid of him, for he was a swinging strong fellow, and had the
reputation of being a fighter, and in one or two instances had beaten in
a barbarous manner individuals who had quarrelled with him.

I was nearly having a fracas with this worthy. One day, after he had
been drinking sherry with a sprig, he swaggered into the yard where I
happened to be standing;