aily augmentation from the servile homage paid them by the generality of
the untitled male passengers, especially those on the fore part of the
coach, who used to contend for the honour of sitting on the box with the
coachman when no sprig was nigh to put in his claim. Oh! what servile
homage these craven creatures did pay these same coach fellows, more
especially after witnessing this or t'other act of brutality practised
upon the weak and unoffending--upon some poor friendless woman travelling
with but little money, and perhaps a brace of hungry children with her,
or upon some thin and half-starved man travelling on the hind part of the
coach from London to Liverpool with only eighteen pence in his pocket
after his fare was paid, to defray his expenses on the road; for as the
insolence of these knights was vast, so was their rapacity enormous; they
had been so long accustomed to have crowns and half-crowns rained upon
them by their admirers and flatterers that they would look at a shilling,
for which many an honest labourer was happy to toil for ten hours under a
broiling sun, with the utmost contempt; would blow upon it derisively, or
fillip it into the air before they pocketed it; but when 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 learnt
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 forepart 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 w