[Since the former edition of this work, published in 1814, public conveyances have undergone considerable changes. Stage-coaches, which in this country had arrived at such a degree of perfection, and which, till within a few years, passed through and connected almost every small town in the United Kingdom, have now nearly disappeared in consequence of the introduction of railroads. It is also rare in London to meet with a solitary hackney coach, this class of vehicles being almost entirely superseded by the lighter one-horsed cabriolets which were first introduced as public conveyances in the year 1823. The number of hackney coaches and cabriolets now plying for hire in the streets of London amounts to 2650, of which probably not more than 250 are two-horsed coaches. That very useful form of public conveyance, the omnibus, which is at present met with in nearly every large town in Europe, originated in Paris in 1827. In the latter part of 1831 and the beginning of 1832, omnibuses began to ply in the streets of London. Those running from Paddington to the Bank were the earliest. Carriages, however, of a similar form were used in England as Long Stages more than forty years ago, but were discontinued as they were not found profitable. They were in most request at holiday time, by schoolmasters in the neighbourhood of London; and some even of the present generation will remember their joyous pranks on journeying home in these capacious machines. There are now about 900 omnibuses running in London and its immediate vicinity. The line from Paddington to the Bank is served by two companies, the London Conveyance Company, and the Paddington Association, which have mutually agreed to run forty omnibuses each. An idea of the utility of these conveyances may be formed from the fact that the receipts of each of the eighty carriages on the above line averages 1000_l._ per annum, in sixpences. Omnibuses began to run in Amsterdam in 1839.] FOOTNOTES [150] See Leges XII. tab. illustratæ a J. N. Funccio, p. 72. Gellius, xx. 1. [151] Scheffer de Re Vehiculari, Spanhem. de Præstant. Numismatum. Amst. 1671, 4to, p. 613. Propertius, iv. 8. 23, mentions _serica carpenta_. [152] In my opinion the height here alluded to is to be understood as that of the body, rather than that of the wheels, as some think. [153] Codex Theodos. lib. xiv. tit. 12. and Cod. Justin. lib. xi. tit. 19. [154] Lersner, Chronica der Stadt Frankfurt, i. p. 23. [155] Sacrarum Cæremoniarum Romanæ Ecclesiæ Libri tres, auctore J. Catalano. Romæ, 1750, 2 vols. fol. i. p. 131. [156] See Cæremoniæ Episcoporum, lib. i. c. 11. [157] Ludewig’s Erläuter. der Güldenen Bulle. Franc. 1719, vol. i. p. 569. [158] Ludolf, Electa Juris Publici, v. p. 417. [159] Ludolf, _l. c._ [160] Sattler, Historische Beschreibung des Herzogthums Würtemberg.