Carriages & Coaches: Their History & Their EvolutionStraus, Ralph
History
Carriages & Coaches: Their History & Their Evolution
Straus, Ralph
Carriages and carts
“Thus Fersen drives, through the ambrosial night. Sleeping
Paris is now all on the right-hand of him; silent except for
some snoring hum: and now he is Eastward as far as the Barrier
de Saint-Martin; looking earnestly for Baroness de Korff’s
Berline. This Heaven’s Berline he at length does descry, drawn
up with its six Horses, his own German Coachman waiting on the
box.... The august Glass-Coach fare, six Insides, hastily
packs itself into the new Berline; two Bodyguard Couriers
behind. The Glass-coach itself is turned adrift, its head
towards the City; to wander whither it lists,—and be found
next morning in a ditch. But Fersen is on the new box, with
its brave new hammer-cloths; flourishing his whip; he bolts
forward towards Bondy. There a third and final Bodyguard
Courier of ours ought surely to be, with post-horses already
ordered. There likewise ought that purchased Chaise, with the
two waiting-maids and their band-boxes, to be; whom also her
Majesty could not travel without....
“Once more by Heaven’s blessing, it is all well. Here is the
sleeping Hamlet of Bondy; Chaise with Waiting-women; horse all
ready, and postilions with their churn-boots, impatient in the
dewy dawn. Brief harnessing done, the postilions with their
churn-boots vault into the saddles; brandish circularly their
little noisy whips....
“But scouts, all this while, and aides-de-camp, have flown
forth faster than the leathern Diligences....”
The grand new Berline has been seen in the Wood of Bondy.
“Miserable new Berline!” apostrophises Carlyle. “Why could not Royalty
go in some old Berline similar to that of other men? Flying for life,
one does not stickle about his vehicle. Monsieur, in a commonplace
travelling-carriage, is off Northwards; Madame, his Princess, in
another, with variation of route; they cross one another while changing
horses, without look of recognition; and reach Flanders, no man
questioning them....
“All runs along, unmolested, speedy, except only the new Berline. Huge
leathern vehicle:—huge Argosy, let us say, or Acapulco-ship; with its
heavy stern-boat of Chaise-and-pair; with its three yellow Pilot-boats
of mounted Bodyguard Couriers, rocking aimless round it and ahead of
it, to bewilder, not to guide! It lumbers along lurchingly with stress,
at a snail’s pace; noted of all the world.”
It has indeed been seen, and soldiers rush after it, and the huge
Berline is brought back to Paris in what was surely the most terrible
procession ever witnessed....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account