XI. MAIL-GUARDS 249 XII. STAGE-COACH GUARDS 272 XIII. HOW THE COACHES WERE NAMED 282 XIV. GOING BY COACH: BOOKING OFFICES 320 XV. HOW THE COACH PASSENGERS FARED: MANNERS AND CUSTOMS DOWN THE ROAD 333 [Illustration: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS] SEPARATE PLATES PAGE 1. THE MAIDENHEAD AND MARLOW POST-COACH, 1782. (_From a contemporary Painting_) _Frontispiece_ 2. THE STAGE-COACH, 1783. (_After Rowlandson_) 83 3. THE WAGGON, 1816. (_After Rowlandson_) 115 4. THE STAGE-WAGGON, 1820. (_After J. L. Agasse_) 121 5. THE ROAD-WAGGON: A TRYING CLIMB. (_After J. Pollard_) 131 6. THE STAGE-WAGGON, 1816. (_By Rowlandson_) 137 7. PICKFORD’S LONDON AND MANCHESTER FLY VAN, 1826. (_After George Best_) 141 8. JOHN PALMER AT THE AGE OF 17. (_Attributed to Gainsborough, R.A._) 149 9. JOHN PALMER. (_From the Painting by Gainsborough, R.A._) 153 10. THE MAIL-COACH, 1803. (_From the Engraving after George Robertson_) 169 11. JOHN PALMER IN HIS 75TH YEAR. (_From an Etching by the Hon. Martha Jervis_) 175 12. MRS. BUNDLE IN A RAGE; OR, TOO LATE FOR THE STAGE. (_After Rowlandson_, 1809) 183 13. THE SHEFFIELD COACH, ABOUT 1827. (_From a contemporary Painting_) 187 14. THE “BIRMINGHAM EXPRESS” LEAVING THE “HEN AND CHICKENS.” (_From a contemporary Painting_) 191 15. “MY DEAR, YOU’RE A PLUMPER”: COACHMAN AND BARMAID. (_After Rowlandson_) 223 16. THE OLD “PRINCE OF WALES” BIRMINGHAM COACH. (_After H. Alken_) 233 17. IN TIME FOR THE COACH. (_After C. Cooper Henderson, 1848_) 243 18. STUCK FAST. (_After C. Cooper Henderson, 1834_) 267 19. THE “READING TELEGRAPH” PASSING WINDSOR CASTLE. (_After J. Pollard_) 297 20. THE EXETER MAIL, 1809. (_After J. A. Atkinson_) 301 21. THE BRIGHTON “COMET,” 1836. (_After J. Pollard_) 307 22. MATTHEWS’ PATENT SAFETY COACHES ON THE BRIGHTON ROAD 313 23. A COACH-BREAKFAST. (_After J. Pollard_) 349