COACH

COACH, a vehicle for commodious travelling, suspended on leathers, and moved on wheels. In Britain, and throughout Europe, the coaches are drawn by horses, except in Spain, where they use mules. In a part of the east, especially the dominions of the great Mogul, their coaches are drawn by oxen. In Denmark they sometimes yoke rein-deer in their coaches; though rather for curiosity than use. The coachman is ordinarily placed on a seat raised before the body of the coach. But the Spanish policy has displaced him in that country by a royal ordinance; on occasion of the duke d'Olivares, who found that a very important secret, wherein he had conferred in his coach, had been overheard and revealed by his coachman: since that time the place of the Spanish coachman is the same with that of the French stage coachman and our postillion, viz. on the first horse on the left.

According to Professor Beckmann, coaches of some kind were known about the beginning of the 16th century; but the use of them was limited to women of the highest rank. It was accounted disgraceful in men to ride in them. It appears from the history of that period, that the electors and princes of the empire, when they did not choose to attend the meetings of the states, excused themselves to the emperor, by informing him, that their health would not permit them to travel on horseback; and it was considered unbecoming to ride in carriages like women. But it seems also pretty certain, that about the end of the 15th century, the emperor, kings, and some princes, travelled in covered carriages, and also employed them on public solemnities.

The nuptial carriage of the first wife of Leopold, a Spanish prince, cost, including the harness, 38,000 florins. The coaches used by that emperor are thus described. In the imperial coaches no great magnificence was to be seen, being covered over with red cloth and black nails. The harness was black, and no gold was to be seen in the whole work. They had glass panels, for which reason they were called imperial.

E o r i a d

Coach. rial coaches. The harness was ornamented with fringes of red silk on days of festivity. The imperial coaches were only distinguished by having leather traces, while the ladies in the emperor's suite were contented with traces made of ropes. Fifty gilt coaches having six horses each, were to be seen in 1681 at the court of Ernest Augustus of Hanover. The first time that plenipotentiaries appeared in coaches, was at the imperial commission in 1613, held at Erfurth.

We meet with ample proof in the history of France, that the monarchs rode on horses, the servants on mules, and ladies of distinction sometimes on asses, at Paris, in the 14th, 15th, and even 16th centuries. Yet carriages of some kind seem to have been used in France at an early period, since there is still preserved a statute of Philip the Fair, issued in 1294, for the suppression of luxury, and in which the wives of citizens were prohibited the use of carriages.

The oldest coaches used by the ladies of England were denominated whirlicotes, a name now sunk in oblivion. About the end of the 14th century, when Richard II. was forced to fly before his rebellious subjects, he and all his attendants travelled on horseback, his mother alone riding in a coach, as she was indisposed. This became afterwards unfashionable, the daughter of Charles IV. having showed the ladies of England how conveniently she could ride on a side-saddle.

According to Stow, coaches first came to be used in England about the middle of the 16th century, having been introduced from Germany by the earl of Arundel. The English plenipotentiary came to Scotland in a coach in the year 1598, and they were generally used about the year 1605.

Authors observe, as a thing very singular, that there were at first no more than three coaches in Paris; the first that of the queen; the second that of Diana mistress of Henry II.; and the third belonging to Jean de Lava de Bois Dauphin; whose enormous bulk disabled him from travelling on horseback. One may hence judge how much vanity, luxury, and idleness, have grown upon our hands in latter days; there being now computed in that same city no less than 15,000 coaches.

Coaches have had the fate of all other inventions, to be brought by degrees to their perfection; at present they seem to want nothing, either with regard to ease or magnificence. Louis XIV. of France made several sumptuary laws for restraining the excessive richness of coaches, prohibiting the use of gold, silver, &c. therein; but they have had the fate to be neglected.

The following are the duties payable on carriages of this description in Britain (1804).

Every maker of coaches, chaises, chariots, &c. must, from and after the 5th day of July 1785, take out at the excise office in London, or of their agents in the country, a licence, to be renewed annually at least ten days before the expiration of the former, for which they must pay 20s. They must also pay 20s. duty for every four-wheeled carriage newly built for sale, and 10s. for every two-wheeled carriage. These duties are also payable to the commissioners of the excise in town, or their agents in the country.

Coach-makers in Scotland are to take out their licences and pay the duties to the commissioners of excise in Edinburgh, or their agents in the country of that part of Great Britain.

Every coach-maker neglecting to take out a licence, and renewing the same annually, forfeits 10l.; and neglecting or refusing to settle every six weeks, in the manner particularly directed by the act, is a forfeiture of 20l.