"Ah, Did Not I Tell You That You Would Be Shaken To
Death?" Said The Black, As I Was Getting Up, But I Made Him No
Reply.
Indeed, I was ashamed; and I now write this as a warning to
all strangers to stage-coaches who
May happen to take it into their
heads, without being used to it, to take a place on the outside of
an English post-coach, and still more, a place in the basket.
About midnight we arrived at Harborough, where I could only rest
myself a moment, before we were again called to set off, full drive,
through a number of villages, so that a few hours before daybreak we
had reached Northampton, which is, however, thirty-three miles from
Leicester.
From Harborough to Leicester I had a most dreadful journey, it
rained incessantly; and as before we had been covered with dust, we
now were soaked with rain. My neighbour, the young man who sat next
me in the middle, that my inconveniences might be complete, every
now and then fell asleep; and as, when asleep, he perpetually bolted
and rolled against me, with the whole weight of his body, more than
once he was very near pushing me entirely off my seat.
We at last reached Northampton, where I immediately went to bed, and
have slept almost till noon. To-morrow morning I intend to continue
my journey to London in some other stage-coach.
CHAPTER XIII.
London, 15th July, 1782.
The journey from Northampton to London I can again hardly call a
journey, but rather a perpetual motion, or removal from one place to
another, in a close box; during your conveyance you may, perhaps, if
you are in luck, converse with two or three people shut up along
with you.
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