RETROSPECTIVE GLEANINGS.

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ENGLISH ROADS.


The roads of England are the marvel of the world. The improvements which
have been effected during a century would be almost miraculous, did we
not consider that they had been produced by the spirit and intelligence
of the people, and were in no degree dependant upon the apathy or
caprice of the ruling power. The first turnpike-road was established by
an act of the 3rd Charles II. The mob pulled down the gates; and the new
principle was supported at the point of the bayonet. But long after that
period travelling was difficult and dangerous. In December, 1703,
Charles III. king of Spain, slept at Petworth on his way from Portsmouth
to Windsor, and Prince George of Denmark went to meet him there by
desire of the queen. In the relation of the journey given by one of the
prince's attendants, he states, "We set out at six in the morning, by
torchlight, to go to Petworth, and did not get out of the coaches (save
only when we were overturned or stuck fast in the mire) till we arrived
at our journey's end. 'Twas a hard service for the prince to sit
fourteen hours in the coach that day without eating any thing, and
passing through the worst ways I ever saw in my life. We were thrown but
once indeed in going, but our coach, which was the leading one, and his
highnesses body coach, would have suffered very much, if the nimble
boors of Sussex had not frequently poised it, or it with their
shoulders, from Godalming almost to Petworth; and the nearer we