the inferior situations have any separate attractions, unless the pit
may be supposed to have an advantage for the purposes of the critic or
the dramatic reporter. But the critic or reporter is a rarity. For most
people, the sole benefit is in the price. Now, on the contrary, the
outside of the mail had its own incommunicable advantages. These we
could not forego. The higher price we would willingly have paid, but
not the price connected with the condition of riding inside; which
condition we pronounced insufferable. The air, the freedom of prospect,
the proximity to the horses, the elevation of seat: these were what we
required; but, above all, the certain anticipation of purchasing
occasional opportunities of driving.

Such was the difficulty which pressed us; and under the coercion of
this difficulty we instituted a searching inquiry into the true quality
and valuation of the different apartments about the mail. We conducted
this inquiry on metaphysical principles; and it was ascertained
satisfactorily that the roof of the coach, which by some weak men had
been called the attics, and by some the garrets, was in reality the
drawing-room; in which drawing-room the box was the chief ottoman or
sofa; whilst it appeared that the _inside_ which had been
traditionally regarded as the only room tenantable by gentlemen, was,
in fact, the coal-cellar in disguise.

Great wits jump. The very same idea had not long before struck the
celestial intellect of China. Amongst the presents carried out by our
first embassy to that country was a state-coach. It had been specially
selected as a personal gift by George III; but the exact mode of using
it was an intense mystery to Pekin. The ambassador, indeed (Lord
Macartney), had made some imperfect explanations upon this point; but,
as His Excellency communicated these in a diplomatic whisper at the