228

COACHES.

Duke Julius of Brunswick published an order, couched invery expressive terms, by which his vassals were forbiddento ride in carriages. This curious document is in substanceas follows:—“ As we know from ancient historians, from“ the annals of heroic, honourable, and glorious achieve-“ rnents, and even by our own experience, that the respec-“ table, steady, courageous, and spirited Germans were,“ heretofore, so much celebrated among all nations, on“ account of their manly virtue, sincerity, boldness, honesty,“ and resolution, that their assistance was courted in war,“ and that, in particular, the people of this land, by their“ discipline and intrepidity, both within and without the“ kingdom, acquired so much celebrity, that foreign nations“ readily united with them: we have, for some time past,“ found, with great pain and uneasiness, that their useful“ discipline and skill in riding, in our electorate, county,“ and lordship, have not only visibly declined, but have“ been almost lost (and, no doubt, other electors and princes“ have experienced the same among their nobility:) and as“ the principal cause of this is that our vassals, servants,“ and kinsmen, without distinction, young and old, have“ dared to give themselves up to indolence and to riding in“ coaches, and that few of them provide themselves with“ well-equipped riding horses, and with skilful experienced“ servants, and boys acquainted with the roads: not being“ able to suffer, any longer, this neglect, and being desirous" to revive the ancient Brunswick mode of riding, handed“ down and bequeathed to us by our forefathers, we herebyf ‘ will and command, that all and each of our before-men-“ tioned vassals, servants, and kinsmen, of whatever rank“ or condition, shall always keep in readiness as many“ riding horses as they are obliged to serve us with by their“ fief, or alliance; and shall have in their service able, ex-“ perienced servants, acquainted with the roads; and that“ they shall have as many horses as possible, with polished“ steel furniture, and with saddles proper for carrying the“ necessary arms and accoutrements, so that they may ap-“ pear with them when necessity requires. We also will“ and command our before-mentioned vassals and servants“ to take notice, that when we order them to assemble,“ either all together, or in part, in times of turbulence, or“ to receive their fiefs, or when on other occasions they visit“ our court, they shall not travel or appear in coaches, but“ ou their riding horses, &c.” 18

*• Lunig. Corp. Jur. Feud. Germ. ii. p. 1447.