Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 233: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

200 ALFRED; OR ADVENTURES effect. Our hero saw that his wishes were comprebended ; and, having drawn up the blinds, he endeavoured to compose himself to sleep, while the postillion whipped his spirited horses, and urged them to such a pace that Alfred could not reproach himself for having expended coin in vain. ‘ Immediately out of Bagsh6t, which lies in a valley, the road ascends a steep hill. Up this acclivity dashed the chaise drawn by two animals, on whose tender sides the spur and the lash were not used fruitlessly. The brow was passed ; and the descent was made at the same rapid rate, as if life were unrecked for, and speed alone regarded. Alfred felt a momentary alarm at so extraordinary a celerity ; but he did not choose to exhibit his nervous fears by desiring the postilion to relax from that pace which he himself had encouraged with his munificence. The level piece of ground to which they had now arrived, a mile before the entrance of the town of Blackwater, was scarcely touched by the hoofs of the horses as they galloped over it like grey-hounds stretching across the plain, bearing the carriage in their rear as if it were a thing of no weight. Inthe mean time the flashes of lightning gradually be- came more frequent and more vivid; the thunder broke forth with deafening peals; the violence of the rain increased ; and the mur- muring of the wind as rapidly abated to a comparative tranquillity. Faster and faster flew the mettled steeds—their iron-shod heels struck fire even ona road deluged with water—but the crack of the postillion’s whip was heard no longer. Trusting too confidently to the vigour of his arm, and to the supposed command he had over his horses, he had given the high-spirited animals a larger scope than they were accustomed to enjoy—their loosened bridles had relaxed the galling of the bit—and the lightning terrified them by its repeated glare. When too late, the postillion discovered his imprudence. The horses obeyed his voice as much as the ocean regards the charm of the Norwegian mariner, who whistles to reduce it to silence and to calmness. De Rosann soon perceived the effect of his inauspicious liberality, and did not then hesitate to call to the postillion to arrest the progress of the flying animals. His shouts only terrifed them the more, and increased their speed. The carriage traced an un- even passage along the road—it oscillated from side to side with dreadful jerks—and occasionally threatened to overturn, as one wheel sunk deeply into the mud, and the other passed upon a heap of stones. De Rosann was jolted, first to the right and then to the left; the windows rattled as if they would break; and the chain, to which the skid was attached, clanked backwards and forwards to increase the discordant clamour. | The town of Blackwater was traversed with the rapidity of the flight of an arrow shot from the bow by the arm of a strong archer : the pavement echoed a moment to the hoofs of the horses, and the = sound was lost upon the murmuring blast as though it had not been. It was then the spirited animals relaxed their ardour, and gradually reduced their pace to one of less celerity. There is, on the farther ess: side from London of Blackwater, a high hill immediately before Gcomichooksrecom