Letter #3, To Cassandra, From Cork Street, London
"We set off again this morning at seven o'clock & had a very pleasant Drive, as the morning was cloudy & perfectly cool - I came all the way in the Chaise from Hertford Bridge. -" - Jane Austen, Tuesday 23 August 1796, Tuesday morning
A chaise as described in the Encyclopedia Britannica
post chaise, four-wheeled, closed carriage, containing one seat for two or three passengers, that was popular in 18th-century England. The body was of the coupé type, appearing as if the front had been cut away. Because the driver rode one of the horses, it was possible to have windows in front as well as at the sides. At the post chaise’s front end, in place of the coach box, was a luggage platform. The carriage was built for long-distance travel, and so horses were changed at intervals at posts (stations).
In England, public post chaises were painted yellow and could be hired, along with the driver and two horses, for about a shilling a mile. The post chaise is descended from the 17th-century two-wheeled French chaise.
She refers to Hertford Bridge here. As far as I can tell she must have meant Hartford Bridge. There is a Hertford Bridge at Oxford College but it was not completed until 1914, so she could not have been referring to this one. There is also a Hertford, England but the distance between Hertford and London is 26.9 to 31.1 miles. It would add another day or two to their journey to go from Staines to Hertford and then Hertford to London, so it cannot be Hertford, England. This leaves only Hartford Bridge, which is 10 miles NW of Basingstoke on the route to Staines. The post station at Hartford Bridge was called the White Lion Inn. Today it is an antique store, but they have taken care to preserve the original features.
Here is a link:
http://www.whitelionantiques.co.uk/
White Lion Antiques which in Jane Austen's time was the White Lion Inn. She would have stopped here on her way to Basingstoke and then on to Staines.
The full quotation is:
ReplyDeleteLife is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~ Mark Twain ~
Hi Merelyawoman,
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Thank you so much. I did not know the full quotation. Knowing the rest of it gives it an even fuller meaning doesn't it. I do need to be reminded often.
Thank you so much for your comment!
Terrie