The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance

The unblushing way in which the British Post-office in its earlier days was called upon to convey not only franked letters, but, under franks, articles of a totally different class, will be perceived from the following cases. It is not to be understood, however, that the things consigned actually passed through the Post-office, but rather that they were admitted for transport on board the special packet-ships of Government, sailing for the purposes of the Post-office. The cases are taken from the first annual report of the Postmaster-General:-- "Fifteen couples of hounds going to the King of the Romans with a free pass." "Some parcels of cloth for the clothing colonels in my Lord North's and my Lord Grey's regiments." "Two servant-maids going as laundresses to my Lord Ambassador Methuen." "Doctor Crichton, carrying with him a cow and divers other necessaries." "Three suits of cloaths for some nobleman's lady at the Court of Portugal." "A box containing three pounds of tea, sent as a present by my Lady Arlington to the Queen-Dowager of England at Lisbon." "Eleven couples of hounds for Major-General Hompesch." "A case of knives and forks for Mr Stepney, her Majesty's Envoy to the King of Holland." "One little parcell of lace, to be made use of in clothing Duke Schomberg's regiment." "Two bales of stockings for the use of the Ambassador of the Crown of Portugal." "A box of medicines for my Lord Galway in Portugal." "A deal case with four flitches of bacon for Mr Pennington of Rotterdam."