THE STAGE COACH.-GREENWICH FAIR.

WE have classed these two plates together, as affording a favourable specimen of the artist's talent, and also, because, on first casting our eye over them, we were unconsciously led to reflect upon the influence which the extension of railways has had upon the scenes and objects pictorially represented. The fair may still boast of its thousands and tens of thousands, who swarm thither to partake of its somewhat uproarious amusement, at least such was its character, when in our youthful days we visited the park and environs, but alas! for the stage-coach. The railroad with all its curves realizes the old definition of a straight line, it is the shortest distance between any two points, and the comparative annihilation of distance and the gain of time are undoubted advantages, when travelling on business. But when our avocations allow us to snatch a few days, or weeks, from the serious calls of life, we love still to mount the box. In the train we are boxed like living lumber, and before the Phythagorean silence, which forms such a philosophical feature in the English character, has had time to thaw, we are at our journey's end. Nay, we lately passed through or near the village where we had passed the hopeful years of youth, and what with cuttings, embankments and stations, we could not recognize an object, as we were whirled through the vale. The individual is annihilated, the mass doubtless stands out in glorious relief, when viewed at the proper distance. Now in the stage-coach we saw the aggregate of individuals, but each displaying his own form and substance, we could contemplate the scenery at our leisure, and our friend on the box was always ready to favour us with his local knowledge. But the day of the stage-coachman is past, the admirable description of Washington Irving is already fast verging on the brink of antiquity, the few cross-coaches that still exist, no longer exhibit the cheerful bustle of olden times, they seem to be aware that they but linger "on sufferance” a little time, a new extension line and their occupation's gone. Some few and far between, do indeed, still contrive to keep the road, but their panting exertions remind one rather of galvanic action, than of healthy spontaneous locomotion. Travelling by rail will doubtless soon be considered not as an end but a means, and the probable result will be, that while all men avail themselves gratefully of this grand instrument of human power, on occasions of business or necessity, the strong, the young and healthy, will ever and anon wish to feel their own individual power. The old stage coach is gone and cannot be replaced, but the number of pedestrians, who, after having been caged in the trains, without daring to look out of the window, will vindicate their personal liberty by exploring the mountains and valleys of our own beautiful country, and the grander scenes of Alpine sublimity will probably soon be increased tenfold, nay, a hundredfold.