The second part of the present state of England together with divers reflections upon the antient state thereof / by Edward Chamberlayne ...

Of the Office of Post-Master General.

THe Profits of the said Office are setled by Act of Parliament, on his Royal Highness the Duke of York; but His Ma∣jesty doth constitute His Post-Master Gene∣ral by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England; and, accordingly hath con∣ferred that Office upon the Right Honor∣able Henry Lord Arlington, His Principal Secretary of State.

The present Post-Master General keepeth one Grand or General Office in the City of London, from whence, Letters and Pac∣quets are dispatched.

Every Monday, to France, Italy, Spain, Flanders, Germany, Sweden, Danemark, &c, and to Kent.

Every Tuesday, to the United Nether∣lands, Germany, &c. And to all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Every Wednesday, to Kent onely, and the Downs.

Every Thursday, to France, Spain, Italy, and all parts of England and Scot∣land.

Every Friday, to the Spanish and United Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Dane∣mark, and to Kent.

Every Saturday, to all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

And the Answers of the said Letters and Pacquets, are received in the said Office in due Course: And from thence dispersed, and delivered according to their respective directions, with all expedition.

The said Office is managed by a Deputy, and other Officers, to the number of Se∣venty seven Persons; who give their actual attendance respectively in the dispatch of the business.

Upon this Grand Office depends One hundred eighty two Deputy Post-Masters in England and Scotland; most of which, keep Regular Offices in their Stages, and Sub Post-Masters in their Branches; and also in Ireland, another General Office for that Kingdom, which is kept in Dub∣lin, consisting of Eighteen like Officers, and Forty five Deputy Post-Masters.

The present Post-Master General keeps constantly for the transport of the said Letters and Pacquets.

Between England and

• France, Two Pacquet-Boats.
• Flanders, Two Pac∣quet-Boats.
• Holland, Three Pac∣quet-Boats.
• Ireland, Three Pac∣quet-Boats.

And at Deal, Two Pacquet-Boats for the Downs.

All which Officers, Post-Masters, Pac∣quet-Boats, are maintained at his own pro∣per charge.

And as the Master piece of all those good regulations, established by the pre∣sent Post-master General, for the better government of the said office, he hath an∣nexed and apropriated the Market Towns of England, so well to the respective Post-stages, that there is no considerable Mar∣ket-Town, but hath an easy and certain Conveyance for the Letters thereof to and from the said grand office, in the due Course of the Mailes every Post.

Note also, that all Letters are conveyed with more expedition and less charges then in any forreign Country.

A Letter containing a whole sheet of Pa∣per is conveyed 80 miles for 2 d. 2 sheets 4 d. and an ounce of Letters but 8 d. and that in so short a time by night as well as by day, that every 24 hours, the Post goes 120 miles, and in 5 dayes, an an∣swer of a Letter may be had from a place 300 miles distant from the Writer. More∣over if any Gentleman desires to ride Post to any principal Town of England, Post-Horses are alwayes in readiness (taking no Horse without the consent of his owner) which in other Kings reigns was not duly observed; and only 3 d. is demanded for every English mile, and for every Stage to the Post boy 4 d. for conducting.

Besides this excellent convenience of con∣veying Letters and Men on Horseback, there is of late such an admirable commo∣diousness both for Men and Women of bet∣ter rank to travel from London, to almost

any great Town of England, and to al∣most all the Villages near this great City, that the like hath not been known in the World, and that is by Stage Coaches, wherein one may be transported to any place, sheltred from foul weather and foul ways, free from endamaging ones health or body by hard jogging, or over violent motion, and this not onely at a low price, as about a shilling for every 5 miles, but with such velocity and speed, as that the Posts in some forreign Countryes make not more miles in a day, for the Stage Coa∣ches called flying Coaches make Forty or Fifty miles in a day, as from London to Ox∣ford or Cambridge, and that in the space of Twelve hours, not counting the time for Dining, setting forth not too early, and coming in not too late. This office is now kept in Bishopsgate-street.