The French word Haquenée[350] implies a common horse for all purposes of riding, whether for private use or for hire; generally an ambler, as distinguished from the horses of superior orders, such as the palfrey and the great horse. The former of these are often called pad-nags, and were likewise amblers; while horses for draught were called trotting-horses[351]: so that the Haquenée was in fact, and in his use, distinct from all the rest, and inferior in rank and quality. This term for an ambling-nag occurs in Chaucer[352]. Thus we obtained our Haquenée or Hackney Horses long before we had any Coaches to tack to them; and the term had likewise, at the same time, made its way into metaphor, to express any thing much and promiscuously used. Thus Shakspeare, who never lived to ride in a Hackney Coach, applies the word Hackney to a common woman of easy access[353]: and again, in the First Part of Henry IV. (Act iii. Sc. 4), the King says to the Prince of Wales,
"Had I so lavish of my presence been,
So common-hackneyed in the eyes of men,
So stale and cheap to vulgar company," &c.
Now Shakspeare died in the year 1616; whereas Hackney Coaches were not known, in the Streets at least, till about the year 1625[354].
Though the term Haquenée is French, it is not used in France for Coaches of a like kind; yet, after we had adopted the word as applied to horses of the common sort, it was easy to put them in harness, for the service of drawing, and the convenience of the Inhabitants of the Metropolis; whereby the word Hackney became transferred to the whole Equipage, then in want of a differential name; whereof the Coach, being the more striking part, obtained the name by pre-eminence.
Before I return to my subject, give me leave to add a word or two on the French Coaches of a similar nature, which are called Fiacres[355]. The term is thus accounted for, though I did not suspect I should have found the meaning in a Martyrology. Fiacre was the name of a Saint, whose Portrait, like those of many other famous men of their times both in Church and State, had the honour to adorn a Sign-Post; and the Inn in Paris, Rue St. Antoine, from which these Coaches were first let out to hire on temporary occasions, had the Sign of St. Fiacre, and from thence they took their name. M. Richelet, in his Dictionary[356], tells us, that a Fiacre is "Carosse de loüage, auquel on a donné ce nom à cause de l'Enseigne d'un logis de la Rue St. Antoine de Paris ou l'on a premierement löué ces sortes de Carosse. Ce logis avoit pour Enseigne un Saint Fiacre." As to the Saint himself, he was no less a personage than the second Son, and at length Heir, of Eugenius IV. King of Scots, who lived in the Seventh Century. He went into France, took a religious habit, refusing the Crown of Scotland some years afterwards, on his Brother's death; and, when he died, was canonized. There is a Chapel dedicated to him at St. Omer's. His death is commemorated on the 30th of August[357].
As to the time when the French Fiacres first came into use, we are led pretty nearly to it by Mr. Menage, who, in his "Origines de la Langue Françoise," published in Quarto, 1650, speaks of them as of a late introduction. His words are, "On appelle ainsi [Fiacre] à Paris depuis quelques années un Carosse de loüage." He then gives the same reason as we find in Richelet: but the words "depuis quelques Années" shew, that those Coaches had not then been long in use, and are to be dated either a little before or a little after our own; insomuch that it is probable the one gave the example to the other, allowing Mr. Menage credit for twenty-five years, comprehended in his expression of quelques Années[358].
But to return to our Hackney Coaches, which took birth A. D. 1625 (the first year of King Charles I.); and either began to ply in the Streets, or stood ready at Inns to be called for if wanted: and at that time did not exceed twenty in number[359]. But, as luxury makes large shoots in any branch where it puts forth, so we find that, in no more than ten years, this new-planted scyon had grown so much as to require the pruning-knife; for that the Street Coaches had become in reality a national nuisance in various particulars: and accordingly a Proclamation issued A.D. 1635 in the following words:
"That the great numbers of Hackney Coaches of late time seen and kept in London, Westminster, and their Suburbs, and the general and promiscuous use of Coaches there, were not only a great disturbance to his Majesty, his dearest Consort the Queen, the Nobility, and others of place and degree, in their passage through the Streets; but the Streets themselves were so pestered, and the pavements so broken up, that the common passage is thereby hindered and made dangerous; and the prices of hay and provender, and other provisions of stable, thereby made exceeding dear: Wherefore we expressly command and forbid, That, from the Feast of St. John the Baptist next coming, no Hackney or Hired Coaches be used or suffered in London, Westminster, or the Suburbs or Liberties thereof, except they be to travel at least three miles out of London or Westminster, or the Suburbs thereof. And also, that no person shall go in a Coach in the said Streets, except the owner of the Coach shall constantly keep up Four able Horses for our Service, when required[360]. Dated January 19, 1635-6."