Reproduction of the original.

This book features two essays by Thomas De Quincey. The first essay, The English Mail-Coach, reminisces about the lost era of mail-coaches and their significance during De Quincey's childhood. The second essay, Joan of Arc, chronicles the life and death of one of France's most revered, yet controversial figures. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The English Mail-Coach is an essay by the English author Thomas De Quincey. A "three-part masterpiece" and one of his most magnificent works. The essay is divided into three sections: Part I, "The Glory of Motion," is devoted to a lavish description of the mail coach system then in use in England, and the sensations of riding on the outside upper seats of the coaches; Part II, "The Vision of Sudden Death," deals in great detail with a near-accident that occurred one night while De Quincey, intoxicated with opium, was riding on an outside seat of a mail coach; Part III, Part III, "Dream Fugue, Founded on the Preceding Theme of Sudden Death". Thomas de Quincey was born in Manchester on the 15th of August, 1785. His father was a man of high character and great taste for literature as well as a successful man of business; he died, most unfortunately, when Thomas was quite young.

"The English Mail Coach and Joan of Arc" from Thomas De Quincey. English essayist (1785-1859).