Let's walk through the logistics of using a litter or, depending on your locale, a lectica (ancient Rome), a sedan chair (Britain) or a palanquin (India). You get at least two dopes (preferably four) who agree to carry your laziness anywhere you direct them. (Little wonder it was generally reserved for empresses or senators.) The litter is basically a portable bed or couch that is mounted on two poles that can then be lifted by said dopes or even animals. They appear in Egyptian paintings, are mentioned in the Old Testament and were used by the Persians. By the 17th century, litters were all over Europe. But after spring-mounted coaches became popular, the litters were basically only used to transport the sick or wounded.