420 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZLNE. 



Mr. Overman, who followed, said, somewhat proudly : 

 " The father's deeds are matters of liistoi-y ; you can- 

 not look round this great county without seeing some- 

 thing to remind you of what he 1ku> done, and of what 

 he would have done had he lived. 15ut," he continued, 

 " I am sure that all this, and more than this, will ho 

 carried out with the greatest energy, exertion, and per- 

 severance on the part of the nohle lord who is now at 

 the head of the house of Ilolkham. These things seem 

 to come so fully and entirely home to all of us, that 

 we cannot step from the park without seeing the ad- 

 vantages his Lordship renders, the good he does, the 

 exertions he makes, the trials he institutes, and the 

 skill he hrings to hear on those trials ; and these things 

 conduce, not only to his happiness, but to the happiness 

 of every one around him. Such things can only he 

 done by the greatest determination; and you know 

 Lord Leicester well enough to be aware that he lacks 

 none of that quality. What he says he will do, he 

 does ; but he never says he will do a thing without 

 first weighing it well in his mind, and knowing it to be 

 for the benefit of all before it is undertaken." 



Mr. Dewing declared "they had for some time 

 wintered and summered Lord Leicester ; and the 

 testimony this day borne to him carried with it a 

 verdict that as a landloi'd he was entitled to receive 

 their respect and esteem." And so on. Mr. Hudson, 

 of Castleacre, was alone prevented adding his word by 

 the recent death of his son. It was not, however, a 

 mere matter of landlord and tenant only, Mr. Hast- 

 ings shall complete his portrait of his landlord in a 

 few more words — testimony that must have come es- 

 pecially grateful to a lady who has done her part so 

 well and so earnestly in caiTying out the duties of a 

 high estate. " My Lord, your tenantry feel it to be a 

 matter of much congi'atulation that the cottages of 

 their labourers have received your kind considera- 

 tion, and that both Lady Leicester and yourself aid so 

 liberally in supporting the schools for their education." 



It was only last week that, in driving through Bed- 

 fordshire, one could almost tell to a yard the Woburn 

 property, if only by the famous model cottages we 

 were continually ])assing. It is the same in Norfolk. 

 In fact, the effect of improved agriculture is almost il- 

 limitable. There was hardly a speaker at the Ilolkham 

 gathering but who dwelt on this. Be he Peer of the 

 realm, member of Parliament, plain country gentle- 

 man, clergyman, or yeoman — each alike, of his expe- 

 rience, owned to the common good that must 

 follow from being able to trace it back to a good 

 landlord. Mr. Gurdon, more particularly, put 

 this 80 forcibly, and pointed a compliment so 

 neatly in doing so, that wo gladly avail ourselves of 

 his definition. There is a tone abuut it altogether con- 

 genial with our own object and opinions : "It has been 

 said that the relations between landlord and tenant are 

 80 close as to be almost inseparable. I go further than 

 this, and say that they arc one and indivisible. I believe 

 It to bo impossible for a bad landlord to have a good te- 

 nantry; and I hope I may also add that it is impossible 

 for a good tenantry to have a bad landlord. In these days 



of perfection some model is always being held up to 

 us. We have model schools and model farms; but I 

 think there is something which is of equal importance, 

 and which perhaps, in your eyes, is still more valuable, 

 and that is a model landlord. It is not for me to say 

 more on tliis subject; but I think you must be much 

 duller of comprehension than I take you to he, if you 

 cannot picture to yourselves a landlord who, living 

 among his tenantry, and known to them all, taking a 

 lively interest in the social condition and welfare of the 

 labouring population of this county, warmly attached 

 to the place of his birth, and revering the magnificent 

 bequest which has descended to him through the care 

 and talents of his ancestors, spending his time, or at 

 least a large part of it, in improving his estate, assisted 

 by a tenantry who are surjiasscd by none upon any es- 

 tate in the world, may be held up as the model of a 

 good landlord." 



It is, indeed, for this that we have told the story of 

 the Holkham picture. It is to show to others what 

 the landlord should be, and what, if he do his duty, 

 his recompence must bo. It comes not only — though 

 it will come too — in better rents, closer paid ; but in 

 the gratitude and respect of a whole community. 

 Men like the Cokes of Norfolk do great national service. 

 It is impossible for their example to bo without its ef- 

 fect ; and that, as we have demonstrated, in the most 

 direct of all channels. A property and a people once 

 thus improved rarely go back. Henceforth owner and 

 occupier keep one another well up to their standard of 

 excellence ; and there gradually generates as much " Fa- 

 mily Pride" in good farming, as in family pictures, 

 ancient oaks, deeds of arms, or a very pedigi-ee itself. 

 Docs not Lord Leicester's portrait prove this ? We look 

 to the country gentlemen of England for an answer. 



The i)ainting itself, by Richmond, attracted consider- 

 able attention in this year's Exhibition of the Royal 

 Academy, not merely from the excellence of the like- 

 ness, but the somewhat Der Frietschutz character of the 

 costume — long yellow boots, short velvet hunting-frock, 

 and a small scull-cap, which would not promise to keep 

 off much wind and weather. But the general effect 

 is very good, and the chief point most successfully 

 attained, as everybody knew in a moment " who it was." 



A COUNTRY COTTAGE. 

 [The following is a pretty peep at a country cottage, the 

 praiseworthy certainty of the last line making a homely but 

 not iuapt termination.] 



The stream ripples bright by my cottage, 



The sunshine is bright on the stream ; 

 And the wee pebblj- stones, in the sunshine, 



Like diamonds sparkle and gleam. 

 There are hazel trees kissing the water, 



And phimesof the fair meadow-sweet; 

 And down hy the hazels sits .leanie, 



And dabbles her little white feet. 

 The robin peeps in at mj' door-way ; 



Tile liunet looks down from the tree ; 

 And here, pillowed up in his cradle, 



Wee Sandy sits smiling at me. 

 My niilk-pail stands bright in the corner, 



My tins are all bright on the shelf ; 

 And tlie white su|iper-elotli on my table 



Is dean, for I w;ished it myself. 



