96 



visit to Brougham Castle, when the famous stag hunt took place in 

 which a noble hound named Hercules pursued a fine hart from 

 Whinfell to the borders of Scotland, and back to Whinfell. The 

 hart giving its last desperate leap over a wall, cleared it, and fell 

 dead ; the noble hound failed to leap the wall, and fell dead on 

 the other side. The hart's horns were nailed to a tree hard by, 

 where in course of time they became embedded in the growing 

 wood, and were in existence three hundred years after, the tree 

 being known long after that as the "Hart's-horn tree." 



The records significantly tell us that this Robert Clifford died in 

 his bed ; though his father and grandfather were both slain in the 

 wars, and so were many of the Lord Cliffords after him. 



This peaceful Clifford was succeeded by his eldest son Robert, 

 in whom blazed out afresh all the military fire of his race. He 

 was in the French wars under Edward HI. and the Black Prince; 

 was at the battle of Cressey when only sixteen, at the battle of 

 Poictiers when twenty-five, and perished in the French wars at 

 thirty-two, in the year 1364. 



Then we have another and the last Roger, second brother of 

 the last-named Robert. The records tell us as a remarkable thing, 

 that this Roger actually lived to be a grandfather ; and considering 

 how rapidly lords were killed off in those days, it certainly was a 

 curious fact. We are also told that "he was counted to be one of 

 the wisest and gallantest men of all the Cliffords of his race, which 

 wisdom of his was shown in keeping himself free from troubles in 

 those troublesome times." Shall we not say of him, Well done 

 Roger ! He it was who obtained from the king the charter for 

 Kirkby Stephen Market ; yet he was by no means a "peace at any 

 price" man, but bravely took his part in the king's battles when 

 called upon, both in France and Scotland ; but fighting was with 

 him a duty, not a passion. He was a great builder, and the record 

 says, built the greater part of Brougham Castle 7jext the east ; and 

 I almost think it is an open question whether he is not the Roger 

 of the inscription stone instead of the first Roger. No doubt it is 

 now upon the gateway of the eastern part built by the last Roger, 

 and the character of the letters appears to me to belong to his 



