182].] 



Memoirs of Sir Charles Bunhury. 



iMlity, iu his own expression, any longer to 

 encounter late hours aud long^ speeches. 

 In his political principles, Sir Charles 

 Bunbury was a ^V'hig-, iiicliuing rather to 

 the old, I hail the uew school ; votiug gene- 

 rally with the opposition, but preserving 

 an entire independence on all party con- 

 nections, and supporting the minister of 

 the day whenever in his conscience or opi- 

 nion he was likewise supporting the inte- 

 rests of his country. No man's sensibili- 

 ties were more powerfully excited by the 

 horrors of the slave trade, against which, 

 from the earliest agitation of the subject in 

 Parliament, he took a decided part. He 

 was equally a friend to the poor of his own 

 country, and assisted Mr. Howard, the ce- 

 lebrated philanthropist, in improving the 

 state of our prisons ; and, in conjunction 

 wilh that gentleman, was appointed by 

 Parliament a supervisor of the Penitentiary 

 hou$es. He also, iu concert with Mr. 

 Stanley, proposed in Parliament the law for 

 increasing the allowance to debtors from 

 fourpence to sixpence per day ; and brought 

 in the bill which passed into a law, to ex- 

 empt the labouring poor from statute- 

 duty, or working upon the roads without 



pay- 

 He was a true Church of England man ; 

 not, indeed, of the new methodistical cut, 

 but of the old stamp; of decorous habits, 

 but at no rate a straight-laced moralist. On 

 the contrary, his notions and conduct were 

 free, as is sufficiently apparent from the 

 share which he assumed through such a 

 long course of years in the avocations of 

 the turf, and its necessarily concomitant 

 amusements. His heart was sensible of 

 the warmest charitable emotions, and al- 

 though an economist on principle and from 

 system, he could, on all proper occasions, 

 dispense his money with an open and li- 

 beral hand. Having sevei'ely injured his 

 constitution in France and Italy, during his 

 youth, he very soon after bis return to 

 England embraced the wise resolution of 

 adopting a temperate regimen, in which he 

 steadily persevered^and by which he was 

 enabled to preserve a firm and comfortable 

 state of health, whilst his sporting friends 

 were languishing under gout, or dropping 

 otf around him ; aud to this consummate 

 prudence he was no doubt indebted for 

 that lengthened period of existence to 

 which he attained. There was often a 

 momentary roughness and abruptness in 

 his manner, which was, however, sure to 

 be succeeded by a smiling countenance, 

 and eyes beaming with good nature. " Ban- 

 bury's eyes," indeed, were long proverbial 

 for their quickness and keenness, as well as 

 Ctuecnsbury's " long head." Both these 

 were put in requisition by some ingenious 

 rhymester ofthe last century, us witness the 

 following recipe how to make a Jockey : — 



433 



Take a pestle and mortar of moderate ^ize, 

 Into Queensbury's head put Bunbury 's eyes ; 

 Cut Dick Vernon's throat, and saveall the blood, 

 To answer your purpose there'.- none half so good; 

 Pound Cle mml todii.sl, you'll find it expedient. 

 Tie world cannot furni.«b a better ingredient. 

 From Derby and Bedford take plenty of spirit, 



Pnecessful or not, they have alway.'j ti a! merit 



Tommy Panton's addre.-.^, John Wa>teir» advice, 

 With a touch of Prometheus, 'ti.s done in a trice. 



Sir Charles Bunbury was, to a certain 

 degree, a humourist, aud had consequently 

 a few of the peculiarities of that cast. It 

 has been long said that he was never known 

 to wear gloves, and although a constant 

 pedestrian when in town, iu all weathers, 

 the worthy Baronet was never seen on the 

 pate without extremely " clean hands." 

 The writer of these lines can vouch that 

 he was equally unaccustomed to wear 

 slippers, ascending to his bed-room in 

 boots, the servant supplying him with a 

 boot-jack at his bed-side ; a custom with 

 which the present writer also very readily 

 complied at Barton. With respect to 

 sporting character, the late Mr. Taftersall 

 thus delineated that of Sir Charles Bun- 

 bury : " At all country courses, he is a gen- 

 tleman, and the most honourable of sports- 

 men ; but at Newmarket well knowing 

 how to counterplot those of a different de- 

 scription, he now and then contrives to pay 

 them in their own coin. The turf and the 

 breeding stud were indeed instruments in 

 his hands, of a very diflferent description 

 to the same objects in the hands of many 

 or most of his associates. Instead of wast- 

 ing and ruining his patrimonial estate, 

 they nodoubt augmented and improved it." 

 Asa proof of the strength and permanence of 

 the ancient Baronet's resolves, in his habits 

 of temperance when he was a boy, indeed 

 just emerged from childhood, his father's 

 coachman persuaded him to drink a glass 

 of brandy. This disagreed so immoderately 

 with him, that he was confined to his room 

 during several days. He related the cir- 

 cumstance in 1812, and from the date ofthe 

 accident to that hour, he had never again 

 tasted spirits. His in-door amusement 

 was to a considerable degree with books. 

 He dipped into the best authors, and 

 amused himself with the superior fugitive 

 publications ofthe day. 



To speak of the honourable defunct as a 

 votary of the turf, he is not to be consi- 

 dered a domitor equorum, or a gentleman 

 jockey, for he probably never in his life 

 rode either race or trial ; but as one born 

 with a natural attachment to that paragon 

 of brute animals, the horse, and thence con- 

 sequently impressed with an irresistible 

 desire to witness that animal's high qua- 

 lities and exertions. By this passion he 

 was impelled in common with the greatest 

 heroes and princes of every age, excelling 

 them all, with one only, or few exceptions, 

 in the highest consideration of excellence, 



that 



