112 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



The celebrated maker of the Bridgewater Canal 

 was the third and last Duke. He was always called 

 " the Father of Inland Navigation," having started 

 the huge enterprise of canal-making in England, 

 and seeing no use in rivers unless they fed 

 navigable canals. 



Being decidedly eccentric, he took a great dislike 

 to both flowers and women. The latter aversion 

 may be traceable to his rejection by Elizabeth 

 Gunning in favour of another Duke ; for her sake 

 he remained a bachelor to the end of his days. 



The beautiful Miss Gunnings had a romantic 

 history. Daughters of a Mr. Gunning, of Castle 

 Coote, in Ireland, they were so desperately poor 

 that they had thoughts of going on the stage, 

 instead of which Maria married Lord Coventry 

 and Elizabeth was twice a Duchess and the mother 

 of four Dukes! "You don't exchange prisoners," 

 wrote Walpole to his friend Con way, Field- Marshal 

 and Statesman, " with half so much alacrity as 

 Jack Campbell (afterwards Duke of Argyle) and 

 the Duchess of Hamilton have exchanged hearts. 

 I had so little observed the negotiations, or sus- 

 pected any, that when your brother told me of it 

 yesterday morning, I would not believe a tittle I 

 beg Mr. Pitt's pardon, not an iota. It is the 

 prettiest match in the world since yours, and every- 

 body likes it but the Duke of Bridgewater and 

 Lord Coventry. What an extraordinary fate is 



