THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT 



superior or one of a higher order was sent for, who 

 was to inquire and answer if leave had been given 

 or not. If not, such servant was straight turned 

 away. No fault of order was passed by, for it may 

 be concluded that there are enough of these that 

 pass undiscovered. All the provisions of the family 

 came from foreign parts, as merchandise, soap and 

 candles were made in the house, so likewise the 

 malt was ground there, and all the drink that came 

 to the Duke's table was of malt, sun-dried upon 

 the leads of his house. Those are large, and the 

 lanthorn is in the centre of an asterisk of glades 

 cut through the wood of all the country round, four 

 or five in a quarter almost a perte de vue. Divers 

 of the gentlemen cut their trees and hedges to 

 humour his vistas, and some planted their hills in 

 his lines for compliment at their own charge. All 

 the trees planted in his parks and about were 

 fenced with a dry wall of stone, taken out when 

 the tree was set. And with all this managing and 

 provision, no one that comes or goes for visits or 

 affairs with the Duke, who was lord-lieutenant 

 of four or five counties and Lord President of 

 Wales, that could observe anything more to do 

 than in any other nobleman's house. So little of 

 vain ostentation was to be seen there. At the 

 entrance, where coaches ordinarily came in, the 

 Duke built a neat dwelling-house, but pompous 

 stables which would accommodate forty horses, as 

 well as the best stables he had. This was called 



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