THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON 



tion by assuring us that " Worcester never looked 

 over-dressed." It is interesting to note that the 

 button of the Badminton Hunt in those days had 

 inscribed on it the initials G.P.R. as a compliment 

 to the " first gentleman in Europe," instead of B.H. 

 as at present. The generally professed admiration 

 for the Prince Regent of which this is a token, 

 must not be criticised too severely. We look at 

 things now from a different standpoint, and, while 

 we only see what George IV. became, men of the 

 time of which I am writing saw what he might be 

 and rested their hopes on the possibilities of the 

 future. 



During his father's lifetime Lord Worcester and 

 his wife had a house in Brook Street, and the Mar- 

 quis divided his time between politics, the drama, 

 and sport. Elsewhere I have told of his coaching 

 speculations, and he also enjoyed racing. Lord 

 William Lennox writes of delightful journeys with 

 Lord Worcester to Newmarket, when these two old 

 comrades (they had been on the Duke of Welling- 

 ton's staff together) amused each other by telling 

 stories of the Peninsular Campaign. 



When the sixth Duke died, the parliamentary 

 career of his son came to a close. He seems in- 

 deed later to have received the offer of an embassy, 

 and to have desired to be sent to St. Petersburg, 

 but nothing came of it. Moreover, the Duke was a 

 Tory of the old-fashioned type, who disliked reform 

 as his father had done before him. Indeed the 



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