THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON 



Thorpe Hill, the road being as hard as if it were 

 covered with sheet-iron. ' Leave them to me,' said 

 he ; and beautifully did he conceal from them the 

 trying situation they were in.' " 



On the occasion of a second visit to Badminton, 

 the same writer, from whom I have been quoting, 

 gives one of his vivid pictures of the state of the 

 country at the time. " The postboy who drove me to 

 Badminton, told me what very much surprised me ; 

 but all that he did tell me was afterwards confirmed 

 by the Duke. He said so numerous had been the 

 highway robberies lately in that part of the country, 

 that the farmers, riding home from market, carried 

 either pistols or life-preservers, and that even 

 waggoners, going for lime or coals, were knocked 

 down on the road, and robbed of the money taken 

 to pay for them. One of this description of foot- 

 pads, indeed, had only a few days before been 

 committed to prison by the Duke." 



Having reached Badminton in safety in spite of 

 the thrilling tales recounted by the postboy, Nim- 

 rod tells us of a house party assembled to join in 

 the sport the Duke was showing with his hounds. 

 '* The Duke returned not a little pleased with the 

 day's sport, and particularly so, as he had made 

 one of the twelve who were up at the finish of the 

 run. His Grace was accompanied by the Hon. James 

 {par excellence 'Jemmy') Macdonald, brother to the 

 slashing Meltonian of that name ; Captain Charles 

 Jones (brother to Sir Tyrwhitt), of the Guards, and 



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