THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT 



the Hon. Edward Somerset ; the two first-named 

 having joined the Duke in London, on his road 

 from Abingdon Abbey, near Northampton, where 

 he had been sojourning for a week, with Lord 

 Chesterfield, and seen some good sport over that 

 fine country." 



On the following day, when the Duke's meet was 

 at Stanford Park, this fixture being, we are told, " a 

 favourite one in the hunt," the scene is thus touched 

 off. " Carriages with four posters were seen making 

 for it, with all possible speed, as the condition of 

 the nags evinced ; and, amongst others, was the 

 carriage of Mr. Drax, master of the Charborough 

 foxhounds in Dorsetshire, containing himself and 

 some friends. There was, also, amongst the field, 

 one whom I was very happy again to shake by the 

 hand. This was Mr. Henry Peyton, son of my 

 very old friend, Sir Henry, but better known in the 

 sporting world as ' young Peyton,' still going in his 

 usual form, as nearly straight as circu^nstances will 

 admit, and still adhering to the peculiar costume, 

 viz., a flower in the breast, and the signal flag 

 flying." 



After describing the day's sport, Nimrod criticises 

 pretty freely the horse upon which the Duke had 

 mounted him. " It was one the Duke had upon 

 trial, and sent to him with the character of being a 

 first-rate hunter ; but as, despite of a gag-rein, in 

 addition to a sharp curb-bit, I could not bring his 

 head into place, he was far from being such in my 



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