THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON 



estimation. Although capable of jumping the 

 largest fence in the country, he got over small ones 

 in a very slovenly manner, actually trying for the 

 bottom of two ditches with one of his feet, before he 

 rose, risi7ig as it were from three legs, a fault in a 

 hunter not, in my opinion, to be exceeded. The 

 Duke," he then remarks, "rode Free-Martin this 

 day as first horse, having refused five hundred 

 guineas for him, the previous week, from Lord 

 Chesterfield, who told me he wished much to have 

 had him in his stable. He is nearly as fine a horse 

 as Lord Seagrave's Blood Royal, of whom I have 

 already spoken, as the best stamp of hunter." 



A characteristic story of the Duke follows. " His 

 Grace of Beaufort is, generally, remarkable for the 

 suaviter in modo ; but on this day — and justly so — 

 he gave us a specimen of his fortiter in re . . . 

 A lawyer from Bath attempted to halloo the hounds 

 to a hare whilst they were on their own game ; and 

 had Job been a master of hounds, I can scarcely 

 believe he would have stood that, especially with a 

 brother master of foxhounds in the field. ' Well 

 done the Duke,' said a good sportsman, in my hear- 

 ing ; ' I never heard him throw his tongue so loud.' 

 But now appears the kind-hearted Duke. When the 

 venison came on the table in the evening, I over- 

 heard him say to his friend * Charley Jones,' * I'll 

 send that lawyer a neck of venison to-morrow.' " 



There was no time lost on the road when hunting 

 was in prospect, as appears from the following : 



121 



