THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT 



to the younger English country gentlemen of our 

 day, of showing that they are of the same mettle as 

 their forefathers who won honours in the field. 



But Lord Worcester's early life was cast in a time 

 of prolonged peace. We need not therefore dwell 

 on his experiences in the service, which were rather 

 of the nature of discipline and the carrying on of 

 a family tradition, than of more serious work at the 

 profession of arms. He began with a commission 

 in the ist Life Guards, though most of his service 

 was with the 7th Hussars, then, as now, a regiment 

 famous in sport and war, and remarkable for its 

 smartness. Those were still the days when the 

 cavalryman's weapon was his sword, and when dash 

 and boldness and a certain jovial recklessness were 

 part of the accepted character of the light horseman. 

 Lever has painted the ideal Dragoon of his day, and 

 if Charles O'Malley in point of time belonged to an 

 earlier period than Lord Worcester, the type was 

 the standard at which the Hussar still aimed. A 

 curious incident of the time of which I am now 

 writing was recalled to me by Mr. Alfred Watson, 

 of whose long friendship with the eighth Duke I 

 shall speak more at length later on. A poster was 

 put forward by the then sergeant-major of the 7th 

 Hussars to attract recruits. In this it was stated 

 that a few high-spirited young men were wanted, 

 but as the regiment had lately been remounted on 

 unseasoned blood horses, recruits would not be 

 allowed to hunt more than once a week ! 



170 



