THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT 



Wiltshire. Yet the country has a great charm, and 

 those who have once hunted with the Badminton, 

 will — be their lot cast where it may — always look 

 back with delight on the sport they have enjoyed 

 there. 



It would be tedious and well-nigh impossible to 

 recall the names of all those who, at one time or 

 another, have hunted with the Duke. Indeed, I 

 suppose nearly every man of note in the hunting 

 world of our day, from the Prince of Wales down- 

 wards, has at some time had a day with these 

 hounds. But the regular followers in a country, 

 where, as we have seen, every rank, from the sweep 

 to the Duke, has been represented, would make a 

 formidable list. Yet there are still some who must 

 not be forgotten. In 1871, there passed away a 

 man whose fame as a cricketer was overshadowed 

 by that of one famous son, and whose prowess as a 

 rider across country was eclipsed by that of another. 

 There was, nevertheless, no man more popular and 

 esteemed in the country than Dr. Grace. He was 

 a very sound cricketer as we all know, and he was a 

 most judicious yet hard man across country. He 

 was, moreover, much liked and trusted by the Duke, 

 and at times acted as field master. The most bril- 

 liant member of the family, however, was Dr. Alfred 

 Grace, who is justly credited — so a relative of my 

 own used to say — with having on one occasion 

 charged and cleared a lane. But space would fail 

 to tell of the Pitmans, the Longs of Rood Ashton, 



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