J 5' 



16 A FINE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN 



being able to convey what he had to say in terms 

 whose force was only equalled by their terseness. 



I still preserve some of the letters I had from 

 him for the sake of their quaintly -turned phrases. 

 He it was who brought into use, among many 

 other expressions, embodying much in the fewest 

 words, the term " ugly rush," which he applied 

 to the influx of new voters under the proposed 

 Derby Reform Bill. I can see him now, in a 

 tail-coat, buff waistcoat, black stock and collar, 

 the latter Gladstonian in size, girding on his 

 sword, as " a Knight of the Shire," on the hustings, 

 after one of his elections to Parliament. He had 

 only to fight for his seat once, when he was 

 returned at the top of the poll, and yet he sat 

 for his county for nearly forty years. I have 

 seen him enter the county town on nomination 

 day, escorted by a most imposing blue-rosetted 

 procession of tenantry on horseback, and preceded 

 by the display of banners and flags, which were 

 such characteristic features in the elections of 

 those days. I have joined heartily, too, in the 

 chorus of " The Fine Old English Gentleman," 

 which was often part of the greeting he received 

 when he rose at agricultural dinners to respond 

 to the toast of " The County Members." He 

 was a good supporter of the old Oxfordshire Agri- 

 cultural Society, whose President he was for many 

 years, and that accounts for my being brought 

 into contact with him. 



He was born so far back as 1793, and lived till 

 1884, so that he was a connecting link in agri- 

 culture, as well as in other matters, between a 

 past and present which, measured by the changes 



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