BARON VAN HOMPESCH, FIFTEENTH MASTER. 191 



where his Majesty welcomed them with all the marks of 

 esteem and affectioD. The following day they hunted to- 

 gether "and kept the Feast of St. Hubert." The Elector 

 was delighted to see the English hounds " run so fine." In 

 one run with this pack the King proceeded so far from the 

 Palace that he was very late before he reached home. The 

 next day the King was to hunt the stag again ; if it ran 

 towards Dieren his Majesty was to lye there for a day or two. 

 The result of this day's hunting is not recorded ; but it seems 

 the stag was a loyal stag and headed in the wished-for line, 

 as the King returned from Dieren to Loo on the 15th of 

 November, whence he returned to England soon after. 



In the Accounts of Richard, Earl of Ranelagh, Paymaster- 

 General of the Forces, for arrears of pay chargeable on the 

 Forfeited Estates in Ireland, 1692-99, the Baron de Hompesch, 

 " for his pay as Brigadeer General," is credited with the sum 

 of 1,987/. 2s. Qd. 



The Baron de Hompesch was also in attendance on the 

 King soon after his arrival in Holland in the spring of 1700. 

 The Intelligencers of the London newspapers announced that 

 " some of his Majesty's horses have arrived at the Hague from 

 England, and the Baron de Hompes, his Chief Huntsman, is 

 speedily expected from Germany at Loo " {The Flying Post, 

 March ^, 1700). " The King of Great Britain's horses, that 

 lately arrived here from England, are sent to Loo, whither the 

 Baron de Hompes, who arrived here from Germany, will also 

 suddenly go." It may be here noted that the Intelligencers 

 probably spelt the name of this Master of the Royal Buck- 

 hounds as it was by them pronounced. 



On the success of the Allied forces against the French and 

 Spaniards in the lines at Vleerbeck, near Louvain, in July 

 1705, the Duke of Marlborough sent the Baron de Hompesch 

 with despatches to the States General announcing the victory, 

 in which the Duke says : " I thought this good news deserves 

 to be sent to your High Mightiness by a person of note, and I 

 have chosen Lieut.-General Hompesch, who had a great share 

 therein." 



