Amateur Farming. 357 



sale a large bull. Twisting its tail lie turned the maddened 

 beast loose among the rioters who fled helter skelter in a trice. 

 Before they had rallied sufficiently to renew the attack the 

 Riot Act had been read and a troop of the Black Brunswickers 

 had interposed between them and their intended victim.^ 



In 1784 Young writes: " There is one article of real utility 

 and true magnificence in the environ of a great residence, with 

 which Mr. Coke is distinguishing his celebrated seat, that I 

 should be unpardonable to omit noticing ; it is new built 

 farm houses, with barns and offices substantially of brick and 

 tile, in as complete a style as can be managed. There is no 

 article that ornaments a country more than this. Nor did Mr, 

 Brown ever plan an approach to a great mansion that marks 

 so much real splendour, equally pleasing to the eye and to the 

 heart, as well built farms and cottages. This is the diffusion 

 of happiness ; an overflow of wealth that gilds the whole 

 country, and tells the traveller, in a language too expressive 

 to be misunderstood, we approach the residence of a man who 

 feels for others as loell as hiinself^'^ 



A little later, in 1821, Cobbett overlooking the fact that he 

 was eulogising an opponent of William- Fox and a disbeliever in 

 Adam Smith's free-trade doctrines, summed him up at his true 

 worth when he described his relationship to his tenantry as 

 that of a parent to affectionate children. The last impression 

 that we shall leave on the reader of this benevolent country 

 gentleman, is the scene on June 1, 1819, at Holkham. It is 

 the occasion of the annual sheep-shearing, which, in point of 

 attendance if not in other respects, eclipsed that at Woburn 

 already described. Coke, now an old man, presides in the 

 state apartments at a dinner party which numbers over 500 

 guests. The Duke of Sussex graces the place of honour next 

 in importance to that of the host. Experts from all parts of 

 Europe are present. The usual loyal and technical toasts 

 have been drunk. Foreigners in broken English discuss agri- 

 cultural practices with typical beef-eating Britons. The pro- 

 perties of crushed oyster-shells as a manure are being freely 



' Fift^J Years of my Life. G. T., Earl of Albemarle. 

 ^ Annals of Agriculture, vol. ii. p. 382. 



