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the principal drawing-room comes under the head of splendid ; but 

 it is the utile clidci, the happy admixture of convenience and comfort 

 throughout the entire of the place, that struck me with admiration. 

 There not only is not a room nor an office wanting, but every room 

 and every office appears to be in its proper place. The stables also 

 are most excellent; and as they remind me of the motto of " good 

 entertainment for man and horse," I am sure it might be displayed 

 on the banners of Thorp, for a more agreeable house no man can 

 enter. You have all the elegances of life, without that over- 

 refinement of them which only operates as their bane. It gives an 

 insipidity to conversation, and may not be inaptly compared to a 

 bad cork in a bottle of good wine. It spoils the flavour of 

 everything. 

 The Poet says, 



" 'Tis not, indeed, my talent to engage 

 In lofty trifles, or to swell my page 

 With wind and noise ;" 



and this is very good advice : nevertheless, having been indulged 

 with a licence of now and then reporting some trifling occurrences 

 in private life that meet my eye on my travels, I am induced to 

 notice a singular feature in Mr. Milbanke's establishment : lie never 

 otves a bill, neither does he ever draw a cheque. By this he assured 

 me he saves 500^. per annum, and I can easily credit the assertion. 



Thorp Hall is only three miles from Newton House, consequently 

 the intercourse between the families is almost daily. Mr. Milbanke 

 is a strict preserver of foxes on the whole of his property in Lord 

 Darlington's Hunt — which is very considerable — and yet he has 

 abundance of pheasants. I consider Mr. Milbanke the best mounted 

 man in Lord Darlington's Hunt, his horses being well bred, and 

 more than equal to his weight ; and when it came to pace, I thought 

 his horses had the heels of all the rest. 



Saturday, the 25th, met Lord Darlington at Exilby, a very short 

 distance from Mr. Milbanke's house. The morning was wild and 

 tempestuous, with frequent snow-storms, and the pack appeared at 

 the covert's side without their huntsman. " He will come yet," 

 said one of the Old School ; " worse weather than this has never 

 kept him away from his hounds," The fact was, his Lordship had 



