260 THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



One of the best stories connected with the Pavilion 

 is that told so well in the " Four Georges " : 



" And now I have one more story of the bacchanalian 

 sort, in which Clarence and York and the very highest 

 personage in the realm, the great Prince Regent, all 

 play parts. 



" The feast was described to me by a gentleman who 

 was present at the scene. In Gilray's caricatures, and 

 amongst Fox's jolly associates, there figures a great 

 nobleman, the Duke of Norfolk, called Jockev of 

 Norfolk in his time, and celebrated for his table 

 exploits. He had quarrelled with the Prince, like 

 the rest of the Whigs ; but a sort of reconciliation 

 had taken place, and now, being a very old man, the 

 Prince invited him to dine and sleep at the Pavilion, 

 and the old Duke drove over from his Castle of Arundel 

 with his famous equipage of grey horses, still 

 remembered in Sussex. 



" The Prince of Wales had concocted with his royal 

 brothers a notable scheme for making the old man 

 drunk. Every person at table was enjoined to drink 

 wine with the Duke — a challenge which the old toper 

 did not refuse. He soon began to see that there was 

 a consjriracy against him ; he drank glass for glass : 

 he overthrew many of the brave. At last the first 

 gentleman of Europe proposed bumpers of brandy. 

 One of the royal brothers filled a great glass for the 

 Duke. He stood up and tossed off the drink. ' Now,' 

 says he, ' I will have my carriage and go home.' 



" The Prince urged upon him his previous promise 

 to sleep under the roof where he had been so generously 

 entertained. \No,' he said ; ' he had had enough of 

 such hospitality. A trap had been set for him ; he 

 would leave the place at once, and never enter its doors 

 more.' 



" The carriage was called, and came ; but, in the 

 half-hour's interval, the liquor had proved too potent 

 for the old man ; his host's generous purpose was 

 answered, and the Duke's old grey head lay stupefied 

 on the table. Nevertheless, when his post-chaise was 



