66 BEAUFORT HUNT: PAST AND PRESENT. 



" No. 10. Mr. French, Stud Groom. Previous to entering the 

 service of the Duke of Beaufort, French filled the situation of trainer 

 and gi'oom to Mr., now Sir William, Codrington, in whose service he 

 distinguished himself, for the care he took of the horses placed in 

 his charge, and his superior knowledge of the treatment of hunters. 

 At the time when the half bred horse Conservative was in training, 

 it is astonishing the distances he travelled with him from race to 

 race, in short spaces of time (before vans or railways were in existence) 

 always bringing him fresh and well to the post, and by his great care 

 winning many races with him. In these forced marches his plan 

 was to" ride a hack and lead Conservative by his side, trotting him 

 along when the road was good, and thus performing a distance of 

 thirty miles in the day, several days in succession when circumstances 

 demanded it. Since the picture was taken French has left his place 

 at Badminton, and is no longer in the service of the Duke of Beaufort. 



"No. 11. The Hon. Henry Howard, Member for Cricklade, 

 and brother to Lord Andover, is a most straight forward determined 

 rider to hounds, and highly respected in this hunt, as w^ell as in the 

 Vale of White Horse country, where he hunts principally. 



" No. 12. The Duke of Beaufort. I should like to lay odds, 

 if it was referred to a committee of twelve gentlemen, having an 

 ordinarv knowledge of English society, to decide ' Who is the most 

 popular man in this country ? ' that every one of the dozen would 

 answer — ' the Duke of Beaufort.' In the character of a princely 

 supporter of a great national sport, His Grace not only follows where 

 his noble father led, but has taken a Hne of his own — a course worthy 

 one of the most distinguished of our aristocracy. They say the 

 Duke meditates giving up his hounds, should the railway nuisance 

 spread in his neighbourhood, as present symptoms would indicate 

 But my belief is, he is too thorough a sportsman to surrender hia 

 ' country,' so long as there is a sod of it left to cry ' whoo, whoop,' on. 

 In the character of host his menage is perfect. A good judge of the 

 fashion of English hospitality, already spoken of in his place in these 

 brief biographies, was not long since taking his temporary leave, 

 * God bless you, Duke,' he said, in the sincerity of a heart mellowed 

 by good cheer, and a couple of hours at the horse-shoe table after 



it — ' God bless you ! B is not a bad shop, but Badminton 



is the best I ever was in.' If antiquity and excellence of descent 

 are to regulate the precedence of fox hounds, then none in the world 

 rank before the Beaufort. Their ' blood ' has long classed foremost 

 among the most renowned in the annals of the chase, and the star 

 by which it is marked in the Badminton kennel book, in the eyes 

 of the true fox hunter is as proud a distinction as any device that 

 ever sparkled on the breast of warrior or courtier. 



" No. 13. R. B. Hale, Esq., Member for West Gloucestershire. 

 Although this gentleman does not hunt very regularly, he is a good 



