382 RACING CAREER OF SIR W. H. GREGORY. 



fessed was too heavy for his poor head. Let 

 no one suppose, however, that Lord Eglmton 

 was merely a guzzler of champagne, and an idle 

 man of pleasure. In general, he was a man 

 who gave way to no excesses. Not endowed 

 with brilliant talents, he was gifted with strong 

 natural good sense and good- humour, and was a 

 first-rate man of business ; as true as steel to his 

 friends and dependants, and of unimpeachable 

 honour. When he became Lord Lieutenant of 

 Ireland, endless were the sneers of his political 

 opponents that the business of the Emerald Isle 

 would be conducted mainly on the Curragh of 

 Kildare, and that his privy councillors would be 

 horse-trainers. Never was there a greater mistake. 

 Lord Eglinton came to Ireland with heavy odds 

 against him. To begin with, he was a Scotsman ; 

 secondly, he was a Tory, and supposed to entertain 

 the most hostile and uncongenial views about the 

 Roman Catholic religion. In an incredibly short 

 time these erroneous impressions were dispelled. 

 Turning his eyes away from abstract politics, he 

 devoted his attention earnestly to the material 

 improvement of Ireland. Moreover, it soon became 

 known that he was animated by the most generous 

 and kindly feelings towards the distressful country 

 which he had been sent to govern, and towards 

 its warm-hearted inhabitants ; and that he would 

 never rest until he could make his views prevail 

 with the masters of the English Treasury. He 



