BELT v. LAWES 269 



who was the real artist. This culminated in the famous 

 libel case of Belt v. Lawes, and I, who still frequented the 

 Law Courts whenever I had time, was present from start 

 to finish of that case. I was not personally acquainted 

 with the sculptor at that time, but grew more and more 

 convinced, as the case proceeded, that he had been grossly 

 maligned. It was decided, half-way through the case, 

 that he should give a practical demonstration of his ability 

 by modelling a bust of a man named Pagliatti in one of 

 the rooms of the court. This test was carried out, and 

 never shall I forget the " sensation in court " when the 

 bust was brought in on a tray, with Pagliatti walking 

 alongside it. 



Instantly there was almost deafening applause. People 

 sprang up and shouted ' ' Bravo ! " I question if such a noise 

 was ever heard in a law court. Quiet was not restored 

 for a very long time. The bust was so good that the 

 jury's verdict was certain from the moment they saw it. 

 That verdict was, of course, for Belt,*with very heavy 

 damages and costs against Lawes. It is ancient history 

 now how the latter, after a fruitless appeal, and being 

 mulcted in further costs, went bankrupt and never paid 

 a farthing. I mention this case because it was the occa- 

 sion of my introducing myself, as a stranger, to Richard 

 Belt, for I was anxious to tell him how thoroughly I 

 sympathised with him in all the annoyance and trouble 

 to which he had been subjected, and how glad I was that 

 his assailants had been so signally routed. He and I 

 have been friends since that day, and never more so than 

 when his enemies, some few years after the trial, brought 

 trouble on him by a most nefarious scheme, of which in 

 course of time full confession was made and such redress 

 as was possible offered. The conspiracy against poor Belt 

 broke his health, but it could not kill his genius, and he 

 never did anything finer than his bust of Lord Kitchener, 

 which was exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1917 and 

 now stands on the Grand Staircase at the War Office. 



In that year, 1881, Peregrine won the 2000 Guineas, 



