266 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



neat monument was erected to his memory, having the 

 following simple inscription, from the pen of his afflicted 

 brother : 



SacreD to tbe dBemorg 



OF 



BEAUMONT RABY, ESQUIRE, 



YOUNGEST SON OF ANDREW AND THE HONOURABLE MARTHA 



ALICIA RABY, OP AMSTEAD ABBEY, IN THE COUNTY OF 



LINCOLN ; WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE THIRD OF FEBRUARY, 



1803, IN THE FIFTY-THIRD YEAR, OF HIS AGE. 



ALL WHO KNEW HIM CAN ATTEST THAT HE WAS A MAN OF A 



SINGULARLY MILD AND AMIABLE DISPOSITION EVERY THOUGHT 



AND ACT OF HIS LIFE PROCEEDING FROM THE OVERFLOWING 



OF A WARM AND TENDER HEART. POSSESSING SOUND 



SENSE AND PRUDENCE, JOINED WITH MUCH URBANITY 



OF MANNERS, AS WELL AS STRICT INTEGRITY OF 



CONDUCT, HE MIGHT HAVE QUALIFIED HIMSELF 



FOR THE HIGHEST OFFICES OF SOCIETY : 



BUT HIS ATTACHMENT TO LITERARY PURSUITS, COUPLED WITH A 

 DESIRE FOR RETIREMENT AND EASE, WHICH HE WANTED 

 RESOLUTION TO COMBAT, CONFINED HIM TO THE 

 STATION HE HELD THAT OF AN ACCOM- 

 PLISHED GENTLEMAN. 



THIS SIMPLE MONUMENT, ACCORDING WITH THE UNPRETENDING 



CHARACTER OF THE DECEASED, IS HERE PLACED BY HIS 



AFFECTION ATE BROTHER, ANDREW RABY, AS THE LAST 



TRIBUTE OF HIS REGARD AND LOVE FOR ONE TO 



WHOM HE WAS MOST CLOSELY UNITED, NOT ONLY 



BY BLOOD, BUT BY AFFECTION. 



As may be supposed, the situation and views of our 

 young sportsman were materially changed by this accession 

 of wealth for such it may be called, when devoted to the 

 purposes of merely one individual. The following three 

 years, then, find him, first, the tenant of a large mansion 

 and domain in one of the midland counties ; secondly, 

 with an increased stud, and not only of hunters, but 

 coach-horses ; thirdly, a member of Bibury and Kingscote 

 Racing Clubs, and of the B.D.C., or Benson Driving 

 Club ; fourthly, with a house and fourteen-stalled stable 

 at Melton Mowbray ; and, fifthly, a member of the House 

 of Commons. Let us look, then, at his proceedings in 

 these several stations, of no small importance in our 

 eyes. 



