MR JOHN LA TOUCHE, 1841-1846 



Mr La Touche's Mastership inaugurated a new 

 era in the Kildare Hunt, presided over by the La 

 Touche dynasty, a dynasty really dominated by 

 the personality of the younger of the three brothers, 

 Wm La Touche. The characters of the three 

 brothers are very admirably presented in a set of 

 verses v^ritten by Mrs John La Touche, the gifted 

 lady of Harristown, whose intellectual qualities 

 and the influence they exerted on all who were 

 privileged to know her are so admirably set out in 

 the volume of memoirs of that lady published some 

 few years ago. These verses I am very kindly 

 allowed to print by Mr Percy La Touche, and they 

 present very happily, I think, the personalities of 

 the three brothers as they appeared to a sympathetic 

 relative, who, however, was no enthusiastic ad- 

 mirer of fox-hunting. 



But though these men are very far from quiet; 

 They don't like war but other kinds of riot. 

 They're curious people, for a bit of fun, 

 I think I'll just describe them every one. 

 And as I hope they're men of common sense 

 I don't imagine that they'll take offence. 



Now for the first: But hold, not mine the right 

 To bring his virtues or his faults to light, 

 Let other bards attempt satiric lays. 

 Impartial censure and impartial praise; 



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