THE MARQUIS OF WATERFOKD. 277 



hack which he rode to a youth to hold. While he was 

 performing- his duty, Lord Waterford procured a quan- 

 tity of aniseed, which he applied to the horse's heels. 

 He had four couple of bloodhounds, and having given 

 the physician some **law" when he was homeward 

 bound, laid on the pack, which immediately set out in 

 hot pursuit of the doctor and his steed. The horse 

 naturally became frightened, and, despite the strenuous 

 endeavours of his master, galloped several miles along 

 the road and across an extensive common closely pur- 

 sued by the bloodhounds. On another occasion he 

 astonished the "Meltonians" by painting the toll-bar 

 and other edifices ; and in London he was continually 

 getting into "hot water" — wrenching off knockers, 

 changing sign-boards, beating the watch, &c., &c., 

 were pastimes in which he frequently indulged. At 

 Southampton, too, he astonished the natives by one 

 fine night painting the lions which ornamented the 

 bar-gate blue and red. 



Of the many stories told of his strange Etonian 

 vagaries, the following is one : A great sensation was 

 caused by the disappearance of the flogging-block 

 from that chamber of horrors, the " library." The 

 Marquis, with one or two companions who had just 

 left Eton, entered the room (by walking along the 

 stone ledge from one of the windows of the upper 

 school), forced the door, and carried off their prize in 

 triumph, in spite of the resistance of the college watch- 

 man. The block is still in existence at Curraghmore, 

 I believe. The young nobleman was, indeed, the life 

 and soul of the gay and thoughtless circle in which he 

 moved. I need scarcely say that some of his most 

 wonderful feats were accomplished in Ireland. 



