FAMOUS MASTERS 51 



Infirmary, in order that he might be taught how to put 

 it in on an emergency. He rode the best horses that 

 could be bought for money, but owing to his loose 

 seat he was continually tumbling off them. But he 

 was honest enough to confess his faults, and used to 

 say that he always attached himself to a pilot. This 

 was very different from when his father was Master, 

 for it was then considered a breach of etiquette for 

 anybody, excepting the huntsman, to ride in front of 

 the Master. But, though both his father and his 

 grandfather had hunted the Pytchley country, it was 

 not the desire of Lord Althorp that the Pytchley should 

 be considered an hereditary pack, and he was never 

 guilty of autocracy in the hunting-field. He was too 

 much respected for autocracy to be necessary. To 

 those of my readers, who take any delight in com- 

 paring fox-hunting and agricultural history with poli- 

 tical history, the career of Lord Althorp must present a 

 combination of absorbing interest. As early as 1806 

 he was appointed a Lord of the Treasury out of com- 

 pliment to his father, but he retained the office for 

 only thirteen months and rarely attended the House of 

 Commons. Yet in 1830 he was appointed, against his 

 will. Leader of the Opposition, and in the same year 

 became Chancellor of the Exchequer under Lord 

 Grey. In November 1838, he was offered the choice 

 of the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland or the Governor- 

 ship of Canada. But, as is well known, he had firmly 

 resolved to retire from political life on the death of his 

 father. A fragment of autobiography found amongst 

 his papers, and published in the preface of Sir Denis 



