166 'OLD q' 



irritation at being outmanceuvred by a man of the 

 world, are not far from the truth, except that he 

 somewhat underrated the Duke's common -sense, 

 on which a far better authority later lays great 

 stress. 



In October, Queensberry paid a visit to his English 

 country seat — Amesbury, in Wilts, a handsome pile, 

 built after designs by Inigo Jones. This estate of the 

 Queensberrys then consisted of about five thousand 

 two hundred acres ^ of arable and other land, of which 

 the mansion and its demesne occupied one thousand 

 acres. It was here that Catharine, Duchess of 

 Queensberry, spent most of her time; while the 

 late Duke favoured this seat as well. By his suc- 

 cessor the place appears to have been little cared 

 for ; indeed, he subsequently dismantled it to furnish 

 a villa on the Thames, which Walpole describes as a 

 palace. However, I am departing from chronological 

 order in mentioning this now. 



Though Queensberry made thirty-one racing en- 

 gagements this year, he only won the same number 

 of events as in the previous year — nine. The 

 monetary value of these was all but insignificant 

 to his grace — only some seven hundred pounds. 

 Indeed, this and the two following years, Queens- 



1 Sold after his grace's death. 



