LORD GEORGE BENTINCK. 



which mark the different grades of society, and dis- 

 tinguish the educated from the unlettered. No doubt 

 at a youthful age his innate inclination to rule others 

 was discovered by his parents ; and hence, probably, 

 the army was selected as a profession wherein he 

 might be taught respect to his superiors and behaviour 

 at home, ' where most he owed obedience.' But he 

 seems to have defied restraint. 



Whilst holding; a subordinate commission as a 

 cornet, he disobeyed the orders of his superior officer 

 and insulted him, for which discourteous act he (Lord 

 George) ought to, and assuredly would, have been 

 cashiered but for beino- the son of a duke — a degrada- 

 tion imposed on the captain instead of the cornet. 

 The following are extracts taken from ' The Bye-ways 

 and Downs of England ' on the subject : 



' During his short service in the army, Lord George 

 had an unfortunate misunderstanding with his supe- 

 rior, Captain Kerr — a personal friend of the writer, 

 and an extremely gallant little fellow in all respects 

 ■ — which led to the cashiering of the latter, and con- 

 siderable animadversion on the part played by the 

 junior, as openly expressed by most military men.' 

 This provoked a challenge from the captain to his 

 subordinate, and Calais was proposed as the place of 

 meeting. But Lord George would not accept the 

 challenge. On this the same author says : ' If this 

 statement be correct, and I have no reason to doubt 

 its accuracy, Lord George Bentinck, on refusing to 



