138 MEN OF PAST DAYS. 



market. Here, too, his Grace carried his mania for 

 seclusion to an extreme pitch ; for he had the 

 "wall at the back raised to a height that absolutely pre- 

 cluded his neighbours from overlooking either himself 

 or his mansion. ' A creaking door hangs long on its 

 hinges;' and the late Duke, who was always an invalid, 

 lived to see the deaths of his two robust brothers, 

 Lord Henry and Lord George. 



None of the three were ever married — a circum- 

 stance which is the more strange, because all of them 

 had money and position, and one at least possessed the 

 fascinations which attract the regard of the fair sex. 

 Lord George, in particular, could make himself one of 

 their most agreeable companions. He was not only 

 one of the finest men that was to be seen, but he 

 was extremely handsome ; and his politeness to ladies 

 was proverbial, and excited their general admiration. 

 And he was more fond of them than is, perhaps, 

 generally supposed; and of this partiality I had 

 many opportunities of forming an opinion on the 

 occasions when his lordship brought visitors to 

 Danebury and elsewhere. 



One of the most notable characters figuring on the 

 turf at this period was Mr. Fulwar Craven, of Beck- 

 hampton. He was a gentleman by birth and educa- 

 tion, if his eccentricities were beyond comparison at 

 the time, and have never been eclipsed since. His 

 dress itself was inimitable. He wore lio'ht-coloured 

 kerseymere breeches and gaiters, the tongues of the 



