THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT 



former succeeded to the family honours, they were both 

 twenty-five, an age when the world opens out bright with 

 promise, especially to those conscious of unusual mental 

 powers. And young as they were, each had gained some 

 fame. The Duke was already regarded as a statesman of 

 promise, and the poet had achieved some note by his works. 

 But still they were at a period of life when the attractions of 

 common interests make friendship possible between men of 

 different rank. The Duke, like his father, was no doubt 

 easy to get on with, for he had inherited Granby's generous 

 nature, frank address and cordial manner, though he had 

 too, alas ! inherited some of his failings, for Crabbe, who 

 admired his patron's talents and loved his character, tells us 

 he shortened his life by a too great fondness for conviviality. 

 Indeed, Crabbe's son and biographer more than hints that 

 some of his father's difficulties at the Castle arose from his 

 joining too freely in the convivial meetings that were the 

 custom, and from which it would have been better for him to 

 withdraw his presence when the fun became fast and furious 

 and the talk perhaps more free than was suited to one of his 

 sacred calling. However this may have been, of one of the 

 opportunities of his position Crabbe did not take advantage. 

 He never became a sportsman, and I cannot gather that he 

 took any interest in hunting. Indeed, the references to that 

 sport in his works are wonderfully few, considering his know- 

 ledge of country life. The Duke, too, was indifferent to 

 hunting, though he was not careless of the progress or repu- 

 tation of the family pack, which he had followed in his boy- 

 hood. Crabbe probably gives a true account of his character 

 when he says the young Duke loved literary talk with his 

 chaplain better than to spend his time in the hunting field. 

 We may, however, surmise that the Duke's choice of Crabbe's 

 company and converse on a hunting day was not only a 

 matter of pleasure, but one of prudence. The man who had 

 the discernment to see under the somewhat uncouth exterior 

 of young Crabbe his real goodness and ability would also be 

 able to value intercourse with him, and be ready to avail 

 himself of the poetic insight and ardour of his chaplain, as a 



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