THE BEL VOIR CIRCLE 



morningjTalleyrand sobbed out his gratitude,"} 'en suis d'autant 

 plus reconnoissant a M. le Due, que c'est le seul homme 

 d'etat dans le monde qui ait jamais dit du bien de moi." 



Lord Alvanley, besides being a Meltonian of some 

 shrewdness and foresight, was one of the best heavy-weights 

 that ever crossed Leicestershire. He gave long prices for his 

 horses, and loved to ride them over big places, observing 

 that he saw no use in giving 700 guineas for a horse unless 

 it could do more than other people's horses. He was very 

 fond of larking, in which another heavy-weight, Mr. Maher, 

 was often the leader. This fine rider won the well-known 

 wager for £100 made with Lord Alvanley, " That each did 

 not ride over a brook that measured six yards in the clear 

 without disturbing the water." They both cleared it hand- 

 somely, but a bit of dirt being thrown back by Lord 

 Alvanley's horse after he had landed, he lost the bet. It 

 was on one of these larks home, after a bad day, that 

 Lord Alvanley made the celebrated remark, " What fun we 



should have if it were not for these d d hounds! " Every 



one knows that he wore a strange and wonderful pair of 

 boots, of which a picture may be seen in Mr. Birch 

 Reynandson's amusing Sport and Anecdote. No name occurs 

 in contemporary memoirs oftener than that of Alvanley, and 

 the impression these records leave on the mind is that of a 

 clever man who deliberately chose an idle and somewhat self- 

 indulgent life. He had a sufficient fortune, which he wasted, 

 and an assured, though not a great, position. He viewed the 

 drama of life from the stalls, and like other occupants of 

 those comfortable seats, had less inclination to take part in 

 the action of the piece than the spectators in the gallery. 



From Lord Alvanley to the Duke of York, with whom 

 he was a great favourite, is a natural transition. The Duke 

 of Rutland was more intimate with his Royal Highness 

 than with any other member of the Royal Family, and 

 the Duke of York was a constant and favourite visitor 

 at Belvoir and Cheveley, though he no doubt preferred 

 racing to hunting, and whist to either sport. His jolly face 

 is immortalised in the ceiling of the Elizabeth saloon at the 



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