THE BEL VOIR CIRCLE 



side of the picture, and some selfishness must be expected 

 from a man who enjoyed almost endless prosperity, only 

 just flavoured with enough gout to enable him to enjoy 

 his health when he had it. He was thoughtful of his horses, 

 and though he would gallop as fast as any one between 

 his fences, he was most careful not to hurry his horses at 

 the leaps and economised their powers. Perhaps the best 

 horse he ever owned was the Bernardo which he has himself 

 immortalised in the verses given above. His favourite style 

 of horse was one not above 15-2, with long, well-placed 

 shoulders, sloping pasterns, and good feet, with of course 

 the necessary strength behind the saddle, powerful quarters, 

 and sound hocks. So good was his judgment that his horses 

 always fetched high prices, and " I bought him of Forester " 

 was a certificate of excellence. His friendly rival, Mr. 

 Cholmondeley, used to say that though he was lighter than 

 Lord Forester by two stone, this gave him no advantage 

 in a run, as the perfect seat and fine hand of the latter 

 more than counterbalanced the difference in weight. Lord 

 Forester and Mr. Tom Smith share between them, in the 

 diaries of the Belvoir Hunt, the glory of being the men 

 who at the end of a long run were most often present and 

 able to help the servants in stopping hounds. 



Only inferior to Lord Forester as a horseman, and even 

 more popular as a man, was Mr. Cholmondeley, afterwards 

 Lord Delamere. This gentleman was not the least delightful 

 member of the circle at Belvoir. Later in life he retired 

 to Cheshire, and devoted himself to managing his property 

 at Vale Royal and to hunting with his county pack. 

 All through his life he was loved and respected, and his 

 name comes down to us without a shadow to dim its bright- 

 ness. Like Lord Forester he obtained a peerage, and whether 

 the honour was conferred on account of the eminence these 

 two gentlemen had obtained as sportsmen, as one contem- 

 porary writer suggests, it is not for me to say, but no doubt 

 peerages have often been bestowed for less excellent reasons. 



But to return from the guests to the house of Belvoir 

 itself. Belvoir was not only a palace but a home, and it is 



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