THE GOOD DUKE 



sportsman. As time went on he became very fond of shoot- 

 ing, and it was in his time that pheasants began to share 

 with foxes the tenancy of the Belvoir woods, as they do to 

 this day under the fostering care of Mr. Sharpe, the head 

 gamekeeper, who in his younger days was an excellent rider 

 across country. 



Thus the fifth Duke, not the least splendid of his race, 

 passes away from the chief position in this history, though, as 

 we shall see, Belvoir still remained a delightful meeting-place 

 for hunting guests. The Duke's hospitality was lavish 

 almost to a fault, and his love of society never failed, and 

 although he might no longer take so active a part in the 

 field, the welfare of the pack which had grown up to fame 

 and excellence under his own eye was always dear to him. 

 But few visitors left Belvoir without having seen the kennels, 

 or, if it was the hunting season, without having been present 

 at a meet. The Belvoir Hunt was now the fashion. The 

 " right hand of Melton " one writer calls it. The Croxton 

 Park assemblies were as large then as they are now, and the 

 leading hunting men of the day were to be seen at the covert 

 side in a dress not unlike our present fashion. The horses, 

 too, would remind us of the present day, as many followed 

 the example of that fine horseman. Lord Charles Manners, 

 and rode nothing but blood horses. Lord Charles had found 

 out the value of blood on the day when he had that adven- 

 turous ride in the Peninsula to which he owed his life. 



" We are all well acquainted," says an old writer, " with 

 the anecdote of the escape of the gallant Lord Charles Man- 

 ners, who, when surprised in Spain by a squadron of French 

 Lancers and desired to surrender, determined upon a struggle 

 for his liberty, replied only by such a start as he would have 

 taken at the sound of ' gone away ' from a gorse covert. 

 Quickly applying spurs to the sides of his charger, a 

 thorough-bred mare — luckily the second which he had 

 mounted after the fatigue of a general action, a mare 

 distinguished in Leicestershire — he led chase, fearlessly 

 steering his course, indifferent to a volley of sacres and 

 threats, accompanied by the display of weapons in his 



133 



