THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT 



field, which consisted of lords, ladies and gentlemen, and 

 many tenant farmers and others. 



He was rather a reserved and silent man while hunting 

 but not so on his return to the Castle, as he had a large fund 

 of amusing stories which he was very fond of relating either 

 at dinner or afterwards to his numerous guests. The Duke 

 was, unfortunately, a terrible sufferer from gout, which would 

 be brought on by a fall out hunting, and often prevented 

 his enjoying his favourite sport. The Duke had several bad 

 falls in the course of his mastership, and one particularly 

 bad one near Great Gonerby, in which he injured the muscles 

 of his neck and he also had a slight concussion of the spine. 

 After this fall he was taken in a carriage to the George 

 Hotel at Grantham, and was laid up there for some time 

 until he was well enough to return to Belvoir, and although 

 he was well taken care of by his medical advisers, I do not 

 think he ever quite recovered from the effects of this really 

 bad accident. When he became convalescent he was recom- 

 mended by his doctors to go abroad for a winter, and to 

 obtain, if possible, perfect rest and quiet. This he consented 

 to do, and he took a boat on the Nile, which proved to be 

 most beneficial to him. He was able to return to England 

 in the spring of the following year, and was received with 

 quite an ovation on his return to Belvoir Castle, many of the 

 tenantry and the gentlemen and ladies of the hunt residing 

 in the neighbourhood meeting him on horseback at the 

 entrance gate on the Grantham side of the Castle, and after- 

 wards riding alongside of his carriage up to the front doors 

 of the Castle, which would be about two miles. The Duke 

 stood up in his carriage and made them a kind and feeling 

 speech. Then, after giving three cheers for his Grace, they 

 dispersed, all delighted to see him looking so well, and 

 hoping to meet him again in the hunting field in the coming 

 season. 



The Duke of Rutland was a great smoker, and some 

 amusement was caused by the great length of the cigars 

 he smoked, which Lord Wilton christened " bowsprits," and 

 it was pleasant to hear the friendly chaff which used to take 



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