276 JOHN PORTER OF KINGSCLERE 



During the festivities with which Queen 

 Victoria*s "Jubilee" was celebrated in 1887, 

 the Duke of Westminster held a big reception 

 at Grosvenor House, his mansion in Park Lane. 

 The Prince and Princess of Wales were there, 

 together with four kings, two queens, several 

 other princes and princesses, and a number of 

 Indian potentates. Ormonde was the chief 

 ** exhibit." Indeed, it would not be very wide 

 of the mark to say that he held the reception. 

 We had walked Ormonde across London in the 

 morning from Waterloo to Mayfair, by way of 

 St. James's Park and the Green Park, special 

 permission having been obtained to go through 

 the latter, our aim being to avoid as much traffic 

 as possible. When he was proceeding along 

 the Mall, a passing cabman flourished his whip 

 in the direction of the famous horse, and inquired, 

 ** Wot *orse *ave you there, guv'nor } " My son, 

 who was in charge, told cabby it was Ormonde. 

 Not willing to have his ** leg pulled " in that 

 fashion, the fellow shouted the rejoinder, ** Garni 

 '00 are yer gettin* at ? " 



We did not take Ormonde direct to Grosvenor 

 House, but to the stables of Lord Manvers near 

 by, for there was a larger box there than any the 

 Duke had in his yard, and it had been placed 

 at our disposal. During the reception in the 

 afternoon Ormonde stood on the lawn, the centre 

 of attraction. He seemed to revel in the attention 



