234 STAG-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



news, A sustained cypher correspondence now set in 

 between England and St. Germains. In this James II. is 

 Mr. Banks, which was the name of the steward at Levens, 

 Graham himself being sometimes Sir H. Paulsworth, some- 

 times Mr. Chapman. In spite, however, of the intrigues 

 with which he was surrounded, the ci-devant Master of the 

 Buckhounds was a cautious man, and appears to have kept 

 his eye upon every shift of circumstances after the deposi- 

 tion of James. Without actually running with the fox and 

 hunting with the hounds he so contrived his correspondence 

 as to give as little handle to his enemies as information 

 to his friends. Even in cypher his letters read all ways 

 but a particular way. They were so involved and obscure 

 that in a letter to Graham the Duke of Hamilton complains 

 that they put him in mind of the Peace of Ryswick and 

 the peace of God, in that they passed all understanding. 

 It is true that in 1691 Luttrell speaks of Colonel Graham 

 having ' got over ' into France, evidently in a hurry, and 

 that the next year two proclamations were out against 

 him. And in 1696 he was thrown into the Fleet for com- 

 plicity in the Fenwick plot. But still he succeeded marvel- 

 lously well, in spite of several narrow escapes, in evading any 

 serious trouble. I dare say through the good offices of Queen 

 Mary, and very likely with the full assent of James, he made 

 his peace with William III., and when things settled down 

 after the Revolution of 1688 Graham returned to Bagshot 

 and to office as Eanger. Thus, when 108 red-deer were sent 

 from Germany to William III., the king orders his Master 

 of the Buckhounds (Baron de Hompesch) to confer with 

 Graham about the future of the deer ; and we find him 

 sending fruit and rabbits to Princess Anne from Bagshot, 

 and promising to send her some char when he gets back to 

 Levens. Colonel Graham was painted by Sir Peter Lely. 

 Sir Peter Lely and the flowing wig of the day betwixt them 



