EARL OF STAMFORD 265 



Critic " were played on the first night ; there was a promenade 

 concert on the second day ; while "Prison and Palace," " Shocking 

 Events," and "Whitebait at Greenwich" were in the bill for the 

 concluding day; and in the last act of the first piece Lady 

 Catherine Egerton appeared on the stage on horseback in the 

 character of the Empress of Russia. On each day of these enter- 

 tainments hounds hunted, the fields were large by reason of the 

 number of visitors staying in and around Melton, and the festival 

 week wound up with a very good performance of the Messiah ! 



To return, however, to hunting, Count Batthyany, 

 after being an absentee for several years, reappeared at 

 Melton and lost no time in building a Turkish bath 

 (erected under the supervision of Mr. Johnson, architect, 

 of Melton Mowbray) as an aid to conditioning his horses. 

 By-and-by he succeeded to the title of Prince, and died 

 at Newmarket towards the close of April 1883. Like 

 most of his countrymen, Prince Batthyany was greatly 

 attached to horses and field sports generally ; and when 

 he first joined the Melton contingent he set himself the 

 task of emulating the feats of the Marquis of Waterford, 

 Lord Macdonald, Colonel Charetie, Squire Osbaldeston, 

 Mr. Powell, and other first flight men. He rode boldly 

 and well, but was unable to beat those just mentioned, 

 though he always took a good place. Of his riding on 

 the turf a good deal might be said, but that would be to 

 branch out too far. 



The month of April i860 saw the decease of the 

 wealthy Mr. Lyne Stephens, formerly a well-known 

 Meltonian. He was said to be the richest commoner 

 in England, and when he hunted from Melton, from 

 about 1832 to 1836, his stud was second to none, for no 

 price ever stopped him. From all accounts, however, 

 he was a wretched horseman, and could never show to 

 advantage in a run. 



In i860 Lord Stamford again threatened to resign 

 at the end of the season 1860-61, being taken so 

 seriously ill as to cause Lord Berners, Lord Cardigan, 



