36 SIR FRANCIS BURDETT 



parties in the House of Commons, I can only speak of 

 Sir Francis Burdett as a sportsman and a country gentle- 

 man, in both of which characters he stood very con- 

 spicuous ; more prominently, perhaps, in the latter than 

 the former, being a man of unbounded hospitahty, and an 

 excellent landlord. It was my good fortune, when a 

 youth, to spend many happy days under his roof ; and the 

 recollection of his kindness, with that of one of the most 

 gentle, affectionate, and tender-hearted, as well as highly 

 tajented of woman-kind, dear Lady Burdett, whom I 

 loved as my own mother, will never be obliterated from 

 my memory. 



During the time the family resided at Ramsbury 

 Manor, in Wiltshire, the dinner-table was well furnished 

 with guests, the house being generally full of company, 

 in addition to the neighbouring families, many of whom 

 received a carte blanche for dinner invitations, to fill up 

 as they pleased, the dining-table being of such ample 

 dimensions as to admit unexpected guests. In this 

 respect, and with regard to his guests. Sir Francis was a 

 personal example of the liberal opinions he then held, 

 and his house was most truly called Liberty Hall. The 

 breakfast-table stood prepared from eight o'clock in the 

 morning until eleven a.m., to suit the convenience of 

 early and late risers ; after which, each person pursued 

 his own course of action, without restrictions or inter- 

 ruptions from their host or hostess, in reading, riding, 

 driving, hunting, shooting, or fishing, according to their 

 several tastes and the season of the year, until the dinner 

 hour, and as the clock struck six, the portly old butler 

 made his entree into the saloon, when those who were 

 present immediately obeyed the summons, not a moment 

 being allowed to tardy toilet makers or late comers ; 



