252 THE EXETER ROAD 



years before, and in the interval allowed to subside 

 into a wilderness, were set in order again. The 

 reason of this sudden activity was that Dodington 

 had become infected with that same ' Patron ' mania 

 which had caused his uncle to lay the foundation 

 stones of these marble halls. He was at this period 

 forty-seven years of age, and in those years had filled 

 many posts in the Government, and about the rival 

 Whig and Tory Courts of the King and the Prince of 

 Wales. Scheming and intriguing from one party to 

 the other, he had always been ambitious of influence, 

 and now that even greater accumulations of wealth 

 had come to him, he set up as the host of birth, 

 beauty, and intellect in these Dorsetshire wilds. 



The gossips of the time have left us a picture of 

 the man. Fat, ostentatious, extravagant, with the 

 love of glitter and colour of a barbarian, he was yet 

 a wit of repute, and had undoubtedly some learning. 

 He possessed, besides, a considerable share of shrewd- 

 ness. If he lent £5000 to Frederick, Prince of 

 Wales, and never got it back, we are not to suppose 

 that he ever expected to be repaid. That was, no 

 doubt, regarded as practically an entrance-fee to the 

 exalted companionship of a prince of whom it was 

 written, when he came to an untimely end : — 



But since it's Fred Avho is dead, there's no more to be said. 



That same Fred thought himself the clever man 

 when he rem.arked ' Dodinoton is reckoned clever, 

 but I have borrowed £5000 of him which he will 

 never see a2:ain ' ; but Dodinoton doubtless imaorined 

 the sum to have been well laid out ; which, indeed, 



