2i8 The Dog Book 



of the noblemen referred to; secondly, that Noailles is the correct spelling 

 of the name, and finally that the gift was made to Henry Clinton, the duke 

 who succeeded to the title in 1768. The gift was presumably made before 

 he attained the title, for the Due de Noailles died in 1766. There was after 

 him a Marshal Philipe de Noailles, but his title was Due de Mouchy, and he 

 was one of the victims of the Reign of Terror. We find him mentioned 

 in a brief account in the Sporting Magazine for 1 793, of the King of France 

 going shooting at Versailles, "attendant by a physician, surgeon, the Mare- 

 chal de Noailles and a few other persons of rank." 



"Idstone" stated that there was an article in the Sporting Magazine for 

 the year 1807, and if he had only taken the trouble to read what was there 

 said he would have saved a lot of speculation and on the part of his followers. 

 The brief article in question accompanied an engraving of a copy of part of 

 the painting by Wheatly, which we give in full. The part copied is that 

 of the figure of the tall man standing and the three spaniels in front of 

 him. This is William Mansell, and the accompanying article is as follows: 



"The annexed engraving is the portrait of William Mansell, game- 

 keeper to His Grace, Henry Clinton, Duke of Newcastle, and taken from 

 the picture painted by F. Wheatly, Esq., R. A., now in the Duke's possession, 

 at Clumber House, Nottinghamshire. The group of Springers, or Cock- 

 flushers, by which the gamekeeper is so tastefully surrounded in the picture, 

 was a gift to Duke Henry, when in France, from the Duke de Noailles, 

 and William Mansell, during a uniform attention to the duties of his office 

 (near thirty years), has, above other things, studied to increase, unmixed, 

 this peculiar race of flushers. 



"The Duke's (or Mansell's) breed is still held in higher estimation 

 than any other of the spaniel kind; that justly celebrated painter, P. Rei- 

 nagle, Esq., has made Mansell's breed of Cock-springers his peculiar study, 

 and wherever we trace in that gentleman's productions the resemblance of 

 his favourites we find them to possess the master touch in the highest decree 

 of excellence." 



The late Mr. Mercer of Ottawa was a great Clumber enthusiast, and 

 had he been in England would probably have gone to the bottom of things, 

 but he relied on English writers when in 1901 he wrote his article on the 

 Clumber. He, however, adds a little to the original "Idstone" and says: 

 "In Daniel's 'Rural Sports' we learn that the immediate ancestors," etc. 

 As an illustration of how an enthusiast will tone things at times v«^e will 



