144 
Agriculture and the House of Russell. 
His courtesy to all was proverbial, for he would not enter the 
humblest cottage on his estate without removing his hat, and no 
one who recognised him was allowed to pass without reciprocal 
acknowledgment. No detail in the management of his estates 
was too small for him lo go into personally. He had an ex- 
cellent memory, even for statistics, and those who had business 
relations with him had to be very cai'eful in their conversa- 
tion if they desired not to be caught tripping. 
Perhaps no one ever cared less for high rank and great 
wealth ; and the simplicity of his tastes, and his dislike of 
display, gave to the public an altogether erroneous view of the 
generosity of his disposition. In his early life he liad not been 
very near the title, nor was his own family wealthy ; and he 
retained to the last in his personal habits the simplicity of a 
poor man. He would sometimes observe that he had lived 
upon all incomes, from 200Z. to 200,000^., andthat he could do so 
again. To say that the demands on his purse, real or preten- 
tious, were unceasing, is but to state that he shared the privi- 
leges and penalties entailed by the possession of great wealth on 
all who have to dispense it. But he was very tender to the 
poor and needy, and was always willing to assist, and to assist 
liberally, any good work that had a just claim on his sympathy 
and help. The necessary inquiries having been made and 
satisfied, the general direction was to send a remittance, " but 
with no name," and the extent of his benevolence in tliis 
anonymous form was doubtless very great. The town of 
Bedford, in particular, has reason to bo grateful for his constant 
and generous help, abundant evidence of which is to be found 
as one passes through its streets. 
One of his intimate friends, Professor Jowett, the Master of 
Balliol College, Oxford, has, in a spnpathetic memoir appearing 
in the Spcctaior of March 7, 189], thus summed up in powci^ 
ful language the charitable instincts of his Grace : — 
His acts of nmnificenoo were ])i'inpely. TFe Iniilta great many diiircbesand 
sclioolf, certainly not from the niotivo wliich i.s .«aid to have impelled preat 
men of old to the performance of such works. He liked to do for others 
what they were uiiahle to do for themselves; to try, for example, experi- 
ments in af;rieull ure which were beyond the menus of ordinary persons. 
Yet he never valued himself on his pood deeds, but would rat her apologise 
for them. Somelimes, when lu; gave hundreds and thousands, he would 
assume the eharncler of the receiver rather than of Ihe confi rrerof a favour. 
J le was often believed, and som(^tinie9 believed himself, to be a pessimist; 
but his pessimism or cynicism wa.s not inconsistent with the most careful 
fidlilment of his duties tc others. In him these qualities never obscured the 
tine discrimination, the just allowance, the kindly sympathy, the intense 
compassion for /m wow/yi/V^'a', wliich in his best momenta, when he was quite 
sure of being understood, he gave ])roof of in word and deed. 
