MYMEMORIESBY

LORDSUFFIELD

MY M EMOR IES1 8 3 0

- 1 9 1 3BY

LORD SUFFI ELD

P .C ., V .D .

ED ITED BY

A L Y S L O W T HW I T H 1 P H O T O G R A V U R E cs

3: O TH E R I L L U S T RA T I ON S

HERBERT JENKIN S LIMITE D

ARUNDEL PLACE HAYMARKETLONDON S W. Q MCMXIII

MY M EMOR I1 8 3 0

- 1 9 1 3

LORD SUFFI ELD

P .C .,

V .D .

ED ITED BY

A L Y S L O W T HW I T H I P H O T O G R A V U R E 6»

32 O T H E R I L L U S T RA T I ON S

HERBERT JENKIN S LIMITE D

ARUNDEL PLACE HAYMARKE TLONDON S .W. Q Q MCMXIII

THE ANCHOR PRE SS , LTD” TII ’TRE E , E SSEX.

TO

H .M . Q UEEN ALEXANDRA

MADAM ,

To you I dedicate th is l itt le record of my l i fe ,wherein so much of the happiness I have known is owingto you and to our dear late King , Edward.

I have the honour to be , Madam ,

Your Majesty’

s very obedient and devoted servant ,

SUFFIELD

INTRODUCT ION

BY ADM IRAL LORD CHARLE S BE RE SFORD

HE memories of my old frien d,Lo rd

S uffield,are fu l l of i ntere s t

,a l th oug h

through an acce s s of modes ty he

has left out so much that he m ight have s ai d .

No man was ever mo re deserved ly popu laror mo re j ust ly respected . H is k i nd -hearted

genero s i ty and his simpl ic i ty of manner

endeared him to a l l who knew him,and I

sha l l neve r fo rget how g reat ly his tact andthoughtfu lnes s contributed to the happ i nes sand comfort of everybody du ring the vi s i t

of Ki ng E dward,then P ri nce of \Va les

,to

I nd ia i n 1 8 75-6. He was

,i ndeed

,the l ife

an d s ou l of u s a l l,and everyone was devoted

to him,not on ly our own party

,but the

native pri n ce s and the i r entourage as we l las the E ng l i s h people we met

,who saw how

frequently he put him se l f to i nconvenience ,and quiet ly and unobtru s ive ly went out of

his way to do others a go od tu rn .

Duri ng the many years he was at Court ,i n the sui te of Ki ng E dward befo re and

after he came to the th ro ne , h i s sturdy ,honest character

,and h i s devoti on to the

Ki ng and to Q ueen A lexand ra,

endeared

Vii i INTRODUCTION

him to them both,and they regarded him

w i th sentiments of true and deep affecti o nand friendship .

He was a g reat spo rtsman and an in

dom i table ri der,w i th a beautifu l seat and

perfect hand s,and one of the hardest men

to hounds of his day . I we l l remember

ri d i ng home acro s s country w i th Suffield

one day,after a hunt w i th Her Maj esty

’

s

Buckhound s . He took a turn to the right ,and I to ok a turn to the left . Sudden lyhe di sappeared a l together from V iew . As

s udden ly he appeared again , on his horse’

s

neck,speedi ly got back to the sadd le

,and

went away as if noth i ng had happened,

l o ok i ng nei ther to right nor left .Knowing what an extraordi nary rider he

was I fe l t curi ous as to the cause of his

s udden disappearance,and rode i n the direc

ti o n he had been to see what had happened .

I found that he had come across a deepV - shaped ditch which had a very high postand rai l s at the bottom . How any man or

ho rse ever got over i t is impossible to say .

When I spoke to him about it that eveninghe treated i t qui te as a matter of course

,

and on ly sai d ' “I t was a rather nasty

place .

He was noted for h i s wonderfu l horseman

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x INTRODUCTION

less self-sac rific ing heads ! He fel t it hisduty to play watch-dog to the P ri nce

,and

play i t he did,at no matter what cost to

himself,whether fatigue or fever

,or actua l

danger from anima l or human i ntruders.

S ir A rthu r E l l is and he u sed to take turnsi n guarding the Pri nce at night , and whenS uffield was on duty (a who l ly vo luntaryduty

,for the Pri nce scouted the i dea of

danger) he wou ld wa l k up and down throughout the night to make sure of not fa l l i ngas leep . T hi s

,perhap s

,after a l ong day i n

the s add le,hunti ng ,

or an equa l ly fatigui ngday i n unifo rm

,spent i n ceremoni ou s func

ti o n s . Odd ly enough , i n an a l ien land fu l lof people who had l i tt le cau se at that time

to l ove us,danger from men on ly th reatened

the Pri nce once,and then

,perhaps

,but i n

appearance I t was one night when we were

i n camp s omewhere,and S uffie ld to ld me

next day that sudden ly he fe l t there was

someone i n the room . And there,bel ow the

tent canvas came creep i ng ,soft ly as a snake

,

a nati ve . Before he was we l l i nto the tent

S uffield had him by the shou lder The

fel l ow carried a letter, and swo re he had on lyto make s u re that i t reached the P ri nce ; butS uffield had him out of the tent

,and

tho rough ly convinced,no doubt

,that the

INTRODUCTION xi

spot was an unhea lthy one,before he cou ld

fulfi l any sort of object , and no more was

heard ei ther of him or his errand .

He was a marvel l ously go od shot,too

,and

never was any man more co o l and se lfpossessed in the face of danger . He was

a lso a g reat yachtsman i n his day , and knewas much about the hand l i ng of craft as anyseaman I have ever met .

H is charm of manner was a lways one of

his g reatest attractions ; his unaffected,true

k i nd l i ness of heart and consideration for

others are,however , the qua l i ties that make

a l l who know him devoted to him . He is,in

sho rt,a chiva l rousgent leman , and persona l ly

he is one of the g reatest friends I have ever

had .

CHARLE S BERE SFORD,

Admiral .

PREFATORY NOTE

CANNOT let these memoirs go to the publisher without some appreciation of the

untiring and extraordinary patience andcleverness of my friend , Alys Lowth , who ,

amidthe most disheartening conditions , has perseveredwith never-flagging kindness and interest in theediting of this record of my life . Though Icannot adequately express my gratification , Ihighly appreciate the fact that such able handshave undertaken the troublesome work , andcarried it through notwithstanding the greatlabour it has involved . Most heartily and sinc erely I thank my editor for all the trouble she

has taken , and compliment her upon the abilityshe has shown .

SUFFIELD

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONPREFACTORY NOTE

CHAPTE R I

SOME OF MY ANCE STORSMy introduction to a cold world . We repudiate equivoca l ori gin .

Ri ch and covetous. A youthful kn ight . Pepys’ persisten tenemy . Pla in country gentlemen . Dul l , but necessary .

Pompous and drama ti c . His blood chi l led . Misunderstanclings. Beaten into fi ts. A mysterious escape

CHAPTE R I I

MY FATHE RPrim letters. Five to be flagel lated . Important items. A

reasonable present of birch . An a l l-round sportsman . E xtraordinary feats. Whigs and Tories. A rank Opposi tionist .A shower of stones. A martyr to princip les. Arguments,taunts, and sneers. A co ld season . Land for the poor. Abore . The spirit of revo lt . Lord Normanby

’

s verdi ct .London unsa fe for the King . The mob a t Gunton . Obser

vatory tower . A bloody flag . An ac cident . Hissed inCourt . My father’s death . Horstead House

CHAPTE R I I I

YOUTHFUL DAYSPubli c school or tutor A change of opinion . Six boys and

a girl . Da zzling Hyde Park . A most Oppressive monopoly .

The first excursion train . The Queen ’

s apprec ia tion . Avery we l l-informed person . A staunch friend . Her Ma jesty ’

s

wishes. Floods of tears. Old Charlotte

CHAPTE R I V

ALL ABOUT NORFOLKKing Charles’ opinion . Swi ft and straight . Odious and despic

able . Two hares to a b lade of grass. The Pioneer of freedom .

Famous men . Wonderful women . Strange pastimes.

Smugglers and resurrec tion men . I n P a ris N aturabi l is.

Unchival rous husbands. Long l ives and big famil ies.

A II

I

I

J

azing marriages. E xc essive punishments and gruesomes1g ts

xvi CONTENTS

CHAPTE R V

FROM BACHE LOR TO BENEDICT PAGEVery aggravating things. Reckless young devi ls. Ac commo

dating bai lifi s. Seven steeplechases in one day . The E arlof Dubl in . A sixty-foot leap . A youthful a l liance . Fourthousand har es a month . Shipwrecked mariners. A letterfrom Lord Vernon . A generous landlord . A private army .

Two beauti fu l young creatures. An unique hun t . Twentyyears’ innings. Rehabili tations. A curious bone . An evilyear . A visit to I re land . Norfo lk is de lighted . Indigentchi ldren squandered . N ine worthi es. The Princ e at Sandringham

CHAPTER VI

THE NORFOLK ARTILLE RYDuke of We l lington appeals to England . Captain Busk.

The real spirit of the movement . My Cromer volunteers.

Norfo lk ’

s martia l spirit . Why my father resigned . The

Norfolk Artil lery . Prince A l fred . The Duke of Cambridge .

My resi gnat ion . Beards and the women . Regimentalameni ties. Haldane

’

s scheme

CHAPTE R VI I

ABOUT A NUMBE R OF THINGSE asi ly pleased . Wrinkl es. The hero of the Redan . My soldierbrothers. Pooh-poohed reforms. Hal f-acre farms. Sundaytrading . Woman akin to ange ls. Remarkable l icenc e .

Freemasonry . Cannot refuse him anything . GeorgeAnson and the dwarf . Sea-wal l peers

CHAPTE R VI I ISPORT AND SPORTSMEN

Some reflections without a mora l . Hounds and hunting . Not

easily t ired . Paddy and St . Lawrence . Down the face of

the cl iff. A ki l ling race . Hi ghly gratified . Acquaintancewith Mother E arth . Such a getting out ! Poor WhyteMe lvi l le . Rather reckless. Old times a t c ric ket . Whenmotors were unknown . Anything on four legs. A c an

tankerous mare . The Princess asWhip . Game at Gunton .

Admira l Keppe l ’sDiary

CHAPTE R IX

TO INDIA WITH THE PRINCEDisrae li ’ssuggestion . We set off. The Princessweeps. L

’

Amicodi Gariba ldi .” A big responsibil ity . A day at Ta toi . Nove land moving . In E gypt . Sunstroke . We land at Bombay .

The hard-worked Prince . Damp and debi l i ta ting .

‘ 5 Right asa trivet . A story of Lord Mark Kerr . Strange sport .European rubbish. A combination of ta lents. Valuable and

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xvi ii CONTENTS

PAGErefuse . Consc ience versusappetite . Boil ing bra ins. Spani shti t les. The Duke of Connaught a t Gibra ltar . Ne ither wisenor witty . An a lphabet . Feathered trousers. We lcome home 247

CHAPTE R XVOF VI SITS TO FORE I GN COURTS AND VI SITORS TO

OUR OWN

A jol ly good fe l low . Ratherqui ck-tempered . An attempt tha t

Th(b

fai led . In imminent danger .

“ Without exactly knowinghow . A brave m i l itary .

”An imperia l Diana . A good

and noble man . The jea lousy of Court s. King Oscar on

view. Kingly grace . Friendship ’

s bread and wine . The

most necessary virtue . E ngland to the rescue . A dyedhorse . His happiest evening . Buy them al l . A restcure on the Osborne. A rare coin . A new appointment .Danger by fire

CHAPTE R XV I

YACHTINGFlower o

’

Yarrow. A race on the A l ine . The Shark loses.

The King bui lds the Bri tannia . The ful l fury of the ga le .

No means of steering . A new cra ze . Na tive assassins.

Quarantine . Venus, and the baths of Arethusa . The Bul l

dog plays tug . A letter from Lord Dufferin . Chicken-

pox .

Carniva l on the Ri viera . N early a tragedy . With the

Prin ce to Norway . Scandinavian excursions. E lk shooting .

Everyone i l l . E ight days a t Copenhagen . Sta g-hunting inAustria . Gaieties at Budapest . Home via Paris

CHAPTER XVI IOF PLACE S AND PEOPLE

Czar’svisit to Cowes. Tea with the EmpressE ugenie . LadyCardigan ’

s pluck . Lord R edesda le ’

s famous speech . Gun

practi ce on the Dreadnought. A sai l in the Britannia .

Never mind .

”A cropper at Cromer . A lmost Roman

Catholi c . An ugly old town . A fateful chance meeting .

I rel inquish Gunton . A bla ckened ruin . Worthy gentlemen at Cromer. A puzz led gipsy

CHAPTE R XVI I IMUSIC, BELLE S , AND THE VI CTIMS OF BE LLONA

Imprudent c ulture . Sweet and sympatheti c . A good programme .

Ta l kative eavesdroppers. Two funny dialogues. Souls.

The Jersey Lily . The divine Sarah . A mi ssing Prince .

A letter from the Duke of Connaught . The Pri ncess as

fai ry godmother . Roya l benevolence . Sir Bartle Frere ’

s

reca l l . Bad news from Zululand . Va lorous savages.

Christmas festivi ties. Two innovations

CONTENTS xix

CHAPTE R XIX

THE QUE EN ’

S BUCKHOUNDS AND SUNDRYREFLE CTIONS PAGE

I f the Prince hasno objection . I accept conditional ly . Gladstone '

s letter . Lord Spencer is a l ittle hurt . Sympatheticbut conscientious. Lord Granvi l le m isunderstands. Pre

mature thanks. E xplana tions. Lord Cork ’

s Opinion . The

Queen ’

s request . Play up ,Charl ie . A wrestling

match . Charac teristic s. R ed-hot pinc ers. On houses

CHAPTER XXPARTINGS

A map of gems. London memories. Windsor and Sandringham .

Anxious days. The King ’s last i l lness. Farewel ls. Achingmemories

CHAPTE R XXI

MY SECOND MARRIAGEMother Nature . A great test . Contentment

APPENDICE S

CONCE RN I NG GE NEALOGY

I I

S IR CHARLE S HARBORD AND THE BATTLE OF SOLE BAY

I I I

S IR CHARLE S HARBORD , SE N IOR , AND Hrs SON W I LL I AM

WI LL IAM HARBORD AND PE PYS

VE DWARD , THI RD LORD SUFFIE LD , AND THE ABOL IT ION OF SLA V E RY 382

VI

THE GENE ALOGY or FRANCE S , LADY SUFFI E LD

ILLUSTRAT IONS

To FACE PAGE

QUE E N ALEXA ND RA Frontispiece

MY LITTLE DUTCH ANCE STRE SS , MAR I E VAN AE LST, I 600From a painting at Gunton

MONUME NT To S I R CHARLE S HARBORD IN WE STMINSTE R ABBEYMY FATHE R , E DWARD , THI RD LORD S UFFIE LD , As LT.

-COL. I ST

E AST NO RFOLK LOCAL MI LI TI A RIFLE CORPSGEORGIANA , LADY VE RNON AND HE R SON, MY HALF-BROTHERE DWARDFrom a painting at Gunton

MY HALF-BROTHE R , E DWARD VERNON , FOURTH LORD SUFFIE LDTHE HON . CHAR LOTTE GA RDNE R , WIFE OF MY HALF-BROTHE R ,E DWA RD VE R NON , FOU RTH LORD S UFFI E LDH orn an engraving by J. Cockran after a miniature by Miss E . Kendrick

KING E DWARD VI I . AND THE OFFI CE RS OF THE NORFOLKARTI LLE RY , 1 890, OR THE RE ABOUTS

CE CI LY, LADY SUFFI E LDGUNTON HALL, E AS T FRONTGUNTON HALL, SOUTH FRONTA MORN ING RIDE AT GUNTONTHE PR I NCE OF WALE S AND HIS SUITE IN I NDIA, 1 8 75

-6

A NATIVE CHIEFFrom an unpubl ished sketch by Sir Arthur El lisBILLY RUSSE LLFrom an unpublished sketch by Sir Arthur Ellis

BELATE E PANE E , JE LD I E [E NGLI SH (OR SODA) WATE R , QUI CKLY 1 94From an unpublished sketch by Sir Arthur Ellis

S I R BARTLE FRE RE I N THE ACT or I NTR ODUCING ME To SOME ONE 204From an unpub lished sketch by Sir Arthur Ellis

W . H . RUSS E LL ON BOARD THE SERAPI SFrom an unpublished sketch by Sir Arthur El lisI’

LL CROS S I T THOUGH I T BLOSH ME

From an unpublished sketch ofmyself by SirAr thur Ellis

xxi i ILLUSTRATIONSTO FACE PAGE

H I S E x c E LLENCY S IR JUNG BAHADOOR , KNI GHT GRAND CROSS OF

THE MOST HO NO U RA BLE O RDE R OF THE BATH, KNIGHT GRANDCOMMA NDE R OF THE MOS T E XAL'

I E D STAR OF I ND I A , NE PALTE RAI , FE B . 7 , 1 876

KING E DWARD AT ST . PE TE RSBURG As PR INCE OF WALE SA CH R I STMAS CARD FROM THE PRINCEA ROYAL YACHTI NG PARTY, SCA ND I NAVIA, 1 885

KING E DWARD VI I . IN NORWAYA CHR I STMAS CARD FROM QUE E N MAUD OF NORWAYMYS E LF AT COWE S

MY SE LF IN 1 879 , ACCORD ING To VANI TY FAI R.

MYSE LF IN 1 907 , ACCORD ING TO VANI TY FAIRKING E DWARD VI I . S ITTING FOR HI S BUSTLADY JULIA FOLLE TT , MY SE LF AND DI CK GOODALL WITH THE

QUE E N ’S B UCKHOU NDSFrom a painting at Gunton

K I N G E DWA RD AND QUE E N ALEXANDRA E NTE RTAINING ONMONKE Y I S LA NDMY SE LF IN 1 9 1 3

KING E DWA RD CONFE RR ING A DE CORATION UPON ME AT BUCKINGHAM PA LA CEFrom a snapshot by Queen Al exandra

FRANCE S , LADY SUFFI E LD

MYMEMORIESBYLORDSUFFIELD

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2 MY MEMORIES

plentiful than daughters in our family . Yet bya curious coincidence it was inheritance throughsisters that brought about the establishment ofmy own branch to the estate of Gunton . Unhappily , most of our family records were burnt in adisastrous fire that destroyed the library andmuniment rooms at Gunton in 1 882 ,

and'

much thatwas of the greatest interest was lost .

In bygone years much discussion took placebetween the Heralds and certain worthy ancestorsof mine as to the origin of my family . The

Heralds , a race of men who belong to the genusThey , and , being therefore immaterial and invisible ,are without modesty or pride , tried to foist uponus the bend sinister o f the Herberts of Somerset ,

Shire , and even went the length of excusing it onthe plea that it was no worse than that of manyother ancient houses .

But my good ancestors would have none of itthey stoutly denied the connection , and , proudl ybrushing aside all such royal beginnings , they tooka S imple esquire namedWilliam Harbord or Hobart ,of Wilton in Somersetshire , as the progenitor ofour line . How he assumed the name , or how itwas thrust upon him

, we know not suffice it tosay that he had a son named Charles , who musthave been an able , as well as an ambitious , fellow ,

for while still a young man he appears to have hada good deal to do with the negotiations for themarriage of Charles I . and Henrietta Maria , andwas made one of the Queen

’

s trustees . He satin Parliament for many years ; was one of thetwelve on the secret committee in Lord Stafford

’

s

.\ l Y L ITTLE ”FTC” A N CE STRE SS , MA R I A VAX A E LST . 1600F rom a pa n t /131g a t Gun /we

A YOUTHFUL KNIGHT 3

Impeachment became Surveyor-General toCharles I . ,

and later to Charles I I . was knighted ,and lived to the age of eighty-four , retaining hisactivities to the end . Burnet describes him asa very rich and covetous man , who knew Englandwell . ”

His wife was Maria Van Aelst , whose portrait ,as well as her name ,

leaves no room for doubt as toher nationality ,

and they lived first in HertfordShire , and then at Besthorpe in Norfolk , whereSir Charles 1 died in 1679 . The only really interesting member of their family was the fourthson , another Charles , who , when only twentyyears of age , was knighted for his services in theNavy , and lost his life twelve years later at thebattle of Sole Bay . He was a First Lieutenanton the Roy a l j a ines, and a devoted friend of hisAdmiral , Sir Edward

'

Montagu , afterwards theEarl of Sandwich . They travelled together tomany lands , and met with many adventures ,both at home and abroad together they foughtthe Spaniards when Montagu shared the command with Blake in his last action in 1657 ; andtogether they went to Schevel ing , when the

English fleet went over to bring Charles backto his kingdom .

S ir Charles Harbord had five sons and three daughters.

His sons were : Philip , the eldest , of S tanning Hall , inNorfolk , who was evidently interested in genealogy Charles,who died in infancy ; W ill iam , who was a member of Parl iament for Thetford, became auditor to the Duchy of Cornwa ll ,afterwards Deputy-Lieutenant of I reland, and died at Belgradein 1692 ; Charles, who perished in the Battle Of Sole Bay ;and John , who was the first owner of Gunton, of whosepursurts there IS no record.

4 MY MEMORIES

But it was written that they were to come safelyout of strange seas into English waters , and diewithin sight , almost within touch ,

of home . Bothwere buried in Westminster Abbey .

1

William ,the third son of Sir Charles Harbord ,

succeeded his father as Surveyor-General . He

is chiefly interesting through being regarded

The inscription on the monument to CharlesHarbord runsTO preserve and unite the memory of two fa ithful friends

who lost their l ives at sea together, May 28th , 1672 . S ir

Charles Harbord , Kut . , third son of S ir Charles Harbord,Kut . , H is Ma j esty’s Surveyor-Genera l and first l ieutenantof the Royal j anzes, under the most noble and first illustriousCapta in and E arl of Sandwich , V ice-Admira l of E ngland,which a fter a terrible fight mainta ined to admiration aga insta squadron of the Holland fleet for above six hours near the

Suffolk coast , having put Off two fi re ships, at last be ingutterly disabled and few of her men rema ining unhurt, was

by a third unfortunately set on fire , but he , though he swam

well , neglected to save himself, as some did, and out of perfectlove to the worthy Lord , Whom for many years he had c on

stantly accompanied in a l l his honourable employments, andin a l l the engagements of the former war, died w ith him , at the

age of 32 , much bewai led of his father, whom he neveroffended , and much beloved of all for his known piety, virtue,loya lty, fortitude and fidel ity.

On the other S ide :“ Clement Cottrell , E sq:, eldest son of

S ir Charles Cottre ll , Knt . , Master of the Ceremonies, and hisassistant to have succeeded in that office , forwhich he was veryfit , having a tal l handsome person, a grace ful w inning behaviour and great natura l parts, much improved by study and

by converse in most courts of E urope , where, fi rm to the

Court of E ngland , he learnt not their vices, but customs and

languages, understanding seven and speaking four of them as

his own , though but twenty-two years old ; yet not content toserve his King and Country at home only his excessof courageincited by a deep sense Of honour could not be kept from goingvolunteer w ith the E arl of Sandwich, wi th whom he had been

in Spa in when his E xcellency was there asAmbassador E xtraordinary, w i th whom , after having returned unwounded intohis ship from being the first man that boarded a Dutch one of80 guns and pulled down the E nsign of i t with his own hand,he also perished universa lly lamented .

”

MO N UME NT TO S I R CHA R LE S HA RBOR“ “WESTM I NSTE R A BBE Y

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6 MY MEMORIES

when he was still a hale and active man . Then oneday

,when riding home from shooting , his horse

stumbled on Pheasant Hill and fell with his rider .John ’s neck was broken , and he died on the spot .There is a monument in the church of St . George ,Tombland , Norwich , to his memory .

1

Of Sir Charles Harbord’

s three daughters weonly know that Catherine , the youngest , marriedtwice , first Thomas Wright , of Kilverstone inNorfolk

,and , after his death , William Cropley ,

of Haughleigh in Suffolk and Thetford in Norfolk .

John ’s heir was this sister Catherine ’s son , HarbordCropley ,

who assumed his uncle ’s name with theestates , thus becoming the first Harbord Harbordof Gunton .

Close to Gunton lived John’s niece and Harbord

Cropley’

s sister , Judith , who had married JohnMorden of Suffield . Judith had a son

,William

,

who had inherited the political tastes of his grandfather and great-uncle , and for eight years herepresented , during three Parliaments , Beeral

ston in Devonshire . When Harbord Harbord the

I t bears the following inscriptionP M S .

Johannis Harbord de Gunton Arm iger qui ex munifi c ientianon vulgari duc entes numerorum l ibras, ad tectum aedes hujusstramine suo denudandum , plumbo uno Obduc endum

E xpendendas Testamento

Legavit .

A .D . 1 7 1 1 .

The Latin is very rocky, but this is a rough translation :aedes Should be “

aedis stramine looks l ike“stamine“ John Harbord of Gunton , Knight , who with uncommon

l iberal ity bequeathed by wil l two hundred pounds for thepurpose of stripping the roof of this house of its straw and

Covering it with lead .

DULL , BUT NECESSARY 7

first died in 1 842 , William Morden found himselfheir to Gunton , and with the estate he assumedthe name and arms , as his uncle had done beforehim . He married Elizabeth daughter and c o

heir of Robert Brit iffe , EqI re , of Beac onsfield ,

in Norfolk , and had two sons , the eldest of whomhe named after his uncle . In 1 844 William wasmade a Knight of the Bath in 1 846a Baronet .

He l ived at Gunton for twenty- eight years , anddied and was buried there in 1 770.

His eldest son , Harbord Harbord II .,had gone

into politics as quite a young man , and representedNorwich for thirty years , from 1 756to 1 786, whenhe was created Baron Suffield, of the Uni ted K ingdom . He married Mary , daughter and c o-heiressof Sir Ralph Assheton ,

Bt . , of Middleton in Lanc ashire ,

and had three sons , Charles , who di ed ininfancy

,William Assheton , his heir , and Edward ,

my fa ther .Sir Harbord Harbord was a contemporary of

Thomas William Coke , of Norfolk , afterwardsEarl of Leicester , and of William Windham ,

1 whohas been described by Lord Rosebery as the

finest English gentleman of his or perhaps alltime . His connection with Coke is a remarkableinstance of the facility with which a long- standing friendship can be broken .

My grandfather had known Coke practicallyall his life ,

and was his ally in many of the most

W ill iamW indham ( 1 750 He wasMP . for Norwich,

1 784-1 802 , and was among the members Charged wi th the im

peachment of Warren Hastings. He was included in Pitt’sfirst Cabinet , 1 794- 1 80 1 , in the ministry of All the Ta lents,”1 806-7 .

8 MY MEMORIES

important happenings of his career . When Cokefell in love with Jane Dutton , his father , WenmanCoke ,

was very much against the match ; foralthough he had allowed his daughter to marryMiss Dutton ’s brother , he considered that his son ,

as the heir to Holkham , should make a much moreambitious marriage . Young Coke persuaded SirHarbord to plead his cause , and this my grandfather did with so much tact and sympathy thathe succeeded in persuading Coke the elder toconsent . In the following year the bridegroomcame into possession of his father

’

s fortune andestates ; he was in London when Wenman Cokedied ,

and on hearing the news Sir Harbord , withSir Edward Astley ,

immediately‘

c al led upon him ,

and persuaded him to stand for the county . Veryreluctantly he consented . He was unconsciouslyquite funny when , years afterwards , he ratherpompously and dramatically explained in a speechat an agricultural dinner his motives in enteringpolitical li fe .

When I first Offered myself for the county ,he said , I did so with great reluctance ,

for I hadno wish to go into Parliament . But I was muchsolicited by Sir Harbord Harbord , Sir EdwardAstley , and Mr . Fellowes of Shottesham , who said ,and said truly , that I owed it to my father

’smemory and that if I did not stand a Tory wouldgo in . At the mention of a Tory going in ,

gentlemen , my blood chilled all over me from head tofoot , and I came forward . Educated as I hadbeen in the belief that a Tory was not a friend toliberty and the revolution , but a friend to passive

MISUNDERSTANDINGS 9

obedience and non-resistance- a supporter ofbribery and corruption and of all the evils Of

oligarchy— I could not resist .

”

For some unexplained reason ,although Coke

did so much for the county and was one of the bestlandlords Norfolk ever had , he was defeated whenin 1 784 he again stood as the Whig candidate .

Unfortunately he imagined that my grandfatherwas the chief cause . It is difficult to say how the

idea ever entered his head ; still more difficultto say why he should have presumed that it wasfor his services to the Tories in this matter thatSir Harbord was made a peer two years later .Strangest of all in such a man is the fact thathe did not Speak out to his friend at once

,but

harboured resentment in silence for fifty years ,until , indeed , my father , years after Sir Harbord

’

s

death , chanced to hear of it , and hunted up Old

papers that convinced even Coke himself thathis accusations had been utterly unjust andmistaken .

This is not the only time Sir Harbord was unjustlysuspected of treacherous behaviour in connectionwith his friend . In 1 777 Coke had discoveredthat a man named Richard Gardiner , whom he

employed as a sort of treasurer and secretary , wasnot honest . Coke immediately dismissed him ,

though with a gratuity of £200. Gardiner , unableto account for his patron ’s discovery of his dishonesty ,

looked round for an enemy , and , believingthat my grandfather had more influence than anyone else with Coke , j umped to the conclusion thatit was he who had advised his master . He wrote

1 0 MY MEMORIES

accusing Sir Harbord , who replied that while hehad never influenced Coke against Gardiner , heagreed with him that it was unwise to giveanother man too much power over his purse andproperty .

Coke himself assured Gardiner that Sir Harbordhad had nothing whatever to do with the matter

,

and Gardiner accepted the assurance . Nevertheless , he went away and wrote a venomous epistleOf close upon a hundred pages against Sir Harbord ,which he sold for one and Sixpence a copy ,

andwhich is still extant . Coke at once wrote remonst rat ing with his late auditor-general , as hecalled Gardiner , and declined to receive him again .

He also published a notice in the papers declaringthat all his accusations against Sir Harbord werefalse .

My grandfather treated the whole matter withcontempt . He had been drawn into it falsely ,

and,

though much annoyed , he was afterwards quitegood-humoured about it . Coke , oddly enough ,

considered that his own effort s to clear Sir Harbordof the scurrilous lies told about him by a vindictive servant put his friend under a real obligation ,

and he mentioned it as one of the reasons why hewas so deeply wounded when he supposedthat my grandfather had gone against him at theelection in 1 784 .

By a happy chance Sir Harbord wrote to SirEdward Astley to tell him about the electionhow Mrs . Coke had written asking him to assureher that he would support her husband , and hereplied that he would how , later , Wodehouse

BEATEN INTO FITS 1 1

called to canvass him and had gone away without making a civil bow on being told thatalthough Sir Harbord did not think with Cokein politics

,he should nevertheless support him in

the county election .

It is scarcely credible that Coke never knew ofthis until my father sent him the letters in proofof it . But even when he expressed himselfentirely satisfied he had not the grace to saythat he regretted his unjustifiable suspicions ofthe man to whom he always professed friendship .

However , my father was satisfied to know thathe had cleared away the errors , and he and Cokewere always on excellent terms . When in 1 832 Cokeretired from political life ,

it wasmy fatherwho tookCharge of the arrangements for the public dinnerthat the people of Norwich gave him as a tributefor his services . My half-brother was one of thecandidates for Norwich in the spring of 1 835 , andin two amusing election squibs he and my fatherare both mentioned as friends and adherents ofthe Dictator-General of Norfolk . In the firsta messenger is supposed to arrive at Holkhamwith ill news from Norwich which he announcesthus °

Alas dread Sir the Gunton youth ,

And Betty Martin , his adopted friend ,Are beaten into fits

The verses go on to relate how the Radicalshave been defeated at Yarmouth ,

Ipswich,Col

Chester , Harwich , Bury ,and Lynn , and ends with

the Dictator saying in a phrenzy

1 2 MY MEMORIES

Have all my slaves rebelledWhat spirit foul has Whispered in their earThe long forgotten name of liberty !I ’ll crush these villains to the earth againI ’ll shew them how to raise their rebel vorceAgainst the mighty name of Lord .

”

The second squib is entitled : C . K.

’

s Apotheosis, Or , the Last Scene of the Norfolk Tragedy .

It is supposed to be the lying-in -state of Coke ,

and my father and his son are among the mour ners .But it was my poor father who died , in the autumnof 1 835 , not many months after these very verseswere written , while Coke lived till 1 842 , when hedied at the age of eighty-eight . I remember himperfectly , although I was such a small boy whenI used to see him at Holkham .

William Windham ’s friendship with my grandfather was of a far more intimate type ,

forGunton and Felbrigg being so near each otherthere was more opportunity for the two familiesto be together . In 1 784 Windham was returnedwith Sir Harbord for the city of Norwich , the

numbers on the poll being— Sir Harbord HarbordWilliam Windham and the Hon . H .

Hobart Two years later he was one ofthe first to congratulate my father on being madea peer .Sir Harbord

’

s elder son , William Assheton , hadmarried Lady Caroline Hobart , daughter of thesecond Earl of Buckinghamshire , in 1 792 . Theylived at Blickling for eighteen years before mygrandfather died in 1 8 1 0

,and then used Gunton

only as a shooting-box , although they spent large

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1 4 MY MEMORIES

opinions . Pitt had entered the House as an advocate of Parliamentary reform , and of liberal concessions to those who dissented from the established Church and his reputation with the King ,the Parliament , and the country steadily increasedas time went on . In 1 791 the Duke of Portland ,Burke , and Windham among many others , wentover to him . The Hobart s were very decidedTories , and Lady Caroline always took great inferest in politics . On another occasion WilliamWindham says (July 1 7th , 1 808) Dinner withGrand Jury . In the evening tried Lady Carolinewith a little due reconciliation , but scarcelyenough to make the trial a fair one . LadyCaroline

’

s younger sister married Lord Castlereagh , a union that materially increased her

connection with the political world , and at one

time and another all the great Tory leaders foundtheir way to Blickling and Gunton .

My uncle , William Assheton , died on August1 st , 1 821 , at the age of fi fty - four

,and as he had

no Children the title and entailed property came tomy father . His wife , Lady Caroline ,

lived till 1 850.

Blickling passed out of the family with the deathof my uncle . Of course it was only through marriage with Lady Caroline that he had possessedit , but it would probably have gone with the restof the property to my father had he not offendedhis brother and sister-in- law by his independentpolitical opinions . As it was , the lovely old placereverted to Lady Caroline , and she bequeathedit to the Lothians , her own relatives , who stillown it .

CHAPTER II

MY FATHE R

HEN my father was only ten years old hewas sent to Eton with a private tutor ,and some of the letters he wrote home ,

prim and proper as they seem ,are indicative of

the unselfishness that always characterised him .

Eton boys were much the same then as now , andthe letters Show , too , that even as a boy he had akeen sense of humour and of the fair play that heso loved . On March I st , 1 874 , he wrote

DEAR PAPA ,

I am very much obliged to you for thepresent which you were so good as to send me ,

and for the turnip also , for I intend to prove bythat that I am not a liar , for I told a boy theother day that I had seen a turnip which wouldhold two brace of partridges , and he would notbelieve i t , and what is worse , he licked me , he

said for telling him such a l ie . I will give ,if you

have no obj ection , a brace of woodcocks toDr . Langford , and the same to Dame Tyrrell .I hope you will excuse my writing so i ll , as I

have very little time to spare to -day,but I had

just a mind to thank you for what you sent me .

Pray give my duty and love .

I am , Dear Papa ,Your ever dutiful Son ,

E . HARBORD .

16 MY MEMORIES

P .S .

-I took the woodcocks to Dr . Langford’

sthis morning myself , and some of the boys met

me , and would have it that I was going to bribethe Dr . not to flog me in case I should do anything amiss

Tuesday , December I st, 1 795 .

DEAR PAPA ,

I thank you for your letter received thismorning am very glad you have heard so goodan account of me .

The master Of my remove , who we always doour lessons to , this morning created me Preposterfor this week Of his division ,

and I hope to perform the office properly ,

though not a very agree ?

able one ; I am obliged , when any boy cannotsay his lesson , to have him flogged, which youmay suppose i s not very pleasant , and this morningbefore t en o

’

clock there were five to be flagellated .

I hope you are all well , and till thenI remain , Dear Papa ,Your most dutiful Son ,

E . HARBORD .

DEAR FATHE R , M ay I st, 1 796.

To -day being Sunday , I take this oppor

tunity of writing to you ,but I am sorry I cannot

tell you the particulars about Montem , becausei t is as yet quite uncertain what I am to be .

I am rather in expectation of being one of theEnsign

’

s servants , which is a very great thing ,and if so

,my dress will be rather different from

the rest , in the coat being turned up with black ,I believe , etc . , but I will tell you as much as I

IMPORTANT ITEMS 1 7

know about Montem at present . About elevenO’clock

, the King and Royal Family station them ~

selves in the school yard , together with all theGentlemen and Ladies who come to see Montem .

Then the Marshall (a boy’

s name for the day ,which means a commander) proceeds first withsix servants beautifully drest , then the Prince ofWales

’ band of Music , then a company of boysdrest in the Light Infantry uniform , then anothercompany of boys , then the Ensign with yourhumble servant and five more , with swords , a hatturned up in front , with a gold button and whiteostrich feather , a black stock , a scarlet coat turnedup with black , white kerseymere wai stcoat andbreeches , which are worn by everyone , servantor not— so I have ordered them of Evans beforehand a pink sash round my waist and that ismy dress if I am servant to the Ensign but incase it is settled that I am not to be his servant ,I will thank you not to get any of the thingswhich are mentioned till you hear from me again ,

which you shall do as soon as I hear my fate .

I think to save you the expense of a sword forme , i f you will bring with you that little hangerwhich is in the drawer in the passage room thatwill be fine enough if you will be so good as to

get it cleaned up . I have no more to say , andwi ll tell you all when I hear more in a day ortwo . Pray give my duty and love ,

And I am,Dear Father ,

Your most dutiful Son ,

E . HARBORD .

I hope your gout is better ; I am quite well .C

1 8 MY MEMORIES

j nly 8th, 1 796.

DEAR FATHER ,I am now sat down with a full intention

of writing you a letter consisting of two pages ,but what about I hardly know for there is verylittle news stirring at Eton .

I hope you will make yourself the least uneasyabout my going into the water , as I do reallyassure you that I never go in without properpeople attending , and the place where I go inis not out of my depth in any part , except inwinter about the flood time , and then one shouldnot think of bathing . The Westminster boys aregoing to play us at cricket we meet at Hounslow ,

and then is to be determined the fate of Etonor I think rather of Westminster . The Mastersknow nothing about it , nor are they intended todo so , I believe , till it i s over . So I suppose theEton boys when they come back will be rewardedwith a comfortable , reasonable and proper presentof b irch , together with a few thousand lines of

some book to translate or say by heart or whatever pleases Dr . Heath , which most certainly theheroic eleven will submit to , supposing that theyreturn conquerors . I think the Etonians can nowovercome the Westminster boys in anything . Togive you a specimen of the Etonians rowing , praywhat do you think of six of them the other day ,against wind and stream , rowing ten miles in anhour and a quarter ? But I hope you will notthink that I am engaged the least in the watermatches , for though I am very fond of the water ,my great amusement now is cricket , and I wait

AN ALL—ROUND SPORTSMAN 1 9

for the holidays and my new boat at home toexercise my skill in that art, which I suppose youown is not to be equal led. I think now I havemore than fulfilled my promise about two pagesso when I have told you that it only next Mondaywants three weeks to the holidays for the collegers ,I shall conclude with begging my duty and love ,

And I am , dear Father ,Your most dutiful Son ,

E . HARBORD .

From Eton he went to Oxford , where he

was entered at Christ Church , but only remainedfor two terms before going on a tour to the Northof Europe with a new tutor . After six months ’

travel he returned to Oxford , where he remainedunt il he took his degree .

In 1 808 he accompanied General Decken as hismilitary secretary to Portugal , and soon after hisreturn in 1 809 he married Georgiana , the onlychild and heiress of Lord Vernon . He had ahouse in Albemarle Street where he lived duringthe season , but spent most of the year at LordVernon

’s seat in Derbyshire , where he undertookthe management of the foxhounds and occupiedhimself with all sorts of sports .

He was an extremely active man ,a first -class

cricketer and very good at wrestling and boxing ,a fine horseman and an A I . shot . Lord FrederickBeauclerk was the only man who ever beat himat running

,and that only once ,

in a hundredyards race which he lost by two yards . He couldrun a mile in five minutes with perfect ease .

20 MY MEMORIES

One race Of his with Lord Edward Somerset atLord ’s created quite a sensation , for it drew ,

saida j ournal of the time , more ladies of quality thanwere ever seen at Lord

’

s before . The distancewas a hundred yards . Lord Edward had the

advantage ,but about half-way over the ground

my father gained upon him and came up ; theyj ostled against each other in passing

, and LordEdward fell . The umpires decided that the matchwas drawn , and gave my father liberty to callupon his opponent to run again at any periodwithin six months .Another day he ran against Lord Edward

Bentinck for the sum of a hundred guineas , between the second and third milestones on the

Edgware Road , and won easily . Sometimes heraced professionals—a well-known runner namedWade was one of these , and he beat him by fouryards in a hundred yards race at Gunton .

Another of his accomplishments was the powerof bending and breaking a poker , of the ordinarysize and make , round his neck . He was Oftenasked to perform this extraordinary feat , and oncedid it to amuse the Princess Charlotte Augustaof Wales at a party at the Duchess of Devonshire

’

s . On another occasion it very nearly costhim his l i fe . He was on the river with LadyCastlereagh and a number of friends , and theyObtained a poker from a house near by and askedhim to break it . He tried , but the poker wouldonly bend . Determined not to be beaten he putforth all his strength ,

but only succeeded in bending the thing so tightly round his neck that it

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22 MY MEMORIES

the House you see more men of talent,and all

the rising genius of the age it is that side whichI would support upOn general and public princ ip les. I think that whatever our severalopinions may be , my brother and I should acttogether . I voted last night with mybrother and with those who appear to me verylittle entitled to my support . I voted completelyin opposition . First in opposition to my ownsentiment secondly in opposition to plain senseand reasoning and thirdly , in Opposition to theGovernment .He Signed himself , Your ever dutiful and

affectionate son , Edward (and a rank oppositionistunless you giveme permission to be the contrary) .His father replied : As to the line of votingin Parliament , I have little doubt of what it isprudent and necessary for you t o do a general ,though not a blindfold , support of His Maj esty

’

sministers , or the interest at Yarmouth is not oflong duration .

My father ’s political opinions were , however ,on a broader plane than those Of his family , andhe only represented Yarmouth until 1 8 1 0. Hisbrother deeply resented his resignation of theborough

,and wrote : Ask yourself whether ,

considering all the money that has been expendedto bring you in for Yarmouth you c an thinkyourself j ustified in thus abandoning the interestsof your family .

My father replied : As to my being justifiable your Lord Lieutenancy and Petre

’

sReceiver Generalship have been the consequence

A SHOWER OF STONES 23

of bringing me into Parliament . Ichoose to entail upon myself no further troublerespecting Yarmouth ; and if I should take myseat at any other place I shall do so upon termswhich will not render me amenable to anyone formy political conduct .His brother returned As it appears by your

answer to my letter that you and I consider theYarmouth business in a very different point ofview , I think it better not to enter further intothe subj ect .”

In February 1 81 4 he was invited to offer himself for Grimsby in Lincolnshire , but declined .

In January 1 8 1 8 he was invited by the Ministerialparty to offer himself for the representation ofthe city of Norwich . His brother was veryanxious that he should accept , but my fatherwas most reluctant to do so . He finally yieldedto the earnest solicitations of his family , but oaunder the express condi tion that no pledges asto his parliamentary conduct should be exactedfrom him .

He was not elected , however , and it havingbeen suggested that he was a creature of LordCastlereagh , he was assailed with a shower ofstones when he appeared to be chaired roundthe market . He caught one of the largest , and

jumping upon the seat of his chair , held it upto the view of the people , who , pleased with hiscourage , immediately applauded him . In hisfarewell address he said :I ret ire , Gentlemen , with a sensation more of

pride and satisfaction , than of disappointment

24 MY MEMORIES

and regret . Happiness is the obj ect of usall , and the little I have seen of what is calledpublic life inclines me to believe that mine wouldmost be promoted by distinct removal from it ;but I feel that we do not l ive entirely for ourselves . Every man

,be his station in this world

what it may , has public duties from the

execution of which no self- regard should inducehim to shrink .

”

The growing resentment of his family reacheda climax when he spoke at a c ounty meetingincluding the Duke of Norfolk and T . W . Coke ,

to express disapproval of a volunteer regimenthaving been called out to suppress a riot . Thiswas the first time the Whig party had consideredhim one of themselves . As a brother of the LordLieutenant , and a close connection Of Lord Castlereagh , a Tory Minister , they hailed him with j oy ,

but he was furiously spurned by his brother , whowroteI must confess that nothing in my life has

occurred more truly and really to vex, mortify,

and hurt me . That you should identifyyourself with a party , political enemies of yourbrother and late father , knowing that very manyOf them never were , and certainly are not , wellwishers of that family from whom you deriveyour consequence ' I much doubt whetheryour near friends will be as faithful to the causeas those you seem to have deserted .

From this moment his old political friendsdefinitely Cast him off , and his brother expressedhis determination of cutting him out of any

A MARTYR To PRINCIPLES 25

property he could will away from him . His fatherhad done so long since . A few months later heaccepted the borough of Shaftesbury ,

which heonly vacated upon succeeding to the title . He

worked t remendously hard over many measures ,nearly always in the cause of the poor , and T . F .

Buxton said that he considered it was in a greatmeasure owing to him that the Bill was passedwhich laid the foundation of prison reform inEngland .

He was always fair, equable ,

and anxious tosee a question from every side ,

and he invariablyleaned towards the weaker and least able to fightfor themselves .

In so far as politics were concerned he becameeven more energet ic after taking his place in theHouse of Lords than before . In 1 824 Lady Suffielddied , and in 1 826he married again—my mother ,Emily Shirley ,

daughter of Evelyn Shirley , Esquire ,of Eatingt on Park

,Warwickshire ,

being his secondwife .

At that time he was deeply engaged in the

Abolition of Slavery Bill , and his friend , T . F .

Buxton , who had first drawn his attention to themeasure in 1 821 ,

in writing to my mother afterhis death , said in reference to it

He was almost alone in the part he took ,

and certainly I could not adequately express mysense of the strengt h of principle and the moralcourage he showed in standing as he did perfectlysteady against all the opposit ion , the arguments ,taunt s and sneers , with which he was assailed .

In Committee ,if possible ,

still more so . Nor did

MY MEMORIES

I only admire his determined boldness uponoccasion , but perhaps even more the pains hetook and the diligent labour he bestowed inpreparing himself for that Committee . Hislabours were of the highest importance to ourcause . He elicited a body of truth which had aconsiderable influence in bringing about the

Abolition of Slavery .

” 1

The year Of my birth , 1 830, was a difficult onefor all classes in England . The whole countrywas in an unsettled state , chiefly owing to theagricultural distress which had led to rioting andincendiarism . The Metropolitan Police Force ,

quite recently established , was so unpopular thatmeetings were held to protest against it , as anunnecessary expense , at the very time when thepeople were so much in revolt that the 7th DragoonGuards were called out (on January 1 2th , 1 830)on account of the riotous behaviour of the weaversin Norwich .

A frost commenced on Christmas Eve , 1 829 ,

which was so intense that in forty-eight hours themill-streams and rivers were frozen over , andnavigation between Norwich and Yarmouth wasobstructed by ic e . On the night of the 26th the

thermometer fell to below zero , a degree of coldthat the weather-Wise declared had never beforebeen experienced in England . Later on in Januarythere was a great fall of snow in the Lynn district ,and the London coach ran into a drift at Tottenhill out of which it had to be hauled by farm horses ,the snow being almost up to the lamp irons . In

S ee Appendices.

A COLD SEASON 27

February the roads were practically impassable ,

and on one occasion the Fakenham coach was threedays on its j ourney from London . The streets ofCley-next- to - the-Sea were inundated in places tothe depth of six to eight feet , and people had to berescued through the upper windows of the houses .The Guardians had erected two looms in the

workhouse for the employment of persons whoapplied for relief when unable to obtain work

,

but the cloth on the looms was deliberat ely cutand dest royed . In February a meeting was heldat the Guildhall , and a relief fund of raised .

At the March Quarter Sessions in Norfolk myfather suggested to the j ury a plan for the alleviation of the distress ; he pointed out that theprincipal cause was the Poor Rate , and the evilof paramount importance the moral degradationof the poor owing to the system of providing forthem , and said :

It is notorious that no labourer with a largefamily exist s without parish relief . If the labourerstrives hard and earns much the gratuity fromthe parish is small i f he be idle and earns littlehis gratuity is large . Now I will ask if humaningenuity could devise a more effectual schemefor the preventing of industry 9

He went on t o say that the only parish inwhich the poor rate has not increased enormouslywithin the last thirty-six years is one in whichalmost all the poorer inhabitants had small portions of land attached to their cottages . The

rate in that parish had in thirty-six years increasedfourpence per acre , while in some of the parishes

28 MY MEMORIES

adj oining it had been doubled and even trebledin amount .

The quantity of land generally required ,he

continued , was half an acre— labourers to ditchout the land for themselves , the parish to dig theland and seed it , the parish to find a pig costingfrom eight shillings to t en shillings , to be re

paid when the crop is sold . The rent at first tobe the same as to the last occupier (the farmer)the condition I exact is that the pauper shouldgive up all claim on the parish for relief after thecrop is sold . Gent lemen , these terms have beenj oyfully accepted by everyone to whom they havebeen proposed , the banks are raised with a zealand alacrity which it is delightful to behold , andwhence do these arise P Simply from the circumstance that the men for the first time work ontheir own account . Much has certainly been doneto repress and even to extinguish those feelingsof independence which used to characterise ourcountrymen but I cannot believe that the trulyBrit ish spirit is eradicated . It has lain dormant ,but it now

,I would hope ,

awakens ; let i t beencouraged , and it will revive to bless our nativeland with power and prosperity from a source toolong neglected .

”

The j ury,however , would have nothing to say

to his scheme ,and he met with no encourage

ment in the House . He wrote to a friendLords Grey ,

Caernarvon ,Dacre ,

and manyothers , are so far with me as to agree that remedyis to be found in apportioning land to the poorbut what land

,and under what conditions

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LAND FOR THE POOR 29

with the exception of a few individuals thesubject is deemed by the world a bore, everyonewho touches on it is a bore, and nothing but thestrongest conviction of its importance to the

country would induce me to subj ect myself tothe indifference that I daily experience when Iventure to intrude the matter upon the attentionof legislators !That was eighty- four years ago , and apparently

it is still looked upon as a bore , for we are stilltalking about it , in spite of our Labour members .Lord Lansdowne in his speech at Matlock inJune 1 91 3 said :

The keystone of our policy Should be to bringabout an increase , and if possible a large increase ,

in the number of persons interested in the land , andnot merely as occupiers , but as absolute owners .

The poor themselves are well aware of the evilsof our present system ,

but their chosen membersare not sufficiently educated to see a way out ,and our own people seem unable to carry the

reforms they advocate . In my father’s time the

condition of the lower classes was sufficientlyappalling , but I am not sure that in one senseit is not worse to—day . For now a man has nosuch vital incentive to be thrifty ; the wastrelknows that his Children will be fed , clothed , andeducated , he himself tenderly cared for in freeinstitutions

,and finally that his idle life will be

prolonged to the extreme , all at the expense ofthose who have worked and denied themselves .A carpenter was one day unburdening himself toa friend of mine about taxation .

30 MY MEMORIES

I will tell you a case in point , he remarked .

A fellow came into our workshop the other dayand said his wife was lying dead and he had nomoney to bury her . Well , all of us belonged toSocieties , paid our few pence a week regular , andknew that the funeral of ourselves or our familieswould be paid for by the Society when the timecame . But this fellow didn ’t , so we all contributed a bit , and paid for it among ourselves .Now to pay our subscriptions , little as they were ,to our Societies , meant self-denial— less

’baccy ,or extra walking on a wet night , or somethingor other . He was too selfish for that

,and he

had no shame in asking us to deny ourselveswhere he wouldn ’t , to save him the shame of apauper

’s funeral . And that’s j ust where the Old

Age Pension pinches we pay the taxes to provideit , but it is only the wasters who benefit , for ifby hard work and saving we put by enough tosave us from starvation in our old age , why , wedon

’

t get the pension—m it’s only for those who

have been too careless or too idle all the sixtyyears of their working lives to save even a pennya week towards keeping themselves out of theworkhouseOf course there

’s misfortune , he went on ,but Lord , sir , there are very few genuine casesof real undeserved bad luck— it

’s mostly drink ,or devilry of some sort , as keeps a man penniless .What with free schooling and all the rest , everyman has a chance nowadays , and yet there are

hundreds as aren’t ashamed to take pensions

they’

ve never contributed to , after benefiting all

THE SPIRIT OF REVOLT 3 1

their l ives by charitable institutions of one sortand anotherThe carpenter

’

s Opinion was endorsed a fewdays later by the Marquis of Normanby ,

who t emarked , at a meeting of the Whitby Guardians ,on July 23rd, 1 91 3 , that A man who saves isdisqualified , and the man who gets drunk receivesan old age pension .

”

To return to 1 830. The death of George IVand his brother

’

s accession in June , put freshhope into the hearts of the people , but the spiritof revolt had taken too strong a hold to be easilydriven out . The rioting grew less in the summer ,but in the autumn it again became very seriousindeed , and machine breaking and stack firingwere rife all over the country . Even in Londonthe temper of the people was so dangerous thaton Lord Mayor ’s Day it was considered unsafefor the K ing to pass through the streets to theGuildhall , and his visit to the city had to be postponed . London was , in fact , almost in a stateof siege several regiments of horse and foot weremarched into the vicinity , and the ditch of theTower was filled with water , while the guardswere kept under orders for the greater part ofthe night . The public funds fell , and the unrestand discontent all over the country rose toalarming heights .My father was meanwhile steadily working away

in the House of Lords , trying hard to induce theGovernment to institute a proper enquiry intothe trouble . Suddenly he was called awayto Gunton by his steward , Smi th , who apprised

32 MY MEMORIES

him of the intention of the mob to destroy hissaw-mill , which had been erected at the entranceto the park . Smith expressed his fears that fromthe numbers and desperation of the rioters hise fforts to save the mill would be fruitless ; atthe moment of his writing the mob were in theact of trying to terrify Archdeacon Glover ofSouth Repps into a reduction of his tithes . Myfather immediately hurried down , and a few dayslater wrote to Richard Bacon that he had ingarrison there a hundred men regularly organisedto defend his machine ,

but he hated the ideathat the first blood spilt in such a cause shouldbe in his park ,

and that , having shown sufficientdetermination to defend the machine he would ,if necessary

,remove it on the foll owing day ,

unless an attack was made in the interim .

At the time a hundred and twenty- sevenlabourers were employed in the park at Gunton ,and had been all the year . The plan he carriedout was first to summon all his men , explain hisintention of defending his property , and ask ifthey would or would not stand by him . To aman they replied that they would . He then gaveto every man a stout cudgel with a thong tofasten it to the wrist , fixed the point of assembly ,and arranged that the signal for everyone toappear at his post should be the hoisting of ared flag on the top of the tower . This tower hadonly been completed a few months earlier . Itstood on the top of a rise called Pheasant Hill ,about half a mile away from the house , and consisted of three floors , two of which were glazed

THE MOB AT GUNTON 33

rooms,decreasing in size as they ascended . From

the upper windows the view took in all the countyto Yarmouth

,Norwich

,and far into the Western

division with , of course , the sea .

After making these arrangements , my fathersent out scouts to ascertain the position and progress of the mob , who assembled at Alby Hill ,about three miles off , ready to advance for thedestruction of the mill . Directly this was re

ported to him the red flag flew , and his menassembled at the gate near Hanworth , quite closeto the site of the saw—mill . He made them extendalong and under the pales

'

in front of the mill ,placed in ambuscade near the spot a few dragoonssent from Horridge , and opened wide the irongates which were usually kept locked . Then heawaited on horseback at the gat es the arrival ofthe rioters . They did not come , nor was anyattack subsequently made , and when my fatherwished to sally forth and follow them ,

the scoutscould not find out which direction they had taken .

A few days later two of the leaders were takeninto custody and brought before the magistrates .When they had been examined , evidence given ,

and their commitments made out , my fatherasked them to tell him why they had not comefrom Alby Hill to attack his saw-mill .Why , my lord , replied one , we saw your

bloody flag , which we knew was to be the signthat you would give no quarter ; we knew yourcourage and dared not encounter you .

He di d not remove his saw-mill,feel ing that

it would take away permanent employment fromD

34 MY MEMORIES

about thirty men , and his estate did not sustainthe slightest injury . He returned to London ,

andimmediately resumed his efforts on the enquirywhich he hoped would result in permanentlyrelieving the widespread distress .

William Cobbett made his bid for popularfavour while the country was in this state ofunrest and when his Equitable Adj ustment waspublished , i t was my father who , at the inst i

gat ion of the editor of the Norwich M ercury , ex

posed his abominable tactics . He immediatelybecame the subj ect of Cobbet t

’

s bitterest Vitu

peration , and a whole issue of the Weekly Register,

Cobbett’

s j ournal , was devoted to abuse of‘

him .

But my father had thoroughly discredited him‘

;

and Lord , then Mr . , Brougham , meeting himthe day after the exposure had been made , saidWell done , Suffield , you have hit him in the

raw 1

Cobbett , said someone else , was one whosename it was a pollution to mention , who hadcrawled up from the very dregs of the peopleto a slimy popularity .

” They knew how todescribe such politicians in those days 1

Not long after this , finding that his work inthe House of Lords kept him very fully occupiedand that he could do more good there than bylocal work

,my father resigned the chairmanship

of Quarter Sessions . He admitted that the difficulty of findn t ime was not so much his reason

1 I t is sa id that the word Liberal was first used in a pol iticalsense at the meeting where Cobbett announced his scheme .

Norfolk Chronicle, 1 830.

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36 MY MEMORIES

The horse went badly , attempting to bolt everytime another horse passed him , but my father ,who was a fine horseman , and very strong in thewrist

,pulled him up . The last time this happened

the horse reared , went over , and fell on to hisrider , then scrambled up and bolted Off, the groomafter him . My father was left on the ground ,and my half-sister , who had dismounted , tried tomove him , but was only able to keep the peoplefrom pressing too close until Lady Jersey camedriving by and took him home in her carriage .

Meanwhile someone had told my mother , whowas still driving in the park , of the accident , andshe at once turned homewards . It was evidentlyan unlucky day , or the coachman was upset bythe bad news , for one of her carriage horses begankicking , and got its leg over the pole , obligingher to get out . Lord Albemarle happened to passwhile she was waiting in great anxiety and impatience ,

and he took her home in his own carriage .

The doctors were with my father when She arrived ,and were of opinion that he was not severelyinj ured , being unable to find anything but one

rib broken . Three days later , however , unfavourable symptoms manifested themselves , and justa week after the accident he died after extremesuffering at the end . The post-mortem examination showed that he had been far more severelyhurt than the doctors imagined . He was onlyfi fty

- four,oddly enough the same age at which

his brother had died in 1 821 . He was takendown to Gunton ,

a ll the way by road , and laidone night at the Rampant Horse Inn , Norwich ,

HORSTEAD HALL 37

on the way to his last resting-place , the chapelin the park . I remember perfectly my mothercalling us all into the room and telling us thathe was dead .

We were then living at Vernon House , St .

James ’s Place ,which had come to him through

his first wife ,and now belongs to my daughter ,

Lady Hillingdon . A few months after his deathwe went down to Dorsetshire , where we stayeduntil we returned to Norfolk to live at HorsteadHall

,about t en miles from Gunton , a house he

had built for his eldest son , whose marriage toMiss Gardner was to have taken place the veryday my father died . This of course was postponed ,

and,as my half-brother had succeeded to Gunton ,

Horstead was arranged for my mother’

s use instead .

1

1 A rather remarkable coincidence was related bymy fatherwhen his mother died in 1 823 . He said : On Monday, the26th May , Lady Vernon (my wi fe

’

s mother, aged seventy-five)had a paralytic seizure , the violence of which left no hOpe of

even partia l recovery. On Tuesday the 27th my own mother(from whom Lady Vernon ’

s calamity had been cautiously c onc ealed) , in the eighty-second year of her age, had a simi lara ttack—simi lar in its immediate effects, in its subsequentsymptoms ; simi lar day by day, and final ly terminating in a

sim ilar result . Lady Vernon expired at her house in ParkLane on Saturday last , and my poor mother breathed her lastat R ichmond on Sunday, the day follow ing .

I t is singular that my wi fe should have been born withinone week of the day on which her mother had atta ined theage of forty, and that I should have been born upon the veryday on which my mother attained the same age .

CHAPTER I II

YOUTHFUL DAYS

S I have said , the Fates Chose a very distressful moment for my entry into thisworld . Nature endowed me with a

very warm heart , which has always refused toshut its ears to any tale of woe ; also , alas ! witha stil l warmer temper . Between the two I haveoften found myself in somewhat tight places . Icannot say with Landor that I strove with none ,

nor believe with him that none were worth myst rife , but I do not think I ever fought to a finish

,

because directly my antagonists appealed to mysympathy , all desire for battle or for vengeance fled.

I found interest and amusement everywhereand in everything ; I always loved being out ofdoors , but art , to me , has ever been a long waybehind the living , changing , wonderful beautyof the country , the hills and vales , trees , flowers ,and sky ; j us t as horses and ships have had agreater attraction than books , and every otherindoor pursuit but music .

After my father’s death the remaining t en years

of my boyhood were spent chiefly at HorsteadHall , for I never went to school . A great discussionhad taken place between my father and his friend ,Richard Bacon ,

when it was time to consider theeducation of his two eldest sons , my half-brothers .His own words are worth quoting :

38

GEORG I AXA ,LADY V E R N ON , AN I ) HE R SON , .\ IY

HA LF-BROTHE R , —\ R I)F rom a pa i n t ing a t Gun ton

PUBLIC SCHOOL OR TUTOR ? 39

Of the probable evils which belong to a publicand to a private system of education

,give me

the most l ibera l and the most gentlemanlike ;and if I may have either a prodigy of learningfrom books with little learning from men ,

or alittle learning from books and a large stock ofexperience , knowledge of the world ,

and goodtaste in the station Of life which my boy is bornto fill , give me the latter. I would have my sonas highly finished a scholar , as fond of letters ,and generally as well informed upon all subjects ,as he can be consistently with the possession ofan extensive acquaintance , the manners and mindof a gentleman ,

and good taste , which is neithermore nor less than a natural good sense ,

polishedby Observation and experience . I am perfectlypersuaded that all these ,

my desiderata ,are con

sistent with an extraordinary degree of learn ingand literary acquirement in a course of publiceducation . I am sure that a private educationutterly prohibits the acquirement of my desiderata .

I dread the waste of time and vices at Eton ;I dread the selfishness , the illiberality and ,

in atenfold ratio

, the vices of a private system oftuition .

Bacon was strongly of Opinion that privatetuition was best , particularly for a nobleman

’

sson . He wrote :

From the present period of Master Edward’

slife , history , science , poetry , elocution , the theoryof morals , legislation and government , and the

modern languages especially ,should be inculcated

hour by hour much by positive instruction ,more

49 MY MEMORIES

by casual and conversational communication . He

should be led by a man of fixed character andhabits to the continual contemplation and enj oyment of the effects of intellectual power andintellectual exertion to understand how itcontributes to the happiness of mankind

,and

through that happiness to his own real greatness .

He believed that much time was wasted inadherence to form at public schools he citedPitt as the best educated statesman that everlived , adding that his attainments were acquiredin very early life and declared that none of thethings my father desired as part of a boy ’s education were taught at school , excepting only history .

But my father did not agree with him ,and Eton

with a private tutor was Chosen for my two halfbrothers .Such good fortune was not for me . I wasconsidered too delicate to go to school with mybrothers , and I was educated at home by a tutor .

My experience decided me to send my own boysto Eton , and I have never yet discovered whichplan was really best , because Bacon

’s did nothave a fair trial in my case .

There were seven of us , Six boys and a girl ,very close to each other in age in fact , my nextbrother , who was only a year younger , was somuch like me , and SO nearly the same size ,that to my mother

’s great amusement we weresometimes mistaken for twins . As Children wewere always sorry when it was time to go upto my mother

’s house in Eaton Square for the

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42 MY MEMORIES

poor man through the same cause . But he wasa plucky fellow , and for ten years after he wasruined financially be retained his seat in Parliament . He l ived in what is now the FrenchEmbassy

,and everyone in London ,

includingprinces , politicians , poets , and mere people ,

usedto meet at his wife

’

s receptions . When they wereno longer able to entertain so lavishly ,

poorMrs . Hudson

,from being that good soul ”

became that vulgar woman . I rememberreading a paragraph once wherein she was desc ribed as dazzling Hyde Park in a Chariot

,

whose gaudy hues could be heard from Knightsbridge to Notting Hill .

” But that was after Igrew up ; when I was a small boy ,

Hudson,like

his railways , was only beginning .

In June 1 830 the Manchester and Liverpool Railway was opened , and two years later it was possibleto travel from Liverpool to Manchester by train

,

a di stance of thirty-five miles,in an hour and a

half . On this j ourney ,a comment , strange enough

to us,was made by a writer of the day ,

who saidIn this wonder-working age few greater im

provements have been made in any of the usefularts than in those applied to the system of travelling by land . Proj ectors and proj ects have multiplied with our years , and the fairy-petted princesof the Arabian Nights Entertainments werescarcely transported from place to place withmore facility and despatch than Englishmen are

in A .D . 1 832 . From Liverpool to Manchester ,thirty- six miles in an hour and a half . SurelyDaedalus is come amongst us again

THE FIRST EXCURSION TRAIN 43

A still more curious comment was made bya man named Delme Radcliffe , who said thatrailways would become the most oppressivemonopoly ever inflicted on a free country . He

continued When we consider the magnitudeof the convulsion which this mighty railroaddelusion will effect , the fearful extent of itsoperations , the thousands of human beings thrownout of employ ,

the incalculable diminution in thenumber of horses , and the consequent deficiencyin demand , we cannot but wonder at the blindnesswhich has countenanced the growth of a monsterwhich will rend the V itals of those by whom ithas been fostered .

It is amusing to imagine the feelings of thesewiseacres could they look on tod ay at our aerialfeats , the five hundred and fifty miles in less thaneight hours of Garros , for instance , or Pégoud

’

s

topsy-turvy flying ; our motoring records , ourhigh-speed railway journeys that we consider amatter

'

of course . The mysterious Daedalus , whoever he was, would certainly break his heart atsuch competition , and Mr . Delme Radcli ffe expirein sheer horror .I distinct ly recollect the excitement over the

first train that left Thorpe Station for Yarmouthin 1 844 ,

when I was fourteen . A brass bandoccupied the carriage next to the engine , and therest of the train was filled with guests invitedby the directors . The j ourney there took fiftyand a half minutes ; the return forty—four . A

big dinner was held in the afternoon in honourof the occasion , and on the following day ,

when

44 MY MEMORIES

the line was opened for public traffic , one thousandand fifteen passengers were booked . The NorfolkRailway from Trowse to Cambridge and Londonwas opened a year later , and in 1 846 the firstexcursion train from London arrived in Norwichwith eight hundred passengers , who paid sevenshillings and S ixpence each for their return fares .I quote this ancient history to show that in

the days of my youth a j ourney really was aj ourney

,and not merely ,

as now , the transferenceby luxurious and magically speedy means fromone place to another . Many of the old-fashionedpeople would not condescend to the new methodsmy Old aunt

,Caroline Lady Suflield , who was

autocratic to the tips of her fingers , was one ofthose who considered railways very much beneathher dignity , and travelled in her own carriage tothe end of her life rather than rUb Shoulders withother people in trains . But to us the new railways were part of the enchanting peril and fasc inating excitement which made the j ourneys toand from town an ample compensation for therestrictions and the sedate and kid-gloved be

haviour imposed upon us during the few weeksof each season .

In addition to the j ourneys there and back ,town had another attraction ; for me

,at least , for

I had a great friend in London , my big brotherin- law

,George Anson , who was in my eyes the

finest man in the world . My half-sister Georgianahad married him two years after my father ’sdeath ,

when he was private secretary to LordMelbourne . At the time of their marriage Queen

THE QUEEN ’S APPRECIATION 43

Victoria had just ascended the throne , and myS ister became Lady of the Bedchamber to Her

Maj esty . Later on her husband became privatesecretary to the Prince Consort . When we werein London he used to take me walking in the

park,and as the Prince frequently j oined him in

these constitutionals , I soon became well knownto him . I used to stand in great awe of His RoyalHighness at first , for he had a severe manner anda stern expression . But I soon discovered thathe was cold only in manner , and grew immenselyattached to him , as did everyone who came inclose contact with him . I saw a great deal ofthe Queen , too , who was just as kind as the PrinceConsort , so that my devotion to the Royal Familybegan at a very early age .

The Queen was greatly attached to GeorgeAnson , and it was by her express wish that hej oined the Prince Consort

’s suite . When it wasfirst suggested the Prince was rather resentfulat having even his private secretary chosen forhim , but the Queen persuaded him ,

and manyof her letters Show how much she valued mybrother-in- law , and how really anxious she wasthat he should become confidential secretary toher husband . She sent him to Germany to escortthe Prince to England

,and Prince Albert soon

shared Her Maj esty ’s opinion of him . Theybecame fast friends , the Prince showing him the

utmost confidence , and later on making him the

Keeper of his Privy Purse .

C

.Queen Victoria’s letters on the subj ect are very

interesting , both as showing her affectionate

46 MY MEMORIES

manner of writing to the Prince , and her kindlyappreciation of her servants . On the 22nd ofDecember 1 839 Her Majesty wrote to PrinceAlbertI t is , as you rightly suppose ,

my greatest ,my most anxious wish to do everything mostagreeable to you , but I must differ with yourespecting Mr . Anson . What I said aboutAnson giving you advice means , that if you liketo ask him , he can and will be of the greatestuse to you , as he is a very wel l- informed person .

He will leave Lord Melbourne as soon as he isappointed to you Anson is not in Parliament , and never was , and therefore he is not aviolent politician . Do you think , because I urgethis , Lord Melbourne prefers it On the contrary he never urged it , and I only do it as Iknow it is for your own good . I am distressedto tell you what I fear you do not like ,

but it isnecessary , my dearest , most excellent Al bert .Once more I tell you that you can perfectly relyon me in these matters .Again , in a letter dated the 26th December

1 839 occurs the followingI am much grieved that you feel disappointed

about my wish respecting your gentlemen , butvery glad that you feel confidence in my choice .

Respecting the Treasurer , my dearest Albert , Ihave already written at great length in my lastletter , so I will not say much more about it to-day ,but will j ust observe that , though I fully understand (indeed none can feel more for you in the

iQueen Victoria

’

s

,

Correspondence.

HER MAJESTY ’S WISHES 47

very trying position you will be placed in thanI do) your feelings , it is absolutely necessarythat an Englishman should be at the head ofyour affairs ; therefore (though I will not forceMr . Anson on you) , I ask you if it is not better totake a man in whom I have confidence , and whomI know well enough to trust perfectly , than a manwho is quite a stranger , and whom I know nothingof .”

On December 3oth the Queen again wroteabout this appointment to Prince Albert :I here enclose Lord Melbourne

’s letter ; Ihave read it , and I think nothing could be betterit is j ust what I told you , and it is the honestand impartial advice of a very clever , very honestand very impartial man , whose greatest wish isto secure your and my happiness . Follow thisadvice and you may be sure of success .

”

There are many entries and minutes writtenby George Anson among the Queen

’s correspon

dence , constantly proving how absolutely he wasin the confidence of both the Queen and the

Prince Consort , and how much his Opinion wasvalued by them both , as also by Lord Melbourneand Sir Robert , then Mr . , Peel . He used to besent to town to see both Lord Melbourne andPeel , to obtain from them opinions on currentmatters , and to convey Their Majesties

’ wishesand proposal s

, especially in regard to Stateappointments .

Her Maj esty was his staunch friend to the end

of his life , and even considered his advancementbefore her own convenience . For though she

48 MY MEMORIES

wrote to her uncle King Leopold that they couldnot do without Mr . Anson , the following correspondenc e proves that she endeavoured to placehim to greater advantage than his position asprivate secretary to the Prince admitted .

On September 1 9th 1 841 Her Maj esty wroteto Lord AberdeenIn the conversation that the Queen had with

Lord Aberdeen last week she omitted mentioningtwo persons to him . The one is The otherperson is Mr . Anson , who is at Madrid ; theQueen hopes it may be possible to leave himthere , for she thinks that he has acted with greatdiscretion , prudence , and moderation S ince he hasbeen there , and the post is one of considerableimportance . He was , the Queen believes , longsecretary to the Legation at Paris .In reply , Lord Aberdeen wrote on the 2rst

September 1 84 1

The opinion which your Majesty has beenpleased to signify respecting the conduct ofMr . Anson at Madrid appears , in the humblej udgment of Lord Aberdeen , to be fully confirmed by the correspondence in this Office .

The greatest care will be taken to select an individual for your Maj esty

’

s approbation who maybe qualified to carry into effect the wise , j ust andmoderate policy which your Maj esty has beengraciously pleased to recognise in the conduct ofMr . Anson .

In October 1 843 the Queen made another effortto advance his interests . She wrote to Lord Aberdeen suggesting that he should be sent to Paris :

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50 MY MEMORIES

Four days later she writes : The Prince ’sface is still so sad and pale and grave , that Ican

’

t forget it .This happened while I was in Ireland , and a

great blow it was , for George Anson had beenalmost a father , and far kinder to us than our ownelder brother . His widow , my half- sister , marriedSir Charles Boothby six years later , and lived tobe eighty-seven .

My half-brother , too , had married very soon aftermy father ’s death . His wife was a daughter ofthe second Lord Gardner , and a grand—daughterof the first Lord Carrington . They had nochildren , and , probably for want of occupation ,

or in order to see more of her brother , who wasa Lord-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria Charlottebecame Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Augusta ,Duchess of Cambridge , long before her husband

’sdeath . We used to call her Old Charlotte ,

”

and I suppose she seemed old to us , but She wasonly about forty-five when she died in 1 859 . Avery pretty picture of her on horseback hangsin the gallery at Gunton ; She must have beena beautiful woman when young . After my halfbrother

’s death I often went to see her at herhouse , but invariably found her with the Duchess atSt .James

’

sPalace ,for theywere almost inseparable .

The Duchess sent for me when Charlotte died ,to tell me how greatly she missed her, and afterthat I used to try sometimes to take her place ,sitting by Her Royal Highness

’

s bedside for anhour at a time ,

telling her the stories of the dayto amuse her , for the poor lady was bedriddenfor years before she died .

CHAPTER IV

ALL ABOUT NORFOLK

MYSELF am a Norfolk man,and I glory

in being so,Nelson once exclaimed , as

he stood at the window of a Yarmouthinn , looking down upon a vast throng of his fellowc ountymen shouting themselves hoarse in hishonour . I echo him ,

for,like all men of Norfolk ,

I am naturally proud of my county,although

the Merrie Monarch declared that it was onlyfit to be cut into roads for the rest of the kingdom .

Few counties are richer in history and monuments of past greatness . Once upon a time i tspopulation was a fifth of that of the whole of

England . When Edward I I I . invaded France ,Yarmouth contributed nearly twice as many shipsas London . At the dissolution of the monasteriesNorfolk could claim to have more religious houses ,acre for acre ,

than any other county or provincein Christendom . Walsingham Priory was once theob jective of an endless stream of pilgrims fromall parts of the Christian world ; the very stars ,i t was thought

,guided them on their way . Thus

it was that the Milky Way was renamed Walsingham Way . Yet if the golden age of Norfolk befive centuries ago , we Norfolk men are still asproud Of her as when she was the Lancashire ofmedimval England .

”

There is no county in England more individual

32 MY MEMORIES

than the l ittle corner in the East that has alwaysheld on so t enaciously to its independence . It wasvery strongly fortified in the old days— Robert deTorigny estimates that of the one thousand one

hundred and fifty castles built in England duringStephen

’s reign , three hundred and seventy—fivewere in Norfolk—and its people were generallytoo much occupied in fighting to trouble aboutridding the land of the woods and marshes thatcovered it . Abbeys , monasteries , and nunneries ,with their attendant churches amounting to noless than seven hundred and thirty , took big tollof the countryside , but the abundance of Christianprofessors did not at all engender peace among

the people indeed , there were not a few warriorsamong the prelates themselves .Many years ago I had a letter from an enthusiast

,

who may,or may not , have been a Norfolk man

by birth— I only know that he was a resident atNorwich at the time he wrote to me . I t was acurious epistle that I preserved on account of itsamusing assertions . It informed me that NoNorfolk man will say a word he can help ,

or doanything not swift and straight , even if bad

,or

fail to appreciate a pretty woman , though not

his . They are good agriculturists and bad husband

men ,he continued , and went 011 to state that he

was prepared to prove that Norfolk has mademore history and been truer to the principle of

loyalty , combined with resolute adherence tofreedom under the Crown , than any county inEngland . I t is pure stuff , he concluded , tosay any county could compare with Norfolk .

ODIOUS AND DESPICABLE 53

I would not dare to endorse his opinion as topretty women . We know that at least one Kingdid not share his views as to loyalty . The onlyrecord we have of Charles R ex being in Norfolkis a memorandum of the visit he made in 167 1 ,

when he j ourneyed from Yarmouth to Norwich ,

not at any time the most picturesque or mostinteresting part of the county . He was probablyprej udiced , too , by the remembrance of the partNorfolk had played in the Civil War . That warwas indeed indirectly due to us , for it was chieflyon account of the Yarmouth fishing

-fleet thatthe idea of levying ship money had arisen , as theboats could not put out to sea without the protec t ion of an armed convoy . The Dunkirkersand Ostenders,

” said one complainant , knowthe

‘

Norfolk coast so well that they Chase andplunder and take us in our own bay .

But although this ship money was levied primarily and chiefly for their benefit , the Norfolkpeople fiercely resented the tax . They declinedto pay , and the constables of Hundreds refused todistrain on them , making excuse after excuse to thesheriffs . One of these wrote pathetically to thePrivy Council that he had “ become the mostOdious , despicable man in the county Then ,when the war broke out , Norfolk ,

almost to a man ,was for the Commonwealth ,

and it was a Norfolkman who in the House of Commons defied theK ing ’s messenger who had been sent for the mace ,by S lamming and locking the door in his face .

1

This , however , is the only instance of NorfolkWa l ter Rye ’

s H istory of Norfolk.

34 MY MEMORIES

ranging itself against the Crown , unless the Dukeof Norfolk

’

s action in the reign of James I I . ,when he declared for a free Parliament and becamea supporter of the Prince of Orange , can be sodescribed . At that time the Duke of Norfolkwas a Protestant , and he fel t that the danger ofa Popish government was a national menace .

The county was perhaps the more determined toavoid all danger to the national faith , since ithad been the first to proclaim Bloody MaryQueen . I t was only when the whole country wasin danger that Norfolk wavered in its allegianceto the throne .

But Norfolk,though staunch in its loyalty to

the Crown , was always very independent inpolitics

,and took a leading part in reforms of all

kinds . Nor were we backward in adopting alterations in our own communities . For many yearsweaving was the principal industry of the county,an art in which we excelled , chiefly owing to ourhospitality to the Flem ish artisans who followedin the train of Philippa of Hainault , and later , inElizabeth

’s reign , to the three hundred persecuted Protestant Dutch families who settled inNorwich . I t was not until the advent of thefamous Coke of Norfolk that we discoveredour agricultural possibilities and rapidly suspendedweaving for husbandry .

To—day Norfolk is almost purely agricultural ,although scarcely a hundred years ago Cokedeclared that two hares fought for a single bladeof grass on his estate ; but it was he and a few ofhis fellow landowners whose example and enter

THE PIONEER OF FREEDOM 55

prise turned a barren land into the flourishingpastoral district it is now . Norfolk pedigree cattleand sheep ,

horses and ponies , are prized the worldover , and little is heard of the weaving and S imilarindustries that originally made the wealth of thecounty . Yet only in 1 830 some of the principalhouses in Norwich were able to say they hadbrought Gros de Naples and other makes of S ilk tosuch a state of perfection that Norfolk silks werepreferred everywhere , and orders were so numerousthat scarcely a loom in this branch of the tradewas idl e .

Norfolk always took itself very seriously , andwas always to the fore in making solemn protestsabout anything it disapproved . When the firsttwo- shilling piece was seen in Norwich in 1 849the leader writer of the daily paper remarked :It is a handsome piece , but we dislike the

un-English name . We also protest against the

omission of the words of the old legend intimatingthat our beloved Queen reigns by the Grace ofGod , and that she is the Defender of the Faith .

The county never , in fact , permitted the Government to forget it , and often used very strong language in its reminders . A good instance of this isthe petition they sent up against the ParliamentaryReform Bill of 1 832,

which Mr . Utten Browneof Norwich described as a tissue of fraud , folly ,and injustice ,

hideous in its anomalies , and displaying more profound ignorance of c onstitu

t ional law than any other production he had everwitnessed .

1 Norfolk Chronic le, May 3rd, 1 832 .

56 MY MEMORIES

Sometimes the Norfolk men could be quaintlyhumorous , albei t unconsciously so , in their Parliamentary petitions , as when the men of. GreatYarmouth , who for a thousand years have suppliedthe world with its herrings , besought for the betterObservance of fish days

,

” and to have Lent forthe time to come strictly kept and observed .

”

I think we can fairly claim the credit of beingprimarily , if not mainly ,

responsible for the abolition of slavery , for the improvement of prisons ,for the better conditions of agricultural labourers ,for the abolition of capital punishment for anyoffence other than murder , for the cessation ofpublic executions , and for many other humanereforms and I am proud to be able to say thatmy father was , if not the instigator , certainly thecounty

’

s mouthpiece in all these measures .

Norfolk is the birthplace of many famous men ,

and four at least among them belong to the 1 8thcentury . These were Nelson ,

William Windhamof Felbrigg , . Robert Walpole , Earl of Orford ,and Billy Coke , who became Earl of Leicester .I t was Coke who reclaimed waste lands andturned Norfolk into a pastoral country , the sheepshearings at Holkham in his day being somewhat in the nature of agricultural congresses .We like to claim Sir Thomas Browne as a Norfolkman , too , but as a matter of fact he was a Londoner by birth , and only settled in Norwich afterhe had arrived at a sober age . But Norfolkwas the birthplace of the books that made hisname , and it was owing to his literary famethat Charles I I . knighted him in 167 1 . George

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38 MY MEMORIES

race-meetings were held . The far- famed racehorse Florizel was trained by Lord Vernon on

Ringstead Downs , and all over the countyinstances are related of eccentric sportsmen andcurious wagers . There was George , Earl of Orford ,

grandson of Sir Robert Walpole ,who drove a

team of deer , and once had the thrilling experienceof being run to earth by a pack of hounds whichhad scented his strange steeds . Captain Gibbswas another original sportsman , who lived in thetime of Charles I I . , and now lies in Attleboroughchurch . He once laid a wager of that hewould drive his light chaise and four horses upand down the deepest pit of Devil

’s Ditch on Newmarket Heath ,

” which he performed by makinga very light chaise with a j ointed perch , and without any pole , to the surprise of the spectators .

Then there was a man , who , for a bet , trottedhis bull a mile in four and a half minutes .In the columns of the Norwich M ercury for

1 858 is the report of a wager won by Mr . Risingof Costessey ,

who rode his horse over nine consecutive single hurdles set up in the centre of thehorse-field . This was performed in excellent style ,coming back also over the same ground and notrefusing one hurdle . The spectators were rather astonished to see Mr . Rising repeat the feat , cap inhand . The j udge of the bet , one of the first ridersin the Norfolk hunt , asked permission to ride thehorse himself , saying he had ridden many goodhorses , but never one that would take a singlehurdle . Mr . Rising consented , and he rode the

same ground,thus making the animal in all leap

STRANGE PASTIMES 39

fifty-four single hurdles . Sometimes these wagers

were very rough on the horses . For instance ,

a butcher named Kett , of Norwich , once undertook to ride his horse fifty miles in four hours .

He started , says the Norwich M ercury , fromSt . Stephen

’s Gate at twelve o’clock , reached

the twenty-fifth milestone on the Thetford roadin about two and a half hours , and returned tothe place whence he had set out one and a halfminutes before the time allowed . Six to fourhad been laid that the horse did not perform the

j ourney . Another day a Mr . Welby , of Blickling ,undertook , for a bet of fifty guineas , to ride hismare ninety miles on the Aylsham road in tenhours , all paces . She performed the first eightymiles in eight hours twenty-five minutes , and hadan hour and thirty-five minutes to run the lastten miles , but was unable to accomplish it , to thegreat disappointment of those who bet three andfour to one that the mare performed the j ourney .

Foot- racing was another of our amusements .

It sometimes led to very odd contests . A hundredyards ’ race is recorded to have taken place atLynn in 1 879 between a man and a horse . The

man led off , but he was soon overtaken and wasbeaten by about ten yards ; he had evidentlyforgotten the usual proviso , for had he insistedin there being a turn in the course he wouldprobably have won . I remember , earlier thanthat , witnessing an interesting six-mile racebetween an Indian called Deerfoot and twoEnglishmen , one a Norfolk man and the other aYorkshireman . The Duke of Wellington was

60 MY MEMORIES

also one of the onlookers at this match . The

Indian who was dressed in his native attire , alldecorated with Shel ls and feathers , won the day .

A year later , in a ten-mile race for a silver cup , the

same Norfolk man , who was locally nicknamedthe Milk Boy ,

” again raced Deerfoot , but hewas beaten by thirty yards in fifty - four minutes ,thirty seconds .There were other pastimes of Norfolk men

which gave those responsible for its governmenta considerable amount of trouble . Smugglingwas one , body-snatching another . The smugglerswere very numerous and very determined anddesperate . Battles were frequently fought betweenthese men and the coastguards . Occasionallythey got off scot free , except for the loss of theirstores— as once in 1 824 , when thirty- two halfcrates of Geneva , sixteen casks of tobacco , and sixcases of t ea were discovered by the coastguardstationed at Mundesley , in a vault on a plantationbelonging to my father .

On one occasion the tithe surveyor at Yarmouth ,

after a chase of five miles , captured at Breydon athirty-nine- foot smuggling galley manned by acrew of nine hands . The men got away , but leftbehind them two hundred and eighty- three halfankers of brandy , and about six thousand poundsof tobacco . Another time the officers of the

Preventive station at Branchester seized a largetub boat containing five hundred and sixty-five

thousand pounds of tobacco and about six hundredand fifty gallons of brandy and Geneva . Again ,a desperate affray took place between the coast

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62 MY MEMORIES

found guilty , and sentenced to three months’

imprisonment , and to pay a fine of fifty pounds.

The Resurrection men , as they were called ,always stole the bodies of malefactors, when theycould get them . On one occasion not less thantwenty recently interred bodies were removed atthe same time from a Yarmouth churchyard .

But though three men were arrested , only one

was tried , and he was sentenced to six months’

imprisonment . In Lynn there was quite a panicabout these Resurrectionists , and one man leftinstructions in his will which resulted in thirtyiron hoops being put round his coffin , and fiftyscrews in the lid . Often it was only by the merestChance that these desecrations were discovered ;For instance , a young girl died , and later on , inthe same month , her brother , who had beengreatly attached to her , died too . As he hadexpressed a wish to be buried in the same graveas his sister it was opened for the purpose . Butthe body of the sister had been taken away ,though the shroud was left .Even in these days Norfolk people are rather

given to amazing beliefs and strange superstitions ,but I scarcely think any could be found nowquite so credulous as a bride and groom who weremarried about the time I was born . The man wasa Chelsea pensioner , the woman a widow , whosefirst husband had left several debts behind him .

Early in the morning they repaired to a crosswaya short distance from the village , accompaniedby three witnesses . The groom took up hisposition on one side of the road , the bride hers on

IN PURI S NATURALIBUS 63

the other . Then ,assisted by the witnesses , the

good woman proceeded to disrobe , afterwardscrossing the road in puris naturalibus to the

waiting bridegroom . How their belief arose Iknow not , but both were imbued with Heavenborn faith that by their due performance of thisquaint ceremony they were freeing the new

husband of all the liabilities contracted by the

old one . History does not relate whether or notthey were disillusionedThere were cases of supposed witchcraft even

so late as 1 843 . In July of that year a man andhis wife ,

named Curtis , complained to the magist rates that a Mrs . Bell had bewitched them atTombland Fair . Mrs . Curtis had seen Mrs . Belllight a candle and stick pins in it , and then putsome red dragon ’s blood with water into an oystershell and say an incantation over it . Mrs . Curtisadded that to the dragon

’s blood Mrs . Bell put theparings of her own nails , then placed the mixtureover the fire and muttered words over it as itcooked . The result of all this being that Curtis ’

legs were set fast , and when he lay down he couldnot get up without assistance .

The Lord ’s Prayer , written small and carriedabout the person , was supposed to be infal libleequally against witchcraft and human law , andwas treasured alike by criminals and the timorousas a certain protection .

In spite of our reputed admiration of the fair ,instances are not unknown of Norfolk men provingthemselves to be very unchivalrous . When I wastwelve years old a man applied to the Norwich

64 MY MEMORIES

magistrates for permission to sell his wife . He wasreferred to the Ecclesiastical Court , but , suspiciousof delay , he decided to effect the sale and take therisk . He thereupon disposed of the lady for a

guinea , receiving a sovereign on account . A fewdays after he was bound over to keep the peacefor having assaulted her . The deed of sale wasquite formal , and ran as follows :This is to satfy that I , Samyoul Wilkinson ,

sold my wife to George Springle for the Sum of onepound one , before witness . Samyoul WilkinsonXhis mark ,

Maryan Wilkinson X her mark , GeorgeSpringle X his mark . Frederick Cornish ,

witness . ”

Another deal of the same kind concerned awoman who had eloped from her home with a

horse-dealer . She was found by her husband in ahouse in St . Peter Manc roft , Norwich , but She

refused to return to him . The dealer offered to buythe woman for five pounds , and the husband thereupon placed a halter roundherneck ,

and surrenderedall right and title to her for the sum named .

We East Anglians are long- lived , thanks to theglorious air and sea -breezes that surround us .Coke of Norfolk and his son bridged a period ofone hundred and fifty-five years between them ,

for Thomas William the first was born on May 6th1 754 ,

and his son died on January 24th 1 909 ; he

was born when his father was sixty-nine .

There was one woman who lived to be one

hundred and fifteen years of age , and died , saysher chronicler , free from wrinkles and decrepitude . A Mrs . Baldry achieved one hundred andfour years , and never knew that a Mrs . Bacon had

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66 MY MEMORIES

j ournals relate a curious demonstration of illfeeling against an old man

’s marriage to a youngwoman . The bridegroom was seventy-nine , the

bride twenty-one . They were followed to Churchby a great crowd of people , including a cripplewho drove himself in a curricle drawn by d ogs .Immediately after the ceremony , The bridegroomwas torn from his fainting partner thrown intoan open cart , decorated with ram 5 horns , anddrawn through the principal streets of the townamidst the firing of guns and the shouts and ridicule of the people .

This happened at Fakenham in 1 829 . In 1 832 ,

at Thetford , a still more extraordinary marriagetook place ,

for Mr . Bussey ,a schoolmaster aged

twenty-nine , wedded Mrs . Judith Millen , agedseventy- eight . In their case public approvalvented itself in satirical rej oicing . A partyof heroines , says the NorwichM ercury , attendedthe happy couple ,

and performed their melodi ouschorus upon saucepans and kettles and to com

plete the band a watchman’s rattle was added .

”

Another curious couple were William Brownand Elizabeth Gunton . The bridegroom , agedeighty , had had three wives , the bride , agedsixty-three , three husbands and the bridegroom

’

sdaughter , who attended their wedding , had alsoblessed three husbands .Norfolk was always agitating for somethingor other ; a very excellent S ign that the countyfelt its responsibility . In 1 830 i t sent up a pleathat Parliament would remit the death penaltyin a ll cases save those of murder , arson , burglary ,

EXCESSIVE PUNISHMENTS 67

or offences attended by violence . My father hada great deal to do with the stirring up of theagitation that led to this petition ,

but while hiswas a motive of humanity ,

the Corporation ofNorwich seems to have been chiefly moved byrepugnance to the horrid sight of crowds collecting almost daily to see the executions . The

penalties for even minor faults were extremelysevere at that time , and capital punishment wasthe rule for so many offences besides murder , thatexecutions were of sickeningly common occurrence .

In February , 1 830,an unfortunate private in the

7th Dragoon Guards was sentenced to three hundred lashes for sleeping at his post , and a man waspublicly whipped for stealing a pewter pot . Inthe same month five men were banged by Calc raft ,two for burglary , two for sheep-stealing , and theother for horse- stealing , the executions takingplace on the Castle bridge ,

and the bodies being laidout in the yard for the other prisoners to see whenthey were marched past after all was over . Greatcrowds of people ,

generally ,I regret to say more

women than men,used to collect to see these awful

sights , and at last another petition was sent upbegging that executions should no longer takeplace in public . But it was not until many yearslater that this reform was e ffected . Even solate as 1 849 an excursion train was actually runfrom London to Norwich for the purpose ofbringing people down to see a man hanged for adouble murder , and thousands came , men , womenand little children , all to feast their eyes on the

gruesome sight of a poor wretch in his last agonies .

CHAPTER V

FROM BACHE LOR To BENE DI CT

HEN I was seventeen I j oined the 7thHussars , my mother

’

s cousin , ArthurShirley

,being in command , and went to

Ireland . There was much destitution and distress in the

“ little green island ” that year , andfor several years afterwards , and meetings wereheld all over the United Kingdom and in Americawith the obj ect of relieving it . Large quantitiesof food were sent from America and England forthe peasantry ; clothing too , and money ; but itwas very difficult to help the people ,

for they hadno idea of how to help themselves . There was apretty general exodus of all the men who couldcontrive somehow to get out of the country , andthat made i t worse for the women and old peoplewho were left behind . The tenants

’-rights agita

tion was in full swing,and assassination of land

lords the order of the day ,for the ejec tment system

was being rigorously and vigorously carried out .Insurrection was rife ,

and there was a regulararmy of thirty-one thousand in the country .

I was quartered in various parts for the followingS ix years , and got plenty of excitement and adventure ,

though I cannot remember that I was everin any particular danger . Of course to some extentwe were always in danger we were looked uponas enemies , and had to go riding about the count ry

68

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70 MY MEMORIES

as light as day,and a good gallop would be j ust

the thing to cool my head .

”

We’ll do it thoroughly ! agreed someone

else NO saddles , and two miles for the course .

In less time than it takes to describe , we wereoff

,riding barebacked , in our nightshirts , and as

it was a bright moonlight n ight I am sure thatmany a fine ghost story must have grown out ofthat escapade .

The country people were always very kind to us ,always entertaining ,

and getting up dances forour benefit . They are the most charming peopleIn the world ,

and never at a loss whatever happens .Being Irish of course they were always hard up ,and as often as not there was a bailiff among thefootmen at a dinner ; but nobody minded , leastof all the debtor-host ! They always made the

best of a bad job ,and roped the fellows in instead

of worrying about such unpleasant manifestationsof their troubles . The bailiffs were decent fellows ,too

,and had quite a lot of sympathy for their

prey . One acted as whip for several seasons to amaster of foxhounds he was dunning , and anothermade a most excellent valet , having a doublereason for not stealing his master

’s socks and tiesThis reminds me of a very good story about

a friend of mine who got himself into rather ahole at Oxford , and was always in a state of tre

pidat ion lest a bailiff should find his way into hisrooms . One of his principal creditors was a mannamed Joy , and one morning my friend awoke tofind this worthy tradesman seated in his room .

He was rather taken aback , but not in the least

ACCOMMODATING BAILIFFS 7 1

nonplussed , and he greeted the intruder with asmile ,

saying Cheerily :“ This is indeed a pleasant surprise . Weepingmay endure for a night , but Joy cometh in themorning ! ”

The creditor looked at him blankly for amoment ; then his face was illuminated with abeaming smile , and slapping his thigh he crieddelightedlyWhy , that

’

s very good ,very good indeed ,

sir !And now I ’ll say good-dav to you

,sir

,and leave

it to your consideration to settle my little bill assoon as you can .

We spent most of our time on horseback , for ,besides all the riding we had to do in going afterthe rebels and patrolling the country generally ,

hunting was our chief amusement . My Chargerwas a bay thoroughbred , so wild and fierce thatno one but my groom and myself dared approachhim . He would bite and kick all the other horses ,or anyone he got near , and they had , at last , tomake me aide-de-camp , so that I rode at the headof the regiment by myself But with me he wasas gentle as a lamb when he saw me he wouldrush at me just as if he were going to attack me ,

and then he would rub his head against me caressingly

,and eat out of my hand . I took him back

to England with me ,and after I had ridden him

for twenty years or more he died at Gunton , butup to the last he was fierce and unmanageablewith everyone but me .

I was very fond of steeplechasing too , and dida great deal , for people were always asking me to

MY MEMORIES2.

ride their horses at races . One day I rode everyrace in the programme at Punchestown—sevensteeplechases in one day ; and only those whohave ridden that course know what that means .I never rode much in flat races , though I did occasional ly ,

j ust for a change ,but I have ridden in

hundr eds of steeplechases , especially during thosesix years in Ireland .

One of my amusements in those days wasrunning . I could go any distance , and not a soulcould ever catch me , nor was I ever beaten in arace but once ; that was at Lord

’s , where myfather , too , funnily enough , lost his only race .

My antagonist was my friend St . Lawrence ,and

he managed somehow inadvertently to trip me

up—probably the same sort of accident that

happened between my father and Lord EdwardSomerset . I do not remember that I ever ranfor a prize , but my friends often backed me— I amglad to say , to their profit .

In 1 849 , when things were very bad everywherein the country districts , the Queen came over toIreland , I suppose with some idea of pleasing thepeople . I was in Dublin and witnessed the reception so loyal it was , and the welcome so warm ,

that no onlooker would have dreamed that thewhole country was seething with rebellion anddiscontent . In honour of the occasion the Princeof Wales was created Earl of Dublin he was justeight years old ! In 1 853 the Queen came overagain , with the Prince Consort , the Earl ofDublin , and Prince Alfred , and I rode by thecarriage , on duty . They came to Kingstown in

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74 MY MEMORIES

Cli ffs , with deep gullies below us sometimesjumping thorny scrub , or slithering down heightsthat were nothing less than precipices

,into ravines

with no one knew what at the bottom .

The cultivated land was tabooed to everyonebut the master and the hunt servants

,but there

were big woods where we sometimes found .

There were lots of foxes , but somehow we veryseldom killed . Nor did we seemuch of the hounds

,

as the coverts , which extended for miles , werevery dense . But we thoroughly enj oyed ourselves ,nevertheless . One day I nearly lost my life ,

formy horse j umped down a cliff . We were in a bigfield , and when I disappeared so suddenly everyonethought I was killed . But , to their astonishment ,when they came to look over in anticipation of ahorrid sight , there we were , sixty feet at leastdown below ,

for my horse had miraculously landedon his feet on a sort of ledge in a big hole . Theysent for ropes , and it seemed a very long time beforethey came ,

for of course I could do nothing butsit still and be thankful I was not in little bits atthe bottom of the Cliff . When the ropes came atlast they dropped them down to me , and withsome difficulty my horse and I were hauled up .

I had no idea then that those days were the lastof my bachelor existence . I was only a little overtwenty-three , and had not even thought ofmarriage , but my mother believed in youthfulalliances

,and during my absence She had made

plans for my future life . Mrs . Baring , who , asMiss Windham

,had been a great friend of my

father’s and of his first wife , was also a great friend

A YOUTHFUL ALLIANCE 73

of my mother ’s . She had a daughter whom Idid not know , and no sooner was I back in Englandthan I was presented to Miss Cecilia Annet taBaring . My wooing was not long a—doing

,for

both the mothers greatly desired the match .

So our engagement was very brief,all the arrange

ments being made by the parents,as was the

custom in those days,nothing being left for us but

to follow them dutifully and be happy . We weremarried in London

,and I went ' back to Gunton

a benedict .

When my lady and I settled down at Guntondirectly after our marriage , I found that the wholeproperty was in a very bad state . In some waysI was in much the same case as my father had beenwhen he succeeded . His brother had regardedthe place as a rather ela borate shooting-box ,

and spent most of his time at Blickling whilemine was not attracted by the duties of a landl ord ,and lived anywhere and everywhere but at home .

My father had been a model landlord . Hisvery first order on succeeding , though it must havebeen very much against the grain for so ardent asportsman , was to the keepers to kil l o ff the hares .

His father and brother had both preserved thegame to an almost inordinate extent , and sparedno expense in rearing it . So that , the groundbeing very varied in Character , comprising marsh ,

woodland , and heath , every species of bird fromsnipe to pheasant was to be found in the fifteenthousand acres that comprised the estate . Buthares and rabbits abounded too ,

and did an immenseamount of damage to the crops . Consequently ,

76 MY MEMORIES

my father ’s first concern being for his tenants ,an order of exterminat ion went forth , and no lessthan four thousand were shot and trapped in one

month .

Then he set to work to improve the propertygenerally , beginning with the house . My grandfather had spent £4o ,ooo under the direction ofWyatt , but the famous archi tect used up the

entire amount on the offices . My uncle built thestate rooms with the bedrooms over them , andthis suite too was extremely handsome , the doorsof the three reception-rooms alone costingHe did not require much living accommodation ,however , as Blickling was so near , and it fell tomy father to add the really practical parts of themansion , the numerous bedrooms and other apartments for everyday use . Besides this he turnedeighteen hundred acres round the house into adeer park , built the tower and observatory onPheasant Hill , and made an ornamental gardenwhich he called Emily

’

s Bower ,” in compliment

to my mother .He also built and endowed a handsome school

for boys and girls at Thorpe , and a schoolhouse ,

both of flint . He put all the farms and cottagesinto thorough repair , made roads , built a wharfon the canal at Antingham , and erected a bonecrushing mill that proved most profitable to thefarmers . Then he built a new house at Horstead ,and besides all this spent a lot of money in anattempt to make a port at Overstrand . Sevenhundred pounds

’ worth of timber was cut down andtaken to the place decided upon for the port , and

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78 MY MEMORIES

lately been acting upon with your tenants , and ,

as he says , with great success , and with satisfac

tion to all parties . By what I could learn fromhim , you have been re-valuing your farms

,and

the stock and crops , &c . , upon an entirely new

system . What seems the most important pointto ascertain , as far as the present unsettled stateof the currency will admit of , is a more generalequalisation of land , or rather of the rent to bepaid upon it , according to the relative value ofsuch land , taking into consideration the differentCircumstances attaching thereto , and to prevent ,or at any rate to diminish , as far as may be , thevery great uncertainty at present existing , and theterrible fluctuations as to which both landlord andtenant are at present subject . The affair of arrearspuzzles me extremely , especially as I have to dowith tenants at will , many of whom have gone onfrom father to son for a great many years , andwhen as many as seven or eight principal tenantsare all , more or less , in this kind of position , anydecisive measures would be productive of couse

quenc eswhich I should be very sorry to encounter .As no distress can , I believe , be taken for rentwhich has been due above a twelvemonth , I havethought of accepting a note , or better , securityif I can

,for such arrears . A large and constantly

accumulating arrear is a millstone round the neckof a farmer which always discourages and sometimes paralyses him .

Believe me ,

Ever yours ,VE RNON .

A GENEROUS LANDLORD 79

The system my father adopted was that ofequalising as nearly as possible , according to therelative value of their farms , the rents of thetenants , without reference to the terms of theirleases . It gave general satisfaction , and we haveadhered to it ever since . My father never allowedarrears if any rent was owing at the time of theaudit in February for the preceding Michaelmas ,i t was considered equivalent to notice to quit .But he was always generous if he found that misfortune was the cause , and , if the tenant wereworthy , would remit part or all rather than enforcehis rule .

Besides his kindness and liberality , he won thedevotion of his people by ‘his absolute fairnessabout their political views . He wrote a pamphletexpressing his own opinions , had it printed ,

and distributed it among the tenants . He toldthem that he wished every individual on the estateto exercise his own judgment , and appealed tothem not to be guided by interest in voting forone side or the other . Hitherto all the tenantshad voted on the Tory side , so that the questionwas a delicate one . But he was determined thatnone of his . people should be unfairly influenced ,and promised that an honest assertion of principleand judgment would always be to him the surestand best recommendation , and the pamphlet ,written in the simplest language , merely discussedthe topics of the day and expressed his own politicalcreed without urging the merits of one side or the

other .Another of his innovations , after destroying

80 MY MEMORIES

all the spring guns on the estate , was to enrol asmall army of from sixty to seventy men who wereready at any time to assist the game-keepers .He argued that knowledge of the large forceemployed would deter poachers . Eight of thesemen were on duty each night , under two keepers ,and occasionally full musters were held to keepthem all in practice .

In addition to the deer in the park there was aherd of very beautiful thoroughbred cattle ,

allperfectly white excepting their ears and noses .Being anxious to infuse fresh blood into the herd ,

and hearing that Lord Ribblesdale , whom he didnot know personally , had a similar breed of cattle ,

he asked his friend Spencer Stanhope to negotiatean exchange . Lord Ribblesdale replied very cordially , saying that it had been his own intention tosee my father on the subj ect , and satisfactoryreports were evidently exchanged , for in a secondletter , in which he acknowledged The trulygenerous conduct of Lord Suffield,

”Lord Ribbles

dale went ou to sayAS i t seems hard to subject two beautiful

young creatures to so long and dangerous a j ourneyon the most remote chance of their charms beingrejected , I propose to adopt the royal proceedingsin such cases and send their portraits .The question had turned upon the all-important

point as to whether black or red noses were thefashion at Gunton Unfortunately , my halfbrother sold the herd soon after he Came intopossession ,

and it has never been replaced .

When my father died , the estate was almost

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A UNIQUE HUNT 8 1

unique as regards the housing of the tenants , andthe perfect order it was in generally . But Edwarddid not spend much of his time there , and we saw

so little of him that we really scarcely knew him .

At first he had a pack of staghounds of his own ,

but he only kept them for a year or two and Ithink he must have preferred hunting in Lei cestershire , for he was very seldom at home . He becameMaster of the Quorn in 1 838 , and was evidentlypopular

,as I once came across his name as the

good-natured master . He bought Mrs . Lambton ’s Durham pack for and start ed buildingnew kennels at Billesdon , but he gave up the

Mastership after a year . In 1 845 my brother andI hunted with him when the Norfolk staghoundswere under the mastership of Henry Kett Tompson ,with John Turner as huntsman and my motherand her cousin

’

swife , Mrs . Shirley , whose husbandwas in the 7th Hussars , at that time quartered inNorwich , were among the few ladies who followed .

We had many a splendid day , the field often totalling a hundred and fifty gentlemen of the townand county .

One of those runs was , in some ways , reallyunique . The hounds met at Cawston Woodrow ,

and the deer was turned off about a mile from there ,immediately making for Cawston town . He ranthrough nearly every vi llage from there to Norwich ,keeping to the north side of the river , but when hereached the Wensum at Mr . Gowing

’

s farm atHellesdon he passed through Heigham and acrossthe Unthank Road . He turn ed down towardsSt . Giles

’

s Gates , and we expected he would goG

82 MY MEMORIES

into the Market Place , but just as he was nearingthe gates he turned back and was pulled down bythe hounds . Luckily the huntsmen were closeat hand , and they whipped off the hounds andsecured the stag , who was sent to the Rising SunInn . The run was at least twenty to twenty-fivemiles , without a single check , and took two hoursand a quarter . To see a hunt in the MarketPlace in Norwich now would certainly be anamazing spectacle , but that was S ixty-eight yearsago , when trams and motors were unknown inthe old town .

Besides hunting , my half-brother raced a gooddeal , and ran his own horses . In 1 837 he gave asilver tankard for the heavy-weight steeplechaseover a fourteen-mile course on Mr . Bidfield

’

s

estate at Swafield. It was won by his own horse ,Metternich , ridden by Captain Laurenson of the

7th Lancers , to whom he presented it after therace dinner that evening . Unfortunately he losta great deal of his money over racing , so in 1 839he sold his horses . Forty—nine of them , withcolts

,realised only at Tattersall ’s , and

his pack of hounds , forty-seven couples withthirteen bitches and their whelps , fetched only

£250.

At the same time he sold a great many otherthings as if he had no intention of ever living atGunton again . The white cattle went , and everything else that was not strictly entailed . I wasonly a youngster of ten then , and little realisedwhat my brother

’s doings would mean to me lateron . As an absentee landl ord he may not have

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84 MY MEMORIES

for that , bringing in only about eighty pounds ayear . I turned it into a links , and immediately aneffort was made to show that it did not belong tome at all . But we went to law about it , and provedit to be included in the Overstrand property boughtfor a large sum by my grandfather . Now itbrings in £400 a year . I helped , too , to build theLinks Hotel , an expensive affair , for there wasnothing but a sandhill to build on , and very deepexcavations had to be made for the founda

tions . Besides this , new houses in both Cromerand Overstrand , while adding ultimately to thevalue of the property , swallowed a great deal ofcapital .Apropos of Cromer , a curious bone , twenty

eight and a half inches in Circumference , wasfound on the Cli ff in 1 896. I find among mycorrespondence the following interesting letterfrom Commander W . Grimston , of Sopwel l , St .Albans :

Oct. 25 ,’

96.

DEAR LORD SUFFI E LD ,

I said I would send you an account of thebone I found on the Cli ff at Cromer . It is , according to Dr . H . Woodward , F .R .S . (of the NaturalHist . Museum) , the head of the femur of a verylarge elephant E . Primigenius. The animal wasnot fully grown , or the head woul d not have beendetached . It stood about 1 3 feet high at theshoulder when alive . I take it , it lived about

years ago , and was killed by a great floodwhen England was j oined to the Continent in the

A CURIOUS BONE 85

Pliocene age . The bone has been tested bymic rOSCOpic test and proved .

Yours sincerely ,

(Signed) W . GRIMSTON .

Very many thanks for allowing me to keep it .

There were other things for me to do besideslooking after the estate . I was Deputy-Lieutenant of the county and a Justice of the Peace ,

which meant my attendance at Quarter Sessions ,and a host of other minor engagements thatoccupied time . Then there were a lot of socialduties to perform ,

public functions of all kinds ,buildings to open ,

foundation stones to lay , concerts to attend ,

dinners to preside at , and so on .

It was my lady who cut the first sod of the EastNorfolk Railway

,for instance . We had a certain

amount of entertaining to do , too , although welived very quietly and there were nearly alwaysvisitors at Gunton

, even out of the shootingseason .

Life became a great deal more interesting afterthe Prince bought Sandringham . That year ,1 861 , was one full of import to the Royal Family .

A bitterly cold Christmas,when the minimum

registered in Norwich was seven degrees belowzero , and at Costessey seven degrees below freezingpoint , ushered in a season of mourning and disaster very similar to that of 1 91 0. The veryelements seemed to be aware on both occasionsthat England was in sore trouble ,

and a successionof disasters at sea coincided with privations anddisasters of all sorts on land

,owing to the bitter

86 MY MEMORIES

weather . The river was frozen from Norwichto Yarmouth , and there were extraordinarystorms both on the coast and inland . One of theseblew down a tower and a large portion of thenorth wing of the Crystal Palace ,

which was nevercompletely restored . The spire of Chichestercathedral was also destroyed .

In January King Frederick William of Prussiadied ,

and his son , father- in- law of our PrincessRoyal , succeeded , thus making her Crown Princessof Germany . In March Queen Victoria

’s mother ,the Duchess of Kent , died , and the year endedwith the death of the Prince Consort , a calamitywhich plunged the country into heartfeltmourning .

The cloud that hung over the earlier monthshad lifted during the summer , when the PrincessRoyal came on a visit , and Princess Alice becameengaged to Prince Frederick William of Hesse .

After the signing of the marriage treaty the Courtwent to Osborne ,

and thence to Ireland , to holda review at the Curragh , which the Prince attendedas Colonel of the Grenadier Guards . I went toIreland with him ,

my first visit S ince leaving theHussars .

From the Curragh the Court went to Killarney ,

thence to Balmoral , from there to Osborne , andback again to Windsor . The Prince Consort hadbeen unwell all the summer , but no one thoughtanything serious was the matter until after hereached home . There he became really ill , andhe died on the 1 5th December .

This sad event put a stop to al l the weddingarrangements ; all gaieties were forgotten , and

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88 MY MEMORIES

certain ly have been an ideal residence for the heirapparent it is a very beautiful old place , withglorious gardens and a fine library . The manor issupposed to have been at one time the domicile ofHarold , Earl of East Anglia , and the site of hispalace , well known as the old manor meadow , liesabout a mile from the present hall . I t once belongedto Sir John Falstaff , who sold it to Sir GeoffreyBoleyn , Lord Mayor of London , the grandfatherof the Earl ofWiltshire ,

who was the father of AnneBoleyn . He was at Blickling when the news cameof the beheading of his two children . I founda quaint description of the old hall in Lady Suffolk

’

sletters , written by the Earl of Buckingham to hisaunt . He says , in 1 757Torre del Pazzo (for such we now find by

authentic records to be the ancient name of thebuilding lately discovered at Blickling) , was erectedby Wil liam I . of the Norman line , and as a residence for an Italian of remarkable wit and humour ,who used by his sallies to enliven the dull , gloomydisposition of his barbarous court . He gave himalso divers manors in the pleasant vale that leadsfrom Aylsham to Yarmouth . The king thenmarried him to a maid-of-honour , a young lady ofgreat spirit and facetiousness— (maids-of-honourare still the Same)—who brought him a numerousissue ,

sold all his manors , and broke his heart .His indigent Children were squandered in

various parts of Europe , and from them are des

c ended all the Harlequins , Pierrots , Columbines ,&c . ,

who so much contribute to the diversion andimprovement of the present age . Torre del Pazzo ,

NINE WORTHIES 89

which was the name he gave his habitation , signi

fies, in Italian , the Fool’

s or Madman ’s Tower .I need not tell your ladyship , that after passing

through various families , some of the manors , andthe whole tower , are in my possession . It givesme great concern that it is not in my power tofollow exactly the footsteps of the illustrious firstproprietor . I may , indeed , by singular goodfortune ,

find a maid-of-honour who will condescendto sell my manors and break my heart ; but Ihave too just an Opinion of the measure of myunderstanding not to be sensible , that if she produces harlequins and pierrots , it must be by anotherfather .About eight years later he was evidently making

some alterations at Blickling , for he writes againto his aunt in a letter dated November , 1 765

The alterations in the eating-room go on ;Gothic it was , and more Gothic it will be , in spiteof all the remonstrances of modern improversand lovers of Grecian architecture . The ceilingis to be painted with the loves of Cupid andPsyche . Cupid is to hover exactly over the centreof the table , to indicate to the maitre d

’

hotel the

exact position of the venison pasty .

I have determined what is to be done in thehall , which you ought to approve , and indeedmust approve . Some tributary sorrow should ,however , be paid to the nine worthies but Hectorhas lost his spear and his nose ,

David his harp ,

Godfrey of Boulogne his ears , Alexander the Greathis highest Shoulder , and part of Joshua

’

s bellyis fallen in . As the ceiling is to be raised , eight

90 MY MEMORIES

of them must have gone , and Hector is at all eventsdetermined to leave his niche .

You will forgive my replacing them with eightworthies of my own times , whose figures are not as

yet essent ially mutilated , viz ., Dr . Shebbeare ,

Mr .Wilkes , Dr . Hill , Mr . Glover , Mr . Deputy Hodges,Mr . Whitfield , Justice Fielding , and Mr . Foote ,

andas Anne Boleyn was born at Blickling it will notbe improper to purchase her husband Henry theEighth

’

s figure (which by order is no longer to beexhibited at the Tower) , who will fill with creditthe space occupied by the falling Hector .I t is sad to think that the historic old mansion

should now be almost entirely shut up and givenover to caretakers . Not the house alone , but thegarden ,

too,is a delight , but it is never occupied

now for more than a few weeks at a time , andrumour says that even so much appreciation isto be withheld in future unless some rich personbuys itSoon after his visit to Norfolk the Prince went

on a tour in the East , travelling as Baron Renfrew ,

and did not return until June , about a month beforethe Princess Al ice

’s marriage took place at Osborne .

That was a pretty wedding , but his own in thefollowing year was prettier still , and their RoyalHighnesses came straight to Sandringham fromOsborne . There was nothing at all interestingabout the place then ,

and all that is now pleasantor attractive about it is the work of the Prince .

He had to spend a great deal of money on it , in

Letters to andfromHenrietta, Countessof Sufiolk. Publ ishedI 824 .

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THE PRINCE AT SANDRINGHAM 9 1

spite of the price he paid for the property , and heentirely transformed it , besides turning the seventhousand acres into eleven thousand by the purchase of adj oining land .

He began by rebuilding the house on a muchlarger scale , and up to the last year of his life hewas continually improving , building new cottages ,repairing churches , spending money on the placein one way and another , until it is now an idealestate , vastly different from the wind-Swept ,barren , sandy moorland it was in 1 862 .

After he came to Sandringham to live I saw agreat deal of His Royal Highness . He frequentlycame over to Gunton for the shooting , and I met

him , too , at other houses where we were gueststogether— at Holkham , for instance , and at MeltonConstable and Costessey . In one way andanother I saw both the Prince and Princess constant ly , and the friendship that had begun in hisearliest Childhood ,

and which continued until hisdeath , grew very close and strong during thosedays in Norfolk .

CHAPTER VI

THE NORFOLK ARTILLE RY

HILE I was still with the 7th Hussars inIreland , the warlike preparations ofthe French were causing considerable

anx iety over here . We were not so cocksure of ourselves in those days as we are now ,

though I thinkwe had better reason to be ,

and the public tookmore notice of the Duke of Wellington ’s letter toSir John Burgoyne than it does now of all LordRoberts

’

warnings . The Duke’s letter , written in

1 852 , pointed out that , since the disbanding of themi litia , we were utterly defenceless in the eventof invasion . This pronouncement made no smallstir .The immediate result was that Dr . John Buck

nill of Exeter obtained leave to form a corps ,which , under the name of the South DevonVolunteer Rifles ,

” was the first to obtain officialsanction as a unit of defence . Then in 1 853 aCaptain Busk published a book called The

R ifleman’

s Annua l in which he devoted a Chapterto volunteering . He appealed to the flower ofthe nation ,

” and called upon them to form anorganisation for the defence of their native soil ,and he pointed out , as the Duke had done , thatFrance was gathering an immense armament , andthat England should form a volunteer army , failingwhich She would be at the mercy of an invader .

92

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94 MY MEMORIES

upon which he wrote urging on the Government thenecessity of adopting all possible precautions onaccount of the critical situation . Lord Grosvenor ,afterwards the Duke of Westminster , Lord Elcho ,now Lord Wemyss , and Lord Ranelagh ,

nicknamed the Brompton Garibaldi

,replied to the

Frenchmen’

s letters by writing to The Times toawaken Englishmen to their peril . These lettersbrought the already simmering popular enthusiasmto boiling-point , and a great public demonstrationwas held , afterwards known as the Long AcreIndignation Meeting , to protest against Ministerialapathy and call attention to the deficiency ofnational defence . The Times gave its powerful support to the patriotic desire of the people to form acitizen army , and on May 9th published someverses which proved the match to the kindling .

Signed simply T. , it was not until long afterwards that Tennyson admitted his authorship ,but they turned out to be the veritable Call toArms ,

” for , three days after the stanzas appeared ,the War Ofli c e issued Circulars to Lord-Lieutenants of counties , authorising the raising of

volunteer corps under the Act of 1 804 .

The verses were as follows

RIFLEMEN FORM

There is a sound of thunder afarStorm in the South that darkens the day

Storm of battle and thunder of warWell i f i t do not roll our way .

Storm , storm , R iflemen formReady , be ready against the storm

R iflemen ,R iflemen , R iflemen form

AN INSPIRATION 93

Do not be deaf to the sound that warns ,Be not gulled by a despot

’s pleaAre figs of thistle or grapes of thornsHow can a despot feel with the free

Form , form , R iflemen formReady , be ready , to meet the storm

R iflemen ,Riflemen , Riflemen form

Let your reforms for the moment goLook to your butts and take good aims

Better a rotten borough or soThan a rotten fleet and a city in flamesStorm , storm ,

Riflemen stormReady , be ready , to meet the storm !

R iflemen ,Riflemen ,

Riflemen form

Form, be ready to do or die

Form in freedom’s name , or the Queen

’sTrue

,we have got— such a faithful ally ,

That only the Devil can tell what he meansForm

,form ,

Riflemen formReady , be ready , to meet the storm

Riflemen , Riflemen , Riflemen form l l

A supplementary circular , generally believedto be the inspiration of the Prince Consort , wasissued on the 25th of May , stating that the objectof the preliminary ones had been to induce thoseto come forward who would not enter either theregular army or the militia .

There was not much encouragement in those daysto decent men to enlist . We seemed unable torealise that privates were actuated by the samenoble motives as their officers , and our only ideaof rewarding brave deeds was by money payment ,

The Times, May 9 th, 1 859 .

96 MY MEMORIES

and not too generously even then . Besides this ,the announcements of such rewards were onlypublished in the case of the Sappers , when theywere mentioned in the general orders , so that verylittle effect was made upon either the recipientsor their comrades.

The French were far more politic . Soldiersof all ranks were equally cited for reward orcommendation before forty-eight hours had elapsedafter the performance of any gallant or heroicact , and medals for valour , or various grades of theLegion of Honour , or commissions , were awardedpromptly and with ceremony .

Yet when the institution of the Victoria Crosswas first suggested both officers and men wereaverse to it . General Sir Evelyn Wood wrote ofan officer who never tired of telling how

,when

the men of his battalion were ordered to nominatea private soldier for the Victoria Cross , they unanimously Chose a man who was trusted for his steadyconduct and honesty to carry down the grog-canat dinner-time to the t renches , and who , except forhal f an hour each day , was never under fire I

It speaks well for Englishmen that they wereso keen to volunteer at a time when reports of theCrimea were full of the most ghastly sufferingsand cruel privations , that could have been avoidedby proper organisation .

These stories , however , were not generallybelieved indeed , so incensed were English peopleby their publication that the circulation of The

Times went down almost to zero in proof of thedisapproval of its readers . But in England we

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98 MY MEMORIES

until at last we were about five hundred strong,

the men all averaging six feet in height , and ofNorfolk every one . Eventually they totalledtwelve hundred , but this was of course muchlater .As we assembled for training every year , and

there was , besides , a great deal of organisation andoffice work connected with it , my regimentalduties took up a great deal of time . I commandedmy corps until in 1 866I resigned in order to takecommand of the Norfolk Artillery ,

but I continuedto be their Honorary Colonel until they weredisbanded under Mr . (now Lord) Haldane

’

s schemea few years ago .

It was fitting that Norfolk should take the leadin the new scheme of volunteering , for it was notthe first time that our county had had the honourof originating the martial movements of thenation . In 1 7 1 5 a company of one hundred artillerymen was raised in Norwich in consequence ofthe rebellion in the North in favour of the OldPretender . Two Norfolk peers were the originatorsof the Bill for raising the militia , and in 1 758

the county raised nine hundred and sixty men forit , one hundred and fifty -one being enrolled inNorwich itself . In 1 759 the county raised thefirst militia battalion

,which marched to Hilsea

Barracks , Portsmouth ,from Norwich ; in 1 796

it raised seventeen hundred and eighty-one men ,

and two hundred and eleven for the supplementaryreserve in 1 797 the Norwich Light Horse Volunteer Corps was formed . In April , 1 803 , the militiawas disbanded ,

but when war against France was

NORFOLK ’S MARTIAL SPIR IT 99

declared the country took alarm , and in JulyMajor-General Money published an address urgingthe necessity of immediately associating , subscribing

,and arming for the defence of the country

in case of invasion . This resulted in the formation of volunteer corps all over the country . InNorfolk my grandfather raised a regiment of riflemen ,

and both his sons were commissioned , the

eldest , William Assheton , to be Colonel , andEdward , my father , to be Major . The wholecounty was ready to be , if not in arms , at leastin commission . The Norfolk Chronicle of the

day (August , saysActive preparations commenced for the defence

of the county in View of possible invasion . On the8th ,

several officers and non-commissioned officersof the 1 7th Regiment of Foot arrived at Norwichto receive the ballotedmen and substitutes of theArmy of Reserve , the training of whom commenc ed next day in Chapel Field . A countymeeting was held at the Shirehall , Norwich ,

onthe roth , when resolutions were passed , assuringHis Majesty of the readiness of the county totake definite measures . A meeting of the inhabitants of Norwich was held at the Guildhall onthe 16th , at which a subscription was opened forraising a regiment of Volunteer Infantry . Clerksattended in the porch of the Guildhall to enrolthe names of the Volunteers , and the City flagwas displayed from the window of the TownClerk

’

s office .

On the following day 702 men had offeredthemselves , and by Saturday , the 20th

, the

I oo MY MEMORIES

number had increased to and the publicsubscription exceeded of which £500 was

given by the Corporation . On the 26th the

regiment was formed , 800 strong , under Lieut . -Col .Harvey (commanding) , Lieut .

-Col . Plumptre ,and

Maj or Sigismund Trafford . The public subscription then amounted to A Rifle Corps wasalso formed , with Mr . R . M . Bacon as captain .

At Yarmouth , 500 persons enrolled themselves ,under the command of Lieut . - Col . Wm . Gould .

On the 27th , it was announced that the numberOf volunteers in the county enabled the Lord '

Lieutenant to suspend the compulsory clauses ofthe Defence Act . The total number was about

The Government purchased some properties in Norwich to be converted into temporarybarracks for the reception of 800 infantry .

The brass ordnance belonging to the Citywere tested by some of the regular artillery stat ioned in Norwich . Four of the guns burst , andappended to the account delivered to the Cor

porat ion was the intimation°

‘

It is customaryfor the corporal to have the old metal when anyOf the pieces burst .

’

The official reply was to theeffect that the Corporation were of opinion thatthe corpora] did not want brass The ironnine-pounders stood the test . The brass gunused by Kett in 1 549 was preserved as a relic .

Telegraphs , signal flags , or tar barrels are

being stationed on all the Churches and loftyedifices on the coast , in order to give in a chain ofcommunication the earliest intelligence , either bynight or day , of the event of the enemy

’

s landing .

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1 02 MY MEMORIES

was in danger after receiving six hundred andtwenty—five lashes ; one , of s ixteen ,

his brother ,received three hundred and thirty—five lashes , andthe other , seventeen , received two hundred , boththe last having their sentences commuted oncondition that they entered a condemned regiment . This was in Lord Liverpool

’s time .

My father subsequently became the commandingoffi cer of his regiment under its new denominationof local militia , but after holding that position forclose upon twenty years he gave it up ,

owing toan incident very similar to that which caused somuch dissatisfaction during the railway strikes ayear or SO ago .

A riot had taken place in Manchester , and thelocal militia were called upon to disperse the

rioters . Several men were killed and manyinjured by the firing

,and this horrified a great

many people , among them my father . He feltthat it was one thing to fight against his country ’sfoes , quite another to take up arms against hisown countrvmen . So

,rather than incur the

risk of a similar duty falling to his lot , heresigned .

Soon afterwards , during the peace that followedWaterloo , all volunteer soldiering became practically non-existent , until in 1 853 the militia wasto some extent re- incarnated . Then the NorfolkArtillery was formed ,

with a total of one hundredand eighty- three ,

composed of two captains , foursubalterns , one adjutant , one surgeon ,

five noncommissioned officers , two trumpeters , and one

hundred and sixty- eight gunners , made up chiefly

THE NORFOLK ARTILLERY 1 03

Of transfers from the East and West NorfolkMilitia and a few volunteers .

Lord Hastings was their first commandant ;their second was Lieut-Col . Astley . The regimentdid good work

,both at home and abroad , and

were frequently mentioned in despatches .The uniform of the Artillery Militia was at

first dark grey ,then blue , a frock- coat with red

cuffs , and the trousers with red piping down theseams , and later it was altered to that of theRoyal Artillery , with silver instead of gold facings .

Some of the items in the earlier records of theregiment are both amusing and enlightening asto the regard in which it was held by a parsimonious Government . For instance :September 27th ,

1 858 . men on beingdismissed expressed great dissatisfaction that thepromised outfit turned out to be one shirt , twopairs socks , and one pair Shoes only .

May 24th ,1 860. Captain the Honourable R .

Harbord fired afeu de j oie in honour of the Queen’

sbirthday

,and had to pay for the powder !

When General Peel was Secretary of State forWar in 1 867 , the year after I resigned commandof the 3rd Volunteer Norfolk Regiment in orderto take that of the Norfolk Artillery , the militiareserve was created . The Norfolk Artillery furnished upwards of one hundred men from itsestablishment ; to be eligible they were requiredto have served two trainings , be of good character ,and able to pass a medical examination . They rec eived an annual ext ra bounty of twenty shill ings ,and rendered themselves liable to be called out to

1 04 MY MEMORIES

reinforce the regulars when required . This moneypayment was sufficient inducement to make itsoon become a matter of keen competition to

get into the reserve . It was nearly eleven yearsbefore any appreciable number were called uponfor active service ; not , in fact , until the RussoTurkish war in 1 878 , when troops were sent fromIndia to Malta

,and the army and militia reserves

were called up . Of our men in the NorfolkArtillery sixteen were time-expired or medi callyunfit but the remaining ninety- eight were despatched in detachments to various garrisonsand kept there for three months . Thus everyman in the Norfolk Reserve was accounted for ,and I do not think the record could be beaten ,

even if equalled , by any militia regiment in the

service .

Fifty- four men j oined the Norfolk Artillery ,five the Army Service Corps

,and thirty-nine the

Army Hospital Corps ; the Reserve being thenone-quarter of the total establishment of the

regiment . The offi cers commanding the regimentsthey j oined gave very satisfactory reports of them ,

and would have liked to retain them permanentlybut the men were not so enamoured of theirexperiences with the regulars , complaining thatthey were constantly kept at fatigue duties andrarely taken on parade .

In 1 87 1 our Honorary Colonel , Lord Hastings ,died , and at my request the Prince of Walesvery kindly consented to command the regiment .He reviewed us for the first time in May 1 872 .

The son of Coke of Norfolk , Lord Leicester , then

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1 06 MY MEMORIES

purpose . We did this for several years , until webought the building outright

,added more rooms ,

and put the place into thorough repair .Major Trafford and I furnished it , the Prince

of Wales contributing the furn iture he had usedin his own cabins on board the S erapis. We

soon had quite a respectable show of plate ,chiefly

gifts from the officers , past and present . Therewas a very handsome candelabra , worth a gooddeal of money , for it had cost one hundred poundsin 1 862 when Surgeon-Maj or Aldred presented itto the regiment . Another fine piece was acigarette-holder in the form of a

'

model siegemortar and limber , given by Captain MooreLane ,

R .A . , and we had a cigarette- lighter inthe form of a hand-

grenade ,presented by Captain

W . H . A . Keppel . Prince Albert Victor , who waswith us for a short time , gave us another cigarettelighter when he left , and Colonel Bagge a silversalver . Lieutenant-Colonel Trafford contribut eda silver punch-bowl

,and there were lots of smaller

things,all highly valued in the Mess on account

of the givers .

Queen Victoria presented a fine engraving , asigned portrait of herself , in commemoration ofour furnishing a guard of honour when Her

Majesty visited Sandringham in 1 889 . I gavea portrait of the Prince of Wales when in 1 875

the title of the regiment was changed to the

Prince of Wales’ Own , and we had several other

fine pictures , while the emblazoned coat -of—armsfurn ished by each officer in j oining added not a

1it t le to the adornment of the Mess—room . My

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1 08 MY MEMORIES

was nearly mobbed by the too-eager crowd . He

was then a midshipman on the S t. George. Ithad been intimated that the Prince was to bec onsidered on business when with the Fleet

,

and therefore exempt from popular demonstrations . Nevertheless , the town was determinedto make the most of his visit . The Mayor , directlythe first ships arrived , sent offering a dinner toall the offi cers , but it was declined , and he thenoffered a ball to be given on the following Monday

,

as the S t. George was not expected until theSaturday . This was accepted conditionally onthe Fleet being still in the Roads .But when Saturday night arrived , and no

S t. George, the town began to feel afraid thatshe would not come at all , and the Admiralinvited the Mayor and some of the other bigwigsto dine afloat that evening to console them .

Happily,on Sunday morning the S t . George came

in through the Cockle Gat , and anchored abreastof the town at the northern end of the line ofships . Immediately the place blazed with excitement and sparkled with spy-glasses . Steam-tugstook passengers round the fleet , all of whom wentout in the hope of catching a glimpse of thePrince ,

apparently expecting to see him perchedup on the maintop . But very few knew him bysight

,and in the afternoon when he went ashore

with other midshipmen he was not recogn ised .

On Monday the Mayor and town clerk wenton board to be presented ,

and the Prince wentashore in their boat to lunch with the Hon .

Manners Sutton at his house in Kimberley Terrace .

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH 1 09

Everyone who saw him land of course knew thathe must be the Prince, and like fire the newsspread that he was going in the afternoon to acricket match between officers of the fleet andthe Yarmouth Club . In consequence , about threethousand people assembled on the grounds , andas soon as the Prince was recognised they closedround him so determinedly that he and Mr . Suttonhad to beat a retreat . He took the j ostling andpushing very good-humouredly , and somehow gotaway from the cricket ground , though sti ll followedby the mob , to Kimberley Terrace . The peoplepursued him all the way up the drive , and collectedin front of the house , where they stood unt i l fiveo ’clock , hoping to see him come out again . Butthe Prince had quietly escaped by the backdoor , and gone to call on Mrs . Onslow , whose sonwas then his tutor and the chaplain of the S t.George.

It was about a week after this too-enthusiasti creception that the Duke of Cambridge came toYarmouth to review the arti llery and volunteers .

He was received by my brothers Ralph and Bobby,

both Captains in the N A , with a guard of honourof one hundred strong , in which not a man wasunder six feet . Over three thousand men tookpart in the review , mostly volunteers .

The Duke did not come down again ti ll 1 881 ,

when the Prince of Wales marched at the headof the regiment , and we again gave a ball at theAssembly Rooms .

It was not unti l 1 882 that they assimi latedour uniform to that of the R A . Unti l then we

1 1 0 MY MEMORIES

had silver instead of gold lace , and thi s led toa funny mistake in the report of some functionI had attended in uniform , when I was describedas being in a uniform of blue , resplendent withS i lver . The Government never took much interestin the militia , not even to the extent of lookingafter thei r habihments. When busbies were withdrawn and spiked helmets became the proper wearfor the arti llery , none were supplied for the

mili ti a but Lord Hastings presented the men ofour regiment with thei rs . I suppose i f he hadnot some other officer would , but i t was a badprecedent , immoral as indiscriminate chari ty !When I had held command for twenty-seven

years , with great regret I resigned , and LordLei cester (Viscount Coke) succeeded me . MyRegimental Order for May 25th , 1 892, was asfollowsOffi cers , Non-Commissioned Officers , and men ,

Norfolk Arti llery .

To-morrow—the occasion of the inspecti on of

the regiment—will be the last time I shall havethe honour of be ing your Commanding Officer .I have to thank you , one and all , for the

loyalty and Cheerful obedience to orders whi chI have experienced invariably during my command for twenty-seven years . I am thankful ,and very proud to Say , that I shall hand overthe regiment to my successor in as good , i f noteven smarter , condi tion than you have ever been ,and my thanks are due to Captain Harvey forthe excellent manner in which he has performedhis duties .

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1 1 2 MY MEMORIES

and reconstruct everything . The men were asplendid lot of fellows , and I think they wouldhave done anything for me—I do not know why ,unless it was that I always listened to all theyhad to say . I used to si t in the orderly-roomevery day , in great state , very dignified , andli sten to everything they wanted to tell me . Ialways sent them away smiling , and I do notthink I ever had a row all the time I was withthe regiment . Though they were a fine , sturdyset , they used to look ragged and unkempt aboutthe head , allowing their beards to grow anyhow ,

so one day on parade I said to themLook here , men , to the devil with all this

hair on your faces it ’s got to come off . I wantyou to look smart and soldierly , and you can

’

twhile you

‘

are wearing al l that hair . Now youmust all go and get shaved , and not a man ofyou shal l leave the barracks until it has beendonef

’

Some of them objected that their women wouldnot like it , but I was hard-heart ed , and told themthat I could not help what their women liked ;i t must all come off. Then I saw that they stillhad something to say , and I told them to o ut

with it , and they saidBut

,my lord

,you are carrying a beard

yourselfI told them that that was a different matter

altogether I rode on horseback high above them ,

and they could not compare me with themselves .I gave the sentries orders to shut the gates andnot to allow any man out until he was shaved .

BEARDS AND THE WOMEN 1 1 3

It was a pretty high-handed thing to do , butthey were good fellows , and did it without anothermurmur . I really think they must have beenfond of me , and I was certainly very proud ofthem . I never heard what took place when theirwomen saw them without beards .Count a foreigner of some sort , who had

spent a long time in England , and afterwardsmade an important marriage into an Englishfamily

,was the only man in the regiment who

did not belong to Norfolk . None ofwthe fellowscould bear him . He was a very violent- temperedman

,and if anyone annoyed him he would take

him by the throat and throw him on his back .

He was the only officer in the regiment withwhom I ever had any trouble all the time I wascommanding it . Often I used to come in andfind a row going on over and at last theofficers determined to try to get rid of him .

One day on coming in I was surprised to see

heaps of things hanging out on strings in the

barrack square— trousers , and coats , and shirts ,all clothes , and all hanging in the rain , gettingsoaking wet . I askedWhat are those things doing here 7’ What

the devil is all this ?I found that they belonged to the

Count as we always called him , and I sent forthe offi cers and said to them :

Look here , you know , you mustn’

t do thatit won ’t do at all . Get those things taken downat once , and if anything is spoiled you

’ll haveto pay for it .

1 1 4 MY MEMOR IES

Of Course it had been done simply to annoyand he came in a little later and wanted

to take me by the throat in the orderly-room .

But I said to him :

Now,Count

,this won

’

t do at all,you know .

It ’s no good being angry with me .

”

Of course there were sergeants about who wouldhave stopped him if he had tried to hurt me ,

but I did not at all want the thing to grow intoa serious affair , and tried to laugh the matter Offas a j oke . He left the regiment not long afternot then , but pretty soon— and we were all veryglad when he did go .

For the rest , we were all good friends , officersand men alike . Two of my brothers , Ralph andHarbord

,or Bobby as we called him,

wereamong the officers for many years ; and as theregiment was with one exception composed ofNorfolk men who had practically grown up together and had many interests in common

, we

were j ust like a very united family party .

Lieut .

-Colonel E . A . H . Alderson , of the Queen’s

Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) , who had hisfirst training with us , as his father E . M . Aldersonhad before him , sent me his very interesting bookon the Mashonaland campaign . In it he describeshis comrades in the Mounted Infantry corps withwhom he went to Africa as sportsmen and goodmen to hounds , every one .

I could not better describe the Norfolk Artillerymen .

When the militia was dissolved under Mr .Haldane

’

s scheme in 1 909 the various proper

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CHAPTER VII

ABOUT A NUMBE R OF THINGS

N the first thirty years of Queen Victoria ’sreign society was very different from whatit is now . Boundaries were definitely

drawn and rigidly adhered to ; American andColonial millionaires were unknown except in theirown spheres of usefulness , and from the Courtdownwards conduct was governed by rules andregulations , both spoken and unspoken , whichwould be scouted with ridicule to-day .

I do not think the world was really any betterthan it is now ; virtue , after all , is not so mucha question of morals as of environment and circumstanc es. When there were no telephones , nocheap newspapers , no motor cars , no easy travelling of any sort

,it was more difficult to escape

the vigilance of our neighbours’

eyes ; but thesame instinct of goodness governs us now asthen , and if people are less conventional theyare also far less addicted to such vices as drinkingand gambling .

We were certainly far more easily pleased inthe old days our entertainments and amusementswere vastly different from those of to—day , andmost schoolgirls would now turn from them indisdain . Musical part ies at each other

’

s houses ,when the guests themselves were the performers ,little dinners and dances , picnics and gardenparties— these were our exciting festivities . A

1 16

WRINKLES 1 1 7

visit to Norwich from any other part of the countywas of more account then than a run up to townis now

,and going to London meant weeks of

preparation and as much fuss as a j ourn ey toSouth Africa would involve to-day .

People used to int rude their relig ious beliefsupon all and sundry in a way that would neverbe tolerated at present , and it was no uncommonthing for a man of pronounced views to harangueany company in which he found himself . Iremember an occasion of this sort which had arather comical sequel . The then Earl of Corkwas a very pious person and extremely solicitousas to the future salvation of his fellow-men . One

day , finding himself in a crowded railway carriage ,

he seized the opportunity of improving the moment , and delivered a homily as earnest as it wasundesired , exhorting everyone immediately to setabout ensuring his happiness in a future life .

Presently one of the passengers , a man who hadbeen listening very attentively to all that Corksaid , arrived at his station . When he had gotout on the platform he turned round ,

and,leaning

through the carriage door , said :Thank you , sir . One good turn deserves

another . You’

ve put me up to a wrinkle in yourprofession , now let me give you one in return .

I’

m a hatter put a piece of blotting-paper insidethe lining of your hat

,and it will last twice as

long . Good-day .

”

As he walked off the occupants of the carriagebroke into a shout of laughter , and Cork haranguedus no more on that j ourney .

1 1 8 MY MEMORIES

I used to attend the House of Lords veryregularly , for though I never took an active partI was t remendously interested in politics . Between1 850 and 1 860 the most engrossing debates wereon the subj ect of the war in the Crimea , and theIndian Mutiny . How well I remember QueenVictoria making the first distribution of the Ordershe had instituted , when Her Majesty with herown hands pinned on sixty- two Victoria Crosses .

I am sure no cheering since has ever moved me

quite as much as that did , when the crowd seemedto roar with one voice , in which was mingled allits sorrow for the brave fellows who would neverreturn , and all its exultation in the glory of thepoor maimed heroes who were receiving theirrewards from the hands of their young Sovereign .

When General Windham 1 returned in 1 856, allNorfolk turned out to welcome the hero of theRedan . He left the train at a station beforeNorwich

,where the gentlemen of the county ,

hundreds of them ,all on horseback , had gathered

to meet him . I rode at their head , and we escortedhis carriage to the Guildhall for the presentationof the inevitable address . In the evening a banquetin his honour was given at St . Andrew

’

s Hall , theEarl of Albemarle presiding , attended by the

Norfolk offi cers of the Army and Navy who hadserved in the war .

Decorated with the many Clasps and medalshe had won in the Crimea , where he had been

S ir Charles Ash W indham ( 1 8 1 0- 1 876) was present at

Alma , Balaclava, Inkermann, and the storm ing of the R edan.

M .P . (Liberal) for E . Norfolk , 1 857 . Later was in the

Indian Mutiny.

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1 20 MY MEMORIES

But Walter was too quick for him , and ran himthrough the body , killing him with one thrust .Poor Walter ! He was a good comrade and a

gallant fellow , but he made rather a hash of thingsand was not very happy . When he died a fewmonths ago he left me the last of my father

’

sfamily . I was going to the House that day to voteagainst Home Rule had he known it I think hewould have waited a little longer just to let me

add one more to the maj ority .

My second brother , John , went into the Church ,

and after the manner of Clergymen he marriedand became the father of a large family . He wasRector of Gunton with Hanworth for a few years ,and then in 1 865 he became Chaplain of MordenCollege , Blackheath ,

founded by an ancestor ofours some two hundred years ago , and only re

signed in 1 892 when he was presented to the

Rectory of Southrepps . There he spent the lasttwo years of his life ,

and the living is now heldby my son-in- law , Sir Frederick Sullivan . John

’

sfavourite hobby was genealogy he loved workingout family histories , and I am sure that he musthave discovered lots of interesting things aboutours , but no one appears to have any of his notes ,and I suppose that they have all been lost . Inhis youth he was very proud of having a hardhead that nothing could affect , and at Cambridgeone night , after a big college dinner , to prove ithe drank off a whole bottle of port without stopping . Two of his sons were for years in myNorfolk Artillery ,

three of them were in the

Army , and did good work in the South African

POOH-POOHED REFORMS 1 21

war , and a sailor 5011 won several distinctions inthe Egyptian war .Harbord

,my youngest brother , familiarly known

as Bobby,acted as my land agent , and amused

himself generally without doing anything in part icular . He was not a very good business man ,

but a fine horseman , and devoted to sport . He

died in London in 1 894 .

It is curious to look back and recall the commotion made over many reforms pooh-poohed inthe days of my youth , but accomplished facts now.

We are always hearing , for instance , of thepalatial prisons that await our criminals whenI was a small boy my father was working hardto bring about better treatment for the unfor

tunate prisoners . He naturally began at home ,

for at that time the Norfolk Assizes were heldat Thetford ,

where the prison was real ly disgraceful . One oi the cells was a dungeon thirteenfeet below the surface of the ground , eighteenfeet six inches in length , nine feet odd in breadth ,

and eight and a half feet in height . Into thiscell upon one occasion no less than seventeenpeople were put to sleep , and the only air admitted was through a hole in the wall just twelveinches square . Even the turnkey , whose businessit was to open the door in the morning , ran backthe moment he had done so , owing to the ex

c essive stench that was emitted . When the

unfortunate people were removed to and fromNorwich and Thetford , they were carried incarts through towns and villages and exhibitedas sights— one shilling being charged to see

1 22 MY MEMORIES

convicts of the second and third degree ,and two

shillings or more for a condemned felon . Anotherevil he point ed out was that ten or more hourswere lost in conveying the condemned prisonersto the place of execution . It was , however , onlyowing to his increasing efforts , in the face ofopposition from everybody concerned , that it wasfinally determined to commence the new CountyGaol in Norwich , at the cost ofSunday trading was another measure in which

he took much interest , and in 1 834 , in presentinga petition to the House of Lords for the betterobservance of the Sabbath ,

he saidWe may , under Providence , remove c er

tain Obstacles and offer facilities in the path ofduty to those who are desirous to pursue it .

Whatever restraint , my Lords , we may think itright to impose Upon ourselves and upon ourfamilies

,I would by no means recommend undue

rest riction by law upon the lower orders of societyin the enj oyment of their innocent recreation .

What class is most benefited by the

Sabbath ? Surely those who are dep rived o f the

opportunity that day affords of devotion and rest ,and have no other ; while the higher orders , ortoo many of them ,

in the language of an eminentChristian now deceased , Do every thing on Sundaywhich they are in the habit of doing on all otherdays of the week ,

and on no other day of the

week do they do that which they ought to doon Sunday .

’ It was last year remarked that anaddress to His Maj esty was contemplated .

to pray that the Park gates might be Closed on

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1 24 MY MEMORIES

Perhaps one oi the most striking comparisonsbetween then and now is the different treatmentof and attitude towards women . Life of courseis and always will be more amusing for men thanfor women , but only we old people ,

who canremember days of long ago , can realise the amazingstrides that have been made towards equality ofthe sexes during the last century .

Women used to disguise their figures in hugecrinolines and hide their heads in huge bonnets ,but I do not know that they were really betterbehaved or more genuinely modest than now .

They loved to look on at executions , though theywould faint at the thought of a mouse , and therewas just the same disproportion in other matters .But we were all very prim and proper , at leastin appearance , and the smallest unconventionalitywas promptly paid for by the more or less severeostracism of the culprit .A man once told me that in his youth he had

regarded women as akin to angels , and requiringthe most delicate handling . We certainly treatedthem as precious things that had to be kept Carefully locked up at home , while we had calls thattook us afield and varied the monotony ; but Iam quite sure that although a greater amount ofsurface politeness may have been shown fifty orsixty years ago , i t was less than nothing compared to the real and solid advantages woman

’srecent emancipation has gained for her . I fmarriage is a t ie now ,

imagine what it was whenit meant that all power was vested in the husband ,and (h i t the wife had no say at all in the manage

CE C I LY ,LADY S U l-

‘

l’ l E LI )

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1 26 MY MEMORIES

it in such abhorrence that she would not evenpermit discussion of it in her presence— yet Her

Majesty was a firm believer in her own equalitywith man , so the attitude of the rest of the worldcan be easily conj ectured . The subject wastabooed , and touched upon only behind closeddoors , yet though the campaign was carried onvery decorously , almost by stealth ,

indeed , its supporters made sure if slow progress , until in 1 867

'

their Bill was thrown out by a maj ority of a hundred and ninety-Six to seventy- three . But theyhave gone gallantly on for forty- six years . Theirperseverance puts Bruce completely into the shadeOn the other hand , quite remarkable licence

was permitted to men in many ways , and thiswas probably the reason why the Queen

p

was soanxious that the Prince of Wales should not havemuch freedom or opportunity of mingling withthe youngsters of his own age . Even after thedeath of his father the Prince found but littleChance of amusing himself after the fashion ofhis own age ; he was always fully engaged inone way and another , either performing socialduties or away travelling on educational or diplomatic missions

, even after his marriage . Nevertheless, Her Maj esty allowed him very little ofher confidence or that of her Ministers and hehad to glean what he could of the nation s foreignpolicy from the Ambassadors of other countries ,though he was expected , with only the barestinformation

,to perform prodigies of policy

requiring really considerable knowledge . Happilythe Prince was possessed of a fund of natural

FREEMASONRY 1 27

tact and savoir faire that never deserted him ,

and he won even the cantankerous Bismarck byhis Charm of manner .The Prince

’s interest in Freemasonry was oneOf the links between us another was forged whenhe became Honorary Colonel Of my NorfolkArtillery . Like myself , he was a Freemason quiteearly in life , and perhaps the best proof he gaveof the impression the craft made upon him wasin permitting both his sons to follow his example .

In 1 876 His Royal Highness appointed me tothe vacant chair of the Province of Norfolk ,

aposition previously held for nine years by myhalf-brother ; and when in 1 895 the brethrenwere kind enough to celebrate the nineteenthanniversary of my becoming P .G.M. by havinga marble bust in my likeness made for the GrandLodge , he came down to Norwich on purpose topresent it . His Royal Highness was alwaysparticularly kind , too , in assisting at the ceremonies that took place during my presidency ;it was he who , with full masonic honours , laidthe first stone of the Yarmouth Hospital in 1 887 ,

for instance , and indeed he never missed anopportunity of showing his interest in the craft .In 1 890, finding that I was no longer able togive sufficient time and attention to my dutiesas Grand Master , I appointed Mr . Hamon le

Strange my Deputy , but in 1 896 I felt compelledto resign altogether , and the Prince agreed withme that no one was better fitted to succeed me

than Mr . le Strange I wrote to him to thiseffect , and in reply had the following kind letter

1 28 MY MEMORIES

Hunstanton Hall , Norfolk,26th Dec . , 1 896.

MY DEAR SUFFI E LD ,

Your letter of Christmas Eve ,which only

reached me to-day , is very gratifying , and at thesame time saddening to me I do not at all liketo think of your giving up the office which youhave held so long and are still able , I believe ,with a little assistance from your Deputy , to goon filling to the satisfaction of everybody for a

long time to come . I really think that it isgreatly to the advantage of the Province to havea man in your position at the head , and as longas you will remain there I am only too wi llingto continue to do all I can to relieve you of theactual work . Do pray consider whether it is nOtpossible for you to carry on as at present—allof us being contented with the position .

Should it , however , on reconsideration be areal kindness to you to be relieved of your functions

,I wish to say that I am deeply sensible of

the honour which H .R .H . the Grand Master proposes to confer on me by appointing me in yourplace , and I should be proud to accept the office ,i f there is no one better adapted for it ; buteven here I venture to suggest that in my opinionFrank Boileau would be a better appointment ;he is a keen Mason and lives near Norwich , sohe is readi ly available ; he is alreadyfor East Anglia in the Mark Degree and Sub-Priorfor the province in the Temple Degree I shouldbe quite willing to go as his Deputy if it werethought well to offer the higher post to him , and

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1 36 MY MEMORIES

I am sorry to hear that your Christmas isspoiled by an attack of gout I may at all eventswish you a Happy New Year , in which desireRoland and Agneta as well as Mrs . Le Strangemost heartily j oin .

Believe me always , sincerely yours ,HAMON LE STRANGE .

This letter and a subsequent talk with the

Prince and Le Strange induced me to retain theofli c e for a year and a half longer . I resignedfinally in 1 898 , when the Prince appointed myold friend in my stead .

Being at Court meant being constantly inLondon , and at first we used to stay with mymother-in- law , Mrs . Baring , who had a largehouse in Berkeley Square . But as our familygrew up ,

the governesses and all the rest of itnecessitated so much room that we soon felt wemust have a place of our own , and we took a housein Upper Grosvenor Street .Few of this generation realise what blessings

the telephone and messenger boys are , and howmuch time and trouble they save . There wasnot the same wide choice of shops , either , and itwas not possible to find the entire furnishingand furbishing of a house ,

from sanitary arrangements to works of art , under one roof , so thatfinding a suitable abode and having it put inorder and readiness was quite a big and lengthybusiness , and I was glad when it was at lastfinished and we could settle down .

In spite of my great friendship with the Prince

QUEEN VICTORIA 1 3 1

I was not a little surprised when one day in 1 872

Queen Victoria , to whom I had been Lord-in

Waiting for about four years , sent for me andtold me that the Prince had asked her to let me

go to him . I had been about with him a greatdeal , even while I was attached to Her Majesty ,but I never had any idea that he thought ofasking for me , and although I liked being withthe Queen I was very naturally pleased at sucha compliment and delighted to be officially at

tached to His Royal Highness , for whom evenin those early days I cared more deeply andsincerely than for any man I have ever known .

Her Maj esty had always been exceedingly kindto me ,

and I believe the dear lady really likedme , for she looked quite sad , and even had tearsin her eyes when she told me .

“ My son has asked for you , Her Majestysaid to me ,

“ and you know I cannot refuse himanything .

”

Of course there was nothing I could say , evenhad I wanted to , so I simply kissed her hand andwent away .

I have heard people call Queen Victoria narrowminded , but this was far from being the truth .

Her Majesty had too keen a sense of humour forthat . She was well aware , too , of the sad factthat the naughtiest people are often the mostamusing , and perhaps for this reason Her Maj estyretained certain ladies about the Court who werevery much in Mrs . Grundy

’s black books . Nevertheless, the Queen tenaciously upheld the dignityof her rank , and expected all who were in similar

1 32 MY MEMORIES

positions to regard their state with equal respect .She would rather have seen royalties a littlestiff with over-courtesy than in ever so smalla degree lowering their maj esty . Consequentlyshe was sometimes accused of being strait- lacedwhen in reality she was S imply impatient of whatseemed to her conduct unbecoming to persons ofhigh rank . At Windsor the Queen always dinedat a round table I dined with her there hundredsof times , and it always interested me to see how ,

with just a comment now and then , Her Maj estywould make everybody else talk while she listened .

She used to listen well , too ; little escaped her ,and she always heard all that was said , no matterhow many persons were talking at once .

Needl ess to say , I was always very happy withthe Prince . I am sure he gave me more of hisconfidence than anyone else on earth . He alwaystrusted me implicitly , and he often asked myOpinion and consulted me about little difficultiesthat sometimes cropped up . For nearly fortyyears we were constantly together , and in allthat time he never said one cross word to me ,

nor an unkind one , although I often spoke veryplainly if anything happened of which I did notapprove . But he never minded anything I said ,and he never forgot a friend , nor refused anycourtesy it was in his power to grant . One

peculiarity of his was that he never told funnystories and never spoke of people , at all eventsin company

,but I do not remember his ever

saying anyt hing about anybody . A very goodrule this , especially for a man in his position .

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1 34 MY MEMORIES

of great moment always struck me as trulyfunny .

Everyone connected with a Court is alwayssubjected to a constant stream of similar appli

cations ; there is no evading it , though it addsimmeasurably to the diffi culties of life . One hatesto refuse a kindness or ignore an appeal , yet theopportunities of acceding to such requests are

almost negligible . No one can speak with betterknowledge of such things than I , for during mylong service I was constantly badgered by allsorts of people to use my influence on theiraccount . Some of the most amazing propositionswere from the last people one might have expectedto make them . One man ,

who wanted a peerage ,

tried to bribe me by offering to build a sea-wallround Overstrand and Cromer if I would persuadethe Queen to honour him . Perhaps it would havebeen the right thing to go to the Queen withthe offer , since Her Majesty ,

after all , was moredeeply concerned in the fact that the sea wasmaking inroads on her kingdom even than the

owners of the land affected . She might havethought so great a boon as a sea -wall very cheapat the price , although in her days wealth wasnot quite so powerful as now , and merit was adegree in advance of money in obtaining honours .

In fact, the suggestion might have resulted , by

a judicious creation of sea-wall peers , in surrounding the kingdom with a gi rdle of protectionfrom the waves ! I did not , however , considerit in that light at the time .

Another man offered me to induce the

SEA-WALL PEERS 1 33

Queen to grant him a peerage ,and n fact I was

constantly approached with requests of the samenature . But I should not have been so happyas I was with their Majesties for all the yearsI was with them had I worried them for

favours .

CHAPTER VIII

SPORT AND SPORTSMEN

F my last two Chapters convey the ideathat life for me was all earnest anddevoted to good works , I must hasten

to dispel any such impression . Work I did indeed ,but it was all too full of interest , and most ofit too thoroughly congenial , to make me at anytime feel that I was really an important cog inthe country

’s machinery . I hope that it is notimpossible for valuable service to be synonymouswith j oie de vivre, but the world apparently thinksthat if a man is not grinding away at daily drudgery he is only a useless butterfly . Well ,

'

I havebrought about no big reforms , I have done nobrilliant soldiering , I cannot lay claim to anyworks of art but if there is any merit in doingthe duty that lies close at hand , and in makinglife a little brighter for others by spending timeand money and finding enj oyment myself in thesimple things of every day , then perhaps I haveacquired as much as the dour pessimists who onlyrecogn ise work when it wears a sombre dress .Very soon after my marriage the Norfolk

hunting people asked me to re-establish the oldkennels at Gunton ,

and I did so with houndsI bought from various kennels “and called the

West Norfolk . First they were harriers , then staghounds

,and eventually foxhounds . I kept part

1 36

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NOT EASILY TIRED 1 37

of the pack at Gunton , and part at Dereham ,

where kennels were specially built for me byLord Hastings . I also had kennels at DownhamMarket . By means of these two packs I huntedthe whole Of the county , from Cromer to Lynn ,

including the Sandringham coverts , which did notthen belong to the Prince of Wales , and fromLynn to North Walsham , taking the houndswherever I was asked . It has never been donebefore nor S ince , and I do not expect it will everbe done again .

In those days I did not easily tire , and I oftenrode thirty miles to covert many a day I haveridden sixty or seventy miles to and from covertonly . I had horses stabled all over the county ;it generally took three hacks to do the distancebetween Gunton and Lynn . It was all rightunless , as sometimes happened , there was a sti fffrost , when I had to walk my horse the wholeway home , sometimes getting there at two or

three in the morning . Occasionally I stopped thenight at Melton Constable with Lord Hastings ,and took my hounds home next morning . The

county East of Norwich I did not often hunt , asit was barren of foxes , and is very wet .

The Prince of Wales hunted with us very oftenin his earlier days hunting was quite his favouritepastime . The horse he always went best on wasnamed Paddy , a chestnut , bought for him bySir Nigel Kingscote from Lord Grosvenor . Myown favourite was a white thoroughbred calledSt . Lawrence . I hunted him for many years

,

both in Norfolk and in Northamptonshire with

1 38 MY MEMORIES

the Pyt chley . I was riding him once with the

Duhal low , the first time I had ever been out withthem . St . Lawrence headed the field , far inadvance of the regular hunt , and much to theirannoyance , as they chose to believe that thecountry was only really negotiable to peopleborn and bred near Cork . Afterwards I was toldthat one fellow called out in desperation to afriendFor God

’

s sake ,Mike , ride at that man with

the beard .

But if he did he did not catch me St . Lawrencewas not a horse easy to beat .

I was lucky in not having many accidents ,though I broke my collar-bone several times .Once in Ireland a branch of a tree broke it , butI was enj oying the hunt too much to let that stopme , and I went on riding all day ,

nevertheless .

I generally sent out two stags, leaving one totake care of itself , and later on drawing for itwhen I heard of its whereabouts . The ordinaryred coat was worn by those who hunted with me ,

and by my two whips . I cannot remember if wehad a distinguishing collar , but I think not . Iwas my own huntsman . It is a long time agonow

,but I distinctly remember one extraordinary

run .

The stag had been roaming about East Norfolkfor a long time ,

and had great horns , which are , of

course ,always sawn off during the hunting season .

I found him one day in the woods at Westwick ,where old Mr . Petre never allowed him to be disturbed . He was off before we had begun to draw

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1 40 MY MEMORIES

ample banquet which was provided . A littlebefore twelve the hounds were brought out

,and

Mr . Harbord took them to the place where thestag had been uncart ed some time previously .

A peal of music burst from the pack , and they wereoff

,followed by two hundred and fifty horsemen .

The first j ump out of the lawn was got over withoutany accident , and away went the hounds , at akilling pace , to the further end of Walton Common .

Here a momentary check took place , and the

dozen sport smen who were up had just time todismount and tighten the girths ere the houndsstart ed Off again on the scent . Pentney Commonwas next passed , and some uncomfort able boggymeadows then across the Lynn road at Billneystation down to the fields , where a large drainstopped the foremost riders , till the gatheringcrowd on the opposite side became quite dense .

Some rails were pulled down , and the field followedin a long string into the Lynn road , when , afterabout two miles of roadwork and two or threefences , the deer was captured at East Winch aftera run of forty-eight minutes .

Again : On February 1 2th the meet was atMr . Henry Birkbeck

’s , Stoke Holy Cross , where ,

notwithstanding the unpropitious state of theweather , nearly a hundred sportsmen assembled ,and after justice had been done to his well- knownand splendid hospitality , the deer (from Mulbarton ) was uncarted in a field at the back of theHall . The usual law being gi ven , the hounds werelaid on

,and away they went at a rattling pace

through the lowlands of Stoke , the fencing of

MOTHER EARTH 1 4 1

which was found to be both wide and deep .

Onward they went , through the ground of Messrs .G . B . L . Knight , and William Jex of Framlingham ,

and here a short check enabled the field in morerespects than one to collect their scattered sensesbut forward was the cry , and away went the houndsproperly denominated flyers,

’

through Poringland , touching on Kirby ,

to Bixley Park , and Mr .Culling ’s farm . The time up to this point wasthirty-five minutes , and the pace most severe .

Onward went the chase through Bixley , Trowse ,

to Crown Point (General Money’s) , straight down

to the river , which the stag crossed to Thorpe ,

and pursued the even tenor of his way throughSir William Fisher

’s plantation towards Plumstead ,over the old race-course via Sprowston . Afterhanging on the confines of the land of OsborneSpringfield , Esq . , at Catton ,

he turned his faceto the ancient City of Norwich , where he wastaken after a capital run of S ixty-eight minutes .

The writer of this account added It is onlyj ust to say that all who have been fortunateenough to witness the doings of the Gunton staghounds during the season are highly gratified withthe kind-hearted courtesy displayed by the Hon .

Harbord Harbord,and the anxiety evinced by him

to carry out the views and wishes of his brother ,Lord Suffield , by showing all possible sport withthis celebrated pack of hounds .

”

I had a whipper-in named John Atkinson , avery fine horseman and a most excellent fellowin every way . Later on , after I had turned thestaghounds into foxhounds , I kept him on in the

1 42 MY MEMORIES

same capacity . From the time I gave up staghounds there were none in Norfolk for abouteighteen years , but there were several packs ofharriers , and my own two packs of foxhounds werehunting in the northern and western parts of thecounty , while Sir Edward Kerrison was huntingon the southern side . A good run with the NorthWalsham Harriers under my brother Bobby

(Harbord) is recorded by the Norwich M ercuryof April roth , 1 858

The North Walsham Harriers met , for thelast time this season , on Tuesday last , at the MarketCross , North Walsham . Trotting off to Antingham Hall they found a bountiful lunch provided byMr . Henry Wright . At twelve O

’clock a fine stag ,presented to the Hunt by Lord Suffield , was

uncarted in a field adj oining . He went away insUch style as to make it evident that he was notsoon to be taken . The weather being cold anddry , the hounds were quickly laid on . He firstmade for North Walsham , skirting the town andcrossing the Norwich turnpike to Worstead ,running at a rattling pace through all those smallenclosures where the steep and narrow bankscaused many to scrape acquaintance with MotherEarth . In a plantation at

,Worstead occurred thefir st Check , after a severe burst of six miles withscarcely a mile of roadwork . The field was nosooner up than the scent was again hit off .Hark to Barmaid ! The Hounds are again

rattling away,crossing the White Horse common ,

in the direction ofWitton Woods . Here was ratherugly jumping—not a few stopping to enj oy the

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1 44 MY MEMORIES

condition and management of the hounds throughout , and long may he be spared to afford the

neighbourhood a continuation of such excellentsport .” 1

Of course I hunted a good deal in other partsas well , especially in Northamptonshire ,

wherefor some years I hired Harleston House from myold friend Lord Spencer , whose own place , Althorp ,

was only divided from it by a wall . His halfbrother asked me the other day if I remembereddriving , full gallop , four hunters from WhyteMelvi lle

’

s house at Houghton ,and Of course I do ,

very well for it was by no means an uncommonoccurrenceI was often asked to take over the Pytchley

myself, but I never did , though I greatly enj oyedhunting with them . Poor Whyte Melville usedalways to come with us , and when I was atHarleston he generally came home with me todine ,

leaving , I am afraid , his poor lady to fumeby herself at Houghton .

He was a fine horseman and an excellent judgeof a horse . He used to buy young ones , and whenthey turned out well he was so modest about itthat anyone might have supposed luck rather thangood management had guided his purchase . Nevertheless, he often rode very poor horses , and Ibelieve it was on purpose to keep behind so thathe could describe the hunt better in his books .

He was such a good fellow that he was capableeven of that self-sacrifi c e for his art . Laterhe lived at Titbury and hunted with the V .W.H .

1 Deer Hunting in Norfolk, by Lt .-Col . Harvey.

RATHER RECKLESS 1 45

(Vale of White Horse) , and , as everybody knows ,one day when cantering over a ploughed fieldhis horse put his forelegs into a narrow drainand threw poor Melville on to his head , killinghim on the spot . 1

Dighton Probyn and I once determined to tryto negotiate the great brook at Whissendine ; Imanaged to get over , but Probyn did not , thoughhe is one of the finest horsemen I ever met . Butthe Whissendine is an obstacle few attempt .People somehow had a very flattering opinion

of my riding , and all sorts of nice things havebeen said about my hands and seat that I can onlyhope I deserved . They followed me , too ratherrecklessly sometimes , for my riding was born ,

”

not made , and few had had the same amount ofexperience over all sorts of country . There wasone woman who invariably followed like myshadow , keeping Close behind me , no matter whereI went . I do not know who she was , for as shewas not beautiful I fear I was not sufficientlyinterested to ask

,but she must have been a pretty

good horsewoman ,for She never came to grief ,

although I did not consider her when practising ,”

as my old friend Lord Ribblesdale says I did ,the art of galloping like steam between fences ,and jumping the place almost from a stand .

”

For a short time I had a few race-horses , andbred as well as ran them ,

but I soon had to giveup even the luxury of a small stud , for every pennythat could be spared had to be spent on the

property .

‘ December sth, 1 878.

1 46 MY MEMORIES

Cricket was another of our favourite amusements . My father , chiefly with the idea ofbringing the young men in the county into friendlyrelations that would prevent party differences ,had started a cricket Club in 1 827 , of which hewas the president . Every year during his reignat Gunton the cricketers had a fi le there , andafter the first this quickly developed into a sortof public sports meeting , with all kinds of gamesfor the entertainment of the humbler people ,such as foot-racing , diving into bowls of flourfor money , running in sacks , and so on . The twoor three days ’ féte always Closed with a big dinnerand ball , at which most of the gentle-people of thecounty were present . I did not follow his exampleto quite the same extent , but I built a cricketpavil ion close to the big lake near the house , andwe played many an exciting match in the park .

For a long while I was president of the CountyCricket Club , and the following kindly littleacknowledgment gave me great pleasure someyears ago .

Cley-next-the-Sea , Norfolk,

Aug . 25th, 1 888 .

DEAR LORD SUFFIELD ,

I hoped someone more prominent sociallythan myself would have seen and thanked youat the Veterans ’ Match luncheon for yourgenerous treatment of the Gunton Cricket Club inyour beautiful park .

For the last thirty years it has always refreshedme exceedingly to enj oy the noble game under such

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WHEN MOTORS WERE UNKNOWN 1 47

pleasant surroundings , and many like myself ,fast becoming laudatores temporis acti , cannotfail to have pleasant reminiscences of old timeswhen Lubbock never lost a match if he couldin any way help it I have long found fame andwealth to be bubbles ,

”but health remains , and I

could not help placing on record my appreciationof your beautiful park and your kindly interestin our sport and general welfare. Allow me toremain ,

Yours faithfully ,W . SUMPETER , MD.

I loved coaching , too , and it was not an expen

sive hobby in my case , because I used to drive myhunters when the season was over . It kept themin good fettle and afforded us an immense amountof enjoyment . It was , in fact , for years the onlymeans we had of visiting our distant neighbours

,

in those days when railways were scarce and motorsunknown .

One cannot help wondering now what wouldbe said by the people who lived two hundred yearsago

,i f they could see how we get about . In 1 772

a man named John Cresset , of the Chart erhouse ,wrote a pamphlet urging the total suppressionof stage- coaches , although at the time there wereonly six in the kingdom . Among several othergrave reasons for abolishing them was the

followingThese stage-coaches make gentlemen come up

to London on very small occasion , which otherwise they would not do but upon urgent necessity

1 48 MY MEMORIES

nay , the convenience of the passage makes theirWives often come up , who , rather than comesuch long distances on horseback ,

would stayat home . Then when they come they mustpresently be in the mode , get fine c lothes , go toplays and treats , and by these means , get intosuch a habit of idleness and love of pleasure asmakes them uneasy ever after .It is difficult now to realise that rather less than

a century ago mail-coaches were known andadvert ised as flying

-machines because theytore along at the reckless pace of twelve milesan hour , a speed at that time considered veryremarkable .

The only obj ection I had to driving in Norfolkwas that there was not sufficient risk about it tomake i t exciting . Our roads were almost toogood

,and adventurous j ourneys with precipitous

hil ls and dangerous curves are almost necessaryto the thorough enj oyment of a jehu . Butsometimes there were difficult horses to manage ,which added a little spice to the occasion .

I could always make anything on four legs go ,once I had it in harness , and I used to amuse myselfby putting together a scratch team of any horsesthat were available . Lord William Lennox hasdescribed one of these drives so Well that I cannotdo better than give i t in his own words , thoughI must beg pardon for including his complimentaryallusions to myself :Lord Suffield was the quickest and smartest

coachman I ever sat on a box with , and I shallnever forget a j ourney I took with him to New

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1 50 MY MEMORIES

that from henceforth she took kindly to her

work .

” 1

My most thrilling moments on the coach werewhen the Princess of Wales was driving . Her

Royal Highness was an excellent whip , and wouldoften insist on taking my place when I went overto drive the Prince and herself to Gunton . Thenindeed I used to feel a little nervous . Things oftenhappen when least desired , and though a brokentrace or a loose pin ,

a bolting horse or anythingelse might have occurred just as easily when I wasdriving , somehow the very fact of holding thereins gives one confidence . The responsibilitywas tremendous , and I was always very glad whenthe Princess preferred enj oying the scenery andallowed me to do the work .

There is no county in England like Norfolk forgame of all sorts , and we kept up the Guntonrecords very fairly— almost , i f not quite , equallingthose of my father

’s time .

He used to shoot on the battue system , and alwayscommenced on the 1 4th of November . Therewere two battues a week , so arranged that the samecover was never beaten more than twice in one

year , and he changed his company at each battue,generally limiting the number to nine guns . One

of the mild after-dinner amusements of his daywas to hold a sweepstake as to the day

’

s sport ,each gun stating the quantity and description of hisbag . Then one shilling per head was collected , eachone guessed a total , and the person whose number

was nearest the correct one took the stakes .

Coaching , by Lord W ill iam Lennox .

GAMEEAT GUNTON 1 51

An idea of the game reared in those days maybe gathered from the following table giving thenumbers shot during the years 1 822 to 1 833

Date. Head. Date. Head.

1 822 1 828

I 823 1 8291 824 1 830

1 825 1 83 1

1 826 1 832

I SZ7 3 9 91 1 833

Of the relative species some idea may be formedfrom the enumeration of the year 1 822, whenseven hundred and sixty—two hares were ki lled ,fourteen hundred and seventeen pheasants , twelvehundred and ninety-one partridges , five hundredand twenty- six rabbits , forty-eight woodcocks ,and forty- two snipe . The apparent reduction in1 830 arises from no record being kept of what waskilled by the keepers in that year . The numberof pheasants killed in a single battue being fromtwenty to two hundred and eleven , of rabbitsthe highest account in one day is two hundred andtwenty , falling to eight guns . T . W . Coke andColonel Anson shot on the 22nd November , 1 826,one hundred and six partridges , and on the28th one hundred . On the 2nd November, 1 834 ,

my father , my two half-brothers , and two of theirfriends shot one hundred and seventy-four partridges.

1

My father was an excellent shot , and generallyat the head of the day in the battues, both at homeand abroad , a distinction he liked to preserve .

Memoir of E dward Lord Sufi eld.

1 32 MY MEMORIES

On the 7th December , 1 822 , Mr . (afterwards SirWilliam) Cooke , made a bet with him that he wouldkill more game to pointers than my father wouldto retrievers . Mr . Cooke had two pointers , myfather three retrievers . They started at halfpast eleven . Neither lost a bird . Mr . Cookekilled twenty-nine partridges , my father forty-six .

The estate was generally said to be eatenup with game , but the average number killedamounted to three thousand two hundred ; if thenumber left be admitted as equal to the numberkilled , this makes a total of six thousand fourhundred reared , which , upon an estate of fifteenthousand acres , gives not one head of all thespecies included in every two acres .We followed my father

’s methods , as a rule ,especially in regard to rearing and the preservation of the game , and we always had a plentifulsupply , exceeded , I think , only by that of Holkham .

The game there was simply phenomenal in quantity : during one shoot in 1 866 the Prince andPrincess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh ,

who had been staying with us , Were guests at thesame house-party , when two tons were sent up toLeadenhall Market as the result of a few days

’

sport .Their Royal Highnesses were often at Gunton

for the Shooting , and we were perhaps even morefrequently at Sandringham House , both then andin later years , after I gave Gunton over to myson .

The Prince ’s first visit with the Princess was inDecember 1 865 ,

when we stayed for five or six

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1 34 MY MEMORIES

and Colonel Keppel were the guns , and we goteight hundred and twelve brace of partridge .

I II 1 870, as some alterations were being madeat Sandringham , I placed Gunton at the disposalof His Royal Highness , and while we were awayyachting in the Mediterranean the Prince andPrincess stayed there with their children and suite .

Their relays of guests during the five weeks of theirvisit included the Duke of Cambridge , Prince andPrincess Christian , the Duke and Duchess of

Manchester , the Marquess of Beaumont , the Earland Countess de Grey , Lord Blandford , LordCarringt on , Colonel Sykes , and a host of others .Admiral Keppel was also a member of the houseparty , and some of the remarks he made in hisdiary on the occasion are amusing as well asilluminating .

Though like everyone else a fervent admirer ofthe Princess , he did nOt like the new fashion inwhich she had dressed her hair . He was a keen observer and very critical . He describes his visits andthe company with frankness and exactitude thus :Gunton Park , j an . I st, 1 869 .

—In compliancewith the kind invitation from the Princess ofWales I found myself at Gunton Park . The

Princess as charming as ever , but not improvedby the new fashion of hairdressing . Took Her

Royal Highness in to dinner . Whist afterwards .

”

j anuary zud. Arrangements are verypleasant . A cup of t ea and slices of bread andbutter on being called . Breakfast when you likeat small tables . Church within a hundred yardssinging good and sermon short . The young

ADMIRAL KEPPEL ’S DIARY 1 55

Princes , Edward and George , dined while we

lunched . Informed the Princess that I was writingto the Duke of Edinburgh . Was sent for into thePrincess of Wales

’ boudoir , the Royal Childrenromping while the Princess carried the baby . The

Prince was there . Altogether a charming picture .

January 3rd—I t was p m . before the

fresh company arrived . On going into the drawing-room the most conspicuous and handsome (thePrincess had not come down) was the Duchess ofManchester , with seven rows of pearls round herneck , scarcely whiter than the fair neck they wereon . Old Lady Ailesbury , as young as ever , thesame flaxen hair , frizzed out . Lady de Greylooking piquant . They all went into the shadewhen the Princess put in an appearance . Amongthe men His Royal Highness , the Duke of Cambridge , but little altered , Lord de Grey , LordHarrington , the Duke of Manchester , Lord Huntingfield , Jim Macdonald with his silky whitehair , young Lord Dupplin , Oliver Montagu ,

grownout of all remembrance ,

and young Knollys . We

were twenty to dinner .

j anuary 4th.

—The Royal brake and anotheropen carriage took us to the shooting ground ,where we had driving partridges until luncheon .

which was hot and good,in a farmhouse ; after

that covert Shooting . The Princess and ladiescame out after luncheon .

j anuary 5th.

—Rainy and dull mor ning muchchaffing and good- temper among the ladies . LadyAilesbury in distress for a newspaper , whichyoung Oliver Montagu provided on condition of a

1 36 MY MEMORIES

kiss . The good-natured Prince seeing me in anew greatcoat , made me take his and save my own .

Luncheon in a farmhouse . The following dayswere passed in the same happy manner

“

January 1 oth.

-With the rest of companytook my departure . A happy visit not to beforgotten , for many reasons .

” 1

Whilst at Gunton the Prince and Princess gavea ball which was attended by most of the leadingNorfolk families , there being altogether about ahundred guests present , and dancing went onuntil three in the morning . They were veryfortunate in the weather until the last week , whenit snowed heavily , and froze so hard that manyof the party on taking their departure travelledto Norwich in sleighs .

In December of the year 1 870 the Prince wasagain my guest , when we had some good sport ,the bag on the best day numbering one thousandthree hundred and seventy head , being eighthundred and seventeen pheasants and four hundre dand eighty- eight hares . The guns included LordFolkestone ,

Sir C . Wombwell , the Hon . H . Chaplin,

Captain Johnstone , and Lord Gilmour .He came in 1 876for one day only , when the bag

was one hundred and forty-five hares and sevenhundred and seventy- four pheasants , the gunsbeing His Royal Highness , Lords Skelmersdale ,Hardwicke , Gosford , Lewisham , Calthorpe , Carrington

,Count R edern , Colonel 0. Williams , Mr .

Johnstone , and myself.

A Sailor’

sLife under Two Sovereigns, by Admiral Sir H .

Keppel .

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CHAPTER IX

To INDIA WITH THE PRINCE

T occurred to Disraeli in 1 875 that the

Prince ought to pay a visit to India .

Queen Victoria , always very much afraidof harm coming to her son and heir , was not atall enthusiastic about the Suggestion ; and asIndia was not j ust then in a very settled state ,perhaps Her Majesty

’

s fears were not withoutfoundation . Motives of policy prevailed

,however ,

and it was arranged that We should go in the

autumn .

I had never been away from home for any lengthof time , and , when the last day came , partingfrom my people for six months was a real wrench .

On the eve of departure I had to spend a wholeday laying the first stone of the Aquarium atYarmouth . I really felt quite resentful at beingdragged away at such a moment , and I am surethat my speeches at the ceremony , and at theluncheon afterwards in the Town Hall , were farfrom entertaining .

I had said good-bye to the children beforeleaving Gunton , but my dear lady came up totown to see the last of me , and Assheton came fromEton to spend the last day , a Sunday . WithCharlie ,

my eldest son , we all went to church ,

and dined together at home , which had neverseemed sweeter than then .

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160 MY MEMORIES

Castilia , and with us to Calais , where we had supperon board . Then came the bidding farewell to thePrincess , which was too much for the Prince andfor her , and indeed for all of us .The Princess took me into the cabin and told

me that she gave the Prince into my care ,trusting

me to look after him and never leave him . Her

Royal Highness was weeping , and I was unableto reply save by kissing her hand . But I neverdid leave him except once when I was ill , and onone or two occasions when he himself sent me Off

somewhere . I went with him everywhere , satbeside him ready to get before him should anyattempt be made on his life , and I watched overhim at night , often never going to bed at all , whenthere seemed the slightest danger of anything

'

or

anyone attacking him .

But all this was st i ll in the future . That night,

the affecting parting over at last , we got into thetrain for Paris , and I travelled in a saloon with thePrince ,

Sutherland , and Aylesford . We arrivedearly in the morning , and after breakfast at theBristol , where we stayed , as usual , the Prince andI set off to visit the Orleans Princes . They wereall in Paris

,but we found. only the Duc d

’

Aumale .

The Prince was in extremely low spirits all day,

and so,indeed , we all were nor did a visit to the

theatre in the evening Cheer us up ,for none of us

were in the mood to enj oy a play . Next day wevisited the President , Marshal MacMahon ,

whomI had not seen before I thought him a soldierlike man , with nothing otherwise remarkable abouthim . Then we breakfasted with the Standishes ,

A CONSIDERATE K ING 161

who had Madame Gallifet and Madame Tolstoi ,the Russian ,

to meet the Prince , and very livelyand gay it was . Afterwards we did a little shopping

,and the Prince gave me a ring for my neck

handkerchief . We all dined together again atthe hotel , with Lord Lyons , Villebois , Dolgorouki ,Teesdale , and others , and then went off to thestation

, where a number of friends had collectedto bid us farewell .Everywhere we stopped great demonstrations

of welcome were made , and at most places thePrince had to receive a prefect and other officials .The King of Italy was at Turin ; he very considerately sent to say he would not disturb thePrince ,

but he saw Paget , and gave him civilmessages . On the 16th we arrived at Brindisi ,where we found Maffei with other friends and ourown advance party awaiting us .Sutherland had not been at Brindisi since 1 868 ,

when the people gave him a great reception ,calling

him l’

amz’

co dz’

Garibaldi ,” and he was much

interested to see how greatly the harbour wasimproved by the new works which had then beenin process of building .

The S erapz'

s, the splendid ship which was to beour home for six months

,and the Osborne were in

fine order , and it was not long before we gotunder way . We steamed grandly out in the teethof an opposing gale which speedilygaffec tedfrt heequanimity of most of us , and I was the onlymember of the household able to come to dinner .The multitudinous servants were all ill , of courseeven my black man , Beem ,

who had travelledM

162 MY MEMORIES

from England in the ship , had not got used to it ,and was quite incapable . Very few came tobreakfast next day , but by noon , one by one ,

everybody had appeared . The sea grew calm,

all came to dinner and in the mild breezes of adelightful night we enj oyed the band ’s very prettyand well-played music .

I received orders from E .R .H . to assume thesame position as I held at Vienna with him

,viz . ,

Chief of his Household . It was a big responsibility,

for the party was very large , but as we all knew one

another I felt sure we would get on very wel ltogether with ordinary care and so we did , thetour being remarkably free from difficulties ofany description ,

though it was sometimes necessaryto exercise a good deal of tact to keep everybodyin a good humour .Early on October 1 8th we let go our anchor in

the harbour of the Piraeus , after what was , on thewhole , a delightful passage . Unfortunately , bothour cables part ed and we lost , temporarily ,

boththe anchors . The accident was very near beingdisastrous

,for there was a strong Wind blowing

across the harbour and we drifted into proximityof the Osborne and one of our own ironclads .

We brought up in a very masterly manner beforewe had done any damage , however , though wetook the bowsprit off a steam yacht belonging tothe King of Greece .

The King came on board as soon as we weremoored ,

and shortly afterwards Sutherland and

I accompanied His Majesty and the Prince ashorein the Royal barge . We drove first to the station

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164 MY MEMORIES

panied us on b oard , where we had about fifty

guests for luncheon . Before leaving the palacethe King gave Sutherland and me the GrandCordon of the Saviour , and decorated the otherswith lower classes . He also gave the Grand Cordonto Sir Bartle Frere after he came on board . The

King had his yacht under way with orders tosteam in our company , and he and the Queen camewith us as far as the island of St . George ,

wherewe stopped the engines . The Osborne lightedship and let off fireworks abreast of us the nightbeing very dark the effect was extraordinarilypretty , the deep blue of the sea being strangelylighted up with the varying colours , while the

surface was as smooth as glass .

At last it came to good-night . The Prince tookthe King and Queen on board , the S emj n

'

s lightedship

, the men cheered to their hearts content , andso we said farewell to Europe in very novel andmoving circumstances .Two days later we arrived at Port Said . Three

sons of the Khedive came on board , also theEnglishConsul

,General Stanton . With all the saluting

from our ships of war and Egyptian ships therewas great noise , heat , and confusion , till we goton board the Osborne for Ismailia and started downthe Canal , the Khedive

’s sons preceding us . The

train from Ismailia took us to Cairo , where theKhedive and the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia met

and took us to the Ghezireh palace , which wasoriginally built for the reception of the FrenchEmpress , and all furnished from the French E xhibit ion of 1 867 .

FLOWERY AND POETICAL 165

I had a suite of three magnificent rooms , andwe were all very well put up , but the mosquitoesbothered us a lot all night , notwithstanding thecurtains .

On Sunday Duckworth performed service in thepalace ,

and afterwards we paid visits , all in grandetenne

,and feeling the heat a good deal . Next

day,after early breakfast , the Prince received

Count and Countess Daunarkjold before holdingthe investiture of the Star of India . Everythingwas very dignified and proper , and Prince Tewfikseemed much gratified by the honour conferredupon him . We then did the bazar , the

Pyramids , and other sights , afterwards dining atthe Pyramids , which were brilliantly illuminated ,

and witnessing a hideous nantehfi fortunately notlong , for the women were very ugly . Then wedrove home to dress and go to the theatre .

When the Khedive came to say good-bye nextday he decorated us all . To me he gave the GrandCordon of the Medjideh and made a final speechwhich was so flowery and poetical that I wrote downafterwards as much as I could remember . He gavethe Grand Cordon to Sutherland and Frere too ,but omitted the speech , so that I felt dou blyhonoured ! His sons and a ttaches then ac c om

panied us to Suez , where we all very gladly em

barked again .

Charlie Beresford was i ll next day with a touchof sunstroke through going about without his hat

,

but he was all right by the time we reached Aden .

On the 3 I st the wind was so strong that we coul dnot have general service as ordered . Poor

166 MY MEMORIES

Duckworth was rather sick , and afraid he wouldbe unable to hold any service at all ; but he did ,in the saloon , very pluckily . All the awnings weretaken down in the expectation of a nasty night .The servants were all ill , as usual . We might havegot into Aden by but preferred arrivingin daylight , so we signalled the Osborne to goahead and report our approach .

We anchored at 6 a m . on November 1 st , andwere immediately boarded , under a tremendoussaluting , by the Governor , General Schneider , hisstaff , and Colonel Penn . The Sultan of Lahej andother Arab chiefs received the Prince most enthusiasticall y on landing . I t was very hot , and webeing all in uniform felt it , especially havingnothing but our helmets to protect our heads fromthe blazing sun . We landed at the Residency ,

where the Prince held a levee, and presented amedal and ring to the Sultan of Lahej , at whichhe was highly delighted . We telegraphed toSandringham and had a reply before we left at

We were nearly a week getting to Bombay fromAden . The sea was calm as a mill-pond , the air

beautifully clear , and , except a P . and O . mailthat passed us seven miles distant , we saw not aship

,nor even a bird . The first day out from Aden

everyone was affected by the heat and sun of thatterrible place ,

and all excepting Sir Bart le Frerefound they could not sit down to read or writewithout falling asleep . One day we were forcedto stop twice ,

owing to trouble with the engines .

The Prince , Sutherland , and I went down to see

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168 MY MEMORIES

Admirals ’ ships , and went in a launch through thefleet to a chorus of cheering . Then the Viceroycame , and we all drove through the i lluminatedcity , getting back to the S erapis at nine for dinner—very weary .

This was only the foreshadowing of manysimilar days throughout our stay in India . Noone but those who were with him could imaginehow hard the Prince worked , day after day takingpart in countless ceremonial functions , receptions ,and so on ; and living as we all did in uniformin that hot climate was enough in itself to merithigh reward . One day some Parsee children ,whose school we Visited , put a wreath of flowersround his shoulders perhaps they recognised hisclaim to decorationsIt was di fficult to fit in everything , even with

the most careful planning . One day , for instance ,His Royal Highness began by receiving an addressfrom the University in the Senate House , andmaking a reply , then he lunched at the Secretariat ,next Visited ten Raj ahs in di fferent apartments

(they were by no means pleased that he couldnot go to their several houses) , drove to the Elphinstone docks to lay the first stone with Masonichonours , visited three more Rajahs , this time attheir own houses , and after dinner on boardheld a reception of native chiefs and sirdars . Allthis we did in full uniform in a damp , debilitatingatmosphere ,

with the thermometer at Yet

there was a great deal of complaint that this oneand the other had been neglected we used to feelsorry , often , that we could not double ourselves

A NAT I V E CH I E F

F rom a n Im/ mN /s/u d si r/( l:Ly S i r A ri / n. r E l l /s

\\ t t L/u

a\(KM A

}am N oUu

Be e 7C53

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1 70 MY MEMORIES

and a glass of champagne on coming to anotherasserted that when he was told that the Princehad sent to ask after him he lifted his head fromthe cushion and said : Tell His Royal Highnessthat I am as right as a trivet . ’ Poor fellow ,

Ido not think he said much

,and he certainly did

not smoke until next day at earliest .The Poona division was under Lord Mark Kerr ,

a fine fellow , one of the bravest of men ,and a

very favourite commander in the army . He hadrather remarkable , though probably quite correct ,ideas as to diet , and traced maladies of all kindsto drinking— not alcoholic drinking only , butdrinking of any sort

,for he said Liquids swish

the liver terribly , and destroy its digestivefaculties .

In his later years he grew Very forgetful , and aquaint thing once happened through this loss ofmemory . I t was a year or so before he died , afterthe Prince had become King . They met in thestreet one day and stood chatting together for afew minutes . The King had said good-bye andwas moving away

,when Kerr stopped him , saying

Excuse me , sir , but would you mind telling me

your name ? I know your face very well , but Icannot remember who you are !

We were back at Bombay on the 16th , and hadtwo busy days before proceeding to Baroda .

After one day at Baroda , Sir Salar Jung being veryanxious that some of us should visit Hyderabad ,

the Prince sent me , with Owen Williams andKnollys

,and we went on in the most luxurious

railway carriages— two saloons between us , with

STRANGE SPORT 1 7 1

luggage place ,washing apartment , and servants

’

carriage all opening one into the other , the wholecosting us only a very moderate first -class fare .

On reaching Hyderabad at a .m . on the zrst ofNovember we drove to Captain Clerk

’s house inSir Salar Jung ’s carriages , and after having hadsome tea , turned in for an hour or two . Thenwe drove to see the Residency ,

and Oliphant ’sBridge . In the afternoon Sir Salar Jung called ,

and took us all in his carriage ,a char-d-banc with

four horses , to see Meer Alum Tank , a verybeautiful piece of water , on the far side washingthe site of the old city of Hyderabad , nowGolconda . Mulumun 00d Dowlah , the nephewof Sir Salar , went with us . We steamed aboutthe tank on an English steam- launch of Sir Salar ’s

,

and before driving back by road had tea in asummer-house on the bank .

Next day , November 22nd , we got up earlyto go black buck shooting , cheetah coursing , andhawking , at or near Tunamugger , some miles fromthe city . We saw some courses , which were curiousbecause so novel , but no sport . The Cheetahssoon killed two deer . Having been slipped fromtheir bullock-carts they bounded with greatrapidity after their prey , selecting the weakestof the herd . I then went away by myself , andwith great difficulty got within a reasonable distance and shot a buck , missing only one shotwhere I could fairly have expected to kill . Itwas pretty ground for stalking . The native withme showed no knowledge of sport , so taking myrifle and ammunition I left him behind and rode

1 72 MY MEMORIES

away a long distance , leaving my horse while Istalked . Later I rode back and j oined the othersand Saw some pretty hawking at Paddy-birds ;then to breakfast at the Vill a of Sir S . Jung , whoafterwards took us to Golconda in his long andqueer- looking carriage to see the tombs of theold Nizams and the old city adj acent , of whichnothing remains but the perfect walls .On the 23rd we started at 7 a .m . in two

carriages , with Mrs . Clerk and her husband , tosee Joli Musnah palace ,

and the lovely garden onthe roof . The old man ,

uncle to the Nizam ,

having given us t ea , showed us everything , including his own garden house and labyrinth , andhis collection of curious live birds . From thencewe proceeded on elephants , two on each , I withMrs . Clerk in front , to breakfast with the Vikar00d Dowlah at his palace in the city . We wereled in from the doorstep to the first sitting-room ,

according to their custom . The Vikar’

s son , anice little boy who was begi nning to talk English ,conducted me . We had a most elaborate breakfast . Afterwards , I having received many attarof rose bottles , as usual , we all remounted ourelephants in the same order as starting , and hada most interesting ride or drive through the entirecity . Glad enough was I to be SO far up abovethe dirty people and the mangy dogs that infestedmany of the streets .

Sir Salar Jung met us at his museum , wherehe showed us much that was curious and muchEuropean rubbish . Afterwards , we drove toSecunderabad , and went to see the cavalry bar

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1 74 MY MEMORIES

carefully , but it required a combination of talentsreally amounting to genius to arrange what thePrince was and was not to do . Diplomacy

,fore

thought , knowledge oi the Indian races and ofthe etiquette peculiar to each group

,all of these

and more were necessary to avoid offending anddisappointing people yet , as I have said ,

despiteour minute attention to the most trivial details ,much vexation of spirit was caused .

Of course the change of plans was accountablefor a great deal of this , for in many cases muchexpense and trouble had been lavished on decorations and arrangements that were all wasted . Butbesides this there were people with grievances ;people who chose to consider that we had insultedthe Rajahs by not returning their visits chez lniothers again who commented acidly upon the

di fference in the length of the visits paid to thisone and that others who said that the Prince

’sgifts were paltry in comparison to what he received .

The Indian princes themselves expressed muchannoyance that any comparisons should have beenmade between their gifts and the Prince

’

s . Somewere so deeply concerned that they wrote personal ly apologising , saying , in the somewhatexaggerated manner Of the East , that the acceptance of gifts by the Shahzadah was in itself afavour

,and that if by any token the Prince

deigned to take notice of an offering it was animmense addition to the royal condescension .

As a matter of fact , we took with usworth of presents

,and besides being valuable they

were beautiful and quite remarkably well chosen .

THE HEIGHT OF HAPPINESS 1 75

But so generous were the Rajahs that it was withno little difficulty they were persuaded to limitthe value of their gifts one indeed , the Maharaj ahof Cashmere , proposed to make presents to thevalue of and was not at all pleased athaving to cut them down to He madethirty miles of new roads , however , for the

Prince’s coming , and declared after seeing him

that he had no further wish left in lifeThe newspapers were often very amusing . The

naivete of the following delicious piece of selfacclamation seemed to us a splendid idea whenwe found it in the advertisement column of aBombay daily

(True Copy . )To Maharaj R amkisen Sing of Tekary ,

in Gya .

MY FRI END,

— I have perused with muchpleasure your Memorial of the 1 9th April last ,in which you have given an account of the specialacts of charity performed by your MotherMaharany Inderjeet Conwer of Tekary ,

duringthe past year

,when famine and want existed

in the Gya district .2 . It is very gratifying to me to record the

high sense which I entertain of the very liberaland charitable actions of the Maharany throughout the year in question , and of the active partwhich she took in the co-operation with the

Government , for the alleviation of the generaldistress which prevailed among the poorer classesof the population .

3 . It appears that no less than persons ,who were incapable of maintaining themselves ,

1 76 MY MEMORIES

were gratuitously fed and supplied with clothingby theMaharany during the season of distress ; thatshe expended large sums of money in the construction of earthworks and wells in her estatefor the benefit of her ryots and of those whosought relief by labour that tanks were S imilarlyexcavated for the convenience of the travellers ;that the Maharany also gave a liberal donationof Rs . to the Relief Fund , and promised afurther subscription , i f necessary , and made overlands for the construction of Relief Road , the valueof whi ch has been estimated at some 7 or 8 thousandrupees .

4 . All these acts of liberali ty and charity havebeen also brought to the prominent notice of theGovernment by Mr . Baley , the Commissioner , andby Messrs . Palmer and Halliday , the late andpresent collector of the Gya District . They callfor the special acknowledgments of Government ,and I beg that you will convey my cordial thanksto the Maharany , as well as an expression of myhigh appreciation of her munific ent and publicspirited conduct .

Your sincere Friend,

(S igned) RI CHARD TEMPLE .

The Indian Press is remarkably free , and byno means particular as to the veracity of itsstatements . AS a rule they were overwhelminglyflattering in all references to us , and the grandiloquent accounts they poured forth of the prowessand gallantry of all our—by no means wonderful—feats when we went Shooting really made us

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1 78 MY, MEMORIES

in cocoanuts and dried fish,whose scanty popu

lation of ten thousand souls paid a total revenueto the State of not more than a year ,whose trade was of less value than that of Tannaand Bassein , and whose climate was so deadlyto Europeans that two monsoons were said to bethe life of a man , she has blossomed into a fairand wholesome city , with a population whichmakes her rank next to London among the citiesof the British Empire , with a municipal revenueamounting to a year , and with a foreigncommerce worth yielding in customsduties to the Imperial treasury a year .

All this material prosperity She owes to the strongand wise Government which has secured her inthe enj oyment of peace and order of equalitybefore the law , of liberty of religion and freedomof trade , and has given confidence to men of allraces and creeds , Europeans , Indo-Portuguese ,Hindoos , Mahomedans, Parsees , and Jews ,

’

topursue their various callings under the Shadowof the British flag .

The address concluded , as did nearly all thespeeches made during our tour , with an expressionof regret that the Princess of Wales had beenunable to accompany the Prince , to learn forherself in what honour her name is held in India .

”

A battalion of Portuguese soldiers and one ofSepoys , with colours and band , were at the landingplace at Goa , with all the townspeople , in eveningdress and black hats , looking singularly odd inthat blazing heat . The moment we stepped ashorea great crowd of natives pressed closely round us ,

PROBYN’

S PUNJABEES 79

disregarding all the effort s of the police to keepthem back . But happily two of Probyn

’

s mightyPunjabees had come with us to carry the Prince

’srifles in case there was a chance of a Shot , and ,magically as our London police disperse a crowd ,without any fuss or noise they held the too-eagerpeople back . Whether it was their superior buildor their warlike and dignified appearance I knownot , but they did what the local authorities seemedpowerless to effect and glad indeed we were tobe saved without a row from any closer contactwith the strange rabble of many races who wereso remarkably different from the polite Indianswe had met hitherto .

.We visited the Residency , where the Governorpresented all the principal people of Goa to thePrince . Government House is also the town hall ,and in its reception-rooms hang a great numberof life-size portraits of all the Governors fromVasco da Gama to the present day , a marvellouscollection of splendid- looking men with historicnames , such as Albuquerque and Braganza , noneof whom apparently remained long in the queerold settlement .

After this we went up the river in the launchesto old Goa , or rather to where the city oncestood , for there is nothing left of it now butruins . We were carried in rnaneheels, a sort ofpalanquin , to see the cathedral , which is abouthalf a mile from the river , and passed under thegateway of da Gama

,which every Governor or

Viceroy had to go through on entering the city .

There was nothing in itself interesting about the

1 80 MY MEMORIES

cathedral or the numerous other churches andecclesiastical buildings , but it was curious to see

Christian places of worship in that barbaric landof idolaters .

The most interesting thing we saw ,and the

most beautiful , was the Shrine of St . FrancisXavier , wherein were many treasures of gold andsilver and some strange sacred relics . It standsin the church of Bom Jesus , a very fine building,which has an altar of marble and some picturesby Murillo . It has windows of oyster-Shell filmin place of glass , and some beautiful tapestryhangs on the wall . St . Francis

’

coffin is of ‘

S ilverand rests on a handsome marble pedestal .A remarkable band greeted us as we arrived

at the entrance of this church . The leader wasa thin

,very tal l , very ugly man , wearing nothing

but a dirty rag round his loins . With one handhe belaboured an enormous drum slung from hisneck , with the other he held in his mouth a brasstube through which he emitted awful sounds .His assistants were three youths . One had cym

bals,which he clanged with the utmost ferocity

the other two had drums , upon which they beata violent accompaniment to the deeper tones of

the leader’s larger instrument . The rest of the

orchestra was composed of yelping , barking , andhowling curs

,and

‘

above all boomed the churchbells in clamorous welcome . I had never beforeheard anything like it , and I earnestly hope Inever Shall again .

The Governor and his suite lunched with uson board the S erapis, and in the afternoon we

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1 82 MY MEMORIES

the scare would prove not suffi ciently serious toprevent our going . We were told that mostextensive and elaborate preparations were beingmade for the Prince

’

s reception , SO we perhapssuffered less than anybody , since wherever wewent it was all new and strange but it was sadto have to abandon a j ourney through mostinteresting country and go by sea instead .

As the Prince was going ashore after luncheonwith some of the residents I seized the opportunityfor a walk free of ceremony . I often longed togo amongst the people and see something of theplaces in an ordinary way , but our engagementsfollowed so closely on the heels of each otherthat I seldom had any chance of doing so . AtBejpore I only had half an hour to spare ,

andin it I saw nothing out of the common . The

natives wear very S ingular head-dresses , like flatumbrellas on a round basket , but otherwise theirdress is much the same as those of Bombay ,

namely , a rag round the loins . Of the womenwe saw nothing .

We had a very rough day at sea , although theN E . wind did not in the least cool the atmosphere .

In the evening the Prince gave a dinner to allthe ship

’s officers to celebrate Beresford’

s promotion to Commander . There was much speechifyingafterwards , though several , including the Prince ,

had to retire owing to sea -sickness . We kept itup in the wardroom till late . Billy Russell tookthe shine out of everybody with his fine S inging .

Sutherland and I were sitting at the table on

one S ide of Commander Bedford , Beresford on

x).

$ 26 I‘d /u . M ow

B ILLY I R US S E LL[ from (w skew/1 [ wS i r A r t/( Hr [ fl /is

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CHAPTER X

COLOMBO AND MADRAS

E reached Colombo just before noon onthe Princess

’s birthday . Salutes werefired from the fleet and fromthe shore

in her honour,but we had despatched c ongratu

lat ions much earlier in the day to the belovedlady . At Kandy I received her thanks in a telegram which concluded :Thank God the Prince continues so well , but

don ’t let him do too much .

”

The Governor , Gregory ,and a number of others

came aboard directly we arrived , to pay theirrespects , and had great difficulty in coming andgoing

,the sea was so heavy . Many of us in

disembarking got wet . I did not even to knowwhen to get into a boat is something !On the pier were many sallow- faced Europeans

and myriads of natives . The Chiefs wore a mostcurious dress of scarlet and gold , with immenserolls of muslin sticking out in front , which gavethem a very odd appearance . Their square cockedhats , trimmed with gold embroidery , and with akind of pagoda in j ewels on the top ,

they had tohold on with both hands when they bowed .

Numerous daggers were stuck into their belts ,and many chains of antique gold , that j ingledas they moved ,

hung round their necks .In strange contrast to them were the Veddahs ,

1 84

A WONDERFUL TREE 1 85

or wild men of the j ungle . Their black bodieswere clothed with but a single dirty rag , theirhair hung in unkempt confusion over their facesand chests , and they carried in their hands bowsand poisoned arrows of the most deadly desc ription . They stood peering at the great RajahKumaraya ,

but never once smiled or exhibitedthe slightest S ign of pleasure ,

and when the crowdcheered they became fearfully excited , looked ateach other in alarm , and waved their bows andarrows above their heads as if anxious to Showthat they could fight if fighting were to be done .

Our j ourney by train to Kandy was a wonderfulexperience . Everywhere along the route the

people congregated every station was thronged ,

and there was a continuous chorus of cheeringthe whole way . The scenery was lovely ,

and

such luxuriance of foliage and flowers I had neverseen before . In the palm forest we Saw manytalipot trees in full bloom . It is a wonderfultree ,

which does not flower at all until it is Sixtyyears old . Then the loveliest , very sweetly-

per

fumed blossoms appear , last for all too short atime ,

and die , the tree dying with them as thoughthe flower had been the consummation of itsexistence ,

which,having attained , there was no

longer an obj ect in living .

When the train began to ascend the pass thePrince and I boarded the engine to see it all tobetter advantage . We reached Kandy at twoo ’clock , where we had the most enthusiastic ofall welcomes since we landed in India . The

grounds of the Governor’

s house , where we stayed ,

1 86 MY MEMORIES

were charming we all agreed we' had never seenanything so lovely as the luxuriance of plants andflowers , or more beautiful scenery than the surrounding country . After dinner there was a sortof reception , when the Kandyan Chiefs came tomake their obeisance , and a perahera or torch-lightprocession of between thirty and forty elephants ,with native music , followed by a nantch of men

dancers , very wild and wonderful , the wholelasting about an hour .

The next day , on our way out to the Government Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya , the Princeand I nearly came to grief , for our horses boltedand jumped into a deep bricked drain ,

or brook,

by the S ide of the road . But fortunately onlythe carriage was damaged , and we were able toborrow another that was passing with but one

occupant .Mr . Thwaites , the gentleman in charge of the

gardens , a very well-known botanist and naturalist ,was waiting to receive us , and showed us roundthis most wonderful garden ,

containing almost allthe rarest orchids and plants , and trees and shrubsof every kind which grow in tropical countries .The effect produced in my mind I cannot describe .

Nature alone provided all we saw , and in the mostprofuse and magnificent manner . The rarestorchids

,wild here , were clinging everywhere to

the monster trees , among others the banyan andthe sacred bo-tree ,

which were there in great

glory . There were here ,too , all manner of butter

flies , and the white ant in its wondrous nest . The

Prince planted a bo- tree in the grounds , and shot

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1 88 MY MEMORIES

And wet indeed we were , but we had to make thebest of it , drinking lots of brandies and sodas toconsole us for the lack of dry clothes .We heard afterwards that Sutherland and Paget ,

who had gone to Nawerel ia ,six thousand feet

above sea - level , had had much the same sort ofexperience ,

climbing the mountain in heavy rainand arriving to find all their baggage as saturatedas the clothes they wore .

We proceeded in a funny collection of vehiclesto Ruanwel la , where we arrived all very wet ,

tired ,and uncomfortable generally . Our baggage

arrived bydegrees ,wet through ,brought by bullock

carts and fresh coolies— everything that was leastnecessary of course arriving first . To make mattersworse , the leeches which infest that part of thecountry had attacked some of us , fastening onand gorging themselves in the horridest manneron our legs and arms . Nor was the camp part icularly comfortable . There was one old housein which the Prince and the Governor were lodged ,but the rest had to be satisfied with funny littlehuts of bamboo thatched with leaves and linedwith calico

,by no means waterproof . However ,

this was merely part and parcel of a sportingexpedition nobody really minded much , and theelephants we hoped to Shoot next day formed thechief subj ect of conversation at dinner . Ourdining-hall was a queer one ,

consisting of a widecanopy of bamboo and leaves , with no sides .

Happily the rain had moderated , and the eveningair was delightfully refreshing after the steamingheat of the day .

A BODYGUARD OF POLICE 1 89

The only thing we really disliked about thatfirst hunting- camp was the abundance of reptiles .Though we walked ever so cautiously we couldnot altogether avoid the leeches , and we wereal l rather afraid of snakes . We had been speciallywarned against one they said was called the TicPolonga ,

” a very deadly viper . I do not believeTic Polonga was its real appellation whoeverheard of such a name for a snake ? 1 They had ,I think , a quiet j oke at our expense sometimes .I had already experienced one adventure with

a snake , and had no wish to repeat it , although Ihad come off victor . The horrid creature hadcome straight at me , head raised and forkedtongue out ready to strike happily I was carrying a stout bamboo cane ,

and with it I hit thefellow as hard as I could and cut his head cleanoff. But I was not at all anxious to be takenunawares by snakes of any kind , and I determinedto sit up and keep watch over the Prince as longas we were under canvas or anywhere near reptiles .There were three hundred Cingalese policemen

guarding the camp—I know not why ,since they

could not keep snakes , leeches , or the clouds ofinsects away

,and there was nothing else likely

to molest us . They were certainly not as usefulas the quinine Dr . Fayrer made us all take as aprecaution against feverA few Chiefs came with their followers to see thePrince , but when told that he was resting , with a

The name is quite correct ; i t is that of a very venomousI ndian (Ceylon) viper, sometimes six feet long , brown , w iththree rows of black, white-edged rings ; cobra-monil . [E D .]

1 90 MY MEMORIES

native courtesy peculiar to those naturally politepeople , they went away at once , immediatelyunderstanding his wish to remain quiet .Very early on Sunday morning we went out

after snipe or anything else we could find , takingMr . Bartlett , the naturalist , with us to preserveany curious creatures we might discover . HisRoyal Highness bagged some beautiful plumagedbirds , each one seeming brighter than the other .I got a strange reptile , very like an alligator , bythe side of the river , and also a snake six feet long .

He was not , I found afterwards , a venomous beast ,but he was too near to be let off , and my firstshot in the head killed him . It was a curiousbag for a British sportsman .

We got back to breakfast at noon , and later onwent out after deer in a jungle as thick and darkas could be . The j ungle fowl that came flyingover us were tempting , but we could not shootthem , having only rifles with us . Quite at theend of the last drive there was a great shoutingfrom the natives who were driving , and I hearda beast rushing through the thicket close to me .

Immediately firing in its direction as I would ata rabbit , I ki lled a tame , or half-wild , buffalo thathad escaped into the forest . This was the onlyspecimen of big game we got that day .

Next morning we were again early astir , en

route for an elephant drive some seven miles away .

Horses were sent on . Some of our party drovein a mail coach the Prince , Probyn , and I followedin a carriage ,

through country we could not seefor the dense walls of forest that shut in the road .

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1 92 MY MEMORIES

suspect , were not playing the game . For it hadbeen arranged that the old Chief who led themshould have any elephants that could be per

suaded into the enclosure after they had passedthe battery of guns , and of course the fewer Shotsthere were the more chance he had of netting hisprizes .

At last I volunteered to go and lead the beaters ,hoping for a shot at the old rogue who was incommand of the herd- the only elephant I caredto shoot , for he had kill ed seven men and wasreally worth bagging .

But the Prince said I must wait awhile ,and then

about two o’

clock word came that the old fellow ,

with three of his favourite ladies , had got cleanaway into the forest . So he escaped without asingle Shot being fired at him . But even then therest remained unmanageable . The beaters yelled ,but the elephants charged , and at last we had toresort to a barrier of fire to circumvent them .

Presently , with the noise of a mammoth rocktumbling down a hillside , there came a greatbeast , snapping and crushing the trees as he rushedmadl y through the j ungle . The Prince fired andhit him in the head he went on , but the Princefollowed ,

and so did Charlie Beresford and I , intothe dense j ungle , where it was impossible to see

more than six feet ahead . Then came Mr . Fisherto say that he had wounded an elephant . He tookthe Prince to finish her off , and soon we were rightin among the infuriated herd , undoubtedly in greatdanger . I was terribly afraid that the woundedelephant would charge , for in that labyrinth it was

ANOTHER UPSET 1 93

impossible to run , or indeed do anything but creep .

Then we emerged into a clearing and saw the

wounded fellow a few yards off , j ust ready tocharge . Varian and Fisher became very agitated ,

and urged the Prince to seek safety in a tree , butHis Royal Highness was perfectly calm ,

and takingaim as coolly as if he had been partridge-Shootingat home ,

he fired , and down went the great beaston its S ide into the stream .

After this he helped to kill two more ,and then ,

as it was getting too dark to see , we thought ithigh time to go home . With clothes torn toribbons , our helmets broken or lost altogether ,our faces scratched , we must have presented a sorrysight when we alighted at Hangwella . Probyn ,

Charlie Beresford , and Fitz-George drove back withthe Prince , with Aylesford on the box beside thedriver , and when crossing a small bridge the carriage turned over , upsetting them all into the ditch .

But happily no one was hurt , and the Princeseemed heart ily amused by the misadventure .

His Royal Highness and I left Hangwel la withthe Governor next morning at about seven o

’

clock ,

the rest having gone on earlier . We j ourneyedby easy stages to Colombo , nineteen miles throughroads decorated very tastefully all the way . Allthe villagers turned out and seemed delightedto see the Prince .

Directly after we arrived the Prince held aleve

’

e,when four hundred people were presented ,

I reading their names from cards as I did atBombay . Then His Royal Highness opened anAgricultural Exhibition and attended a rather

0

1 94 MY MEMORIES

boring entertainment supposed to represent anative wedding , where there was some very monotonous native music and singing . At eight therewas a state dinner , followed by a very pretty ballin a house built on purpose at a cost ofThe decorations were , I thought , prettier thanany we had seen so far , the foliage of the shrubsand plantain trees , with many flowers , being most

'

effective and there were , too , fountains playingin most of the rooms , which gave a cool appearancethat was very pleasant .

I was not at all well , and suffering with a sorethroat

,but the dance was so enj oyable that

_

I

stayed with the others till a .m . when I oughtto have gone to bed . Next day my throat wasworse , SO I shut myself up in my room t ill fiveo ’clock in the hope of a speedy recovery . We wenton board after dinner , where we found poor Greyseedy too ,

with a nasty fever on him , and we bothretired to bed ,

very anxious lest we should not bewell enough to accompany the Prince overlandto Madras from Tuticorin .

But alas,I grew worse instead of better , and had

to remain in bed . We crossed the Gulf of Manaaras hard as we could go , but on reaching Tuticorin found that the sea was running too highfor anyone to land , so we stood by till morning ,when everybody except Grey and I went ashore ,

to proceed via Madura to Madras . Poor Greywas quite unfit to t ravel , and Fayrer advised me

not to land until my throat was better ; but Ido not think I have ever felt so unhappy in mylife as when His Royal Highness went off in the

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SEPARATION 1 95

launch without me . We were anchored five

miles from land and they all had great difficultyin getting ashore , the surf and swell being so heavy .

Glyn went with them to look after the Prince ,

and directly he returned we got under way forTrincomalee and Madras , determined not to losea moment in catching them up again .

Tuticorin is a very bad and nasty anchorage ,hardly fit for a large vessel to bring up in , and whenwe weighed our anchor we found it had broken .

We had ridden all that blowy night with nothingbut a chain of which a great length , sixty fathoms ,had been paid out . This was the second accidentof the same sort ; the result of havIng contractanchorsA three days

’ voyage against a very strongcurrent brought us to what , I think , must be theprettiest harbour in the world- Trincomalee . I treminded me somewhat of Mount Edgecombe ,

only on a far more extensive scale . We entereda little land- locked bay by a rather narrow channel ,to find groups of islands all covered with treesfrom the water

’

s edge to the summit of the hills ,and fresh beauties in every direction , so that theeye never tired .

To our surprise H .M .S . Narc issus and h umorta lité came in about eleven o

’clock , the Admiraland C . Scott both ill like myself .Rather afraid of the sun , we remained on board

till the afternoon ; then Grey ,Scott , and I went

ashore for a drive . We went first to the Admiral ’shouse , beautifully situated , dominating the sea ,

and a little farther on we came to a charming

1 96 MY MEMORIES

esplanade lying between the open sea on one side ,and the bay or harbour on the other .There was a native population of ten thousand

at Trincomalee , with only twenty Europeans ,and among these Scott found a tenant of hisfather

’

s (the Duke of Buccleuch) - a Mr . Hooper ,who had a charming house and gardens . I t wasvery hot , 85

° in the shade , and we Were not sorryto get out to sea again , which we did at 5 pm .

after taking in two hundred tons of coal .Early on the 1sth we arrived in Madras Roads ,

both Grey and I feeling much better . His RoyalHighness sent out our letters , with a messagethat we were to come ashore as soon as we couldand very thankful indeed I was to get back to mypost beside him again .

The usual programme of receptions and ceremonious functions of all sorts occupied our weekat Madras , but it was varied by two or threeoriginal items . Among the visitors on the day Iarrived were two great native ladies , first thebeautiful Guge Puttee Rao , with a retinue ofextraordinarily hideous women , who might havebeen chosen as foils to the beauty of their mistress .

Then came the Princess of Tanjore , whose reception caused quite a commotion . For Her RoyalHighness must not see or be seen by men , and mostcareful arrangements had to be made to ensureher perfect privacy . Finally a screen was riggedup

,and the Prince , Henderson the interpreter ,

and I took our places behind it , then the Princesson the other side puth er hand round the corner ,and her Royal brother took it . He gave her a

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1 98 MY MEMORIES

wildly into the breakers , the natives in themuttering fearful yel ls and howls as they dashedtowards the inky black sea . Lots of them wereupset , and violently thrown back on the Shore

,

but nobody seemed to mind,least of all the boat

men themselves . This charge was repeatedagain and again

, the rockets sometimes lightingup the whole curious scene with a lurid and startling effect , the more astonishing for the denseblackness that succeeded their volleys . It wasa very strange sight indeed .

The day we left we were all up very early to goj ackal hunting . It was the Prince ’s second dayat it . When I got up to go with him on the

first I could not find either my things or my ser

vant , so had , perforce ,to turn in again but this

time all was well , and before 5 a .m . we set off in abrake drawn by five horses that went as hard asthey could gallop all the eight miles to ChebrookPark , where we found quite a hunt gatheringawaiting us .The M .F. .H was well known to the Pytchley ,

and Mrs . Smith ,her daughter , and Miss Crawford

were with him . Squires , the huntsman , was oncehuntsman of the Norfolk and Pytchley hounds ,and had also hunted with us in Russia . Therewere thirteen couple of very even and fair- lookinghounds .

We had a great rush to a covert , a thick greenbush jungle in a plain ,

where we found immediately .

Jack dodged about some few times into somepatches of thick stuff , but being hard pressed heraced away at a great pace across paddy fields ,

OLD FRIENDS 1 99

plains , hills etc . Miss Crawford fol lowed me veryclosely and j umped bravely over all obstacles . We

both had good horses , mine a beautiful Arab ,very

fast , belonging to Captain Hathaway , A .D .C but

they were very tired after our breathless run . We

killed three j ackals . We drove home at elevento take a number of people , among them the lovelyIndian lady

,Mrs . Guge Puttee Rao , to see the

S erapis. Then back to Government House toluncheon , and at four a procession to the pier .We were all very sorry to leave Madras , though

glad to have a rest after so hard a week . The

Prince was especially pleased with his visit , anddelighted with Madras . The Duke and Duchess ofBuckingham were exceedingly kind and did everything very well , both in and out of doors . Theirhouse-party consisted of their three daughters ;Lady A . Gore-Layton and her son and prettydaughter ; and a remarkably good lot of

CHAPTER XI

CALCUTTA

HE voyage to Calcutta was delightful , thesea like glass , and a fine , dry atmospherewhich was a great relief after the damp

heat we had been experiencing ever since leavingAden . We anchored for the night on the 21 st

off Saroyer Island ,and sent telegrams to Calcutta ,

but they did not go till next morning , for theisland was mostly impenetrable j ungle , and thebearer was afraid of tigers and the other wildbeasts that inhabit it .On the 23rd December we arrived at Diamond

Pier , Calcutta , and landed at half-past four atPrinsep

’

s Ghaut under salutes from the fortand squadron . We were received by the Viceroy ,

Lord Northbrook, the Commander- in-Chief , Lord

Napier , the Bishop , et c . ,and a number of great

native Chiefs , the Maharaj ahs Sc indiah , Holkar ,

Cashmere , Jodhpoor , and Putt iala among others .

The Rajahs were very resplendent indeed , andwore j ewels that made it all seem like a scene fromthe Arabian N ights but their splendour thenwas nothing to that of the reception on ChristmasEve , when they all came in state for audience withthe Prince . This reception was held at Government House ,

a marvellous palace that looks likewhite marble ,

but is really built of Chunam cement ,a composition that takes a fine polish . Calcutta

200

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202 MY MEMORIES

arrangements had to be made with regard to hiscoming , lest his arnour propre be wounded . He ,

too , was very wealthy , and it was said that hehad a reserve capital of stored away .

Even prouder than he was Jodhpoor , thoughonly seventeen guns to Holkar

’

s nineteen werefired for his salute . The story is told that at acertain Durbar when another Chief had arrivedbefore him he said : Let Oodeypore Sit wherehe please , my place will be above him .

”He was

wonderfully attired in very full pinl: petticoatslooped up by a girdle of cloth of gold his headdress was of yellow S ilk bound by a fillet of goldset with precious stones of great beauty , and hadan aigrette of diamonds and rubies . Though asmall man

,and in spite of his odd dress , he looked

every inch a Rajpoot , and his face , with its regularfeatures , very bright eyes , and jet -black moustache and beard ,

was most interesting , its expression at once haughty and sad .

He was followed by Jeypoor , who claimed descentfrom Rama

,of a long period before Christ next

Cashmere ,and then a lady , the Sultana Jehan ,

Begum of Bhopal,with her daughter . It was

impossible to see anything of these ladies but theirtiny feet , they were so muffled up in shawls andveils . They were followed by more Princes , andit was after noon before the reception was over ,to be followed by a leve

’

e,return visits to the

Maharajahs,a state dinner , and a native enter

tainment at a villa some miles away from the

Government House .

It was quite the busiest Christmas Eve I ever

CHRISTMAS DAY 203

spent . Unhappily it was clouded by the news ofthe death of poor Hastings , who had gone toTanjore with Lord Ebrington for some Shootingand had contracted a jungle fever which endedvery quickly and fatally .

At the leve’

e in the afternoon I had some difficulty in reading the names of the guests , for thoughprinted as usual on cards these were so muchdecorated with scrolls and texts that it was quitea business to decipher the important part . However , it only resulted in some people being givenstrange nomenclature .

We spent Christmas Day fairly quietly . In themorning we all attended service at the cathedral ,Milman

, the Bishop of Calcutta , preaching . He

had an extraordinary knowledge of the Indianlanguages spoken , and it is said was able to preachan extempore sermon in Bengalese six monthsafter his arrival . Poor man ,

he died in the hillsin April from dysentery ,

scarcely a month afterwe left India .

We lunched on board the S erapis as guests ofthe offi cers , who were much pleased by the Princeaccepting their invitation . All the officers ofboth yachts were present , in all about seventypeople ,

no ladies . The S erapis was beautifullydecorated ,

and the deck ,screened off by flags ,

had been most cleverly converted into a sem

blance of an English Christmas by covering the

branches of shrubs with cotton -wool sprinkled withsparkling powder to represent snow .

After luncheon we visited the various messesand the Sick Bay , to much cheering from the men .

204 MY MEMORIES

Then the Prince went off to Barrackpore with theViceroy . I spent the afternoon paying calls

,

among others on the Duke of Edinburgh ’s protege,Mr . Dubois , and on the Eyres .On the 27th the Prince again received Chiefs

all the morn ing . In the afternoon we went to thehospital , where we saw experiments with poisonoussnakes , among them the cobra and others , andwere much interested to see how these deadlycreatures can be handl ed by those who understandthe knack . We went on to open the ZoologicalGardens , then to a garden-party at Belvidere ,

Sir Richard Temple’s place , once the residence of

Warren Hastings , where we witnessed a war dancethat was more curious than amusing . Then tothe races , where William Beresford , who wasA .D .C . to the Viceroy , won a race by sheer goodriding , to our great delight beating the favourite ,R ed Gauntlet , and a large field .

After this hard day we danced all night till

4 a .m . at Government House , and were up earlyto visit the Rajahs . In the afternoon there was aleve

’

e,where nearly two thousand people came ,

and excepting the natives I read out all the names—a greater business than it sounds .The Prince intended to go to Goalundo for two

days ’ boar-hunting , but as he had a slight coldhe decided he would not , and deputed me to gowith those of the suite who wished to . We set

off at midnight by special train under the auspicesof the Tent Club ,

but cut the time down to one

day and returned to Calcutta for dinner . CharlieBeresford

,always in the wars , managed to get

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A ROYAL LEPER 205

some of his teeth broken by a spear handle , but

was happily not disfigured . But for this accidentwe enj oyed an excellent day .

On New Year’s Day the Prince held a Grand

Chapter of the Order of the Star of India , a mostpicturesque ceremony which took place on anopen plain about a mile from Government House .

An immense enclosure of canvas had been prepared , with a dais at the far end holding two chairs ,one for the Viceroy , of silver and blue , with goldenlions at the side and a crown at the back ; theother for the Prince , a Similar chair but with silverarms and three plumes at the back . The dai s hadS ilver pillars and a canopy of blue satin , and underfoot was a carpet of scarlet and cloth of gold .

All the principal Raj ahs attended , also the littleBegum , the only woman knight in the world ,

all of them even more magnificently attired , ifpossible than hitherto . Putt iala wore the EmpressEugenie s diamonds , worth with the

great Sance diamond as pendant , and other j ewelsround his neck and on his breast . He was a greatsportsman , but the poor fellow while shooting inthe j ungle a few months later was seized with anepileptic fit and died .

The Maharaj ah Rewah , who was said to be aleper , had his entire face painted over in somered pigment he wore an exquisitely workedgolden headpiece like a high crown ,

all ablaze withdiamonds , and even his gloves had diamonds setin them . He had left his sick-bed and travelledhundreds of miles to see the Prince .

While the investiture was going on His Royal

206 MY MEMORIES

Highness , with one of those inspirations that soendeared him to everybody , sent Prince Louis ofBattenberg to the sailors who had formed partof our escort , to tell them to stand at ease . HisSharp eye had noticed that they were still holdingtheir rifles on their shoulders , and he knew whatthat must mean in . the intense heat . When theChapter was over the Prince and his suite led theprocession , and a most wonderful sight it musthave been from what we could see of it ourselves .Lord Northbrook , as Grand Master , with twopages , very small boys , brought up the rear .In the afternoon the Prince unvei led an eques

trian statue of Lord Mayo on the maidan then ,after getting out of uniform

, we all went to aremarkable polo match .

Munnipore is the home of Indian polo , and theMunnipories were thought to be the finest playersi n the world . An exhibition of their prowess inthe king of games had therefore been made anitem in the programme of the Prince

’s entertainment at Calcutta , and Dr . Brown

, the politicalagent for Munnipore , was deputed to choose andbring down some picked men . To make it evenmore interesting it was proposed that a team fromthe Calcutta Polo Club should play a match againstthem , but the idea was at first abandoned , becauseeveryone believed that Englishmen would standno chance against the natives . I may mentionhere that the Calcutta Polo Club (the first clubever started) was founded in 1 863 ,

under the nameof the Calcutta Hockey Club , the name Polobeing more modem . The players rode Arab

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208‘MY MEMORIES

in the City of Palaces , a steamer arrived fromAssamwards tugging a flat freighted with taillessdogs

,human specimens of hill tribes , Naga dancing

ladies , Dr . Brown and fourteen picked polo players ,with ponies and paraphernalia complete . The

afternoon of Saturday , January 1 st , 1 876, wasfixed for the match , and the noise Of it havingbeen bruited abroad , at the appointed hour a vastconcourse of people assembled on foot , on horseback , and in carriages , and whilst the playerswere girding up their loins and their ponies

’ girthsfor the coming contest , took up their places roundthe four sides of the field , forming a boundaryline of living bodies more distinguishable thanthat cut in the turf . The Prince arrived withpunctuality

,and on taking up a prominent position

in the centre of the ground , surrounded by hisstaff and a large party from Government House ,the rival champions cantered into the lists .Imagine , if it is possible , the Eton and Harrowmatch transported from Lords to the Calcuttamaidan , and instead of twenty- two cricketers ,twelve polo-players the centre of attraction , andyou have the scene before you . Calcutta wasrepresented by Mr . W . L. Thomas (captain) ,Messrs . G . E . Thomas , C . R . Hills , C . H . Moore ,

G . Fox , Captain W . A . J . Wallace , R E ; andMunnipore by Bedam Sing , captain , and five

others whose names I have been unable to discover . I hear one was named Chai Tai NoHazaree ,

and no doubt the others were gentlemenof equally high degree , and with names equallyunspellable and unpronounceable .

REMARKABLE COSTUMES 209

The two sides formed a marked contrast .The fair-skinned Englishmen were clothed inwhite breeches and top-boots , with flannel racingj ackets of the club colours , viz white with abroad scarlet sash crossing over the left and underthe right Shoulder and compared to their antagomists were the

“ personification of well-groomedelegance . The dusky professionals were clothedin a costume striking to the European eye from itsoriginality of design unique , though hardlypicturesque . Their heads were muffled up indirty puggeries ; their bodies were covered withj ackets of divers colours

,all of a dingy hue , and

the inevitable dhootie and between the knee andthe ankle they wore things somewhat resemblingcricket pads . The unusual quantity of clothingwe conclude was donned in honour of the Belatee

(English) Rajah , for when they first appeared inpublic they wore little except a hockey stick .

Their ponies were shaggy , unkempt , andungroomed ,

and the saddle gear was almost beyond desc ription . The saddles were a kind of cross betweena pillion and an elephant howdah. They havea frame-work of skins and wood which rests on theponies ’ backs

,and above is soft leather for the

riders . At the back is a sort of hollow to Sit inin front of this comes a kind of mound , goodnessknows what for , and in front of this is a curvedwoodwork frame like a pair of bull ’s horns , overwhich their reins are hitched now and again .

They cling to their saddles like monkeys , theirnaked feet rammed into rough iron stirrups bracedup so short that their thighs are at right angles to

P

21 0 MY MEMORIES

their hips . Hanging from each S ide of the saddleare articles of the same colour and material , andverymuch the same shape as carriage splash-boards .

The stirrups hang inside them , and the two sidesof the art icles are curved round , away from the

ponies’

S ides and in front of the players’ legs , the

object of them being apparently twofold , viz . , toprotect the players

’

legs and to extract the speedof terror out of the ponies , for when they gotinto action the splash-boards made a noise hideousenough to frighten the most stout-hearted tat .The prettiest part of the get -up was the ponies

’

headstalls , which Were made of scarlet cloth dottedover with white Worsted balls , and the reins wereof a thick plaited substance and light blue colour .

The men were a strong , wiry- looking lot , butwore an anxious expression , arising perhaps fromthe strangeness of the surroundings , and excessof keenness to win , rumour saying that they

get toko from the Rajah if they do not dist inguish themselves . The Calcutta team , in perfec t confidence of being utterly beaten ,

had noanxiety on this score , and commenced the gametherefore in a more favourable frame of mind .

The order of battle was as follows : Calcuttaforward , Hills , Moore , Wallace half-backs , W . L .

Thomas and Fox ; back , G . E . Thomas . The

Munnipories ranged themselves very“ differently ,

and the order they took showed the peculiarityof their game . They had one man back and threeforward , and of the remaining two , one postedhimself between the Calcutta half-backs , and theother alongside the Calcutta back . This rather

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21 2 MY MEMORIES

dismay in consequence changed to guttural glee .

One goal all . Excitement great as the thirdgame began . The Munnipories came up smiling .

The Calcutta men serious but determined . Againa long , exciting struggle ,

but eventually a resoluterush of the Calcutta team carried the ball rightup to their adversaries ’ goal

,and after a Short ,

Sharp scuffle it was smacked through the posts,

and Calcutta were victors of the third goal . Twogoals to one . Europeans triumphant . Aborigi

nals growling gloomy expletives . After a changeof ponies the fourth game began ,

and it soon wasapparent that the second horses of the Calcuttamen were not equal to the first

, the result of whichwas that the ball remained throughout the gamein unpleasant proximity to their goal , throughwhich it was eventually hit , the Munnipories thuswinning the fourth game and again puttingthemselves on an equality with Calcutta , the stateof the match on the commencement of the fifthgame being two goals all . Time was now short ,and both sides buckled to in earnest for the finaltussle ,

a S light gleam of the savage breaking outon the native S ide ,

while the aspect of the otherwas one of dogged determination . The Munnie

pories, who had a herd of ponies to choose from ,

had a decided pull after the change of nags , whichwas soon evident from the play , and throughoutthis last game the ball was more often at the end

of the Calcutta goal than the other . The defence ,

however , was staunch ,and several vigorous sort ies

were made by the Calcutta men into the enemy’

scountry . The Munnipories, however , would not

THE BEST GAME 21 3

be denied , and pressed the S iege close , but theCalcutta team successfully repelled all attacks ,and at last

,dusk setting in , time was called , and

the victory was neither to the black man nor to thewhite .

Thus did this memorable and exciting matchend in a draw ,

both sides having secured two goals .

The Calcutta team retired to peg ,

’ and weremuch congratulated at the result , for it was considered that holding theirown against such renowned

performers was almost as good as victory , and itwas generally decided that they had deserved wellof their country , or , as the only paper whichnoticed the match put it , they deserved all honourfor so well maintaining the prestige of the ci

‘

ty .

’

The Munnipories retired to Dr . Brown , who itwas reported gave them a severe wigging for notannihilating the white-skins . The noticeable feature of the play of the Munnipories was theirquickness , their good play to each other , theircleverness in hitting the ball in all sorts of positions ,and the wonderful accuracy of their back shots ,whether made on the near S ide or the off side oftheir ponies . In making a run

,however , they did

not strike me as being as good as some of theCalcutta players , sometimes galloping over theball and not making such long hits . The Calcuttateam played very well , both individually andcollectively , and quickly got into the Munniporiestyle of play . The experience of this match ledto the conclusion it is much the best game ,

for badstrict off S ide rules been in force the same freegame could not have been played ,

as was found in

21 4 MY MEMORIES

America in the year 1 909 , and the principal scienceof the Munnipories would have been of littleeffect .”

The match was followed by firework displaysashore ,

and by the i llumination of the Fleet thendinner with many guests at Government House ,and the theatre , where we saw Charles Mathews inMy Awful Dad .

”

My birthday and a comparatively quiet Sundayfollowed this strenuous finale to a tremendousweek but even on this day of rest we had thingsto do

,for after service in the church at Fort

William we visited the Arsenal , and in the afternoon went by steamer to the Botanical Gardens ,and drove back through the Howrah .

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21 6 MY MEMORIES

The morning after our arrival was taken upby the usual ceremonious functions , but in theafternoon we had a new experience , a j ourney fourmiles up the Ganges to visit the Maharaj ah ofBenares . A little before sunset we embarkedin a wonderful galley or barge which had twoprancing white and gold wooden horses at thebows . The Prince

’s chair was upholstered inpale blue silk embroidered with golden lotus leaves ,and the rest of the galley was in keeping , veryelaborate and wonderful .At the landing stage the Maharaj ah met us , and ,

after presentations had been made ,he and the

Prince were carried on men’s Shoulders in chairs of

gold and silver to the castle gate . To right andleft of the procession marched wonderfully caparisoned elephants and camels preceded by macebearers , banners , and spearmen , whilst silverflambeaux and torches were held by men standinglike statues on the parapets . The battlementsof the castle were all illuminated , and the weirdest ,wildest music accompanied us .The Maharaj ah ,

a fine old man with snow-whitemoustache ,

led the Prince into the castle , and aftershowing him the numerous and beautiful giftslaid out for his inspection and acceptance , he tookus all to the parapet to look down at a marvellously pretty S ight .The river , flowing apparently close under thecastle walls , was lit up by innumerable little lamps ,and away in the distance was the city of Benareswith its two miles of terraces rising from the riverbanks , and all illuminated .

A PUZZLED GOVERNOR 2 1 7

Fireworks concluded the visit , and then we drovesix miles home to dinner , the road brightly litup all the way . When we were saying farewellto the Maharaj ah , he suddenly held out his ownwalking- stick to the Prince ,

a thick cane studdedwith gold and with a gold handl e , and begged himto accept it . The Prince smilingly did so , and inthanking the Maharaj ah showed that he fullyunderstood and appreciated the great honour thathe had done him . I am sure that the Raj ah

’

simpulse arose from a purely personal feeling towardthe Prince i t was not only the ordinary attraetion they all had towards the son of the Empress ,but a very sincere affection that his own personalityinspired wherever he went .The authorities in this district appeared to have

considerable apprehension as to the Prince’

ssafety , and it was impossible to avoid noticingthat the precautions taken were very great . Atmany of the stations along the route double linesof police were drawn up so that the people couldnot come near , and the Prince , who knew no fear ,was not at all pleased . We were assured , however ,that , loyal as the Hindoos undoubtedly were , therewere too many fanatics among them to leave anyopening for mischief but it seemed incongruousto be able to drive safely for five miles throughdensely crowded streets and yet be unable to travelby train without an immense amount of guarding .

We were told afterwards that at one place theGovernor wished to imprison a number of peoplewhose religious and patriotic zeal might have beendangerous . This would have been a high-handed

21 8 MY MEMORIES

proceeding that might have led to complications ,yet the poor man dared not run the risk of leavingthem free to their own devices . In his dilemmahe spoke out openly to his family

,and womanly

wit responded to the appeal .Why not a garden-party

,papa ? asked his

daughter . Invite them all and keep thementertained until the Prince has passed through .

”

The Governor’

s face li t up as by magic . Hisproblem was solved . The doubtful ones wereinvited , and the garden-party was held in the

grounds of the gaol ! The Governor ’s sense ofhumour must have been almost Gilbertian .

All this anxiety in the minds of the authorities‘

communicated itself to me , however , and to makeassurance doubly sure I did not go to bed at allwhile we were in Benares , but sat up in the roomadj oining the Prince

’s bedroom on guard againsta possible assassin .

We went up to Lucknow next day , and therewere few indeed among us who felt no emotion onentering the picturesque city where such terribleand such heroic scenes had been enacted only a fewyears ago . Poor Fayrer especially experiencedmingled sensations at the memories of all he hadgone through during that season of tears . So alteredwas the place by the forest of foliage and the

wide-spreading suburbs that had sprung up sincethe mutiny ,

that even those who had known itbest had some difficulty in tracing out the spotsthat marked the tragic history of those days . AS

we approached , the glittering tops of the domes ,minarets , cupolas , etc .

,of the t emples and palaces ,

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220 MY MEMORIES

Sepoys and others were caught , and executedby Shot or bayonet .

After this the Prince laid the foundation stoneof a memorial to be erected by Lord Northbrookin honour of the Sepoys , both officers and privates ,but for whose brave stand against their owncountrymen Lucknow must have fallen , and anarmy of trained soldiers have been set free tomarch on Delhi .Both the Prince and Sir George Couper made

fine speeches , and as they referred in affectinglanguage to the gallantry , devotion , and fidelitythat the memorial was to commemorate , I watchedthe faces of the survivors who , in their. stainedand Shabby uniforms , were drawn up near to us .

On the other side of the mound stood about ahundred European survivors , among them pooro ld Fayrer , who could scarcely control his emotion .

Indeed ,I think that most of us had a lump in our

throats , especially when the fine old fellows , Europeans and natives , were presented to the Prince .

Maj or Cubitt , V .C. , came first with Maj orBirch , who was killed at Ali Muspd about twoyears later . During the Mutiny he was withBrigadier Inglis , and together they led threesort ies from the Residency . They were followedby native officers and non- commissioned officers ,and then came about two hundred men , some oldand decrepit , some young , who had done theirduty during the siege as small boys and youths .Many of the old men had risen from S ick-beds tocome and see the Prince and have their swordstouched by him . In several instances friends had

THE HEROES OF LUCKNOW 22 1

to raise the palsied arms of the poor old warriorsfor them to salute . It was too much for many ofus

,and the ladies cried quite openly .

To Sir George and Lady Couper , who playedtheir parts so well in that awful siege , it must havebeen especially difficult to control the fe el ingssuch poignant memories evoked , and it was notat all surprising that Lady Couper broke down atlast . I have never attended a more touchingceremony .

One old fellow was nearly blind , and the Prince ,

hearing him exclaim , Let me see him , told theofficers to bring him closer . He came up , and withhis hand at the salute peered at the Prince

’

s face ,

then ,with a deep S igh of content , he saidI thank God that I have lived to see the face

of the great Prince .

”

The day after this we went boar-hunting toOnao

,leaving Lucknow early in the morning by

train , and riding elephants and dromedaries fromOnao station about five miles to the camp ,

wherewe breakfasted . We rode on horseback to thehunt , dividing up into quartettes with aboutthree hundred yards between each group .

It was very nasty ground to hunt in , coarse , highgrass up to the horses ’ bellies , hiding bad holesthat occasioned several accidents . Carringtonhad a nasty fall , and broke his collar-bone . The

boar he was after had turned sharp round and runright under him , with the inevitable result thatthe horse came down heavi ly , pitching his riderover his head . Fortunately Fayrer , with surgicalappliances , was close by on an elephant

,and he

222 MY MEMORIES

set the bone at once and sent Carrington to campon a litter with Captain Williams to look after him .

Charlie Beresford too , took a toss , but not througha hole . He was racing me after a pig . He hatedto be beaten , and he dashed on , regardless of thedangerous nature of the ground , trying to get pastme . Then he sent his spear at a boar . It missedthe pig , but struck the hard surface of the groundwith such force that it knocked him clean out of thesaddle on to his back , and I had to let the pig gowhile I looked after him instead . It was a nastyfall , and must have been extremely painful , butBeresford never made a fuss about anything , andbefore very long we were both after Master Boaragain . Then I did much the same thing , the buttof my spear catching me in the throat and givingme an uncomfortable knock , but it was nothingserious .

We were all well mounted , the Prince on asplendid English hunter but it wanted rathermore than speed and good jumping for thatcountry and such game . The boars were as swiftas hares and turned as quickly savage , too , theywere ,

and charged fiercely and courageously .

See how he flashes his fiery eye ,

Ready to charge ,to cut and die

A boar who will charge like the light brigadeI S the bravest brute that e

’

er was made .

Swiftly he rushes , panting and blowing ,Swiftly the life-blood torrents are flowingGame to the last with defiant eye ,

In silent courage he falls to die .

Thus a writer whose name I do not know .

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224 MY MEMORIES

Our reception was of a decidedly militarycharacter , though there were no bands . We drovefor five miles through an avenue of soldiers ,Lancers and Hussars , mostly native regiments , avery fine sight . So was the review next day

,and

the sham fight on the 1 3 th ,when General Hardinge

showed us how daring were the men who seizedthe Ridge in 1 857 .

There was a ball in the Fort one night,in the

great pavilion with its walls of marble inlaidwith exquisite mosaics of precious stones , theroom wherein once stood the Peacock throne .

”

It was there that Nadir Shah met Mahomed Shahand exchanged courtesies and turbans with hisenemy—on an evil day for Mahomed , for it sohappened that he was wearing in his headdress onthat occasion the peerless Kohinoor .It was into that wondrous audience hall , too ,

that the Mahrattas came a few years later anddestroyed by fire the ceiling of fi lagree gold andin the room fitted up for the Prince

’s private use ,

Baheander Sall , the last of the Kings of Delhi ,watched the Meerut mutineers swarming into thecity

,proclaiming him , as they came , the Emperor

of Hindostan .

We supped in the zenana , during the siege theprison of forty or fifty Englishwomen and children ,

who were afterwards taken out and butchered incold blood under the trees in the courtyard . Hadwe realised it at the time I think supper would havebeen scarcely a success , but we did not know ituntil next day ,

when we were told the story onour way to Kootab Minar . We were glad indeed

MURDEROUS RECORDS 225

to know that the murderers met their deserts ,and stopped with much pleasure on our way backto see Honmayoun

’

s tomb , where General Hudsonordered and saw carried out the execution of thetreacherous Delhi Princes .On the 1 7th of January we left Delhi for Lahore ,

where we spent a very long and full day . Part ofthe programme was a visit to the gaol , where wesaw two horrible Thugs , who gave us practicalillustration of their method of strangulation . The

elder of the two was a veteran of seventy who ownedto having disposed of two hundred and fift ypeople the younger Shamefacedly admitted thatonly thirty-five had fallen to his share . Theyseemed rather Surprised that the Prince did notask for their release , though he did for that oftwo wretched Englishmen and a few of the othernative S inners .

I felt very unwell , and so did Aylesford , so wedid not go with the Prince to visit the Maharaj ahof Cashmere at Jummoo ,

and mi ssed the sight ofthe solid gold howdah in which the two Princesrode into the tOWn at the foot of the snow-cladHimalayas . Glyn ,

too,was ill

,and Bubber Jung ,

son of Sir Jung Bahadoor , who had been actingaide to the Prince . We left them at Delhi .There was a wonderful performance by Lamas ,

the priests or holy men of Thibet , at Jummoo,

which I was very sorry I did not see . The Maharaj ah presented the Prince with a sword that wasstudded with gems from hilt to point , and worthat least Live deer , falcons , and eagleswere also given to him , and sent off to the S erapis to

Q

226 MY MEMORIES

be’

taken home with the rest of the menageriewe had collected .

Aylesford and I were quite well by the time thePrince got back t o Lahore . We went on to Agraon the 2sth , paying a flying visit en route toUmritsa and the Raj ah of Puttiala . We thoughtAgra the dustiest place in India . So thick it wasas we passed along the streets from the station

,

that it quite hid the rest of the procession from us .We rode on elephants very richly decorated withgold and S i lver trappings , and on arriving infront of the Durbar tent these intelligent animals ,one hundred and fifty in all , passed before the onethe Prince rode , which stood with his back to thetent , and backed into their stati ons in a curvedline as neatly and smartly as cruisers at a review .

It i s the custom for the natives to leave theirshoes outside when they enter a house they wearthese Shoes without socks or stockings and rarelytake the trouble to clean them . On this occasionthey went out by a different door to the one theyhad entered by , and so found themselves separatedfrom thei r footgear , which no one seemed toknow how to convey to them . At last someonecollected the shoes and put them all down in aheap at the exit door . Then arose what nearlybecame a free fight between the chiefs and thei rretainers , which went on for over an hour , whilethey disputed violently over their respectivepossessions . The noise of the battle rose to quitealarming heights as it progressed , but eventuallyeverybody was more or less satisfied and departednone the worse for the little contreternps.

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228 MY MEMORIES

for a little sport next day , and they were fortunateenough to get about eighty head of nylghau deerand duck .

On the last day of January we left Agra forGwal ior , arriving in the afternoon . We were met

some distance out of the city by the Maharaj ahSc indiah , and went with him to the old palace ,where we stayed . His hospitality and lavishnessof preparation seemed to be truly unbounded .

In the Prince’

s room the toilet services were ofsolid gold , and the bedstead and bath , of S i lver ,had been made of rupees . Everything elsewason asimilar scale of richness . We spent some pleasantand most interesting days there , one of the entertainments being a Sham fight in whi ch Sc indiahdi rected the operations and His Royal Highnessand the sui te acted as umpires .On our way to Agra we had broken the j ourney

at Dholepore in order to lunch with the Maharaj ah ,

and we did so again on the way back . The Maharaj ah was only a boy , but a very charming youngster ,who spoke English well , and we all liked himimmensely .

While there the Prince told Probyn , GeneralBrowne ,

and Fayrer that the Queen wished himto invest them with the Star of India , while Ellisand Glyn , and Maj ors Henderson and Bradford ,

were to be made Companions of the Order . Glynwas the first naval officer upon whom this honourhad been conferred , and as everyone liked himimmensely we were all doubly pleased that heshould have it . The news was a delightful finishto a very pleasant visit .

I I . RU SS E LL 0X BOA RD THE S E AL-! PI S

f rom (w shaf t /1 by S ir -'I Inf/1 1W 1 17 /1'

s

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230 MY MEMORIES

steamed out the guns at the fort volleyed asalute .

From Bhurtpore to Jeypore the flat countryis linked up by little round-topped hills , each one

surmounted by a fort . Everywhere the armedhorsemen of the district are to be seen , and in thevillages every man appeared to be armed withSword and Shield . Jeypore lies in a cup ,

the hillsaround it rising higher than those crossing the

plains which link it up with the sister city , andall these hills are crowned with battlements . The

city itself is shut in by masonry walls twentyfeet high and nine feet deep , so that entrancecan only be made by one of the seven gates , whichare studded with spikes to prevent elephantsbattering them in with their heads .

Jeypore itself is a wondrously beaut iful city ,with fine broad streets and wide pavements , allexquisitely kept and clean . The houses , like thecity walls

,are painted a rose-pink picked out with

white ,all very dainty and fresh in appearance , and

especially SO when decorated , as we first saw it ,with garlands of flowers and flags

,and illuminated

by torches . It has public schools and colleges ,palaces and churches that would do credit to manyan European town ,

and the people appeared to beremarkably prosperous , happy and comfortable .

The Maharaj ah ,a very refined and cultivated

man,devoted more of his attention to the fine arts

and education ,social matters and public works ,

than to military affairs . He was greatly interested in European politics , and a regular readerof The Times and English reviews . But though

THE PRINCE ’S FIRST TIGER 23 1

gentle by nature his government was very strict ,and his people were kept in excellent order .We all went hunting next day , some pig-stick

ing , others deer- stalking , the Prince , Aylesford ,

Paget , and I with the Maharaj ah after a tigerthat had been committing murder in the district .It was a curious way of hunting , and not the sortI like . We rode out first of all to a hillside whereonstood a little two- storied house surrounded by alow wall . The house was loop-holed , and we allhad to take up positions inside , and then waitwhile the beaters drove our quarry towards us .Two hours had elapsed before we saw a S ign of her,but at last she came , creeping warily through thebrushwood like a huge cat . The Prince fired whenthe tiger was about thirty yards from the house , and

the great beast with a startled leap made off downthe hillside . Before She had gone far the Princefired again , knocking her over , but she recoveredand loped away into the thick brush of a hollow .

Then very thankfully we came out , and the Princemounted Fayrer

’

s elephant and went after hisgame . The beaters threw stones and shouted ,and presently the poor beast was driven into theopen again , and went stumbling up the bank untilHis Royal Highness with two more shots killed her .

She was full-grown , eight and a half feet long , andthe Prince ’s first tiger . The Maharaj ah wasdelighted , and begged his acceptance of a verylarge-bored rifle as a souvenir of the event .On the 7 th we left Jeypore for Bareilly and

Nynee Tal , via Agra , for a Shooting expeditionunder the guidance of General Sir Henry Ramsay ,Commissioner for Kumaon .

CHAPTER XIII

HUNTING IN NE PAUL

E reached Moradabad , where the railway ended , early in the morning ofthe 8th of February . Our first camp

was at Barhinee . I t was far more a city thana camp , and better planned and organisedthan many towns . The animals alone requiredquite an army of people to look after them . Therewere two hundred elephants , five hundred camels ,one hundred and twenty horses , and two hundredoxen , and in charge of them were about a thousandcoolies . There were a good many soldiers , tooseventy-five of the Ghoorkhas with their band ,twenty troopers of Probyn

’

s Horse , and fiftypolice .

Direc t lv after breakfast at the camp we drove onto Nynee Ta] and had a grand View of the snowpeaks , which were hidden next day by a thick fog .

On our return we met the shooting elephants andtook up our posts round a patch of thick , longgrass and reeds in which it was believed that atiger lay hidden . After waiting there ratherimpatiently in the hot sun without seeing anything for a long time we moved to another place ,about fifty yards higher up . Immediately a finetiger rushed out close to our first post . The Princefired and so did we , but we were too far off tosee clearly in the close j ungle , and the tiger got

232

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234 MY MEMORIES

ruthless , and ferocious creatures that live . Whenwe got her She had just killed a deer , but that ofcourse could be forgiven her , as it was for food .

We all had a shot at her , Probyn and Fayrer firingfirst , but I think it was Carrington

’s Shot thatkilled her. The three little ones were only aboutS ix weeks Old , but they got away , and in spite ofmuch searching we never saw them again . We

wanted to add them to the Prince’s collection for

the Zoo .

One day when after a wolf I had a very nastyfall , for instead Of my spear going into the wolfit went on to a stone . The hilt caught me rightin the middl e , and it not only gave me a very badknock

,but sent me flying off my horse clean on

to my back , and if I were not wooden-headed Imight not be here to tell the tale .

Sir Jung Bahadoor took command of the

expedition when we left English territory at Bonbassa on the 20th , and crossed the border intoNepaul . Roads were practically unknown whenonce we had crossed the Sarda , and elephantsand camels had to do all the work of baggage aswell as passenger transport . The procession ofelephants , etc crossing over that river was a mostwonderful sight we sat in our howdahs , watchingit

,for nearly an hour . There were seven hundred

e lephants , each with two attendants , and everyanimal was a picked specimen , for Sir Jung wouldonly have the best for the Prince

’s party .

Some one estimated that there were between nineand ten thousand people with us at our first camp .

I do not think it was an exaggerated total . We

A RECORD BAG 235

certainly had quite that number , i f not more , inthe Nepaul camp , and Sir Jung had even more inhis

,for in addition to all the hunting people he

had a battery of six guns and fourteen hundredinfantry—why , I know not , unless he thought itadded to his dignity . All these people and para

phernal ia in attendance on rather less than ascore of sportsmen I wonder how many of themregarded us as the representatives of a blessedProvidence who bestowed through us the wherewithal for many months of comfort ? Possibly noneof them . Probably Sir Jung had other and betterreasons for carrying infantry and ordnance withhim than merely the enhancement of his dign ity .

The natives had cut a path especially for usthrough the forest and scrub ,

but even so travellingwas by no means easy , and at times we could notsee a yard ahead . But

,with all the difficulties ,

no sooner had we put ourselves and the direction ofaffairs into Sir Jung Bahadoor ’s hands than ourstar

‘

rose and that of the j ungle cats went under acloud . On the very first day the Prince killedan immense tiger on the second he bagged six ,

two of them with only a single bullet each .

Of course he was always given the premierplace , but even so he could not have counted somany to his rifle had he not been a wonderfullygood shot and quite fearless . He never wouldfire , however , at anything he could not see . Sometimes Sir Jung or some one else would say to himFire right in front of you

,sir the tiger is j ust

there in the grass .

”

But the Prince would not until he could descry

236 MY MEMORIES

the animal himself , and on several occasions hecrossed from the howdah of one elephant toanother in order to see better .I t is of course very difficult for any but eyes long

accustomed to the j ungle and the strange tricksthat light and Shade play with the coats of theanimals , to distinguish a tiger in cover . One daySir Jung had been trying for some time to show thePrince where one had taken shelter in a clump ofgrass free of trees , but with small undergrowthe ffectually hiding anything that crept beneath it .At last the Prince fired , and immediately there wasa distinct movement in the grass . His RoyalHighness fired again , and with the shot out spranga big tigress who , in a series of leaps , made herway round the waiting circle of elephants . Theybecame very restless , flourishing their trunks ,trumpeting angrily , and moving about uneasily .

But in less time than it takes to write , and beforethe Prince could fire again , she had disappearedonce more into her cover , and there She remained ,although we treated her as an invisible Aunt Sally ,pitching soda—Water bottles , oranges , sticks , andeverything else we could find at the spot . All thereturn she made us was to Swear loudly and deeply .

Then Sir Jung threw his white pith hunting cap ather , and this apparently affronted her even morethan the soda-water bottles . She made one greatspring

,which landed her right under the nose of

the nearest elephant , then a Shorter one at hishowdah

,missed it , and turning like a flash she

was at the stern of ano ther elephant . She bithim and then made for a nullah in front . But it

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238 MY MEMORIES

We had grown very tired of riding in howdahs,

and never dreamed we should live to look upon it asa desirable thing . But that day those who did notstick to their horses as the Prince and I did foundthere was another way of riding elephants verymuch less comfortable i f not so monotonous as ina howdah . They had to ride astride , seated on apad , and holding on by a strap . In front was themahout with a rukeree to cut away creepers and touse as a spur : behind was another man with amallet to hammer the elephant when he reducedhis pace to anything under seven miles an hour .The usual pace is two and a half to three miles anhour .Knowing that the battle between the wild

elephants and the fighters had already commenc ed , the natives Were as determined as we tomiss none of the fun . So , no matter what thecourse was like , forward was the order of theday and the great beasts , prodded in front andhammered behind , went dashing down ravines ,crashing between and over trees , bucketing up anddown nul lahs, and

'

generally making their waythrough the j ungle with but one idea in their heads ,not in the least minding how their unhappy ridersfelt . In addition , every now and then theydrenched them with an unexpected shower , forthey carried a good supply of water in theirtrunks

,which they replenished at every oppor

tunity and whenever they felt disposed to coolthemselves they calmly played the hose on theirsides and over their backs When I Saw them Ifelt very pleased indeed that the Prince had

A WILD CHASE 239

resisted Sir Jung’s earnest entreaties to desert

his Arab for the more usual hunter of the region .

I myself never went on an elephant when I couldby any possibility ride a horse .

We got a long way ahead of the others , left theforest , and presently arrived at the edge of aravine at the bottom of which flowed a river thatcame from a forest on the opposite side . Therewe sat down to await events , for the ravine lookedjust the place where elephants might come down .

Presently Sir Jung appeared he waited with usfor a little , then went off , riding on a man

’s back,

towards the forest across the water , to see why theelephants had not yet appeared .

As the others arrived , all rather shaken and veryhot after their novel ride , Sir Jung came back , andtold us that the elephants had made off in anotherdirection altogether . In no time we were awayagain after them , and on arriving at the placeindicated we all took up posts in trees and on ahastily-erected stand . There we waited untilmessengers came— alas ! not with the longed-forwarning of the elephants ’ approach , but to saythey had gone higher upSir Jung , also mounted on an Arab , dashed off

ahead with the Prince and me , the pad elephantslumbering along behind as fast as they couldtravel . This chase lasted for half an hour , acrossthe plain , through jungle ,

over streams , all atheadlong pace . Then we suddenly found ourselves on an open space where the undergrowthhad been burnt , and there in front of us was apoor old warrior hurrying along with his trunk

249 MY MEMORIES

curled up and his tail held out,panting and flurried

so that he no longer kept a straight course .

After him we went , hallooing like mad , theelephants behind us trumpeting an accompanimentto our wild yells . And then , without the slightestwarning , the wild elephant stopped , turned round ,looked at us for a moment , and made a dash at me .

Fly fly shouted Sir Jung , but it was notthe easiest thing in the world to do at the pace wewere going , unless we made a bee line for theenemyThe elephant riders had nearly all taken to

horses again , however , and we managed to drawoff to one side , while the elephant only made ashort charge before stopping again . We stoppedtoo he charged again again we skedaddled , andagain he charged . This little byplay was repeatedmore than once , and I know not which was reallythe most scared—the elephant or his would-be

pursuers .Several times his onsets brought him perilously

close ,once to the Prince , which so alarmed me

that I tried to tackle him myself , and when theothers rode away I went at him , my horse , asplendid fellow who never refused anything Iasked of him , entering gallantly into the spiritof the chase . The gigantic beast was weary ofthe game ,

or it would have been a mad thing to do,

but though still fierce and savage he was nearlytired out , and when I got close enough to his S ideto prod him in the shoulder , instead of turning onme he made off , as I wanted him to do , to higherground away from our party . I followed and

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CRUEL BIJLI 241

repeated my side-attack ; again he took it meeklyand retreated ,

lumbering away this time to a poolof water , where he lay down as if he no longercared whether his pursuers followed him or not .Then I went back , to be met by the Prince asnearly angry as he ever was with me , saying thatI might have been killed . We all dismountedthen ,

leaving our quarry to refresh himself beforethe fighting elephants came to engage him , for wewanted to capture and not to kill him .

When at last the fighters came up , JungPershad , the one- tusked warrior of many affrays ,went after the wild one and immediately engagedhim in single combat . But this lasted no time atall , for Jung Pershad so terrified his victim thathe fled , and being of lighter build got clean away ,for the gallant hero of a hundred fights was notso agile as he had been once .

We were watching , and the moment the wildelephant escaped from Jung Pershad we wentafter him again at full gallop . Fayrer

’

s horsej umped into an old elephant pit about twelve feetdeep , but neither horse nor rider was hurt . I twas a wonder no other accident happened , for wetore along like creatures possessed yet so difficultwas the ground we did not get up to our manuntil he reached the wood . He was driven out ofthat by beaters led by Sir Jung Bahadoor himself ,whose violent invectives , shouted in a terriblevoice , were quite enough to frighten even the

gamest of elephants .

Bij li Pershad , the second best among the

fighters , engaged him this time and made shortR

242 MY MEMORIES

work of him . Most cruel was Bij li he knockedhim down first , then kicked him up against a treeand battered him over the head . At last the poorfellow ,

wild no longer,let the hunters hobble and

lead him ,and then i t was found that he only had

one eye ! Thereupon the Prince begged that hemight be set at liberty , and Sir Jung consented ,only stipulat ing that he should lose his tusk as aproof that he had been conquered .

So he was tethered to a tree for the night , andhis tusk , when it had been sawn off , was presentedto the Prince as a trophy . He was all owed toreturn to his forest next day , a humbler but , Iwil l do him the credit to say ,

scarcely a wiserelephant , for he cert ainly did all he could to avoidstrife , and was in no way to blame for being forcedinto it .Everyone was tired out when night fell , and no

one had seen the actual battle after all . We allsaw the result , for fourteen captives were broughtin . Another tiger-hunt followed , but we only gottwo between us .That night , as we were all sitting round the

camp-fire at about ten o’

clock , a brilliant visionsuddenly appeared to us , sparkl ing in the firelight .

It was a party from the other , the native ,camp

,

our host with his brother and son and someattendants . They were all in full state dress ,and the resplendence of the three nobles wasreally dazzling .

Sir Jung’

s Skul l cap , sewn all over with pearls ,was encircled by a coronet of emeralds , rubies ,and diamonds , and from it rose a very beautiful

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244 MY MEMORIES

yet they seemed to be numerous enough ,and they

were of all sort s and S izes .

I t is a wonderful country,very wild of course ,

and full of j ungle ,but with great tracts of open

plain too , with rivers that are shy of the surfaceand lie so deep that when the elephants werecrossing , the backs of those in the stream wereabout on a level with the pads of those on thebank . The variety of birds was even greaterthan that of game , many of them with verybrilliant plumage .

Sir Jung was one of the very few who made anyattempt to preserve the game . In most cases thePrinces , and the nobles attached to their courts ,kept hawks , and employed pardees, or poachers ,to bring in food for them to fly out . Thesetrappers used to set snares for all kinds of game ,

paying no attention to the seasons , and conse

quently great destruction used to go on . Butfortunately Sir Jung Bahadoor set the example ofpreserving it , and before we left we heard thatmany of the Princes had taken to the Chase as wellas shooting small game , which meant that theywould keep close seasons and put a stop to poaching .

We struck the last forest camp on the 24th

February and made for a wild and windy prairieland called Inalanlea ,

at the foot of the Nepaulmountains

,with the distant Himalayas rising on

the opposite side . This place was a special tigerreserve ,

for it is too unhealthy for human habitation

,and is deserted for the greater part of the

year , the scanty population going off to the hillsdirectly the bad season begins .

MUSICAL DRILL IN THE JUNGLE 245

For the Prince ’s amusement one afternoon SirJung held a review of the troops in his suite .

First came a band ,a very good one , with an

Eurasian band-master then a little company ofLancers ; next the six four-pounder brass guns ,each slung on two bamboos , and carried by tenmen ,

with five artillerymen behind them . Therewere twelve men to each limber , and behind themcame two ammunition bearers . They were followed by a rifle battalion ,

armed with quaintweapons made in Nepaul . Sir Jung Bahadoor

’

s

brother was the general in command , and his sonwith four other officers formed the staff , all of themmounted , in full uniform ,

and sparkling with j ewels .

They went through some very clever exercisesand evolutions , and ended with a most curiousmusical exercise to the strains of a very ancientpolka . They moved from S ide to side in timeto the music , and while thus oscillating wentthrough manual drill

,changing positions at certain

bars as if the words of command had been uttered .

This lasted for nearly twenty minutes , and wasfollowed by the bayonet drill , also to polka time andstill oscillating . I t had the oddest effect , reallyquite comical , especially as it was performed withthe greatest solemnity . Then came the marchpast , the Prince taking the salute ,

to the familiarnotes of our National Anthem and God bless thePrince of Wales .

Our fortnight in Nepaul was by no means theleast amusing of our visit to India . Twenty-eighttigers , with leopards , bears , quant ities of deer ofall kinds , many varieties of small game ,

and some

246 MY MEMORIES

venomous snakes made up a remarkable bag,and

we had marvellously few mishaps . We carriedaway with us a fine collection of live animals

, the

best being a little elephant that performed asmany tricks as a poodle . None of us could everforget the j oy of those glorious days in the forest ,and the great kindness and thoughtful care for ourpleasure and comfort shown by Sir Jung Bahadoor .

It was a thoroughly delightful time , unhamperedby worries , and we were all of us the better for itin every way . The only crumpled rose- leaf wasthe gradual dwindl ing of our own party . FirstSutherland went home ,

and with him poor Grey ,

who had never really recovered his health after hisillness on the way to Ceylon . Then Owen Williamshad to go recalled by business matters . Nextcame a Wi re saying that Duckworth was i ll atLahore with typhoid , and Sir Bartle Frere andFayrer went to him post-haste , Fayrer ratherunwillingly

,for he hated leaving the Prince .

Aylesford made the sixth to leave us , called homeunexpectedly .

When it came to a farewell for us all the Princeheld a Durbar , and personally presented gifts tothe Maharaj ah and his suite . Among the gifts toSir Jung were a silver equestrian group of thePrince as Colonel of the 1 oth Hussars , a gold cigarcase set with gems , three rifles , and a beautifulsword . When everything had been presented SirJung said gracefully

The Prince’s gifts are princely , but their

greatest value to me is in the fact that they comefrom his own hand .

”

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248 MY MEMORIES

had been attached to his suite since we landed .

He never missed an opportunity of saying kindthings , and would find or make occasion for doinggracious little actions on the smallest pretext .There was one pretty incident I always remember

with much pleasure . I t happened on the night ofSir Jung Bahadoor

’

s review ,when a little lad

about six years old stood as if fascinated , watchingthe Prince take the salute . The moment the lastsoldier had passed he ran up to us . When hereached the Prince he slipped his feet out of hisshoes and salaamed , his head nearly touching theground

,three times . Then , his feet recovering

the shoes as by magic , off he ran again , all in twoseconds . His expression of daring and terror athis own audacity was really funny , and all of uslaughed . Even the outraged old Sir Jung Bahadoor could not help smiling . But the Prince sentafter him to bring him back , and that put him intoa great fright . His face turned a sickly yellow , andhe looked as i f he thought he was about to beexecuted ; but when he found that the greatShazadah ,

for whom he had braved even the wrathof his own mighty chief , merely wished to tel l himthat he must become a good soldier and to give hima present , he beamed with delight and consciouspride . I t was very demoralising , no doubt , butvery charming .

We were all delighted to see the Serapis again ,

and fine indeed she was in all the glory of newpaint and gilding . Rather a funny comment onthe Parsees was made ,

by the way ,by one of

the ship’s officers in reference to that gilding . I

H I S EXCELLE NCY sI R JU NG BA HADOG R

R N IG I IT G RA N D C ROS S OF THE M OST HONOU R -H ILE O RDE R o r T i l l-3 RAT I IKN IG HT G RA N D o r THE MOST li X—U I I

‘

I-Zl ) STA R 0 l I N D IN E PA L T E RA I

,LE E . 7 , 1 876

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250 MY MEMORIES

the Parsees have never forgotten it . They are

loyal people , and they made great effort s to sendus off with a literally glowing remembrance ofIndia—the decorations being nearly as elaboratefor our farewell as they were for our reception .

One transparency over a shop amused us verymuch . Tell Mama we

’re Happy ,

” it said !Since our arrival seventeen weeks earlier we had

travelled over seven thousand miles on land andabout three thousand by sea ; we had met , Ithink

, every Prince and Chief in the country andwe had had a really wonderful and most interestingexperience ,

in addition to some of the best sportmany of us had ever seen .

We carried away with us memories of suchentertainments as are only possible in the East

,of

lavish hospitality such as only Princes can offer ,and best of all , an increased respect and admirationfor our own countrymen such as nothing but seeingthem at work in foreign lands and visiting theplaces where many have laid down their lives fortheir Sovereign , is ever able to inspire .

Of material things we took a cargo worth a king ’sransom . The gifts made to the Prince were quitebeyond valuation , and besides these we broughtwith us many new orchids and other rare plants , aswell as a collection of live stock that would havesufficed a new Noah . Two elephants

,small

,but

elephants nevertheless ; a bear , three tigers , twoleopards , numerous deer of all sorts , a cheetah , atiger cat , four Thibetan tailless dogs , great fellows

(and who suffered so from the heat that the barberhad to cut off their looks) , a manic e or ant-eater ,

CURIOUS COMPANY 251

some snakes , and a large variety of birds , fromostriches to humming-birds , besides the horses wetook out

,six Arabs and a miniature pony . All

these were on the S erapis and each of the escortcarried a supplementary menagerie . These creatures did not make the most agreeable addition tothe company , as they were noisy and sometimestroublesome , but it was curious to see how tamethey grewMany of them were allowed to wander about at

their own discretion , which certainly did away withall monotony , since we never knew what sort ofcreature might be awaiting us at any turn in apromenade . To be suddenly confronted with atiger , however tame , or to be involuntarily drawninto a game by the irresistibly playful panther , isnot always the kind of diversion sober folk desireon board ship . I do not think any of us werereally sorry when Bedford struck at last at themess they made of his exquisite decks , and whenwe were ashore at Suez took the opportunity ofhaving them all confined .

Two native officers , Mahomed Afzul , who waswith Biddulph in Garkund , where he did fine work ,and Anoop Sing , who had had five horses ki lledunder him and been wounded in Six places whenserving under Probyn ,

came with us as aides to thePrince . Afzul served through the mutiny inStoke

’

s Pathan Horse ,and afterwards with Lind

’sMooltanees. He was badly wounded in saving thelife of Lieutenant Armstrong at Muradnugger , andwhen this regiment was disbanded after the

mutiny he was made a Major in the 1 1 th Bengal

252 MY MEMORIES

Lancers . Anoop Sing belonged to the 1 1 th

Bengal Lancers too —had , in fact , been with theregiment since its beginning , and had taken partin every action his corps was engaged in . He waswith them at the taking of Pekin ,

and had thesecond-class medal for valour among his numerousdecorations . They were splendid fellows withcharming manners , and we all liked them .

At Suez , Lord and Lady Lytton on their way toIndia

,Monsieur de Lesseps , and a number of other

people breakfasted with us on the S erapis beforewe went ashore . At Cairo , where we spent nearlya week , we found the Grand Duke Alexis and manyothers awaiting us with the Khedive and his sons

,

and when we sailed again from Alexandria theRussian Prince accompanied us in the Russianfrigate Svetlana .

Affairs in Egypt were not very prosperous justthen . The Khedive ,

a fearfully extravagant man ,

was a very bad financier too , and he would nottrust those who were really capable of advising him .

We had heard soon after our arrival at Bombaythat the British government had bought his sharesin the Suez Canal Company for a piece ofnews that elicited from one of the younger officersthe remark that we were qualified fools to pay sucha sum for what we could have taken for nothing .

Gladstone had been very down on Disraeli for therather startling transaction , in spite of Northc ote

’

s

sanguine prophecy that the shares would increasein value and though popular opinion in Englandwas entirely with the Government , people inEgypt were rather divided as to i ts wisdom , fearing

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254 MY MEMORIES

Mr . Bugeja was among the guests invited tomeet the Prince at Government House that night ,and before we went in to dinner His Royal Highness , in conferring upon the generous philanthropist the order of Saint Michael and SaintGeorge , personally expressed to him his regret atbeing unable to assist in such a noble charity . Itwas said to be the largest endowment ever made inthe island , amounting in all to aboutOur visit occurring in Lent , and the Maltese

being very punctilious as regards their religiousObservances , it was a little difficult for the authorities to arrange a programme that would not offendanybody . As it was , the reception committeehad fallen out with many of the local aristocracy ,and with several of the foreign Consuls , in regardto the Prince

’s reception on arrival .Even the state dinner was against the strict

rules of good Churchmen , but the Maltese gentlemen got over that difficulty by regarding the

invitation as a command . The Roman Catholicclergy , however , felt unable to feast in Lent evenon that great occasion , and I am afraid we wereslyly amused when we heard that the AnglicanBishop did not permit his conscience to control hisappetite to any such extent . But at the big dinneron the following (Friday) night , and at the ballafterwards, there were scarcely anyMaltese present .We Spent five days at Malta , ending our stay

with a state dinner on the S erapis. From there wewent to Gibraltar for four days , where the Dukeof Connaught met us . I think Gibraltar was inc l ined to be vexed with the Prince for carrying

BOILING BRAINS 255

his brother off to England with him . The peoplewere very devoted to the Duke , and exceedinglysorry that His Royal Highness was leaving . The

night before we left a great crowd with music , andcarrying torches , escorted him to a regimentalfarewell dinner at the Mess of the 23rd Regiment .One of the most enj oyable items among the

entertainments at the Rock was a picnic His RoyalHighness gave us in the Cork Woods when , tothe j oy of the Spanish population , we rode backthrough San Roque .

We reached Cadiz on the 2oth of April and wentstraight on to Seville by train . After three dayswe went on to Madrid , stopping at Cordova en

route to see the cathedral . I t was very hot , andTheophile Gautier

’s remark that the Spanish sunsets one

’

s brains boiling in the pan was adescription of the climate that we thoroughlyappreciated as we rode , all in uniform ,

in the

review , and through the streets of the beautifulcapital of Castile . But the Prince in his fieldmarshal

’

s coat of scarlet , and the Duke of Connaught wearing the 7 th Hussars

’ busby, musthave felt it even more than we did . Poor GordonLennox had to retire , for the sun made his brasshelmet simply impossible .

King Alfonso gave us a most interesting time inthis fine old city , and himself acted as guide tothe Escurial , where the stone corridors and hallswere so chilly , in spite of the blazing sun out ofdoors , that His Maj esty told us all to keep ourhats on . He took us to the rnusée too ,

and droveus all over the place , but unfortunately we had not

256 MY MEMORIES

time enough for more than just the merest glimpseat a ll the art treasures .

The Duke of Connaught , attended by GordonLennox and FitzGerald , took the train to Parisafter four days , but we stayed on in Madrid forthree more , and then left by special train forLisbon . The Spanish papers made a very funnyhash of our names , and quite overlooked the factthat the Duke of Connaught came next to the

Prince in order of place . The published list , whichI kept as a curiosity , runs as follows

Las personasque le acompanan son PrincipeLuis de Bat temberg lord Suffiel . Gentil-hombrede camara , general Dighton . Caballerizos Probigh ; coronel Llis. Médico de camara , Tayrez ,

Secretario particular , Knollys , Ayndantes, lordBarasford , lord Carington , Sir Fitz-gegrge . Ofi

ciales de ordenes , coronel Autresley ,capitan Yongh ,

Sr . Rusell , Sr . Hall , duque Connaught , Capitanes ,Fitzgeral , lord F . Gordon Lennox .

The S erapis was awaiting us at Lisbon when wearrived on the 1 st of May . I t was the first time anEnglish Prince had paid an official visit to Portugal ,and a tremendous programme was arranged forhis entertainment . About three thousand peoplewere present at the Court ball at the Ajuda palace ,

and many families of the ancient nobility came infrom the country to be present . The usual reviewtook place ,

and some very good races . I think weenj oyed more than anything a picnic at Cintra ,where we all rode on donkeys into the mountainsto see an old Moorish castle , and lunched at thecountry house of Dom Fernando d

’

E dla .

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258 MY MEMORIES

H is for Sydney Hall , an artist of merit , a gentleman , painter , and friend all combined a lsofor

Hulton , the first of lieutenants , an excellent sailorand almost too kind .

I is for India , that wonderful land we’re leaving so

gladly ,still are glad to have seen .

J is for poor Joe who was everyone’

s friend we

wish to himself a better he’

d been .

K for our Francis of excellent parts , an affectionatefriend and keen partisan .

L stands for Lambert , artilleryman bold , whostands at attention whenever he can .

M for the minister extraordinary , Morier ,astute and full of resource .

N for the North to which we are hurrying , everysoul on board anxious , not a point - off ourcourse .

0 for Oliver , whose care for the engines has helpedus so much when so much skill was needed .

P for Sir Dighton , so gallant and noble ,whose

devotion and loyalty was never exceeded .

Ofor the quarrels which might have occurred hadgood sense and one object been taken away .

R stands for Russell , or Boosey Billy ,with breast

medal-covered in martial array .

5 for His Royal Highness’

s suite , and the head ofthe Household himself is included .

T for the tiger so savage and fierce ,most danger

ously vicious , but happily caged .

U stands for Ushant, welcome to view , as the goodship Serapis passed it to-day .

V for the vapour that sends us along , controlledand conducted in the most masterly way .

FEATHERED TROUSERS 259

Wmust be for the Prince of Wales , whom to serveis great pleasure ,

to part from is pain .

X is that mystic algebraical sign , which for thosewho are knowing is positive gain .

Y for that Yarmouth we so anxiously look for ,where we hope soon to meet the most dear andbeloved .

Z is for Zounds, that old English expression .

Can I have been dreaming , or have we

arrived

Another amusing little item of interest that Idiscovered among my papers was the followingcutting from a Colombo paper , describing the

Prince of Wales . The details about his clothes

give the impression that His Royal Highness woremillinery in the wrong place

The face ,so pleasing and frank , first attracts

attention , and then the light blue eyes fascinatedand delighted the gazer . There was no shynessnor aversion in that face . I t looked boldlyforward with no stare , however , but with a kindliness of expression that was most winning . One

could understand how it was that Sir Salar Jungand the native Princes of India were enchantedwith such pleasant features , to which courtesy ofdemeanour seemed naturally wedded . The

form is seen to be that of a gentleman of full middleheight , with a tendency to a thick—settedness, j ustthe John Bull of Tenniel without top-boots andthe j ingling fob-chain . A field-marshal coat isworn , and the right breast is decorated with , itseems at a short distance , seven Orders , of which

260 MY MEMORIES

the Star of India appears most noticeable . Whitetrousers are worn with a profusion of whitefeathers . Altogether the figure is thoroughlyEnglish , of the type of which we are most proud .

Field-glasses were very much in demand on the1 1 th , and when about t en o

’clock the Enchantresswas sighted , the Prince stood gazing throughhis until he was able to make out the Princess andtheir children on the deck . We signalled the

Enchantress to go on to a better meeting-place ,

and at about eleven we anchored , and the Princeand I went off to her . Lady Carrington , my lady ,and several of my daughters had come out withthe Princess to welcome us home . The Dukeof Sutherland , Aylesford , Frere ,

and a number ofothers who had come down with them , all came onboard the S erapis with the Prince and Princess .At Portsmouth that afternoon we received atremendous ovation on landing , but nothing thatfollowed could compare with the j oy of the meetingin the morning .

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262 MY MEMORIES

no other heir-apparent in Europe hires cabs andflies more frequently than the Prince of Wales , andthe result o f this condescension is that he is mostpopular with Londoners , who speak of him as beinga j olly good fellow .

’ Another Russian j ournalsaid It is no uncommon thing for the Prince ofWales to drive a cab himself . The heir to the Lionand Unicorn is excessively fond of horses nothingpleases him better than to Shut a driver inside hisvehicle and to enj oy the j oke of holding the reinson the box .

I had the honour of being presented to the CzarAlexander I I . on several occasions . He it was wholiberated the serfs , yet he died by the hands ofassassins as though he had deserved nothing goodof his people . I represented the Prince at hisfuneral in 1 881 , when Lord Dufferin was ourAmbassador at St . Petersburg .

The wedding of his daughter , the Grand DuchessMarie ,

to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1 874 , was oneof the most brilliant ceremonies I can remember .

The Duke was made an Admiral and a Generalin the Russian service he was already a Generalin the German army and Vice-Admiral of theBritish fleet . He had a more adventurous l ifethan most Royalties . When the Fenians weremaking themselves so unpleasantly conspicuousin the early ’

Seventies one of them shot His RoyalHighness in the back when in Sydney , New SouthWales . The bullet was soon extracted and he wasenabled to return to his duties , but this attemptedassassination of the young sailor Prince did moreto frighten England than any of the other out

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264 MY MEMORIES

sorrow a family , a Friendl y nation , in fact theentire world , and great would have been our griefin seeing that the theatre of so sad an occurrencewas our own country .

H .R .H . The Duke of Edinburgh ,Admiral

of the powerful Squadron which was anchoreduntil yesterday off Carril , was on the point ofperishing by drowning in the river Amia , close tothe bridge of Bayon ,

on the road from Carril toPontevedra .

He had gone out to fish in company with somefriends , and offi cers of the said Squadron ,

H .R .H .

choosing for himself a spot , where there is a poolof about six metres in depth ,

and in which,apart

from the abundance of water , there is a strongcurrent , due to the proximity of a mill which issupplied by this river , and to the fact of there beinga fall of about three metres . He was alonethat is

,out of S ight of the rest , when he slipped

by accident on a stone (in the river) in spite ofhaving taken off his boots

,and without exactly

knowing how, he fell backwards into the pool ,

exactly at the point where the Mill Race preventedhis making any effort to save himself . His presence of mind alone enabled him (after having beensucked under three times as he himself afterwardsexplained) to keep himself up ,

although for someminutes he was almost fainted , whereby he wouldhave become the victim of this so innocent amusement , which had brought him to such a pass . Atthis critical moment an intimate friend of his whohappened to be there ,

came up , and not seeinghim where he had been only a few minutes before ,

A NARROW ESCAPE 265

after looking round grasped the situation , andwithout a moment ’s hesitation threw himself withhis clothes on into the pool to help the Duke ,

withthe full conviction that he must be there , in facton rising to the surface he saw him , endeavouredto catch hold of him , but was prevented by thestrength of the current , both realised the situationbut were unable to assist each other . Providencea lone could help them ; without knowing exactlyhow

,H .R .H . gave his friend a violent push with

his foot , the effect of which enabled both to getaway from the spot where a few moments laterthey would have met with certain death , and toclutch hold of some boughs which overhung thebank until Mr . Batty ,

father of an employee on theRailway

,arrived and seeing what had happened

shouted out to call the attention of the rest , andamongst them all with no little difficulty theysucceeded in dragging themout without further badresults than a thorough wetting as was natural ,S ince neither of them lost their heads for a moment .

In the Mill House they were able to take off theirwet things and they appeared with only suchexternal garments as they were able to borrowfrom the rest of the party ,

and as soon as they arrivedat Carril

,they embarked in the launches , which

were waiting for them ,and in a short time the

Squadron proceeded to sea ,not however before

H .R .H . had taken leave of Senor Don Juan Mouldand his lady who were highly gratified ,

as indeedthey could not help being in the circumstances ,Their RoyalHighnesses and the other gentlemen ofthe squadron having man i fested a special courtesy

266 MY MEMORIES

to them , for which they are much indebted . OurReaders will see how so innocent an affair mighthave brought on a grievous and double misfortunewhich would have thrown into mourning principally the Royal Families of England and Russia .

We offer our S incere congratulations to the Dukeof Edinburgh on his having come out from thisaccident , as well as to Sir Harbord , for that is thename of the Brave Military who threw himselfinto the pool to save the Duke and well nigh perished with him . Sir Harbord is the Gentlemanwe saw with one of the Dukes in their excursionto this city . He is of colossal stature ,

whitebearded , and in order that our readers may the

better remember him , we will tell them that hei t was who wore White Boots when he was here .

To both we repeat our best congratulations .

Done into English in the S traits of Gibraltar ,

27th June,I was on the Continent with the Prince a great

deal , and I think I enj oyed our visits to Vienna asmuch as any

,though the Austrian officers used

to be rather scandalised because I held mypartners , when dancing , in the English way ;the Austrians always dance very stiffly , holdingtheir partners at arm

’s length , and much to thePrince ’s amusement some of them once complained to him that I held the ladies a great dealtoo tightly . The chief attraction at Vienna wasthe beautiful Empress ; She was nearly as lovelyas our own Princess , and as charming both were

‘ Gazette d’

f talia , The Journal of Santiago , Saturday,z4l b June ,

’

82 .

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268 MY MEMORIES

pilot there and then , and always came to Englandafterwards when Her Maj esty was hunting there .

The late German Emperor was always very goodto me , and often asked me to go and stay with'

him . He was very fond of yachting and loved theCowes Regatta , where he spent a good deal of timewith me . Among my most valued pictures is avery fine signed engraving of His Maj esty that hehimself gave me ; I have always treasured it inmemory of one of the best and noblest men thatever lived .

In June ,1 888

,I went with the Prince and Princess ,

Prince Eddy and Prince Christian ,to attend the

Emperor’

s funeral , and we spent a week inBerlin . Later on I went with the Prince to Flushing to meet his widowed sister when She came home .

I had of course known the Empress since herbabyhood , and she always Showed me much favourand kindness .

Kaiser Wilhelm is , and always has been ,very

fond of England and the English ,in spite of all

that people may say to the contrary . He hasinvariably worked for peace with England , but ,in spite of all his really earnest endeavours andhis sincere love of this country ,

there has alwaysbeen friction between the two courts . It isimpossible to say how it arises , unless it is the usualj ealousy that is always a feature of courts . It iscertainly not the Emperor

’

s fault . He was notonly greatly attached to Queen Victoria , butregarded her with the greatest respect and veneration . Indeed ,

it may be said that Her Maj estydied in his arms , for he was supporting her , and her

KING OSCAR OF SWEDEN 269

head was resting against his chest , when she passedaway at Osborne . He grieved very deeply andsincerely for her loss , and looked as sad as herown sons at the funeral .I remember both the Bismarcks

,father and son .

The old man was always particularly civil to me ,

perhaps because he hoped to find out some statesecrets , but I do not think he was nearly such abear as everyone imagined .

King Oscar of Sweden used to entertain usmagnificently when we went there , and gave us thefinest sport . I was staying with the Breadal

banes at Taymouth Castle when he came on avisit in 1 884 , and witnessed the splendid Highlandwelcome that was given him . He had come overin his three- funnelled yacht for the Cowes week ,

and before going to Scotland he spent a few weeksat Margate . While there ,

Sanger,the circus man ,

asked him to Christen a baby e lephant after himself , which he did , and was rewarded before he leftby seeing in huge letters on the posters

OSCAR , KING OF SWEDEN , NOW ON VIEW .

He was a first -rate shot,and he won all hearts

in Scotland . To commemorate his visit a brasstablet was placed under his banner at the castle ,

and the following verses , whose authorship I mustnot divulge , were written about it .

KING OSCAR, 1 884 .

The S ilver sails of the North men

(So runs the tale of yore)Came over the sea with mailed men

To harry our Scottish Shore .

270 MY MEMORIES

To harry our seaward turretsAnd crimson our golden strand ,

And break full many a gallant lanceFor the honour of their land .

The King of the North comes here again ,In this later peaceful hour ,

And his banner braves the Scottish breeze ,From the proudest Scottish tower .

He has conquered castle and Chieftain ,He has won the land and its lords ,

But his captives lay at his royal feetTheir hearts— and not their swords .

And aye shall the silken bannerBedeck Breadalbane

’

s hall ,And its wind-kissed gold and purpleFor ages rise and fall .

But silk shall fade and tatterAnd fretted gold decay

E re the memory of its masterFrom our minds shall pass away .

For deeper than the brass 1 isCut by the graver

’

s art ,His kingly grace has carved his name ,

On the gold of every heart .

He himself wrote three graceful verses in theVisitors ’ Book

O heaven-kissed hills O wooded strandThe mirror of mine own dear land !

In al lusion to the brass tablet placed under the King’

s

banner to commemorate His Maj esty’s visit to Taymouth .

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272 MY MEMORIES

The Prince , as everyone knows , was extremelypopular in France the people in Paris loved him ,

and he could have done anything he liked there . Agreat fuss was made in 1 878 , when the Princessaccompanied him . His Royal Highness was simplybesieged by people wanting him to do things for theExhibition and for themselves individually ,

and Ihad to see them all for him . He always said yeswhenever it was possible , and when he had to refusehe found a way of excusing himself that gratifi ed them if possible more than an answer in theaffirmative would have done . Lord Lyons wasAmbassador at the time , and he gave a very bigball in honour of their Royal Highnesses . LordLyons was a particularly charming man

,and witty

as well as diplomatic . An argument upon the

most necessary virtue for marital happiness tookplace in his presence one day , and , on one of theladies taking part in it , insisting that compatibility of temper was the Chief thing to be considered , Lyons said

It seems to me that compatibility of tempera '

ture i s even more important , and I think you willagree withme i f you consider the number of quarrelsand the amount of bitter feeling that have arisenthrough a diversity of opinion as to the openingand Shutting of windows .

”

Talking of ambassadors reminds me of a littleincident that might have led to more or less seriousinternal complications but for the promptitudeand good sense of the late Lord Salisbury . Somefunction had taken us to the Guildhall , and , whenwe were leaving , the surging of the crowd in the

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274 MY MEMORIES

concerned ; and queens are born , not made . The

Empress Eugénie was the most picturesque headof social affairs that France had ever known sincethe days of the lovely Marie Antoinette . Besidesbeing a very beautiful woman she had a great dealof spirit and character . It has always beengratifying to remember that Her Maj esty actuallyowed her escape from Paris to English people ,

first to the dentist who got her out of the city ina market cart in which she travelled all the day tothe coast , and then to Sir John Burgoyne ,

who met

her at Trouville and brought her across to Ryde ,

and later to Hastings , in his yacht . Her Maj esty,

with her son ,who had j oined her at Hastings

,

came down to Windsor a few days after She arrivedin England

,and I went several times with Queen

Victoria to see her at Chislehurst .I used to enj oy my visits to Egypt . The

Khedive was always most hospitable and kind,

and entertained uS very handsomely , getting upelaborate picnics to the Pyramids , arrangingshooting parties , and so on . Sport in Egypt wasworth having , too . I remember once going outwith Lord Gosford after quail and getting sixtybrace between us .

The Shah of Persia , Nasr-ood-Deen , was afunny old fellow . He and his retinue werereceived here in 1 873 with great ceremony ,

butwith equal apprehension ,

for tales of their curioushabits had preceded them from Salzburg , where itwas said that , among other vexatious customs , theypractised that of slaughtering animals in the palaceand roasting them whole on the inlaid marble floors .

A DYED HORSE 275

I went with the Prince and the Duke of Cambridge to meet the Shah at Charing Cross . He

came across from Ostend in the paddle steamerVigilant, escorted by a squadron of eleven ironclads under Admiral Hornby . He was met atDover by the Dukes of Edinburgh and Connaught .He travelled up to town in a blue military frockcoat faced with rows of diamonds and rubies ;on his head he wore a tall fur cap with a diamondaigrette ,

and his belt and sword-hilt were richlyj ewelled .

Great preparations had been made for hisreception , even to rigging up a special telegraphline to enable him to communicate direct from hissuite of apartments in Buckingham Palace to hisown capital , Teheran , three thousand eight hundredmiles away . He was most graciously receivedat Windsor by Queen Victoria , who met him at thefoot of the staircase , and accompanied him backthere after luncheon to bid him farewell . He

conferred on Her Maj esty a new order he hadinstituted on purpose , and Her Maj esty conferredthe Garter on him . He visited the Queen atWindsor three times during his stay ,

and on one

occasion witnessed a review in the park whichimpressed him greatly ,

but not so much as his ownappearance impressed everybody else , for he wasablaze with brilliants and he rode a white horsethat had its mane and tail dyed a brilliant red , andred spots painted on its sides . He was so pleasedwith the Life Guards that he expressed a wishto buy up the entire regiment , horses and al l

,

and take them home with him . His Maj esty went

276 MY MEMORIES

to Madame Tussaud’

s , where he was greatlyinterested in the relics of Napoleon and the effi gyof Napoleon I I I . as he lay in state at Chislehurst .He went twice to the Crystal Palace , the secondtime in ordinary plain clothes (nowhen he walked about with the manager amongthe crowd , and bought things at the stalls . He

smiled incessantly throughout the whole evening ,and told the manager , on saying good-night , thatit was the happiest evening he had spent in Europe .

The Duke and Duchess of Argyll gave a gardenparty in his honour , and the Duke and Duchess ofSutherland a great ball , when he was very Shockedto see that old as well as young ladies wore decollete

’ dress He was very much impressed by themagnificence of everything at Stafford House ,

andtold the Prince that he supposed the Duke mustbe a very powerful and wealthy nobleman to giveentertainment on such a scale . When the Princetold him that the Duke owned large estates inScotland as well as in England , the Shah said :He must be very rich . Of course when youcome to the throne you will and he madean expressive gesture with his finger across hisneckHe asked that the Chief Commissioner , Ayrton ,

might be presented to him at this ball , butAyrton could not be found for a long time . He

was eventually discovered having supper , and wasasked to go and be presented . But he repliedwith more warmth than politeness that he

’

d

see the old nigger in Jericho first ! and,like

Werther’

s Charlotte , went on—eating chicken .

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278 MY MEMORIES

The Duke of Sparta ’s wedding to PrincessSophie of Germany in October 1 889 was the occasion of a very pleasant yachting trip for me . The

Princess with her children had been paying avisit to Copenhagen , and I went in the Osborne

to meet them at Venice . Lambton was commanding her at that time ,

and we had a veryquiet and restful three weeks going out . We leftPortsmouth on the 2sth of September , and on the29th , on sailing into the Tagus , we saw all theflags half-mast high for the King ’s brother . Istayed at Cintra while the yacht was coaling , andin the evening of the 3oth we left for Algiers ,where we arrived on the 3rd of October . We spenta long day there ,

and drove out to the Jardind

’

E ssai , where we saw a large forest tree fromBrazil

,called E riodendron leiantherum, covered

with the loveliest flowers , like orchids , the mostwonderfully beautiful I ever saw .

We kept within five miles of the headlands allalong the African coast , and it was very hot ,nearly ninety in the shade . One day , as there wasa gale blowing and a very heavy sea , the skylights were all shut , but it was so stifling belowthat we had to have them opened . When weneared Malta a heavy sea was still running and thegale blowing strong from the eastward ; we werevery much knocked about , and had lost part of thefigure

-head , so we put in three days there , tidyingup . The sea was smooth ,

and everything delightful when we left on the 9th , Etna standing outplainl y against a blue sky , and only a gentle breezeblowing . We steamed eleven and a half knots

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280 MY MEMORIES

we all went ashore soon after to Athens , wheremostof the suite were put up by the Duke of Sparta ,

only Miss Knollys and I going to the palace .

Guests were arriving every day on the 2sth camethe Empress Frederick with her three daughters ,and the Prince and Princess of Meiningen on the26th the German Emperor and Empress arrived .

The marriage took place on the 27th , a Sunday ,first in the Greek Church ,

and then in the Protestant Chapel , with a great luncheon afterwards ,and at night a gala dinner of two hundred and fiftyguests . We left the big party of Royal relativesnext day , and went on to Egypt , the EmpressFrederick and one of her daughters coming , withthe K ing of Greece ,

a little way outside the harbour to see us off.We were only two days at sea , but a terribly

rough time i t was , a strong gale blowing that upseteverybody but me ,

and they all took to theirberths and remained there until we reached PortSaid . Next day , soon after we got to Ismailia ,Prince Eddy ’s ship

, the Oceana ,came in , and we

all went on board to see him off to India . PrinceHussein came to meet and take us up to Cairoon the following morning , and on the way westopped at Tel -el -Kebir to see the Arabic entrenchments and the cemetery where all our poor fel lowsare lying who fell in the battle .

We spent four days at the Ghezireh palace ,

and the Khedive invited us to dinner , drove uS tothe Pyramids , where we saw. a fantasia withmounted sheiks , and entertained us very wellaltogether .

A NEW APPOINTMENT 28 1

When we got back to the Piraeus the Princevisited the Russian , Danish , and Greek Shipsbefore landing and as there was a full moon thatnight we visited the Acropolis after dinnerTwo days later , on the Prince

’s birthday ,

Arthur Ellis and I accompanied the Royal Familiesto Tatoi by rail and road , through the most lovelyscenery . While there , the Prince talked to me

about my having the appointment of Master ofthe Horse , and I agreed to accept it .When we left all the Royalties accompanied us

as far as Corinth on our way, the King of Denmark

coming as far as Patras . We had a fearfully roughvoyage to Brindisi , where we got into the train .

Soon after we left Turin the Royal saloon caughtfire , and we had to turn out , Prince , Princess , andall , and go in an ordinary carriage ,

not nearlyso comfortable on a very cold night .

Between the stormy weather at sea ,and unc er

tainties ashore , we had had quite a lot of escapesfrom danger S ince leaving home nearly two monthsearlier , but the Prince

’s good fairies were alwaysat hand to ward off the threatening perils , and wegot home quite safely on the 1 7th of November .

CHAPTER XVI

YACHTING

F I divided my life into sections a very bigslice would certainly have to go under theheading R .Y .S I have spent a great

deal of time on the water , for I have alwaysloved the sea ; and nearly as much at Cowes ,where there is only one interest in life , namely ,

yachts and yachtsmen , so that being there is veryliterally next door to a cruise .

I had been yachting for a good many years beforeI became a member of the club in 1 869 ,

soon afterI bought my Flower o

’

Yarrow from the Dukeof Buccleuch . I never owned a racing yacht ,though I did a good deal of racing with the Princeand such friends as General Owen Williamsand Lord Hastings

,who became my son-in-law in

1 880.

For many years I owned a little steamer calledthe Bull-Dog ,

and very useful we found her , forshe could and did act the friend in need on manyoccasions when her more graceful S isters were introuble for lack of a breeze .

The A line, from the time She belonged to Hastings , was a great favourite of mine . She was aschooner of two hundred and sixteen tons , and wasbought from Hastings in 1 88 1 by the Prince ofWales as a racing cutter . I had many a del ightful cruise in her, and raced in and against her many

282

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284 MY MEMORIES

One day we were becalmed off Barra Head ,with the Gwendol in astern ,

and the S elene ahead ,and lying near was a fleet of about three hundredfishing

-boats . We saw several large whales anda Shark that afternoon . Next day a strong N .E .

wind got up and we set a ll fore and aft sails andsoon left both the S elene and the Gwendolin farastern , we having laid some way to windward ofthe others . We gave the crew their dinner anddrank the Queen ’s health in the forecastle that day ,for it was the 21 st of June . We arr ived off Adm iralty Pier , Dover , at p m . on the 28th , timesince we start ed being fourteen days , seven hours ,twenty minutes .

I was on board the Enchantress when ,in the

race for the Queen’s Cup in 1 879 , She came in

fifteen minutes before anyone else , but lost therace by fifty

- three seconds We started bygetting foul of the Shark,

and carried away hernew mainsail torn to ribbons . Thi s lost us fiveminutes , but there was a good breeze from the

southward,and we soon caught up and passed

the others , although we had to take a wide anglein order to leave the flag-boat on our port . Butwe had to allow the Egeria twenty minutes nineseconds , and she saved herself , as I have said , byfifty

-three seconds . Poor Adrian Hope’

s Lulworthwas di smantled off Hyde by a curious accident ,her mast , a new one ,

breaking off short halfwayup

,leaving her lying without a shred on her . It

was surprising that no one was hurt .The Prince , Short ly after he became King , had

the Britannia built on purpose for racing , and after

A BIG BLOW BREWING 285

this the A line was more frequently used by HisMajesty ’s friends than by himself . He lent herto me two or three times when I wanted a rest andsea air , always sending the kindest of letters inconfirmation of any verbal offer he might havemade . There was never anyone who knew betterthan K ing Edward the truth of the Old adage :

Bis dat qui c ito dat . But he went beyond it .He would remember details that made j ust all thedifference between a merely gracious action anda really kind one ,

and often he took considerabletrouble to ensure the complete success of his plansand his thoughtful concern for a friend ’s welfare .

General Owen Williams and his E nchantresswere always great friends of mine . Williams wasa great character at Cowes , where he was as wellknown , and , if possible , as well beloved as thePrince himself . He was one of the best and mostgallant fellows that ever lived ,

a sportsman in everysense of the word , and absolutely fearless . He hada very low , quiet voice , and a funny little staccatoway of talking . I remember as if it were yesterdayhis skipper coming to him in the cabin one dayand sayingColonel , I think we had better short en sail ;

there’

s a big blow brewing , and we’ll be getting

into trouble .

Williams replied : We wi ll not shorten sail ;we will let her feel the full fury of the gale .

And she did—and the consequence was about£500 worth of damage to the yacht !I often used to go to the Mediterranean to meet

him at some place arranged for a week’s shooting ,

286 MY MEMORIES

I in the Bul ldog , Williams in the Enchantress.

Occasionally Hastings would come too , or SirAllen Young , in their yachts , when we would allgo ashore together , and spend the evenings

'

in

entertaining each other and dining on the variousyachts in turn .

Some of these expeditions were great fun ; ofcourse there was much similarity about them .

AS an example I will relate our experiences in1 879. when I set off with Owen Williams andB . Coventry to find the E nchantress at Naples .

We had a very bad j ourney from Paris , thirty-Six

hours in the train , which was snowed up fifteenmiles from Dij on , and we had great difficulty ingetting any food . The snow was still falling heavilyand it was very cold when we arrived at Marseilles ,only to find that the steamer for Naples , whichhad waited for us a whole day , had depart ed ,and it was our turn to wait

,with what patience

we could , for the next , two days later . We wentto the opera the first evening , and listened to anexecrable performance of Les Huguenots thenon to a cafe

’

chantant to forget it , and early to bed .

Next day was happily fine and mild we visitedthe Zoo , and spent the evening with Harry Ward ,j ust arrived from Cyprus

,of which he gave us a

good account . On Sunday evening we left in aM essageries M aritime boat for Naples , and hada fine passage .

We found the Enchantress had only arrived theday before , having experienced very bad weather ,and as she wasnot yet ready for a cruise we decidedto postpone sailing until Wednesday ,

but we went

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288 MY MEMORIES

One day Coventry and I rowed ourselves toCorfu in a dinghy . It was a pretty hot businessthere was not a breath of wind , and it took ustwo hours to go about five miles .There we spent the morning playing tennis ,

at that time a new craze . Williams, who had

again gone Shooting by himself , came in late ,

having shot sixty woodcock on the same groundwe Shot over the day before .

Beating about with head winds it took us awhole night to get to Livitazza ,

only twenty miles ,and we found but few woodcock ,

though manysnipe ,

when we went ashore . Next day we wentafter pig , but after beating a great black andstinking swamp , found none , and had to contentourselves with a few snipe .

The Al ine, with Hastings and Montagu ,went

on to Patras from Livitazza , while we sailed forPegania , intending to rej oin them at Patala .

But calms and head winds stopped us , and we gotinstead to Corfu , and next day to Pegania , whereWilliams and I at once went ashore , but found theCorfioteS shooting , so had to go on the other S ide ,

to Konispoli,where in half an hour we kil led twenty

woodcock and two hares . We had rather anunpleasant experience that day , for a native firedat us

,and the bullet came uncomfortably close ;

we ran aft er him to take his gun from him , but hehad too good a start , and got clear away . We

tried Pegania again ,but had very little luck ,

for in themiddle of a long walk after pig more thanhalf our beaters deserted ,

and we had to returnempty-handed . Disgusted , we got under way

QUARANTINE 289

in a sti ff breeze , and anchored once more atCorfu .

There I had the hardest walk I can remember .We got into a wood , where we were up to ourmiddl es in undergrowth , and could not find theway out for a long while . We had gone by steamlaunch to Butrinto , steamed to the inner lake ,

andthen walked , but though the coverts were charmingthe woods were too big to find the birds . However , we came back over the hills to the plain ,where we found a great lot , and did not get backto the yacht till evening . We went on from thereto Patras , where we found Hastings in the Alinewaiting for us , but as the sport was bad we determined to sail for Malta . The A line started withus , and we kept well in company for some time ,then our steering gear parted again , luckily inalmost calm this time , and the A l ine slipped awayin a light wind and got six or seven miles ahead .

We were at sea from Friday evening till earlyon Wednesday , sometimes close to the A l ine, andsometimes a few miles ahead , as we caught up toand passed her on the Saturday . Most of thetime the wind was dead against us , and it was theold story of beat , beat , beat against it . Then , toour great vexation , when we got to Malta an offi cercame with a tug and towed us into quarantine fortwenty-one days I wrote at once to Sir V .

Houlton , and Owen Williams to Hoare , a memberof Council , and to de Robeck , the Captain of theport , and to our great j oy the Governor and Councillet us off , and we were towed back to Sleima Creek .

We stayed there for nine days , going to the operaU

290 MY MEMORIES

every night , and spending the days visiting andbeing entertained on board the yachts . We met

extremely nice people , and many old friends . SirA . Borton was governor at that time , and theAnnesleys, the Crichtons , Fieldings , Greenalls,M . Gibson , and others were staying , and were verykind to us . One day we went on board the

Thunderer to call on Captain Chatfield and see aburst gun ; another day we saw a polo match .

We rode , too , and walked , and had a most enj oyable time altogether . I was really sorry when Ihad at last to say good-bye to Malta and the Enchantress, and go on board the E tna , on the 2oth ofFebruary , bound for Syracuse , Messina , and Naples .The E tna had a horrible captain who would not

let me land at Syracuse until too late to catch thetrain for Messina , and consequently I had to putin a whole day there with nothing to do after Ihad been to the museum to see the Venus and thebaths of Arethusa .

We practically repeated this expedition in 1 884 ,

when Sir Allen Young and I went off in the Bulldog to meet Owen Williams in the E nchantress, atCorfu . We made rather a bad start , for we hadvery heavy weather off south Italy , and nearly cameto serious grief . We had to stay , weather-bound ,at Cotrone for two days , and then , as it did not

improve , we landed and went via Taranto toBrindisi , and thence by Austrian Lloyd to Corfu ,where we found the Enchantress lying in the roadstead . We all went Shooting next day , and got noend of woodcock .

When the Bulldog arrived she at once became

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292 MY MEMORIES

Constantinople February 1 8th, 1 884 .

MY DEAR SUFFI E LD ,

I was dreadfully Shocked when I got yourletter announcing your disaster , and I was muchrelieved to find that you have got off scatheless .I will certainly do everything I can to promote theinterests of the offi cers who lent you such timelyassistance , and I will not only speak about themto the Minister of Marine , but I will also take carethat what they have done shall be brought to thenotice of the Sultan .

Both my wife and I are delighted to learn thatthere is a chance of our seeing you here . Praycome if you can , and if you do come you mustmake the Embassy your home . Happily yourvisit will not be made under such melancholycircumstances as when you came to St . Petersburg .

Ever yours sincerely ,DUFFE RIN .

Sir Allen Young had to get home ,so I sent the

Bul ldog on to Nice , and transferred myself to theEnchantress. We tried Petala , Patras , NavarinoBay

,Vatika Bay , and Hydra after this , sometimes

having good sport and sometimes drawing blank .

Finally on arriving off the Piraeus in the earlymorningwe made a mistake in the entrance and ranaground again . But the Russian frigate Swetlanahelped us off , and we got into the harbour about2 p m .

There were very few years that I did not go awayyachting for a few weeks at least . Sometimes the

DURANCE VILE 293

Fates were good enough to send me illnesses thatwere very good reasons for going away from ourfogs and humidity ; sometimes my engagementswere not too pressing to forbid my going withoutexcuse and occasionally duty itself led me .

One January (1 883 ) the weather was so horriblein England that everyone who could get awaywent off to warmer climes . It had been arrangedthat I should accompany the Prince to Berlinfor some festivity or other , but at the last momentword came that it was postponed , and to my j oyHis Royal Highness decided to go to Cannes instead .

Then I suddenly developed chicken-pox , andsomeone else had to take my place . To remainbehind was bad enough , but for the cause to be aridiculous infantile complaint made it infinitelyworse . Repining was no good , however , and Ihad to make the best of it .I was j ust recovering , and very tired indeed

of being shut up , though it had been only for afew days , when Sir Allen Young came to see me .

He was full of a new steamer he had just bought ,the S tella , and could talk of nothing but the newengines and boilers he was putting into her .

Naturally this made me keener than ever to getout of durance vile , and I was delighted when atelegram came next day from Hastings , who wascruising about in the Mediterranean on hisZ ingara , with my daughter Betty and theirchildren , asking me to j oin them at Villefranche .

I set off as soon as Dr . Venning would let me , andfinding when I arrived that the Prince was sti llat Cannes , we went on there at once .

294 MY MEMORIES

The Riviera was full of pleasant people , as usual ,and all sorts of amusing things were on the tapis.

It was Carnival time ,and we took the Prince and

a large party round by sea to Nice for the Batail ledes Fleurs. The Duchess of Montrose gave a ball ,everybody entertained everybody else , and altogether it was quite hard to tear ourselves away .

But after a few days we went on,visiting

Corsica , Sardinia , Naples , Messina , putting inseveral days sometimes at a place , for we foundold friends everywhere , until we came to Malta ,where we stayed for three weeks . I think it wason that occasion that we discovered a new passagein the Straits of Bonifacio . It was not markedon any of the charts , and may not be now , but itis worth knowing , for it has twenty- two feet ofwater all the way into the bay through the bar .Our three weeks at Malta were very gay . Lots

of friends were there , and a very good opera .

Admiral Lord Alcester was patiently waiting forhis successor , Lord John Hay ,

and , feeling no doubtin hol iday mood , did his best to make a festivalof our visit . We attended a naval review andwitnessed gymkhana sports . We made expeditions inland

,played tennis , rode , and drove .

The Roxburghs and Curzon were there , too ,on board the Duke of Marlborough

’s yacht ,Francesca , and hosts of other friends , so thateverything was as delightful as it could be .

But I had to get back to London , so I left in themail boat with a very pleasant party , ScottElliott of the 79th Regiment , Alfred and MissThynne , the two Misses Sclater Booth , etc . We

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ALMOST TRAGIC 295

came via Cetania to Naples , where an Americanfamily j oined us , papa , mama , and two very prettydaughters , who were nearly the heroines of atragedy . When going back to the ship to dine ,

after a few hours ashore at Leghorn , we were allso deeply interested in the newly- launched Italianship Lepanta that we were not sufficiently carefulof our balance in the l ittle row-boat . She gave asudden plunge , and I caught hold of Miss Josephine . But Scott Elliott was not quick enoughto save her S ister , Miss Laura , and over She wentinto the sea ,

getting a nasty ducking .

When I reached London I found that my ladyhad whooping- cough ! Was it not enough , aftermy attack of chicken-pox , to make us feel that wewere approaching our second childhoodIn 1 885 I had one of the most interesting and

enj oyable experiences of my life , when I wentwith the Prince and a large party on a visit toNorway , and had some swan and elk Shooting .

We left Aberdeen in the Osborne on the 22nd

August,and sighted Norway early next morning .

It took us the whole day to work through the fiordswith their rocky shores to Odde , where we anchoredfor the night . Next morning we were earlyashore in boats to the farthest shore . Afterbreakfast all went walking before going to fish .

We caught many trout , and in the evening rowedto the end of the lake and walked back to Odde .

From Odde we steamed away to Bergen , wherewe all went ashore and left by rail for Vossevangen ,

arriving there in the evening after a wonderfulj ourney through mountains and along the coasts

296 MY MEMORIES

of the fiords. We dined on reindeer , and the

pretty waiting-women , all in national costume ,

added considerably to the novelty and interestof everything .

We left Vossevangen next day in carioles forGudvangen , thirty- three English miles , and beautiful all the way ,

but very cold . We found the yachtj ust coming into Gudvangen as we arrived , and atonce steamed away for Eisse Fiord out of NaroFiord . From there we passed through manyfiords to Preko , where we anchored for the night .The scenery was grandly wild , and the hard rain ,

the mist on the mountains , and the black cloudsmade it all appear very bleak and drear .At Molde we found the Sunbeam with the

Gladstones on board , and they all dined on theOsborne. We passed outside the islands intoEnidsfiord next day , and anchored close to MontyGuests ’ house we lunched with them , and theydined with us , and we all fished together in theafternoon .

At Frodhjem , where we arrived at p m . nextday

, we hoisted the royal standard for the first timeand received a salute and many officials . We landedat six , and Mr . Bugge , on behalf of the munici

pality ,spoke an address in English to which the

Prince replied . Then we had a drive round thetown . At Trondhjem we went over the curiousold cathedral , and drove to see the great waterfallFors .

At Stockholm we were met at the station by theKing and all his suite ,

and at once drove in statecarriages eight miles to Drothujholme , where

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298 MY MEMORIES

clothes all within half an hour,then went by

another line to the shooting ground . We reachedHassbyurga at eight , finding there all the foreignministers and others who were to j oin the elk

chase , and we had an amazing day ,killing about

fifty elk . After dining royally at the Hog YdayerMaestor house in the forest , we took leave of theKing and got into the train for Goteborg , wherewe arrived in the middle of the night and wentat once on board the Osborne, leaving the mooringsat 3 a .m . We arrived at Christiania on the

following afternoon , and went ashore to see the

Vikings’

shop and museum ,and next day went

in launches to Oscar Hall , the King’s pretty Swedish

villa . Thence on in canoes to a chdlet of Mr . Hofte ,

the banker , where we spent the day , returned tothe yacht for dinner , and went ashore again to thetheatre .

There was a very heavy sea directly we got outof Christiania , which made everyone ill ; and AllenYoung and I , being the only people who did notsuccumb , dined in the ward-room . The poorinvalids must have suffered very much , for thesea grew worse and worse all night , and the windwas tremendous .In consequence we did not make Helsingfors

till after eleven next day , late for the first time .

Teesdale and Dangeskidd came off to say that theRussian Emperor and Empress , the Princess ofWales , the King of Greece , and others had come tomeet the Prince , but had been unable to wait ,as they had to meet the Duc de Chartres . The

Prince went ashore with Teesdale , bound for

SCANDINAVIAN EXCURSIONS 299

Friedensborg ,and we all proceeded in the yacht

to Copenhagen , where we spent eight days . AtFriedensborg we found , besides theKing and Queenand our Prince , Princess , and little Princesses ,the King of Greece , the Emperor and Empress ofRussia

, the Duc and Duchesse de Chartres , thePrincess Marie Prince Waldemar , Prince Williamand Prince John of Glucksborg , the Crown Princeand Princess of Denmark , and many others .This was followed by a week of the usual enter

taining and being entertained , a great deal oflunching

,dining , and supping , both ashore and

on the yacht . There was a very good operacompany , and Thorwaldsen

’s museum was sointeresting that we visited it several times . The

Princess of Wales laid the first stone of the Englishchurch one day , afterwards coming on board tohelp the Prince entertain a party of seventy-eight toluncheon , and in the evening we all went to theopera , ending up the day with a great Supper onboard the yacht Desgava Rumu .

On the 22nd we left Copenhagen for Humelbeck .

We had our Minister , Monson , and Gosling onboard , who pointed out to us Nordenfeldt

’

s boat ,which should have sunk , but did not . Havingpicked up the Royal Family we proceeded to Kiel ,and arrived just in time to catch the train toVienna , where Paget and Keith Fraser met us , andwe found Count Festetics and Arthur Ellis at theGrand .

We left the next evening , after dining at theEmbassy with Paget and others , for Berzenyc e ,with Festetics, who drove us on our arrival at

300 MY MEMORIES

7 a .m . in small open carriages drawn by teams offine horses to his charming house . After breakfasthe took us to see his stud of wild horses , but wedid not go deer-stalking till the next day .

There were lots of stags in the forest , but wecould not get near enough , and though I hit onethe only shot I fired— it got away .

On the following morning I was up atand off to the forest to try with a bloodhoundto find my stag . We got on his track andhunted the slot for nearly two hours , then lost itat last and got home at eleven to breakfast . Inthe afternoon we went again to the forest , but hadno luck , not a Shot , and next day was no better .

The day after that , however , walking and driving ,seven guns , we had magnificent sport . We killedabout two hundred brace of partridge , two hundred

“

and fifty pheasants , and near two hundred hares ,though nobody shot well . Three hundred beaters ,among them many women in Short petticoatsand bare feet , kept perfect line . My stag ofSunday was found at last

,quite dead , a fine

beast with ten points , and they gave me his topteeth , the usual guerdon .

Then two more luckless days , when I had onlytwo shots

,and those so late that it was too dark

to follow and find out what had become of thestags . We had really but one good day duringour week with Festetics. Before we left he tookus to his great place ,

Keershely , on the PlatenSee ,

where we saw his herd of wild cattle andbuffalo used for draught purposes-n -white cattlevery like our old Gunton herd ,

—and a great many

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OFF TO AUSTRALIA 301

good mares and yearlings . His house was notcompleted , but promised to be very magnificent .

We had a special train to Budapest , where wedined with Count and Countess Karolyi on ourarrival and spent a delightful week , very gayindeed . Races , the Horse Show , and the E xhibition occupied our days , and at night there werethe opera , some good dances , a ball at the club ,and so on . The Prince gave a breakfast in theExhibition , and Prince Philippe of Coburg re

sponded with another two days later . I boughta team of Jouckers for the Prince before we leftfor Vienna .

There we dined with Lebanoff, the RussianAmbassador , and heard the beautiful Miss Martinsing at the Orpheus theatre the night we arrived .

We stayed for four days , a very pleasant time ,

though the Prince’s throat was troubling him

rather . I think we must have met everyone inthe place at either luncheon , dinner , or supper , forit was the usual succession of elaborate mealswhich seems to be the only means of bringingpeople together .After three days at the Hotel Bristol , in Paris ,I left the Prince , for I wanted to get home in timeto see my daughter Lily before she left forAustralia . Her husband , Lord Carrington , wasgoing out to Sydney as Governor , and I sawthem all off from Tilbury on the Carthage two orthree days after my return .

CHAPTER XVII

OF PLACE S AND PEOPLE

HERE are many places that have a mortgage upon my affections through lengthof association and number of happy

memories but none , I think , a stronger claim thanCowes . I have only to think of the place to recallhundreds of dear friends , and an endless series ofpleasant experiences , both ashore and on board theyachts , for I was there so often , both with the

Prince and by myself , that it seems as much a partof my life as Gunton itself .Cowes is among my earliest recollections , and

one of the things that has struck me very muchthere of late years is the amazing difference in thenumber of yachts and in the size of the Fleet ,compared to Queen Victoria ’s time . In 1 909particularly I remember thinking how extraordinary the change was from all that used to be .

It was the occasion of the Czar’s visit , and the

Victoria and Albert was surrounded by moreyachts than I had ever yet seen congregatedthere ,

while the great . Fleet close by was surelya spectacle that had never before been seen . Ifelt qui te bewildered as we passed up and down thelines of battle-ships in

‘

the midst of unprecedentedturmoil the pomp and circumstance of everythingreally seemed tiresome ,

and the firing of salutesmerely a great waste of valuable powder Cowes

302

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304 MY MEMORIES

near Gibraltar in 1 858 when She arrived there andwas married to Cardigan . He was a gallant fellow ,

but he was always getting into unnecessary trouble ,

and running into danger when there was no need .

His poor lady was rather unkindly treated whenshe returned to England , and even Cardigan ’sown popularity and position did not make peopleforgive her . She was not at all pretty , but she hada lovely voice , and was very amusing and entertaining , and always full of vivacity and fun . Theyspent a great deal of time at Cowes , either at theircottage or yachting , and after her husband diedLady Cardigan seemed to like being there betterthan anywhere else . I felt very sorry for her ,especially when I saw the plucky way in which shefaced the censorious world ; and when she usedto walk all alone on the lawn I always went to her ,and walked or sat with her , which invariablymeant that others would follow suit before long .

I t always seemed to me particularly unreasonablethat She should be cold-shouldered at Cowes .where so many were making pasts as fast as theycould .

But,as George Eliot said in one of her novels ,

It is so much easier to say that a thing is blackthan to discriminate the particular shade of brown ,

blue ,or green to which it really belongs . Some

people can do terrible things with impunity ,while others must not so much as think of beingindiscreet , unless they wish to call down the

bitterest malice upon themselves . It was sowith Lady Cardigan other women were probably angry because She ,

though not blessed with

LORD REDESDALE’

S SPEECH 305

beauty , yet contrived by the pure magnetism ofher personality to attract such men as Cardiganand her second husband , Count Lanc astre , whomshe married in 1 873 .

I remember one night she was singing with thewindows open , and a crowd collected to listen toher . Probably because she was pleased at thecompliment , she sang the opera right through

,

and a very fine performance i t was ; she mighthave been a prima-donna had she been born toanother station in life .

In 1 905 the King of Spain was at Cowes , withmany other Royalties , when the luncheon at whichLord Redesdale made his famous speech was givenat the Castle in honour of the French squadron .

He spoke so beautifully that the French officerswept , and the Admiral , Caillard , said he could notspeak more than a very few words in reply . Theywere all astonished that an Englishman couldmake a speech in French so eloquent that fewFrenchmen could attempt it . I sat j ust oppositemy old friend , and close to the French Ambassador ,whose eyes , like my own , were full of tears . Areporter told me he had the speech verbatim ,

but

as he was an Englishman I doubt it , for I fear hecould not have mastered the technique . I haddined with Redesdale and another old friend

,

Walter Duncan , the night before ,when not a word

had been said of his forthcoming speech ,but that

night , at a party on the French Admiral’s ship

,it

was almost the sole topic . The Frenchmen couldnot say enough in praise of him .

The number of yachts in the Roads that yearx

306 MY MEMORIES

was greater than I had ever seen before besidesthese ,

there were big and little excursion steamers ,all enormously crowded ,

coming and going everyminute and so many people everywhere that itseemed as though the whole world had come toCowes . Invitations simply poured in , both fromyachts and ashore ,

and it was really diffi cult tokeep account of them all ; while as to verbalengagements , I am afraid they were no soonermade than forgotten .

I remember a busy day in 1 907 . It began withthe Duke of Connaught taking me off early to vote ,

so that we could get back in time to go on boardthe Dreadnought and see some big-gun practice ,which seemed to me quite marvellous , and indeedI believe it beat all records . There was a tremendous party on board

,so many that there had

to be two luncheons , one for the Royal people ,which I had the honour of being asked to , and alater one for the rest . Then we had an exhibi

tion of the under-water boats . I had never beforeseen them in action , and I enj oyed it much . We

dined ashore at Egypt, the Duchess of Man

chester’

s place ,and afterwards there was a big

dance for the officers of the assembled fleet .When we got home to the Victoria and A lbert Iwas tired and sleepy

,but the King was so wide

awake that we sat in the saloon and talked tillnearly dawn .

The next day I went with His Majesty , theQueen , Princess Victoria , and others for a longsail in the Britannia . We started in a gale of wind ,

and soon got a thorough wetting . It was not

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308 MY MEMORIES

wonderful passage across the Atlantic in 1 908 .

We were all expecting him to arrive late on the2nd of August , though he had only left Quebec inthe I ndomitable on the 29th of July ; but as theyhad done the j ourney from Portsmouth to Quebecin less than seven days , we hoped they wouldaccomplish the return in five . They only arrived onthe 4th , however , j ust in time for the annual dinnerof the R .Y .S even that being a record voyage .

At the dinner the King and the Commodore ,

Lord Ormonde , both congratulated CommodoreKing Hall and his officers on the wonderfully fastvoyage , and to commemorate it a silver cock witha comb of Prince of Wales

’

feathers was placed atthe masthead of the I ndomitable as a vane . Her

average speed across the Atlantic was knots ,but she could go 27 , her contract speed being 25 ,and her tonnageIn the winter of 1 907 my lady and I were both

ill,and the King lent us Barton Manor

,his

place at East Cowes , to convalesce in . It is avery old stone house , I believe part of an ancientmonastery built hundreds of years ago , andstanding in the midst of the loveliest undulatingground . The garden , in which there is a lake ,has some wonderful old trees , among them a grandauracaria planted by Queen Victoria

’

s mother .

I took with me my tricycle , a latter-day acquisition that has played no small part in my list ofj oys and sorrows after I took to its three wheelsin the place of four equine legs . Three times atCromer I came to grief when riding it . Once , in

1 894,an old man tried to c ross

‘

the road before me ,

MY S E I If AT CO“ E S

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3 1 0 MY MEMORIES

Catholic , the music very poor , and the parsongabbled as if to get through as quickly as possible .

But out at East Cowes the congregation consistedchiefly of the little cadets of the Naval School

,

and the parson , Ross , preached admirable sermons .I remember one Sunday , j ust before the schoolclosed for the holidays , when he gave them allgood advice , encouraging them to be good in suchtouching words that I was quite upset . I neverheard anything more eloquent than his appeal t otheir manhood , or anything more likely to inspireenthusiasm in the glory of their profession andlove of their country . Afterwards I went to thevestry to talk to him about it , and tel l him howdeeply his discourse had affected me , as well asthe boys .

I always like going to church ; it is a greatpleasure to feel that many prayers are ascendingtogether , and that those we love are praying ,perhaps for us , j ust when we are asking help andblessing for them .

The ugly little old—fashioned town , of which mygrandfather wrote in 1 807 that it had been , everS ince he knew it , in the employment of the manyfavours which it is in the power of Ministers tobestow ,

” and which , nevertheless , even after allthese years , is chiefly renowned for its malodorousbloaters , is another place I always think of verytenderly . For in addition to the many happydays I spent on the Denes with my soldiers , it wasat Yarmouth that I first met the lady who became ,

years afterwards , my dearest friend and eventuallymy wife .

A FATEFUL MEETING 3 1 1

The occasion was a memorable one , for severalreasons . The Prince had come down to lay thefoundation stone of the new hospital , and Masonsfrom all parts of the county had come to takepart in the ceremony . The depot of the EasternDivision of the R A . had just been transferred toYarmouth from Colchester , and the place was fullof the newly-arrived brigade . In our own Mess ,Lieutenant-Colonel Trafford , after only one yearin that position , though he had been with us fora long time ,

had resigned , and Maj or W . H . A .

Keppel was succeeding him .

The Prince came down in the afternoon of the1 8th of May

,and after the affair at the hospital

he returned to the Mess for tea . A number ofstrangers were there , and I noticed Keppel talkingto a young and very fair lady with glorious auburnhair and deep blue eyes . Going up to them I saidto Keppel , Introduce me , please . The ladywas Mrs . Rich ,

wife of one of the Maj ors in thebrigade j ust come from Colchester . It was notuntil long afterwards that I realised into what thetiny seed sown that day was slowly developing .

We neither of us dreamed then that to the chancemeeting of that crowded afternoon I shouldowe all the happiness and comfort of to-day .

But so it has proved . Years later I wrote toher

By friendship I suppose you mean the greatestlove , the greatest usefulness , the most open communication

,the noblest suffering , the most exem

plary faithfulness , the severest truth ,the heartiest

c ounsel , and the greatest union of minds of which

3 1 2 MY MEMORIES

men and women are capable . For when nec es

sity arose that was how her sweet and noble natureexpressed itself , and never have I met anotherwoman so utterly unselfish .

But at the first meeting we thought only of themoment , and indeed I was too much occupiedwith my regimental and hospitable duties to paymuch attention to anything else .

The next day all the world of Yarmouth,young

and old , came to see the Prince review us . In theevening everybody in the town and for miles roundcame to our ball at the Aquarium in honour ofHis Royal Highness . Then I went with the Princeto Windsor for the Queen ’s birthday , and it wasmany months before I met Mrs . Rich again .

There is of course no spot on earth dearer to me

than my own old Gunton—mine no longer , for Igave it up to my eldest son nearly twenty yearsago , soon after his marriage . He had been abroada great deal in Canada for two years as A .D .C .

to the Duke of Argyll,and in India for ten as

A .D .C . to various viceroys ; and though he hadnot then retired , and did not until 1 904 , afterserving with his regiment in the South Africanwar

, we thought it was time he learned somethingof the duties of a landowner . So I handed it allover , house and park , farms and coverts , j ust ascompletely and unreservedly as if he had inheritedit all by my death . Even my little old sealwith the gun and the ton weight , which I had wornfor many years , I gave my successor when Guntonwas no longer mine and though the parting wasperfectly natural and proper , i t was with many a

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3 1 4 MY MEMORIES

above . In the library were all our family papers ,and these , as well as many valuable old books andpictures , costly pieces of furniture , and lots ofthings that could never be replaced , all vanishedin smoke . My brother Bobby , with Mundy andhis house-party , all helped in the work of rescue ,but when I got down from London in the afternoonit was to see a hideous , gaping , blackened ruin .

Billy Keppel , who was one of Mundy’s guests , had

had a narrow escape . He was S leeping in the burning wing , and when he awakened he made for thedoor

,but the fire had already gained such a hold

that he was driven back by the smoke . Happily ,his apartment had a second entrance , and he cameout by that

,but as he left the room the floor fell in .

Excepting an hour I spent there a few weeks agowhen motoring with friends through Norfolk , Ihave not been at Gunton for many years now .

The old order ~ changeth, giving place to new ,

”

and there is neither profit nor sense in hankeringafter what is gone .

Cromer is so close to Gunton that it comespractically under the same heading , but though welived for a good many years in the house I builtthere ,

the place never seemed like home to me .

It is always gay and cheerful , though the kind ofexcursionist that patronises Blackpool and Margate ,

fortunately for Cromer does not appreciateour little town . The golf- links bring a great manypeople of a nice kind ,

and the big houses in theneighbourhood contribute largely to the societyand general cheeriness of the place .

I used to take a good deal of interest in local

WORTHY COUNCILLORS 3 1 5

affairs at one time , and occasionally this led tofriction with the Urban Council , for the worthygentlemenwho compose it are very tenacious of their—no doubt hardly won—dignities , and stronglyobj ect to the smallest infringement of what theyconsider their rights .

A lady who wanted to be very complimentaryonce said to me at dinner They tell me ,

LordSuffield ,

that you are quite irresistible no womancan hope to withstand you , for you can charm the

very birds off the trees .

I certainly did not charm the Cromer UrbanCouncil . They found me anything but irresistible ,

for they even resented my removing the poststhey had put up without my permission on my ownground , although it is entirely owing to me thatCromer is big enough to have a Council of anydescription .

One day when walking in to the town I met agipsy van heaped high with baskets . I told theman to go on to the house ,

where my lady wouldbuy some .

Yes, Sir ; to’

Arbord’

Ouse , sir ?” said the

man .

No,I replied , to H-a-r-b-o-r-d H-o-u-S-e ,

spelling it for him , j ust to see what he would say .

He touched his hat and moved off,but as he

walked away my companion heard him say to hismate :

“ I wonder ’

00 that ol’ bloke is , and why

’

e

doesn ’t put ’ is ’

at on strite ?

CHAPTER XVIII

MUS I C ,BE LLE S , AND THE VICTIMS OF BELLONA

USIC has been one of the greatest j oys ofmy life even as a child I was passionately fond of it , though any but the best

was positive pain to me ,and during my

'

earlymarried life i t was one of our chief amusements atGunton . It is another of the characteristics Iinherited from my father , who had much naturalcapability as a musician

,and composed several

chants he used to sing with a Choir he trainedhimself at Gunton . During his lifetime regularmusical evenings used to be the rule , and mylady ’s mother , Mrs . Baring , then Miss Lukin ,

1 withher sister and Mrs . Frere , who were considered thebest amateur singers of their day , were continually there . They used to accompany themselveson the guitar , and people were asked to Guntonon purpose to hear them . Nevertheless , my fatheralways said he was glad he had never studiedmusic , and a letter of his on this subj ect is ratheramusing . In it he said

“ I do not deny that there are some savagesin the world incapable of civilisation neither do Ideny that there are some men whose nature isbrutal enough to defy all e fforts to humanisethem . With both these your music may be

Her father, V ice-Admiral Lukin, assumed the name and

arms of Windham on succeeding to the Windham estates in

1 824 .

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3 1 8 MY MEMORIES

and She herself was very intelligent and refined , inpleasant contrast to many great singers .Three times at my request the Prince andPrincess came , first in 1 866

,when they stayed at

Costessey Park with Lord and Lady Stafford , andbrought with them the Queen of Denmark and theDuke of Edinburgh . In 1 884 their Royal Highnesses were on a visit to my daughter Betty , LadyHastings , at Melton Constable ,

and she broughtthem over and in 1 896they came again , when wehad , I think , the best programme in the historyof the Festivals ; 1 and the receipts amounted to

1 7s . 2d . , and the payments to 45 . 7d .

Of the balance £200 was allocated to the localcharities .

The Princess of Wales was in Bernstoff at thetime , and could not come ,

but the Prince , who hadbeen in Homburg , c ame over special ly ,

and PrincessLouise , who had been travelling about on the

Continent with the Duke of Argyll , came too , atThe programme began w ith a performance of Jephtha

On the morning of the 7 th was produced the dramat ic oratorioThe R ose of Sharon, and in the evening we had the poeticcantata “Fridol in (A . Randegger) , conducted by the composer.

E l ijah ” was produced on the morning of the 8th, and in the

evening we had Hero and Leander ” (Luigi Mancine ll i) ,composed expressly for the Festiva l , and conducted by thecomposer. On the morning of the 9th was performed the

sacred trilogy “ R edemption (Gounod) , and in the eveningthe overture to Leonora (Beethoven) the I rish ballad forchorus and orchestra , Phaudrig Crohoore

”

(C .V . Stanford) ,first time of performance and conducted by the composer ; andAc t 3 of Lohengrin.

”The principa l artistes were Madame

Albani , M iss Gertrude I zard, Madame E l la Russell , M issKa therine F isk, M iss Sarah Berry, Messrs. E dward Lloyd,R eginald Brophy, Ben Davies, Watkin M i l ls, J.H . Brockbank,Andrew B lack, and Tivadar Nachex (viol in) . Alberto Randegger was conductor for the week .

TALKATIVE EAVESDROPPERS 3 1 9

the Prince’

s special request , although she wasnot very well at the time , and said she didnot feel up to the fatigue of it . The Duke andDuchess of York were also among our Royalvisitors that day , and in honour of the occasionthe Mayor invited us all to dinner in the old cryptbelow the hall , where the Friars of the Black Sackused to hold their services many years ago .

The last time I had anything to do with theFestivals was about two years ago , when QueenAlexandra expresseda wish to be present , and I wentto see Mr . Winch , the Chief Constable of Norwich ,

about making some arrangements by which Her

Majesty could be present incognito. But some onein the hall must have overheard me talking to theChief Constable , for to my surprise the proposedvisit of Her Majesty was announced in all theNorwich papers that evening and next morning .

Her Majesty , in consequence , abandoned the idea .

The year 1 879 was an extraordinary one for goodmusic . We seemed to have all the talent of theworld in London in the season of 1 879 , and everybody was giving concert s . At one oi Lady Dudl ey

’s,

Albani sang , accompanied by Joachim on the violinand Piatti on the ’cello in the instrumental piecesStrauss played the viola , Joachim the violin , andPiatti the ’cello —a trio we are not likely to match .

Another time Lady Dudley gave a big concert inaid of sufferers from the agricultural distress thathad followed an extremely unpleasant summer ,when nasty , steamy heat with lots of rain alternated with sudden and bitter cold , completelyspoiling the harvest . Lady Dudley herself took

320 MY MEMORIES

part in this concert , and she was supplemented byAlbani , Herschel , and Thalberg . Lord Dunmore ,

himself a fine musician , was also very fond of getting up concerts , and assisting other people withtheirs ; he always managed to find all the best

’

musicians , and Herschel would sing for him whenhe would for no one else . Patti and Nicoliniwere at Covent Garden that season and sometimessang at private houses I remember their doingso at Alfred Rothschild

’

s once , after a luncheon ,

when all the beauties were assembled to meet thePrince of Wales . Liddon , too , the famous Irishbandmaster , was brought over several times thatyear for dances he was himself a genius at thepiano ,

and all his men were first - rate musicians.

They played at a big dance given by Lord andLady Listowel . I remember the occasion partienlarly well for a funny little dialogue I overheard .

There was a great crush , and I was standingclose to a very stout Irishwoman when LordDudley came Up to her and said regretfully

°

I am afraid , Mrs . you will get t ired withnothing to sit on .

”

“ Ah,indade , me lard , she retorted I

’

ve

plenty to sit on , but nowhere to put itAnother guest that night was complaining bitterlyto a doctor who was present about the custom offilling the rooms to such an extent that half thepeople were wedged into one corner for the wholeevening .

“ I assure you , she concluded impressively ,

there are at least two hundred people here to ~

night who can’

t sit down

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NOT ALL TAILORS 321

Good heavens , madam ! exclaimed the doctor,

what on earth ’s the matter with ’

em P

Vanity Fair published a cartoon of me thatsummer that must have rej oiced my enemiesand made my friends blush at the thought ofknowing such an obj ect . The editor tried tosoften the blow by saying silly things—that Ihad taught Norfolk people fox-hunting , and wasextravagantly liberal , hospitable , and altogetherpopular ,

” and so on . But nothing could havemade up to me for the publication of that terriblecaricature . Nevertheless , I kept it as a correctionto my vanity , and for the same reason present ithere . A few years later they were kinder , and It rust my readers to believe that I am really morelike the second picture than the first .The editor

’s remarks about my clothes remindme that the well-known story of Poole the tailorand the Prince of Wales has sometimes been at tributed to me . AS a matter of fact , i t was not thePrince of Wales , nor was I the witty author of therepartee . The true story is that Poole went downto Bradgate Park to visit Lord Stamford , and onhis return he was asked by Alfred Montgomery ,

the wittiest man of his age , how he had enjoyedh is visit , and whom he had met .

Well , sir ,” replied Poole , the fact is that the

company was rather mixed .

But , damn it all , my good fellow , retortedMontgomery , surely you did not expect them allto be tai lorsThe Prince was very punctilious about dress ,

and always noticed the smallest omission orY

322 MY MEMORIES

discrepancy . He was fastidi ous as well , so thatwhen he asked for the name of my tailor I feltquite flattered . He went to him , too , and so mygood friend Cook profited by all the care he hadfor so many years bestowed on me .

In the ’seventies art and artists of all kinds werethe mode. The aesthetic was everything . Bothmen and women liked to be thought intense andserious , and some very funny things happenedoccasionally when the hard—headed , practical ,bluff John Bulls of either sex encountered the

lackadaisical set who called themselves Souls,

”

and who looked upon everything that was normaland sane as vulgar and indecent . They werevery ridiculous ; the beauty of the soul is a littletiresome unless it mirrors itself in the c ounte

nance . Their attitude towards life reminds me

of a story that was told me by a clergyman’s

wife , a good , kind creature of wide sympathieswho was not the less valuable in her appointedsphere for being possessed of a sense of humour .Among this lady ’s friends were a married couplewho loved birds , and never went away from homeeven for one night without their special favourites ,a parrot and a canary . On one occasion the peoplethey were visiting had a house full of guests , andwere rather embarrassed to know what to do withthe birds . Finally it was decided that they shouldbe put into the bathroom . Next morning a verypretty girl came in , and the canary cried in eagernotes to its friend the parrot Peep ! Peep !The parrot returned , rather rudely : Peep

peep be blowed ! Have a good look !

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A MODERN RECAMIER 323

In those days we used to separate the beautiesinto two sets ; one was headed by the Princessof Wales , seconded by the Empress of Austria ,and included a remarkable roll , among whom wereLady Dudley ,

Lady Lonsdale , Lady Breadalbane ,

Lady Granville , Lady Londonderry , and LadyTavistock

,to mention only a few the others were

familiarly dubbed the P . B .

’

s or ProfessionalBeauties , among whom was Mrs . Langtry . I hadknown her as a girl in Jersey , and always admiredand liked her immensely . We were great friends ,and she used to come to me for advice , though shedid not always follow it . She was exceedinglypretty and attractive , and very much sought after .A famous rival of hers was a Mrs . Wheeler , who

is alleged to have fainted from mortific at ion one

day when somebody took more notice of the JerseyLily than of her . Sometimes for fun people wouldask them both to entertainments where they wouldnecessarily compete against each other to carry offthe palm , but Mrs . Langtry was seldom outshone .

One day s ome waggish member of the CoachingClub so arranged it that the Prince Sat between therival stars , and in a paragraph next day they werecalled Mrs . Langer and Mrs . Wheeltry ,

a pleasantrywhich Mrs . Langtry resented extremely . She hadno need to be j ealous of other beauties , for , likea second Madame Recamier , wherever she wen tshe was greeted with ovations , and public enthusiasm rose to the height of people standing on chairsin the park to see her pass .The mixture of nationality and Class that makes

up the parentage of the present generation can

324 MY MEMORIES

never produce such beautiful women or such finemen as England boasted in those days ; and I do notthink there is much evidence that it has producedeven the expected energy and brain-power thatwas so confidently predicted . It might have donehad the selection been as carefully made as it is inthe case of thoroughbred horses and cattle . Butthe capable ,

brainy man who raises himself fromthe ranks seldom has a child who inherits his finequalities of self-denial , perseverance , and shrewdness . The children take after the mother , and itis the children of the self-made millionaires ,not the men themselves , who are allied to rankand beauty .

Madame Sarah Bernhardt , who was a newlyrisen star in those days , was acting at the StrandTheatre . She amused society very much by herindependence , and by insisting , wherever she went ,on being treated as regally as the Prince himself ,and as the most highly honoured and favouredof guests , no matter who else was present , even tobeing taken in to dinner by the host when therewere peeresses among the party . A story wastol d that she once presumed to rebuke the Prince ,

who had kept his hat on when he went behindthe scenes after a play . After talking to him forsome minutes Sarah remarked , very daringly ,but in her Own inimitably pretty manner .

Monseigneur on n’

Ote pas sa couronne , maison Ote son chapeauShe received enormous sums here for her perform

anc es, but it was sai d that she was Offeredand all expenses (in her case a dangerous latitude

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326 MY MEMORIES

reached me , and I can’t thank you sufficiently for

it . It is most original , and will be very useful andI hope save many a broken glass . Let me thankyou also for your kind letter . I was certain youwould feel for all of us at the sad loss that we havesustained . Only eleven months ago you willremember our all being together at Darmstadt ,when she was looking so well and happy . Thissorrow has thrown a sad gloom over my approaching marriage , which I hope will take place on the1 3 th of March .

Hoping that we may meet again soon ,and with

renewed thanks,

Believe me , yours very S incere ly ,

ARTHUR .

I t was my privilege to take the Prince’

s childrendown to Windsor for the ceremony ,

and with theirlovely mother they made a group which wasgenerally conceded to be the picture of the day .

The Princess was exquisitely dressed , as usual ,though I am sure I could not describe what shewore ,

and she looked quite remarkably well andbeautiful , putting everyone else in the shade .

The Princess’s loveliness seemed to increase year

by year , or perhaps it was that her expression grewsweeter as the troubles from which even she couldnot be exempt developed her naturally beautifulnature . There was never a princess so popular ;the crowds would wait for hours to see her , ingreater numbers even than for the Queen . But itwas not her beauty alone that won so much affec

tion for her ; She was for ever doing some kind

THE PRINCESS PLAYS 327

thing that no one else attempted or conceived . Iremember , for instance , one Sunday afternoon ,

when it had been arranged that every one attendingthe children

’s service at Berkeley Chapel shouldtake flowers for the children ’s hospitals . The

Princess and her three daughters were there , withthe children of the Princess Mary ,

all laden withwonderful bouquets . After the service all theflowers were put into carriages belonging to variousladies , who went with them to the hospitals .

The Princess and her children chose Great OrmondStreet , and personally presented the blossoms t othe little invalids , talking to them , and in manycases spending quite a long time with them . Ithink the idea originated with Canon TeignmouthShore , but it was certainly the Princess who madei t so successful , and trebled and quadrupled thevalue of the flowers to the poor little creaturesto whom she gave them .

Her Royal Highness was always devoted tochildren , and it is impossible to think of her without recalling innumerable instances of her thoughtfor and kindness to all sorts and conditionsof youth .

I t has invariably been she who , first as Princess ofWales , and later as Queen Alexandra , has actedthe part of fairy godmother to England

’s littleones , to the active and able as well as to the haltand lame of all ranks ; and all children adored her ,beginning with her own . She used to love attending children ’s parties with her little girls , andnever seemed happier than with them .

The Prince and Princess certainly held the

hearts of the people as no other Royal couple could

3 28 MY MEMORIES

ever have done ; but how often in the world’s

history have there been two people in their positionso thoroughly simple ,

so genuinely desirous ofmaking others happy , even at times when theythemselves were in mourning and distressed ?Once , when for some reason or other we had todrive past the Royal Hospital at Chelsea , thePrince , seeing the pensioners all ranged outsidethe garden to see him pass , stopped the carriagewhile he spoke a few words to them . Anotherday , hearing that a poor dying boy in a hospitalwished to see them ,

Their Royal Highnessesordered the procession to go very slowly past thebuilding , and took great care to look up , so thatthe boy should have even more than his wish .

They would have their train slowed down ingoing past a school , so that the children couldsee them better , and in many other little thingsof this sort- nothing much , yet kindnesses thatothers left undone— the Prince and Princessendeared themselves to their subj ects .

But they did not stop at mere kindness ;the charity of both was unbounded . They notonly subscribed to everything they also initiatednumberless funds and institutions themselves ,besides the never-ending private donations andassistance that no one but their secretaries andthe recipients knew anything about . The Princehas been called extravagant , but very few peopleknow what an immense amount he spent in benevolenc e of one kind and another .Both the Prince and the Princess took great

interest in politics , and frequently attended the

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SIR BARTLE FRERE 329

debates in the House of Lords . In 1 879 the

South African question was the topic of the day ,and about the end of March it had assumed suchproportions that it was considered necessary to

vote a motion of confidence in the Government ,and to Lord Beaconsfield

’

s gratification there wasa majority in his favour of ninety-five . This wason the same day as the debate in the House ofLords on the proposed recall of Sir Bartle Frere ,owing to the annexation of the Transvaal . The

Princess of Wales was in the Peeresses’

Gallerywith the Duchess of Edinburgh and a great numberof ladies the Prince , too , was present . HisRoyal Highness was greatly distressed about thematter . Always essentially fair and just , he

considered that the Government had treatedFrere very badly , as indeed most of us felt . AS

I have said , the Prince ’s ruling characteristi cwas his love of justice he had the keenest senseof equity of any man I ever knew , and he couldnot bear the thought that Frere had been made ascapegoat . Besides this he had a great personalregard for him , and was the last man in the

world to be satisfied with a policy Of laissez fairewhen a friend ’s wel fare was at stake .

So he took all possible means to avoid di saster ,and both he and the Duke of Cambridge askedme , among others , not to vote . I Should not havedone so in any case , and had agreed with severalfriends not to , but refraining was not of much use ,since the Government had made up its mind beforehand . When in the following year Frere wasactually recalled , the Prince led the way in

330 MY MEMORIES

publicly manifesting his esteem : everybody followed his example , and even the most bigotedadherents of the Government had to admit thathis recall was a strange proceeding , seeing that theannexation , the bone of contention ,

was allowedto remain in statu quo.

The unjust slur cast upon his work was,how

ever , acutely painful to Frere’s sensitiveness , and

when he died five years later we all felt that thewound had never healed , and had been ,

indirectly .

the cause of his death . He , too , belonged toNorfolk .

The Deceased Wife’

s Sister ’s Bill was anotherin which the Prince took great interest that session .

In his opinion it was reasonable and advisable ;he believed that a change in the marriage lawswould be advantageous to the community atlarge , and that the people wished for this part icular alteration . The measure had passed theHouse of Commons seven times , and the Prince ,

Lord Houghton,and Lord Kimberley , speaking

for the House of Lords , agreed that it should become law . But the Bishop of London and othersdeclared that the maj ority of women were opposedto it , and said that any change in the marriagelaws would be dangerous . So that is anotherBill we took thirty years to bring into law .

Towards the end of June that year I was diningwith the Prince at Lord and Lady Wilton

’

s , whenthe telegram arrived with the news of the PrinceImperial

’s death in Zululand . I t was a very bigdinner

,the Princess being present as well as the

Prince ,and Sarah Bernhardt was to perform

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332 MY MEMORIES

Maoris , or of the Boers in later years , and the oddthing is that with all these experiences to teachus better , each generation has to learn its lessonafresh . When somebody , in speaking of the

Zulus to Lord Beac onsfi eld,called them savages ,

he retortedSavages You call them savages ? They have

defeated our soldiers , outwitted our generals , converted our Bishops— and you call them savagesLord Chelmsford , who had suffered terribly ,

poor man , from insomnia , was succeeded by SirEvelyn Wood , who had not only had previousexperience of savage warriors , but was able toprofit by the mistakes of his predecessor . Chelms

ford , however , would have been the last to grudgeSir Evelyn his well-earned honours .Among many other Shows I went to that year

was one at Highgate , where Burdett-Coutts wasexh ibiting some horses . I had to represent thePrince , and drove out in a hansom with Probyn ,

who was at that time a great deal more weightythan he is now . On the way the horse fell , andwe were both thrown out of the cab , Probynon top of me . He so knocked the breath out ofme that all I could say when I got up wasI say ,

Comptroller , you are a weightIt was a frightfully cold winter , but it beat

all records for big and delightful country-houseparties . I went out one day to White Lodge ,

where I arrived just in time to see Princess Mary ,now our Queen ,

sliding down the stairs on atray . Her little Royal Highness looked muchembarrassed when she saw me with her mother ,

TWO INNOVATIONS 333

feeling that her progress downwards had beenperhaps a little undignified ,

but the Duchesssimply laughed at her and saidNever mind , dear child , i t is only Lord

Suflield .

”

We spent Christmas at Gunton , and the Princeand Princess at Sandringham , where they enteredas usual into the amusements of the j uvenileswith as much zest as the young people themselves ,the Prince even using some of the funnily decoratedpaper for his Christmas letters . Their RoyalHighnesses gave a big ball later on to all the tenantsand everyone else at Sandringham , having the

Holkham,Melton , and Gunton people as guests

from outside ; and at Eastwell the Duke andDuchess of Edinburgh did the same thing , in thehope of cheering the farmers who had all sufferedso severely in the summer .Two improvements that we now take quite as

a matter of course were inaugurated thatwinter . One was wood-paving for the streetsof London

,an innovation hailed with immense

alarm by the nervous , who imagined that rendering the roads more S lippery would lead to manyaccidents . The other was the installation ofrestaurant cars on the Pullmans , the first beingput on to the train between London and Peterborough and I am sure that many people took thej ourney solely in order to test the dinners servedwhile the train was travelling at sixty miles anhour !

CHAPTER XIX

THE QUE EN’

S BUCKHOUNDS , AND SUNDRYRE FLE CTI ONS

EW things in my life have afforded me

greater pleasure than my short Mastership oi Her Maj esty’s Buckhounds .

Offi cially I only held the appointment for a verylittle time before I resigned for purely conscientiousreasons . I hope that I acquired merit by doingSO , for I certainly suffered much regret over it .The appointment was offered to me in February

1 886, when Lord Granville , who had just surrendered the seals of the foreign office to Roseberyand become Secretary of State for the Colonies ,wrote as follows

Colonial Office, February 9th, 1 886.

MY DEAR SUFFI E LD ,

If the Prince of Wales has no objectionand you are willing to give Mr . Gladstone a proofthat he would highly value of your readiness tosupport his government at a very critical time ,

he would like much to offer you the Mastershipof the Buckhounds . If

,as I warmly hope , you

can say yes, please let me have an early answer ,as there is a Council for the Household to-morrow .

Yours sincerely ,GRANVILLE .

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QUEEN VICTORIA REMONSTRATES 335

Since December , when Herbert Gladstone in anunguarded moment revealed the fact that hisfather entertained the idea of Home Rule , everyone had felt anxious as to the line the leader ofthe Liberal party would take . Lord Hartingtononly expressed the opinion of most of us when hewrote to Granville that Gladstone ’s mind isextremely alarming . Then the Queen , in her

speech in January when the Speaker was elected ,

said : I have seen with deep sorrow the renewal ,since I addressed you , of the attempt to excitethe Irish to hostility against the legislative unionbetween Ireland and Great Britain ,

and a fewdays later Hicks Beach electrified everyone byhis announcement that the Irish Secretary wishedto introduce a Bill dealing with the NationalLeague ,

to be followed by a Land Bill . Conse

quently when , early in February , Gladstone againcame into power , we were all in some trepidationas to accepting offi ce under him ,

and although theoffer of the Buckhounds pleased me immensely ,

I felt that I could not accept it unreservedly .

To safeguard myself I wrote as follows

46, Upper Grosvenor S treet,1 0th February , 1 886.

MY DEAR LORD,

With the permission of the Prince of Walesand subject to the approval of the Queen ,

I amprepared to accept the appointment which Mr .Gladstone has been so good as to offer me—theMastership of the Buckhounds .

I understand that I have your assurance that

336 MY MEMORIES

Should circumstances arise which in my Opinionwould render it impossible for me to continue tohold this or any other office under Mr . Gladstone ’sgovernment , it would not be considered improper ,and I shall be at liberty , at once to place myresignation in his hands .

Believe me ,

Yours very truly,

SUFFI E LD .

Mr . Gladstone replied personally to my letter.He said ‘

1 0,Downing S treet, Whitehall ,

roth Feb,1 886.

DEAR LORD SUFFIE LD ,

I have received your letter and am veryglad to hear that you are willing to j oin us asMaster of the Buckhounds .

With regard to Ireland , I am repeating to youwhat I said to Lord Cork

, that the Cabinet ,reserving its own freedom ,

leaves entire and unim

peded that of all others On all points which mayseem to call for its exercise .

”

I remain ,Most faithfully yours ,

W . E . GLADSTONE .

The question did not remain open to doubt verylong . Randolph Churchill went to Ulster toascert ain the real feelings of the loyalists andassure them of England

’s sympathy with theirdetermination to fight should Gladstone actuallyendeavour to force the Bill upon them . Dis

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338 MY MEMORIES

a little of his convenience if they cannot remainwith him to the end .

I cannot write more now ,but I am very much

disappointed at your decision .

Yours sincerely ,

SPENCE R .

P .S .

—I should have much preferred a talk withyou

,and feel a little hurt that you Should have

taken your step without it .

Anxious that no one else Should feel aggrievedIhastened to acquaint Lord Kenmare with myintention , and he replied :

Lord Chamberlain’

s Ofiice,S t. j ames

’

Palace, S .W.,

P rivate Sunday.

MY DEAR SUFFIELD ,

Thanks very much for your note . I wasquite aware from what you told me of the courseyou intended to pursue . Nothing could havebeen more straightforward and above board , andso far as I am concerned there was no necessityfor you to make any further communication as

to your views and intentions .Very sincerely yours ,

KENMARE .

I then wrote formally to the Secretary of Statefor the Colonies

46, Upper Grosvenor S treet,April 1sth, 1 886.

DEAR LORD GRANVILLE,

I feel , notwithstanding our conversation

SYMPATHETIC BUT OBDURATE 339

the other day , the only course I can take , havingregard to my own sense of what is right , is totender my resignation of the appointment I havethe honour to hold as Master of the Buckhounds .I do so entirely disapprove of Mr . Gladstone

’

sscheme for the future Government of Ireland ,that it is not in my opinion honest any longer todefer saying so . I am far indeed from wishing tosever myself from the Liberal Party ,

and entertain the profoundest sympathy with Mr . Gladstone , who with the truest and highest motives ,of that I am perfectly assured , has brought forward a measure which a large majority of hiscountrymen must surely reject . I understandthat others of the Queen

’

s Household who thinkwith me in this matter , out of consideration forour great and revered chief have consented towithhold the expression of their dissent . For mypart I shall

,of course , be most ready to carry on the

duties appertaining to my office , including attendance at Levées and Drawing-Rooms , until mysuccessor may be appointed , but I wish to haveHer Majesty ’s permission to relinquish it atonce .

Under ordinary circumstances I Should , ofcourse , have been very strongly disposed to meetMr . Gladstone ’s convenience and what I believeto be your wishes , but in this matter , which I consider most grave , involving a greater c onstitu

tional change than any which for centuries hasbeen before the country , I cannot allow even therespect which I feel for Mr . Gladstone , nor anyother consideration , to stand between me and the

349 MY MEMORIES

course which my honour and conscience dictates

as right .I thought it proper that I should wait until the

Bill was before Parliament . Now that it is inour hands

,though with much regret , I beg that

you will be SO good as either to forward this letterto Mr . Gladstone or otherwise inform him of mydetermination .

Believe me ,

Dear Lord Granville ,Yours very truly ,

SUFFI ELD .

He replied

Colonial Ofiice, April 1 5ih, 1 886.

DEAR SUFFIE LD ,

Immediately after my conversation withyou in the House of Lords I wrote to Mr . Gladstone . I told him that you had spoken to mesaying that you wished to resign at once—butthat after some conversation , in which youexpressed strong objections to his Irish Policy ,and stated your being unable to give it any support

,you had assured me of your personal respect

for him , and had consented to consult hI S convenienc e as to the time of announcing your resignation . Your letter of to-night does not give any ex

planatory announcement . I shall be very sorry inevery way for any separation , however temporary .

Yours S incerely ,GRANV ILLE .

This letter rather startled’

me , and I lost no time

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342 MY MEMORIES

Your personal kindness in offering me the

appointment as well as Mr . Gladstone ’s I cannotforget it is for this and other reasons that it ismost painful to me to sever my connection withMr . Gladstone

’s administration .

Yours sincerely ,SUFFIELD .

The next morning came Lord Granville’s answer

Colonial Office, 16th April,1 886.

MY DEAR SUFFIE LD ,

My recollection of what passed was thatyou told me that you wished at once to resignyour offi ce ; that we had some discussion ; Imade the same counter proposition as I made tosome others , and that you not only did not obj ect ,but that you assented , for which I thanked you .

But as there seems to have been a misapprehensionI have written to Mr . Gladstone and asked hisprivate secretary to let him have the letter assoon as he got through this evening

’

s importantwork .

I presume that you will wait for his answer before making any [notifi cation] of the change inyour determination , which has taken place in thelast forty-eight hours , and places me in a difficultyas to any communication I am to make tohim .

Yours Sincerely ,GRANVILLE .

The next two letters tell their own story .

LORD CORK ’S OPINION 343

Osborne, 1 7th April , 1 886.

MY DEAR SUFFI E LD ,

I have communicated to the Queen the

contents of your letter , and Her Majesty commands me to assure y ou that she sincerely regretsthe loss of your services , but she fully appreciatesthe motives which have compelled you to resign .

Yours very truly ,

HENRY F . PONSONBY .

21 , E aton Terrace, April 1 8th,1 886.

DEAR SUFFI E LD ,

Many thanks for your letter receivedlast night . I think you are quite right to act asyou think best in this matter , indeed have allalong considered that individual and independentaction was more satisfactory for each one of usin so grave a crisis , and have therefore consultedno judgment but my own in the steps I took .

My opinion of the Measure has never wavered ,

and is well known to you and to those in authority .

I am very sorry to hear of Goodall’s accident

these contretemps always happen at the wrongtime .

Yours sincerely ,

CORK.

Now that after nearly thirty years—the fatefulperiod , it seems , for most of the important Billsin our Parliament —this much-debated measureis again upsetting the country ,

it is interesting torefer to Chamberlain

’s first and final opinion uponit . It would set up ,

he said,an unstable

344 MY MEMORIES

and temporary form of government which wouldbe a source of perpetual irritation and agitationuntil the full demands of the Nationalist partywere conceded . The policy which you (Gladstone)recommend practically amounts to a propositionthat Great Britain Should burden herself with anenormous addition to the national debt andprobably also to increased taxation , not in orderto secure closer and more perfect union of threekingdoms , but to purchase repeal of union andpractical separation of Ireland from England andScotland .

”

One might have supposed that such a verdictas this would have killed any Bill beyond resuscitation , yet here it is again ,

and it is more than probable that it will repeat its old programme , defeatthe Ministry

,and recoil upon the heads of its

warmest advocates. Let us pray that it will doso before civi l war devastates the land !While it was progressing to its appointed end

in 1 886time was drawing on towards Ascot weekwithout my successor being appointed ,

and Ibegan to feel in rather a quandary . For theMaster of the Buckhounds had a great deal todo with the arrangements for that week , and Idid not feel sure whether I was to perform themor not . At last I wrote again to Granville , andsome days later he replied

Colonial O/fi ce, M ay 1 5th,1 886.

Private

MY DEAR SUFFI E LD ,

I am very sorry that there has been any

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346 MY MEMORIES

Richmond’

s . I forget who my opponent was , butthe Prince had backed me for a considerable sum ,

£200 I think , and I was very anxious that he shouldnot lose his money . I suppose the very factthat my winning was of importance rather flurriedme ; he kept calling out Play up

,Charlie !

and when he saw that I was playing badly ,he

added ' You ’ll lose all my money , and Idid .

I never seemed to have any luck when the

Prince backedme . On another occasion , when wewere at Blenheim ,

His Royal Highness , knowingno one had ever beaten me at wrestling , suggesteda match against Charlie Beresford . He verysensibly took his shoes off , but I forgot to , and theconsequence was that I S lipped and the Princelost his bet .

It really was strange that I always had suchwretched luck when I most particularly wantedto win . When it did not matter one way or theother I always won . For instance , in the pigeonShooting competition at Hurlingham , Lords v.

Commons,I shot all the pig eons and won a

silver cup ,which I gave to my Regimental

Mess . But if the Prince backed me in any gameof chance I was sure to lose . It was actuallythrough this that I gave up cards . One nightH .R .H . unwisely chose me as his partner I cannot imagine why ,

for he knew I played verylittle . The usual thing happened , and at the end

he told me I had made him lose a lot of money .

So I replied ' Sir,I ’ll never play cards again ,

and though he often afterwards begged me to , I

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348 MY MEMORIES

she asked (and gave the answers as though theSpirit were as illiterate as herself)

Are you’appy

,dear

Yes, quite’appy .

What , as’

appy as when you were with yourkind ’

usband

Oh , far , far’

appier !

Then , indeed , you must be in’

eaven

No,I ’m in ’

el l !

Only in this case it was the man who suffered ,

while his wife held the red-hot pincers and keptthem going until he died .

Another odd thing is the difference in houses ,in many ways so like human beings for thoughthe same builder may put up a dozen on exactlythe same plan , he will never get two that are

exactly alike . It may be that one gets a littlemore sun ,

the other a little more shade ,and so the

difference arises but however it comes it is sureto be there , and in nothing are they so dissimi laras in the atmosphere they diffuse .

When that same Duke of Wellington was tryingto decide upon a place for his Duchess to live in ,

someone endeavoured to persuade him that ahouse called Bramshill would suit her better thanStrathfieldsaye . But the Duke replied

Strathfi eldsaye will do well enough for theDuchess , and I saw nothing at Bramshill to admireor desire , save the owner

’s pretty housekeeper .Yet Bramshill was infinitely prettier than

Strathfiel dsaye .

When away from home ,if I feel irritable and

disagreeable for no apparent reason ,I often

CHARACTERISTICS 349

wonder what sort of people have occupied the

house I am in , or rather the room , before me , andwhether they have been cranky or moody or discontented ,

to leave behind them an atmosphere sostrong that it penetrates to the soul of the nextoccupant .There is a lovely place I often used to stay at

old and most beautiful grounds , with great treesthat have had hundreds of years of experienceof life , and a magnificent house fil led with the mostwonderfully beautiful things exquisite old fum iture ,

finer than any I have seen anywhere else ,

even at Windsor pictures worth a king ’s ransommarble halls , bedrooms , and living-rooms , allalike luxuriously furnished , and not an ugly thingto be seen anywhere .

I never felt happy there ,though my hosts were

as kind as could be they were nouveaux riches,

superciliously new , and superlatively rich , andthe profusion of everything was as oppressive tothe spirit as the overheating by the huge fires andall sorts of apparatus was to the body . I hadlived in palaces , so it was not because I wasunaccustomed to affluence . Again it was simplythe atmosphere , the artificial , purse-proud , malarialsuffusion of their thoughts that infected everything about them . One could easily imaginethat , like Coleridge

’s German poet , they alwaystook off their hats with profound respect everytime they thought of themselves .

It was while visiting at that house on one

occasion that I was asked if I had been fol lowing theprogress of a certain divorce case then being tried .

350 MY MEMORIES

It doesn’

t interest me , I replied . I thinkthere is nothing so tiresome as the long-drawn-outdetai ls of a cause célebre.

”

My neighbour looked at me for a moment inpuzzled silence , then she threw back her head andlaughed delightedly .

Oh , Lord Suffield I she exclaimed , howfunny you are A coarse celebrity Oh , howdelicious It is good enough for Punch 1And so it was—but not as she meant it I

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CHAPTER XX

PARTINGS

T the Paris Exhibition of 1 887 I rememberseeing a marvellous map destined forpresentation to some monarch . I t was

fashioned entirely of gems set in some metal orstone only a little less precious—j ade , perhaps ,or rare marble . Each country was representedby a different stone—a ruby , say , for Russia , adiamond for France ,

a turquoise for England ,and so on .

Just such a map , I think , we carry in our mindsand hearts of the places that have made a deepimpression upon us through life . There is theruby for home , rich with associations vital andglowing , a fire that never quite dies , howevermuch it may dwindle then the diamond , represent ing the haunts of youth , and full of prismaticcolours that are chiefly only the reflection ofimagination . One beloved spot is marked witha turquoise , because i t w as there we met the onlywoman in the world emeralds recall places wherewe met with adventure and escaped from peril ,made successful efforts

,and found good friends ;

the mysterious sapphire betokens far distant landsand foreign impressions and thus each place hasits illuminating gem ,

its characteristic colour ,according to the influence i t has had upon our lives .In my golden map it is an opal that marks

351

352 MY MEMORIES

London so full of light and Shade ,so varied in

colour are the memories that cling around ourdingy old city ; and indeed the Royal pageants Ihave taken part in are enough in themselves tocreate a many-hued memory . Then the House ,

where I have spent countless hours,and signed my

name so many thousands of times ; the Mall , thePark , Piccadilly , Pall Mall , St . James

’s Streetall full of recollections of friends with whomI have ridden and driven , danced and dined ,talked and walked . There is no corner ofMayfair or Westminster that has not a friend torecal l , but it makes me melancholy to think of thenumber who have gone .

For Windsor , that loveliest of all the Royalpalaces , with its gardens and terraces , its forestand its river , that put it far beyond comparisonwith any other in the world , and for dear Sandringham , there are amethysts , the symbols of triedfriendship—for no man was ever more to me thanthe Prince .

After he became King I was more often atSandringham with him than before . I did not liketo go out with the guns after I left off shooting ,for I hated to see the holocaust of birds when therewas no personal excitement to take my mind offthe destruction of life but we used to motor agreat deal about the estate , which he was for everimproving

,or over to Holkham and to other

places that in former days had seemed quite longj ourneys when performed by horses .Almost my only sad memory of his Norfolk

home is the death of the Duke of Clarence . Poor

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354 MY MEMORIES

Prince had a relapse a week later , and theyhastened back to his S ick-bed , and stayed fornearly a fortnight , until the danger was well overand the Prince on the high road to convalescence .

Clever physicians and the Prince’s own good

constitution had so often put death to flight justwhen he seemed to be conquering , that when hewas taken ill for the last time no one really anticipated a fatal ending , himself , perhaps , least ofal l

, though he had told me not long before that hefelt sure his life had nearly reached its end . Howoften since I have wished that I had taken hiswords more seriously , and never left him in thoselast months But my poor lady was dangerouslyill with Chest trouble , sometimes so desperatelybad that we thought She could not recover , and itwas impossible for me to go abroad while she Wasin such a precarious condition .

His Maj esty sent for me directly he returnedfrom abroad , and I was with him to the end . Notwhen he died , but just before , when he could hardlysee , he sent the nurse into the next room for me ,

and tried to say good-bye . He knew , and so didthe Queen ,

how absolutely attached to him I was ,so it did not matter that I , too , could not speakany farewell . I loved him as much as one man

can love another we had been together so constant ly during the last forty years of his

'

l ife , foreven when he went anywhere without me he nearlyalways sent for me to j oin him and now that the

end had come there was no need for words .Directly after he had passed away the nurse left

me by myself in the room with him , so that I was

K I NG CON FE R R I NG A D ECO RAT ION U I’ON .\ I E A'

i’

HUCK ING I I AM PA LACEF rom a sn aps/rot by Q ueen I l earn”4 3 7 1

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356 MY MEMORIES

down year by year we find ourselves more andmore alone and yet we pray that our days maybe long in the landThe following February my poor lady died .

For five years She had been dangerously ill everywinter with bronchial affection ,

and each time ittook a stronger hold upon her . She sufferedterribly with her nerves , too , and only those whohave experienced themisery of looking on helplesslyat such anguish can imagine what the strain waswhen it continued week after week . I nevercould bear to see anyone , or anything , in pain ,

and in the long nights , when only the nurse andI were near her , I used to wonder , as I watched ,how a merciful Power could permit such needlesstorture to one who had tried to be good , as shehad

,throughout her life . Nor could anyone

who knew her say that She had failed and theletters I received after her death were proof , hadI needed any , of the high estimation in which She

was held , from the Queen , in whose service she

had lived so many years , down to the humblestof our own people . Far and wide she was lovedand respected , yet she had to suffer such frightful and protracted agony that at last she told me

she wished the end would come quickly .

Then a few days before she died pain left herShe seemed so much better that we all hoped andbelieved she would recover as She had fromequally bad attacks in the last few winters . One

of my daughters even went to Paris, SO strongly

was she convinced that her mother’s wonderful

vitality would again pull her through . But it

ACHING MEMORIES 357

was only a false rally , and lasted but for a day ortwo .

I was deeply touched by the sympathy everyone showed me . The dear Queen was most kind ,as always

,and it was very gratifying to read her

tender expressions of regard for and apprec ia

tion of my poor lady . Charlie Beresford wrote :You will have some slight consolation in your

trouble in knowing that you have the warmsympathy of such thousands of friends andindeed I had scarcely realised ,

until the numberlesskindly and affectionate letters poured in ,

how trulyshe had been esteemed .

But I felt a homeless wanderer on the earth .

Since the King ’s death life had been a blank ,and now home , too , had gone ,

for the townhouse was sold immediately after my lady ’s death ,

and the Cromer one went to my son .

My daughters , as well as many of my friends ,wished me to visit them ,

but I had no heart forany society that would have reminded me momentarily of the beloved King who had been the centralfigure of all . I was ill as well as desolate ,

and allI wanted was to hide my wretchedness from everyone . So I went away with a nurse to the seaside ,

and tried to recover at least my health .

But I could not stand the horrid hotels all bymyself very long . The lonel iness of life hadbecome unbearable

,too

, yet I had as much disinclinat ion as ever to arouse the lulled ,

but stillaching , memories of the past

, by returning to myold haunts and friends .

CHAPTER XXI

MY SE COND MARRIAGE

ACHTING,hunting

,shooting

,riding

,and

all the other active amusements I hadgiven up one after the other ; the only

friend I cared to drive with was gone ; nothingremained to me but the j oys of books and nature .

But books,though fine companions in the winter

when the days are Short and it is dismal out ofdoors even when the light lasts , soon get left on theshelf when the sunshine calls one out . And somehow Nature ,

whether in j oyous mood or stormy ,has a strange trick of making those who love hervery melancholy if they dare to seek her singly .

When two sympathetic souls are together in thecountry

,what more enj oyable than the flowers and

the trees , the delicate clouds , the balmy air ?

The old mother cannot bear a miser , though , andshe hates a misanthrope ; she bestows a singingheart and merry moods upon those who share hergifts

,but sadness steals upon the Spirit of one who

tries to keep them to himself .So my loneliness grew with the summer : the

dancing sea and sunny Sky only awakened uselessregrets , and day by day my sore longing Increasedfor he who had gone with the days that werepassed .

When I could endure i t no longer I put a triedfriendship to a very great test . I had been

358

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CONTENTMENT 359

acquainted with Mrs . Rich 1 for many years,and

strong sympathies and sim i larity of tastes in mostthings had gradually built up a wonderful camaraderie between us . Now , when I was forlorn andill , although She knew that I was growing verydeaf and necessarily a bore , the splendid soul inher responded at once to my appeal , and , disregarding empty conventions , She took pity on myloneliness , and we were married .

Of course the world was affronted— it alwaysis when i t has least occasion and that I shouldmarry when only six months a widower seemed toits narrow View a heinous crime against all decency .

I knew well , however , that my poor lady wouldnot have grudged me for the few remaining yearsof my life the comfort and happiness I gained bymy union with one who understood me perhapsbetter than anybody else on earth ; nor wouldShe have asked me to drag out any more wearymonths in dull hotels , with only hirelings to lookafter me , in a solitude that only seemed the worseby contrast when the sun shone ,

and was inconc eivably hideous when it did not .Now time steals quietly away like to a stream ,

and my only wish is that I could in some wayrepay the devoted thought and care that surrounds me . AS to the outside world , I now takej ust sufficient interest in what goes on to bethankful that

,though I am deaf , I c an vote .

1 Appendix vi .

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362 MY MEMORIES

of my family without merit . Quae genus et proavi etquae nonfecimus ipsi , vox ea nostra voco

,as you have learnt at scool .

This is as much as I c an inform you,as worthy of your

memorial] , only I have heard that my great grandfather cameout of Wa les in the army of K ing Henry the VI I . and sett ledin England—in what condi t ion I could never learn . But

many of the Herberts’ fam i ly have pretended an all iance to

me , which I never considered other than to expresse a respectto them on all occasions, which I sha l l ever doe . But my onlyobl igat ion is to Almighty God for a ll I have in this world ,and I humbly prayGod I may ever be sensible of hisgoodness.

”

Thismemomy father sent to the Heralds, with the followingnote

I being ent irely of Sir CharlesHarbord’

s opinion and evenadmiring his noble sent iments, have no hesitat ion In supplying you with the foregoing statement .

(Signed) SUFFIELD .

Gunton Park, Oct. 21 , 1 828 .

The Hera ldswrote in replyFinding a family of Herbert seated in Somersetshire ,

descended from a natural son of Sir George Herbert of Swansea ,

who was brother ofWil l iam Herbert , third E arl of Pembrokeof that family , whose father aga in wasa natura l son ofWilliamHerbert , first E arl of Pembroke of the name of Herbert , theyassign to him (who could have no right by inheritance to thearms of Herbert ) those arms differenced a lmost exact ly as

the then E arl of Worcester bore (in token of his illegit imateextract ion) the arms of Somerset . This could surely be no

indignity—nay ,the E arl of Pembroke , for at least two, i f not

t hree , generat ionsbore the arms of Herbert within a border ofil legit imacy, as appears, not by subsequent statements of

Hera lds, but by the plates affixed in their own l ifet ime totheir own stalls asKnights of the Garter.

With respect to the i llegit imacy itsel f , one could betempted to think that there was something in the illegit imacyof Herberts or Somersets different (besides the rank of the

fathers) from the common,and partaking perhapsof the nature

of what in Germany and some other highly aristocrat ic count ries, have been cal led left—handed marriages. The familyname seems to have been constant ly assumed, and recognisedin these branches and even the highest honours ext inct forwant of legit imate issue , revived in the illegit imate . CharlesSomerset , created E arl ofWorcester by Henry VI I I . was the

natura l son of a Duke of Somerset ; and William Herbert ,

APPENDICES 363

created Earl of Pembroke by E dward VI . was son of an

illegit imate brother of Wi ll iam Herbert second E arl of

Pembroke , of that family, who died without male issue . Had

the Earldom of Pembroke become aga in ext inct on the deathofWill iam the fifth E arl , and the old precedent been followed ,there would have been nothing to prevent its being revivedin the very Sir Charles Harbord, as I take it he stood thennext kinsman. I am , &c . , &c . ,

F . TOWNSEND .

But we did not agree with this reasoning , and preferred thesimpler derivat ion, minus both the something different ”and the probable honours of the Hera lds’ theory .

APPENDIX I I

S IR CHARLE S HARBORD , JUN . , AND THE BATTLE OF SOLE BAY

As I have said before , the most interest ing of my old aucestor

’

s sons was his namesake , the fourth , who was so great afriend of Admira l Montagu, afterwards E arl of Sandwich .

‘

He was a genera l favourite , and no doubt his persuasivetongue seconded the Adm iral ’s desire that the officers of theFleet should tender their duty to the as yet uncrownedMonarch . I t was probably when the Admira l was createdE arl for hisservices in restoring the K ing that CharlesHarbordwas knighted . The E arl became a Privy Council lor and spentsome t ime in London with his family , when Charles appearsto have been with him , for Pepys, in his diary , frequent lyment ions meet ing him at dinners and so on. But in 1665 ,when war was declared aga inst the Netherlands, my kinsmanagain sailed with his friend .

1 S ir E dward Montagu , K .G . , raised a regiment of men in Cambr idgeshire and the I sle of E ly , 1643 , for the Par l iament , and distinguishedhimsel f a t the storming of L incoln , 1644 , a t the Battle of Marston Moor ,

a t the Battle of Naseby , 1645 , and the storming of Bridgewater and

Bristol ; knight of the Shire Hunts, 1644-7 , a lord of the treasury , 1654 .

had command of the fleet in 1660, and in that capacity took a most important part in the restoration of Charles I I . . whomade h im knight of thegarter , and on July 1 2th , 1660 , created him Baron Montagu. of S t . NeotsHunts, Viscount H inc h ingbrook , Hunts, and E arl of S andw ich , Kentsworn P .C made master of the great wardrobe , adm:of the Narrow Seas,l ieut . adm: to H .R .H . the Duke of York , Lord H igh Adm: of E ngland ,

c arried S t . E dward ’

s S taff a t the Coronation , April 23rd , 1661 ; on a

rupture w ith the States Gen . in 1664 he served as vice-adm: under theDuke of York , and repeatedly defeated the Dutch Fleet , and also in 167 2 ,

when he encountered the Dutch Fleet in Southwold Bay , and lost hisl ife 28 May ,

1672 (bur . in Westminster Abbey) . B . 27 th July , 1625 m .

7 th November , 1642 , Jemima , daughter of John ,Lord Crewe , of Stene ,

and had with other issue five sons.

364 MY MEMORIES

The English Fleet , though Comminges called it the finestsight in the world, was a very modest one at the t ime it

consisted of only one hundred and forty-four sa il , besidesfireships. I t was commanded by the K ing

’

sbrother , the Dukeof York , who had Prince Rupert and Lord Sandwich underhim ,

and about twenty-two thousand men . The Dutch Fleet ,under Admira l Opdam , who had as one of his capta ins a son

of Van Tromp of broom-st ick fame, consisted of one hundredand thirty sail . But the ships were larger, thanks to Johnde Witt , than the Dutch had ever owned before, and the twoFleets were quite well matched .

A fierce batt le took place off Lowestoft , and Admira lOpdam

’

s ship blew up when engaged with the Duke ’

s, the

Royal George. This catastrophe completely disheartened theDutch , who fled homewards, only Van Tromp , who protectedthe retreat , cont inuing to Show fight . The Dutch lost nineteen ships, sunk and taken ; the English only one . But

the engagement was suffi cient ly disastrous to us, nevertheless,for the E arls of Marlborough , Port land , and Fa lmouth , LordMuskerry , Sir John Lawson,

and Admiral Samson were a ll

ki ll ed .

Parl iament voted the Duke of York in rewardfor this victory , but Lord Sandwich protested that it washe who had borne the brunt of the bat t le , and that victorywould have been even more complete had not orders to sa i lcome from the Royal George . I t was allowed , however, thatthe Duke showed great gallantry during the act ion ,

and the

Queen-Mother wasso much alarmed by the danger he had beenin that she persuaded the K ing not to a llow him to exposehis l i fe aga in . The command of the Fleet was then given toLord Sandwich , and the next important engagement they werein took place later in the Same year The Dutch E astIndia Fleet had put into Bergen by invitat ion of the K ingof Denmark

,who had secret ly agreed with K ing Charles that

they should share the Spoil . He despatched a squadron underSir Thomas Tyddiman to attack the Fleet lying in port , butthrough some miscarriage of order the Governor of the Cast lefired on the E nglish ships. The Dutch made a good resistance ; one of our ships was sunk and the rest had to put out tosea again . Then deWitt himsel f went to the protect ion of therichly- laden merchantmen with a number of war-ships. But

a great storm scattered the vessels, and Lord Sandwich captured two men-of-war , two of the richest Indiamen,

and

twenty smaller ships,with which he triumphant ly returned

home . Then he made the mistake of appropriat ing to him

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366 MY MEMORIES

thoroughly up-to-date , and they now set out under de Ruyterwith ninety-one ships of war and forty-four fireships. The

English Fleet was lying at Sole Bay (or Southwold Bay) offSuffolk , under the Duke of York , with the French Fleet , underMarshal D ’

E strées. The a llied Fleets consisted of sixty-five

English ships and thirty-six French ships. Lord Sandwichwarned the Duke of York that the Fleetswere too negligent lydisposed in case of attack, and that , the wind being from the

N .E . , they were l iable to be surprised by the enemy. But the

Duke insolent ly retorted that the E arl wasmore caut ious thancourageous, and took no not ice of his warning .

Suddenly, on the 28th of May the enemy appeared . Therewas instant confusion amongst the all ies. The Lord HighAdm ira l of England had a llowed all who wished to go ashore,to make ready,” saysBurnet , 1 “ for the usua l disorders of

the 29th ofMay .

” Consequent ly , when the alarm came theoffi cers had to dash back to their Ships in many cases cableshad to be cut in order that the vesselsmight get into posit ion.

The Fleets were so closely packed that De Ruyter’

s fire

ships coul d easily have destroyed them all had he once gotinto the Bay . The first thing necessary was to keep the Dutchoutside, and the E arl of Sandwich hastened out in the Royal

James, his flagship , into the open roadstead to give the Dukeand Marsha l d ’

E stréeS t ime to arrange themselves whi lst heengaged the enemy . He was naturally furious at the Duke ’

s

insinuat ion , and determined to die rather than be conquered .

Soon Adm ira l Van Ghent ’s ship of sixty guns came closeto the Royal James. I t was boarded by young Cottrell , whopulled down the Dutch ensign and got back unwounded tohis own ship , which had meanwhi le beaten off the too daringDutchman and killed its Adm ira l . Another Dutchman triedto board the Royal James and was prompt ly sunk and three

hre-ships were sent to the bottom to keep her company.

After six hoursof hard fight ing they were st il l thundering awayat the Dutchmen as if they had only just begun. SirWilliamPenn writes in hismemoirs: The E arl of Sandwich especiallywas grievously crippled and reduced a lmost to a hul k .

Meanwhil e the Duke of York and De Ruyter were fight ingwith such fury that the Dutch Admira l afterwards declared itwas the fiercest combat of a l l the thirty- two act ions in which hehad taken part . So fearful wasthe damage that at last the Dukeremoved hisflag and himself to another ship . This happenedwhen the batt lewas at itsheight , and the Royal j ames, a merewreck , torn in pieceswith shot and shell , was in evenworse case

1 Burnet’sHistory of HisOwn Times.

APPENDICES 367

than the Duke ’

sship . The E arl sent to hissecond in command ,Sir Joseph Jordan , for assistance , but that Admira l was justthenhastening to the succour of the Duke of York , and ignoredhis own chief ’sneed . Then a fourth fireship engaged the poorcrippled Royal j ames. She was luckier than her sisters, andeffected her purpose the flag

-ship burst into flame . Campbel l describes the end as fol lows

Of her crew of a thousand , six hundred lay in frightfulslaughter on the decks, and the flames threatened a st il l morepa inful death to the rema inder . The E arl , seeing that all

human efforts were in va in , ordered his Capta in , Sir R ichardHaddock , and the other survivors to save themselves the bestway they could , and then ret ired to his cab in . Sir R ichardfollowed thi ther and urged him to Save his l ife in a boat thatst ill wa ited for him . But the E arl , ra ising his face from the

handkerchief he held in his hand , firmly refused, saying, I

see how thingsgo, and I am resolved to perish with the ship .

CharlesHarbord , though a pract ised swimmer, and his friendClement Cottrell , would not leave their chief they remained onthe deserted deck , and perished together in the explosion thatsent the remnants of the gallant flag-Ship t o the winds.

- 1

The fight ing went ou,though less furiously , for both sides

were severely damaged , unt il sunset , when the Dutch creptaway ; the English , weakened and dispirited, did not followthem . Their a llies, the Frenchmen, had scarcely taken anypart in the act ion,

and it was generally bel ieved that theynever intended to do so, but simply wished to egg on the opposing Fleets unt il both were annihilated .

At first it was hoped that the E arl had escaped , but a fewdays later his body was picked up intact . This rather con

tradic ts the statement that he was blown up with the ship ,and it is more probable that at the last moment , supposingeveryone else had left , he jumped from his cabin window intothe sea . His son-in-law, Philip Carteret , husband of LadyJemima Montague , who was on board with him , also lost hisl ife in this encounter.

Bishop Parker, in his History of M y Own Times, saysof the E arl : He was a gentleman adorned with al l the

virtues of Alcibiades, and untainted by any of his vices : of

high b irth, ful l of wisdom , a great commander a t sea and

on land ; also learned and eloquent ; a ffable, l iberal , and

magnificent .” He was forty-seven at the t ime of his death .

1 We have a large pic ture at Gunton , I do not know by whom, showingthe two friends together on deck resisting the appeals of the Captain andothers to leave the burning ship with them .

368 MY MEMORIES

By some mistake E velyn called his ship the Prince insteadof the Royal James. In his diary he says

I received another command to repair to the seaside ;so I went to Rochester, where I found many wounded, sick ,and prisoners, newly put on shore a fter the engagement on

the 28th , in which the E arl of Sandwich , that incomparableperson and my particul ar friend , and divers more whom Iloved were lost . My Lord (who was Admira l of the Blue)was in the Prince, which was burnt , one of the best men-ofwar that ever spread canvas on the sea . There were lostwith this brave man , a son of Sir Charles Cotterel l (Masterof the Ceremonies) , and a son of Sir Charles Harbord (hisMa jesty’s Surveyor-Genera l) , two val iant and most aecompl ished youths, ful l of virtue and courage , who might havesaved themselves but chose to perish with my Lord, whomthey honoured and loved above their own l ives.

Here , I cannot but make some reflect ions on things past .

I t was not above a day or two that going toWhiteha ll to takeleave of his Lordship , who had his lodgings in the PrivyGarden, shaking me by the hand he bid me good-bye, and

sa id he thought he should see me no more, and I saw,to my

thinking , something boding in his countenance : No ,

’

sayshe , they will not have me l ive . Had I lost a fleet (meaningon his return from Bergen when he took the E ast India prize)I should have fared bet ter but , be as it pleases GodI must do something , I know not what , to savemy reputat ion.

’

Something to this effect , he had hinted to me thus I tookmy leave . I well remember that the Duke of Al bemarle, andmy new Lord Clifford , had, I know not why , no great opinionof his courage , because on former conflicts, being an able andexperienced seaman (which neither of them were) , he a lwaysbrought off hismaj esty’s shipswithout loss, though not without as many marks of true courage as the stoutest of themand I am a witness that , in the late war, his own ship waspierced like a colander. But the businesswas, he was utterlyaga inst thiswar from the beginning , and abhorred the attack ~

ing of the Smyrna Fleet ; he did not favour the heady expedit ion of Cli fford at Bergen, nor was he so furious and confidentaswas the Duke of Albemarle, who bel ieved he could vanquishthe Hollanders with one squadron. My Lord Sandwich wasprudent as wel l as val iant , and always governed his affa irswith successand l itt le loss he wasfor del iberat ion and reason,

they for act ion and slaughter without either ; and for this,whispered as i f My Lord Sandwich was not so ga llant , becausehe was not so rash , and knew how fatal it was to lose a fleet ,

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379 MY MEMORIES

he isfrequent ly quoted in Grey’sDebates. I t appears that ,a lthough not a verbose speaker in the House, the l itt le he sa idwas invariably very much to the point . Burnet describeshim as a very rich and covetous man, who knew Englandwell , and hispartswere very quick about him in that great age ,being past eighty . He adds A lively repartee wasmadeby his own son to him in the Debate on supplies. Sir Charlessa id that The right way of deal ing with the King , and of

ga ining him to them was to lay their hands on their purses,and to dea l roundly with him .

’

So his son sa id he secondedthe mot ion but he meant that they should lay their handson their purses as he himsel f did,

and hold them well , that nomoney shoul d go out of them .

Grey reports this story different ly. He says Sir CharlesHarbord in the debate on Navy Stores remarked that In the

year 1601 the French had but three ships of war they werea fra id of Queen Bess, and durst build no more . The Frenchincreasing this rate in shipping aswe are told , ’

tis high t ime tolay your handsupon your hearts and purses.

’

Sir Thomas Meres retorted that He would lay his handupon his purse asHarbord does to keep hismoney in it .

Charles I I . apparent ly made him a grant for his services,for when the re-assumpt ion of Crown lands was under discussion CharlesGoring cited him as one of those to whom suchproperty had been given . Sir Charles evidently resented thisas a reproach , for he said

I have both before and S ince I was the K ing’s servant

endeavoured to prevent grantsof the Crown lands. But whent hey are passed I woul d not have the K ing less just nor honestt han anotherman . The King hasgrantedme fourManorsat four hundred poundseach , not a farthing profit tome as longas the Queen l ives. As I have saved the Crown eighty thousand pounds at a t ime I desire only a mark ofmy service andt hat is all .

The Speaker sympathet ica lly seconded him , sayingCast your thoughtsback a l itt le and remember that never

any K ing c an enter hisK ingdom with such a debt of bounty asthis K ing had to reward . Though their interest was given upfor the publ ic peace , yet some compensat ion theymight expectof their lost fortune for preservat ion of the Government , and

you now lay upon them a charge for that loya lty . I f you laythe charge on these Gent lemen it is unjust . I f on the pur

chasers, it is so too . I would lay this debate aside .

Sir Charles received only £200 a year for his services as

Surveyor-Genera l to Charles I I . He is described in the

APPENDICES 37 1

Calendar of State Papers as a most deserving servant , andfit for a service requiring abil ity and experience . After therestorat ion he was among those commissioned to inquire a fterand recover plate , money , bull ion , etc . , belonging to the K ing ,and E velyn ment ions his call ing to take an account of whatgrounds I challenged at Sayes Court .

He and his sonWill iam sat together in Parl iament for manyyears. Will iam was a man of blunt speech ; as he himsel fonce observed I pretend not to charm any man by what Isay . Both were fervent Loya l ists and staunch Protestants,with an a lmost rab id hatred of Papists. They were essent ial lyjust men,

however, and though intolerant of the sl ightestblemish on the honour of the House ,

t here are severa l instancesof one or both standing out for leniency when t heir coll eagueswere demanding the extreme measure of the law . One of the

most interest ing debates in which they took part was on thequest ion of Lord Danby ’

s impeachment .

1

They had a lways been great friends of the Montagues of

Boughton, and when Ra lph Montague ,while our Ambassador

in France , incurred the K ing ’s persona l enmity , it was toWill iam Harbord t hat he confided the story. I t seems,

according to Burnet , that Montague , who was a man of

pleasure, had become enamoured of the K ing ’s late mistress,the Duchess of Cleveland . While thiswas going on,

the K ingasked him to discover the whereabouts of a certa in astrologerin whom he had great fa ith . Montague found the man , and

confided to the Duchess that he had somewhat prompted himin the hints he shoul d send the K ing . Later on ,

the Duchess,to punish Montague for preferring a riva l

,betrayed this c onfid

ence to the K ing , and Montague , feel ing that he had incurredthe K ing ’s enm ity , left his post as Ambassador without beingrecalled , and came home .

Meanwhil e , the E arl of Danby ’

s fool ish attempts to obta inmoney had incurred the hatred of both people and Parl iament , and when Montague confided to his friend the historyof the treaty he had endeavoured to make with France , thatastute pol it ician at once foresaw the efforts Danby woul dmake , should his treachery ever come to l ight , to recover theincrim inat ing documents the late Ambassador held . He

urged Montague to go into Parl iament , in order that he mighttake advantage of the old rul e which prohibits the seizure of aMember

’

s papers unless treason has been sworn aga inst him ,

and so, when Danby made one of his underl ings write home

I Grey '

s Debates, vol . vi .

372 MY MEMORIES

that Montague had been in secret correspondence and dangerons pract ices with the Pope ’

s Nuncio in Paris, and theK ing informed the House that he was resolved to bring thelate Ambassador to tria l a fter seizing his papers, the Housedeclared it to be a breach of privilege . Al l they would permitwas that the box of papers should be opened in Montague ’

s‘

presence , and William Harbord sa idThis has been intended three or four days, but I bel ieve

that they have m issed of their a ims, and I would not forthey had these papers. And freely thiswasmy great

inducement to st ir so much to make Mr. Montague a Memberof this House . In due t ime you wi ll see what those papersare . They wil l open your eyes. And though too late tocure the evil , yet they wil l tell you who to proceed aga inst asthe authors of our misfortune . I desire that some personsof honour and wort h may be present at the opening of theseCab inets, lest some of these letters Should be there f01 they areof the greatest consequence that ever you saw .

Harbord and some otherswere ordered to receive direct ionsfrom Mr . Montague where to find the papers, and the Housesat unt i l they returned with them .

Montague sa id : I am sorry that so great a M inister hasbrought this gui lt upon himsel f . I t wasmy intent ion to haveacqua inted Mr . Secretary Coventry with the papers. I wi l lnow only tell you that the K ing has been asmuch deluded asthe Dutch or Spa in and you have been deluded too by thisgreat M inister .

”

The box being opened, Montague took from it two letters,one dated January r6th , 1678 , the other March 25th, 1 678 .

The gist of them was

In case the condit ionsof peace shal l be accepted , the K ingexpects to have five mill ion livres yearly for three years, fromthe t ime that this agreement sha ll be S igned between HisMa j esty and the King of France because there wi ll be twoor three years before he c an hope to find his Parl iament in

humour to give him suppliesafter your havingmade any peacewith France . Subscribed Danby . To the secretary youmust not ment ion one syllable of the money . This letter iswrit by my Order. C . R .

”

Harbord said I hope now Gent lemen’

s eyes are openedby the design on foot to destroy the government and our

l ibert ies. I bel ieve that i f the House will command Mr .

Montague , he wil l tell you more . But I would not press itnow upon him because poisoning and stabbing are in use .

As to the danger to the K ing ’s person,there issomething

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374 MY MEMORIES

with him , they shall be punished as for correspondingwith Tra itors. Letters sent to him or received from him ,

shall within ten days &c . he showed to one of the Secretariesof StateBut thisBil l was rejected by the Commons on the plea t hat

it was a compounding for treason.

”

When the quest ion of his pardon was before the House inMay 1679 , Sir CharlesHarbord , who had been one of the twelveon the Secret Committee in Lord Sta fford ’

s Impeachment

t hirty-nine years before , was consul ted as to the properprocedure .

l

The Lord High Steward in Lord Stafford ’

s case , he sa id ,

was quasi a Cha irman ,to put quest ions. My opinion

is that it is best for you to appoint Members to be presentelse you w ill never be informed what the Council say .

The K ing next sent for the Commons to the House of Lords,and snubbed t hem rather severely . His Ma jesty sa id :

My Lords and Gent lemen , I should have been glad tosee you had you made any good progress in the matter I cal ledyou for . I perceive that your proceedings aga inst my LordTreasurer have hindered you t herein . I am therefore now

come to put an end to t hat business, such as I hope w ill beto your sat isfact ion . I have given him my pardon under myBroad Sea l , before ca ll ing this Parl iament , for securing bothhis l ife and fortunes, and if there shoul d happen to be any defecttherein in point of form or otherw ise , I will give it him ten

t imes over, rather than it should not be full and sufficientfor the purpose I design it . I never denied it to any of myservants or M inisters,

when they quitted their places, as LordShaftesbury and the Duke of Buckingham well know . Besides,I must inform you,

that there are great mistakes in thosematters concerning him . For the letters were writ ten by myorder. And for concea l ing the plot it was impossible, for hehad hea rd nothing of that but what he had immediately frommysel f . I have dism issed him from my Court and Councils,and not to return. Publ ic businesspresseshard,

and thereforeI recommend them to you to go speedily upon them .

Apart from the amusing manner of speech of these long-agogent lemen , the debate upon this address is part icularly interest ing to day , when the K ing is treated as a mere cipher bythe Commons, chiefly owing to the injudicious use his predec essors made of their power and the Members of thathonourable House do things that in the old days would

1 Grey ‘sDebates, vol . vn . , p . 203 .

APPENDICES 375

have sent them to the Tower . The debate resul ted in a freshprosecut ion of the Lord Treasurer, who was imprisoned in theTower for five years, and was only bailed out by JudgeJeffreys after three Parliamentshad sat .

Mr. Bennet opened the argument by saying that as therehas been too much heat used here formerly , so I hope thisHouse will not be too cool now . I t is for the safety of

the K ing and the Nat ion , that a M inister be afra id of thisHouse . The K ing tells us he would have us m ind thegreat business of the Nat ion.

’

You have no greater businessthan this. I f these Pardons are thus obta ined, it w ill be suchan encouragement to rogues.

”

Sir Charles Harbord remarked somewhat caust ical ly I t

is ordinary for a M inister or Secretary of State to say , Sir,I am going off from your service ; pray let me have yourPardon . Lord Bacon, M ichel l , Mompesson, Lord M iddlesex ,Lord Suffolk had Pardons. But did the K ing ever pardonanyone after an Impeachment was aga inst them Thiswayof pardoning is of the most dangerous consequence inthe world . I have said this fifty years ago . In the lastK ing ’s t ime, projects and monopol ies flew about , and I was

troubled about them ; those reduced the K ing , the best of

K ings, and perhaps of men , to own them at the CouncilTable . I t is a destruct ion to the Laws of the K ingdomand of the people when the Treasurer of the K ingdomdisposes of the publ ic treasure , for the K ing ’s recrea t ion,

st i ll it ispro bonopublico. I t is crimen Zaefti imperii to destroythe Treasury which is for the sa fety of the people . How sha llthe Commonsbe able to support the K ing , that he may a id his

Allies abroad , when the Treasury is wasted Whoever doesthis comm its treason aga inst his al l egiance . I move , thatyou will make a remonstrance of the State of the K ingdom .

”

Sir Thomas Clarges sa id : The K ing says : thatwe were best able to vindicate him from the ca lumny putupon him by the worst of men .

’

Nothing c an make the K ingmore happy, nor shine in greater lustre , than his Parl iament .

This is no fact ious Parl iament , no hands of Pensioners are

here . Here the K ing’ssceptre isof gold and not of red iron .

And the K ing shines in his greatest lustre . Though the

K ing has pardoned my Lord Treasurer, the l ike was neverdone in any memory , when the whole body of the K ingdomhold up their hands for just ice aga inst him . Those about

the K ing have his ear, and represent things to him . I f

t hose about him (protectio trabil subj ectionem) intercept hisGrace from his Parl iament , nor two nor ten can protect the

376 MY MEMORIES

K ing at Whitehall . Let us, in what we do,beget a confidence

in the King . But st ill these unhappy act ions and advicesare the K ing ’s own when we should del iver him from them ,

they are put upon him , and what those about him advise, isill advice .

Wi ll iam Harbord sa id Suppose any man had sold fortyor fifty ships of the K ing’s to the French K ing, or burnt them,

does any man think that the K ing would pardon it ?The Lords have refused you just ice , and have not committedthe Treasurer to custody, and you ought to insist upon it asyour right . I can never bel ieve that the K ing is so i ll aman , that , when a War was depending &c . he should orderthose Letters to barga in for a peace . I desire just ice aga instthe Treasurer, in the name of all the Commons in England ,but yet with all good manners to the K ing. I would have aCommittee to draw up a representat ion to the K ing of the

miserable estate of the K ingdom , and that this Gent leman

is the occasion of it . I f you suffer this Pardon to pass overso you will never discover the Plot . And if the advice of

this Gent leman had been followed , some heads of the lastParl iament that were troublesome to thisGent leman had beencut off.

Sir FrancisWinnington spoke next .

The R ights of the Crown , said he , are not only in thecase of this Pardon , but of us and our Posterity when we havedone . I never had any difference with this Lord, but as an

enemy to the K ing and the Nat ion. Now , what is your dutyto do in t his case upon the K ing ’s significat ion of his intent ionof pardoning the Treasurer Which is, I suppose, as it were,asking our advice in it . I f the K ing proposes it as a

legislat ive case , then it is but to give the K ing advice what isfit and convenient to be done. But if you consider it as youare persecutors then you are to consider the legal part and

I will consider both . He that stands charged and pretendsto a Pardon , confesses the crime he stands charged with he

takes sanctuary and pleads his pardon under the Great Sealof England . A Pardon once granted is not the Law of

Medes and Persians, not to be revoked . What is thisLord guilty of ? He has exhausted the Treasure of the

Crown , by acquiring a great estate to himsel f, &C. and endeavoured to st ifle the discovery of the Plot , when it was justcoming to l ight . Now the K ing communicates his Pardonto you, for these and severa l other offences, &c . for your advice.

The Law of England is of an admirable composit ion.

He that sets up Popery suppresses the Roya l Family.

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3 78 MY MEMORIES

APPENDIX IV

WILLIAM HARBORD AND PE PYS

According to the E ditor of Wheat ley’s E dit ion of Pepys’D iary , the immorta l Samuel regarded Will iam Harbord as

his most persist ent enemy , and pretended to bel ieve thathe hadmal iciously trumped up the case that led to his impeachment in 1 679 . But it seems t hat so long before as February1673 Pepys had been accused of being a Papist and of havingan a l tar and crucifix in his chest . Aga in , in November 1678 ,he was subj ected to a solemn inspect ion ,

”when Sir Charles

Cot trel l gave the House an account of a let ter sent to the

Dutch Ambassador saying that a Jesuit had been discoursingwith a merchant a t Frankfort , who was just about embarkingfor England , and had told him that before he coul d get intoE ngland a great change would take place there and their designfor sett ing up the Cathol ic rel igion woul d take e ffect . He

added that there were about a thousand Jesuits engaged in theplot . The letter was then la id upon the table, and the Speakersa id

I have int imat ion from a Member of the House t hat Mr.

Pepys has granted passes to some Jesuits to go beyond thesea .

Pepys retorted : I am much more beholden to you , Mr.

Speaker, than to the Member who informed you . I chal lengeany man t hat c an ever say I have conversed with a Jesuit ,spoke w ith , or granted him a pass, in my l ife .

Bennet then sa id . One Dr. Conquest got a passby meansof Atkins, Pepys’ Clerk , for Thimblebee, a Jesuit , to go beyondsea

This a lso Pepysflat ly denied . Oateshad accused the Queenof engaging this very Thimblebee to murder the K ing , and hewas the occasion for the first suggest ion that a ll Papists Shouldbe banished . This passed over, but Pepys, probably becausehe wasso firm an adherent and so open an adm irer of the Dukeof York , was apparent ly not very popular in the House , forhe was somet imes rather severely snubbed . On one occasionwhen the quest ion of Nava l suppl ies arose , he sa id

I challenge any man a l ive , and his books to help him ,

to Show me t hat in January there were ever more stores in

the victua ll ing house than now .

Sir George Downing retorted : Pray take not that authorityupon you in the Comm ittee that the House has not given you.

APPENDICES 3 79

Where is your authority ? Who bid you meddle with the

Speaker ’s adjourning the HouseIn April 1679, when the quest ion of supplies was aga in

before the House , Pepys ObservedI t is easy to foresee a great dea l ofwork cut out for me for

another t ime . I t isnatura l for you to enquire , what isbecome

of the money you gave for the Fleet and the Stores, and whatrel igion the Commanders are of. I move therefore , that youwil l order Thursday for considerat ion .

Bennet sa id I do intend to give Money, &c . and so I shal lsave that Mot ion but not onl y that , but I would see whatProtestant Ally we have . We have forsaken a ll but the

Popish and French S ide . The necessity of the Fleet wil lmake you a ll beggars, when you pay twelve pence for six

pence value , as they manage it . The Hol landers could say .

All their Money is gone ,and the way to bring England into

subj ect ion , is to make E ngland poor .

’

And as t hey havemanaged it , they make you so . As to favouring Popery inthe Navy ,

a Capta in was called out for call ing his LieutenantPapist , ’ that was so , and I will prove Popery in your Fleet atthe Bar . There is not a man that has served in the Fleetsince the K ing came in , but wasmade by the Duke of York .

Prince Rupert had not the power to make a boatswa in .

Bring us once upon a Protestant fund , but let us never givesupply to be cozened of it by these V illains.

Pepys returned This point of Rel igion in the Fleet , thatthis gentleman seems with so much vehemence to assert , and

will just ify, on my conscience is a m istake . I never heard of

it but that a general reproach should be cast upon the Navy ,because the Duke of York named Officers ! The Duke isunfortunate , and with my l ife I would rescue him . But I

o ffer it to your considerat ion , whether any Prince was everfitter to name Officers for the Fleet , than he . From the

moment I have been in employment , I never knew that theDuke gave countenance to any one Cathol ic , as a Ca thol ic .

I do affi rm t hat by a ll the care and inspect ion tha t could betaken in the Navy, there is not one Cathol ic in it from top to

bottom ,as far as it was possible for me to know. There was

one suspect ed , and he not in the Navy . Since that he hascome in ,

and wil l submit to any inspect ion . For mysel f,possibly Bennet may speak wi th some reflect ion . I am the

man of E ngland that has passed the most solemn inspectionofmy R el igion . In the devot ion and whole tenor ofmy wholel ife , I have been asgood a son of the Church of E ngland asanyman. In the name of God go on in your inspect ion &c . , I

389 MY MEMORIES

am so far from the suspicion of Popery, that I am sure I shal lmerit quite otherwise .

Bennet sa id : G ive me your Warrant , and I will fetchthe Capta in that shal l make good , that he was turned out &c .

for call ing his Lieutenant Papist and I can t el l you of

another Capta in that has never taken the Oath , etc . Whattest imony Pepys has given you of his R eligion , was thisParl iam ent .

About a mont h a fter t his l ittle passage at arms Pepys wasaccused , with his colleague Sir Anthony Deane , by a certa inColonel Scott , of some miscarriages relat ing to Piracy in theNavy .

I t fell toWill iam Harbord’

s lot to report the case , but thereis nothing in the evidence to suggest t hat any persona l feel ingwas shown.

I t seems t hat on Friday , May 2oth , 1 679, Mr . Harbordreports from the Comm ittee of Enquiry into the M iscarriagesof the Navy, that Samuel Pepys was concerned with SirAnthony Deane in fitt ing out a sloop called the Hunter

from His Ma j esty ’

s Stores, in the year 1673 ,making her free

of the French Ports and procuring her a French commissionin order to cruise on the Dutch , which being contrary to treatymight have occasioned a war between the two nat ions.

” 1

The Hunter ,”it appears, a lsomade a prize of a free ship

of E ngland ca lled the Catherine of London ’

which thoughproved to be English before HisMa j esty in Council , the Checkmaster of Portsmouth was sent to Paris to get c ondemmed.

” 2

Colonel Scott gave evidence of a number of papers that hadbeen signed by Pepys conta ining informat ion of the state

of the Navy , methods of sea fights, maps of the coast of

E ngland , and so on . He a lso told the Committee that Pell isary , a Treasurer of the French K ing ’s Navy, had shown himthese papers, and sa idPepys would not part with these things but for so good

a sum as

Scott had thereupon repl ied : I hope these rogues whohave betrayed their country are not of our religion,

the

R eformed .

To which Pelissary answered : They are of the Devil ’sRel igion .

The evidence at the Bar said that he had often heard ColonelScott say that Pepys was a great betrayer of his country,and in t ime he would make it appear t hat he was one of the

1 Grey ’

s Debates, vol . V IL , p . 303 .

2 Ra lph .

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382 MY MEMORIES

Will iam Harbord said These Gent lemen have made longspeeches in defence and these have made themselves innocent .

But I will ca ll witnesses to prove those ships etc fitted out

w ith the K ing ’s Stores. I t was sa id to Pepys by one of the

Council Table t hat he would forfeit £500 if he did not provethis to be true .

’

He will undertake to prove this of the

Hunter and as for the informat ion given by Pepys’

butler,the but ler had £500 security for his honesty . When you hadan account the last year , of the two Navies, the French and

the Dutch ,in thisDeane now contradicts himself . The Duke

of York wasput out of comm ission of Admira l by Ac t of Parl iament , and yet t hese men must be protected by the Duke , toput theNavy into the Papists

’ hands. Pepysisan il lman,and

I will prove him so .

I t was ordered that Pepys and Sir Antony Deane be c ommitted to the custody of the Sergeant at Arms attending thisHouse . Two days later Harbord made a farther report concerning them, and produced an inventory for Stores for theHunter S igned by the clerk of the Stores. I t was then

ordered that they should be sent to the prison of the Tower,and that the Attorney-Genera l be directed forthwith to prosecute t hem for the crimesobj ected aga inst them . When broughtto the Bar on the 1 2th of June , the Attorney—Genera l refusedba il , but subsequent ly the accused were a llowed to find

security forRa lph says How far the charge aga inst them Was true

or false , is nowhere cleared up for though Deane and Pepyswere immediat ely comm itted to the Tower, and the AttorneyGenera l was enjoined to prosecute them , it does not appeart hat ever any such prosecut ion took place . So that if innocent they suffered too much, if gu ilty, too l ittle, and just icewas equa lly offended either way .

I t is at al l events certa in t hat Pepys did not lose by hisadvocacy of the Duke of York .

APPENDIX V

EDWARD ,LORD SUFFI E LD , AND THE ABOLITION OF SLAVE RY

My father took a very prominent part early in the movement

for the abol it ion of slavery . I t was not unt il 1 83 1 , however,that it assumed any appreciable proport ions, and even then itwasonly proposed to form a comm ittee in the planters’ interest .He spoke eloquent ly aga inst this, feel ing that it merely meant

APPENDICES 383

delay, but he was a lone in hisobject ions, and the Committeewas appointed on the 29th of April , 1 832—with the result beant icipated .

T . F . Buxton , in writ ing to ask him for a l ist of the Commit tee ,

added : Tell me whether the ant i -slavery party ,

that is yours, w ill have any authority or control in the Committee . I protest I think you Lords are even worse thanwe Commons, bad aswe are . I never saw such an exhib it ionof cold hearts, ignorant heads, and fa lse tongues as the nobleLords on the other side gave us to view the night before last .

I could hardly listen to them in silence , or refra in fromcheering the solitary voice that was l ifted up for t ruth and

righteousness. Much as we must lament that there are not

many to echo it , how deeply rejoiced and thankful am I thatin the name of the best part of E ngland and of the slavesthere is that one. Persona lly I c an but congratulate you on

what I considered was pre-em inent ly the post of honour .

For this was a ll I caredTo stand approved of God even though worldsJudge this perverse .

One day a few weeks later , in May 1 832 , on the Chancellorpresent ing an ant i-slavery pet it ion ,

my father remarked thathe had twenty-one sim ilar pet it ions on the Same subject topresent , some of them signed by six thousand people ,

most of

them coming from places of great importance . The opinionof the pet it ioners was that the recently appointed Comm itteewas a st il l further sta in and reproach on the horrors of the

quest ion, seeing that just when England was expect ing slaveryto be abolished, this delay, in the Shape of further and quiteunnecessary enquiry

,had been permit ted .

He sa id that in 1 825 he had suffered for making a llusionsto certa in authent icated cases of cruelty and ill-treatment of

Slaves ; a newspaper in the West Indies’ interest had proclaimed him a l iar and held him up to publ ic execrat ion , but

he had taken no not ice , feeling that their enmity to such a

cause was beneath resentment .

In July he presented another pet it ion , signed by fourteent housand six hundred people , which protested most stronglyagainst further enquiry or delay , and ca lled for the immedi

ate abol it ion oi slavery throughout the Brit ish Dom inions.

E arly in 1 833 publ ic agi tat ion on the subj ect became muchmore acute ,

and as he was considered the heart and soul ofthe movement he was bombarded with correspondence and

pet it ions. Some of these were signed only by women, one

384 MY MEMORIES

from Bolton by five thousand two hundred , and another fromE dinburgh by thirteen thousand two hundred, while a

genera l pet it ion from E dinburgh numbered twenty-one thousand two hundred and ninety-one signatures, and so on . At

last it was announced in the House of Commons that theGovernment were about to introduce such ameasure regardingthe state of slavery in the colonies as would permanent lysett le the quest ion . The announcement gave great sat isfac

t ion throughout the country . Meet ingswere held at variousplaces and a deputat ion of three hundred and thirty-ninegent lemen was sent up from a ll parts of the country to wa itupon E arl Grey and the Government .

Then the Duke of Well ington presented a pet it ion in Mayfor the safe and gradual abol it ion of slavery and a compensat ion to the planters. My father remarked that the nobleDuke had taken an unusua l course in entering into arguments on the subj ect of the pet it ion, without having givennot ice of his intent ions. After the evidence they had heardthey would consent to sacri fice their property rather than sucha state of degradat ion and m isery should continue . The

noble Duke had sa id that the emancipat ion of the S laveswoul d be the ruin of the colonies and the result a loss to GreatBrita in . He , on the contrary ,

thought that the only meansto save the colonies was by emancipat ing the slaves withoutdelay . Neither part ia l nor protracted emancipat ionwould sat isfy the people of England, and they would neverconsent to anyt hing but tota l abol it ion .

” 1

In June 1 833 E arl St . Vincent , supported by the Earlof R ipon , having spoken in favour of compensat ion, myfather , in present ing a pet it ion from Cork , spoke at some lengt hon the subj ect . He began his address by expressing his

opinion that when just ice had been done to the negro,the

wrong-deer and those who acquiesced in the wrong , and theyonly ,

could set t le the matter of compensat ion . He quotedBlackstone on the rights of human beings, and said :

Lord Chief Just ice Holt holds the view that the authorityof Parl iament is derived from the law ,

and if Parl iament1 Thiswas not the first time my father had resented the Duke ’

s“safe

and gradua l pol icy . When the subj ect of finding some meansof al leviat

ing the agricultura l distress was before the House in 1 830 he said , in

referenc e to the re luc tance of the Government to originate measures of

re l ie f, that be admired the noble Duke ’

s mil itary character , the greatmer it of which was, he understood , waiting for the enemy . but he was now

afraid that the princ rp le which was admi rable for the fie ld was c arriedby the noble Duke '

s col leagues into the Cabinet , where it was utterlyinexpedient.

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386 MY MEMORIES

Maj esty ’

s dom inions. To this he ma inta ined just the oppositeopinion ,

as also to the Duke ’

s suggest ion that the missionarieswere the inst igators of the recent insurrect ion of the Colonies.

The Colonies, he said , had taken great pa ins to make out

that fact , even to unwarrantable measures, but the minutestinvest igat ion had fa iled to just ify any such suspicion .

On the 1 2th of August , 1 823 ,the B il l was read a third t ime

and passed . And thus, says R ichard Bacon , LordSuffi eld had the happiness to see accomplished the noblestwork of humanity, perhaps, that everwas wrought by popularfeel ing , and in which it was his highest boast to have taken so

honourable and so effectual a part .

”

APPENDIX VI

THE GENEALOGY OF FRANCE S , LADY SUFFIELD

Frances, widow of Colonel C . C . R ich , is a daughterof the late Major R . P . Gabbet t , of Corba lly , Limerick .

Ma jor Gabbett ’s name was original ly de la Garbet te , he be inga direct descendant of the grandmother of Wi l l iam the Con

queror . His ancestors came to England with William ,and

sett led in Shropshire . One of the fam ily had been knightedby the Emperor Maximi l ian for his ferocious bravery whenserving as a standard bearer on the field of batt le ,

and his

crest was changed by the Emperor to a double—headedeagle , wi th the mot to Garde a la Bete. In the reign of HenryVI I . the family went with Strongbow to I reland , and rema inedthere ,

the name get t ing gradua l ly abbreviated to its presentform ,

as may be seen on the old tombstones in Cahircoulishchurchyard

,County Limerick . Ma jor R . P . Gabbett married

his cousin ,a member of the Leinster family ; one of her

brothers was ki lled in the Indian Mut iny, and her sister’shusband , Ma jor Norc l iff Dalton ,

a nephew of the Duchess of

Roxburghe of that date , died in the Crimea . Queen Victoriasent exceedingly kind letters to her mother and sister incondolence .

INDEXABE RDE E N , Lord , 48 , 49Accident to the Duke of E dinburgh, 263 -266

ZEsthet ic cra ze , the , 322

Afzul , Mahomed , 25 1Agricu ltura l distress, 26Agri culture in Norfo lk , 54

-56

Ai lesbury , Lady, 1 55Aird , Sir John , 309Al bani , Madame , 3 1 8 note, 3 1 9 , 320

A lbany , the Duke of, Pri nce

Leopold , 49

A lbemarle , the E arl of, 36, 1 1 8A lbert , Prince Consort , 45 , 48 -

50,

72 , 73 1 86i 8 7 i 9 5 1 9 7A lcester, Admira l Lord , 29 4A lderson ,

Colone l E . A . H . , 1 1 4A lderson , E . M 1 1 4Aldred , Surgeon-Ma jor, 1 06

Al exandra ,Queen , v , vii , 9 1 , 1 50,

1 52- 1 57 , 1 59 , 160 , 1 67 , 1 7 8 , 1 84 ,

247 , 260, 2 72 , 2 78 , 28 1 , 283 ,

29 8 . 299 . 306. 307 , 3 1 8 . 3 1 9 .

323 , 326-

330

A lexis of Russia , the Grand Duke ,A l fonso , King , 2 55Al ice , Princess, 86, 90, 325Ames, L . M . , 2 83Ancestors of the fifth LordSuffie ld , 1 -26

Annagl eo ,Madame

, 163Annesley , Co lone l , 227 , 290

Anson , Co lone l , 1 5 1Anson , George , 44

-50, 1 33

Argy l l , the Duchess of, PrincessLouise , 276

Argy l l , the e ighthDuke of, 276, 3 1 2

Argy l l , the ninth Duke of , 3 1 8

Astley , Sir E dward , 8 , 1 0

Assheton , Mary , the first LadySuffi e ld , 7

Assheton , Sir Ralph, 7Atkinson , John , whipper-in , 1 4 1

Austria , the Empress of, 266-268 ,

323Aylesford , Lord , 1 59 . 1 60, 1 63 ,

1 87 , 1 9 3 , 225-227 , 23 1 , 246, 260

Ayrton , Chief Commissioner, 276

387

BA CO N , Richard , 32 , 38-

40Baden , the Grand Duke of, 27 1Bagge , Colone l , 1 06Bahadoor, Sir Jung, 225 , 234

-246,248

Baheander Sal l , 224Bai l iffs, accommoda ting , 70Bari ng , Cecilia Annetta , see Suf

fi e ld , La dy , the first wi fe of the

fifth Lord Suffie ldBaring, Mrs. , néeWindham , 74 , 7 5 ,

Bartlett , Mr . , natura l ist . 1 59 , 1 90

Battenberg, Prince Louis of, 206,229

Bea c onsfi e ld , Ben jamin Disrae li ,Lord , 1 58 , 252 , 2 5 3 , 329 , 3 32Beaton , Mrs. , the only woman

Freemason , 5 7Beauclerk , Lord Frederi ck , 1 9Beaumont , the Marquess of, 1 54Bedford , Commander , 1 82 , 25 1

Benares, theMahara jah of, 2 16, 2 I 7Bentinck , Lord E dward , 20

Beresford , Lord Charles, VI I -xi ,1 5 7 , 1 59 . 1 65 , 1 69 , 1 70, 1 8 1

1 83 ,1 87 , 1 9 1 , 1 93 , 20 1 , 204,

Beresford , Lord Wi l liam , 204Bernha rdt , Madame Sarah, 324 ,3 30

Berry , Miss Sarah, 3 1 8 note

Bhurtpore , the Mahara jah of, 229Birch, Ma jor, 220Birkbeck , E . , 1 57Birth of the fifth Lord Sufli eld , 1

Bismarck , 269Black, An drew , 3 1 8 note

Blake , Admi ra l , 3Blane , Sir Seymour , 1 53Blandford , Lord , 1 5 3 , 1 54Bl ickling , 1 2- 1 4 , 57 , 7 5 , 8 7

-89B londin , 8 7Boar-hunting , 204 , 205 , 22 1 -223 ,

Body-snatching , 60-62

Bo leyn , Sir Geo ffrey ,88

Boothby , Sir Charles, 50Borrow , George , 57

£ 6

Borton , Sir A . , 290

Boul garis, 1 63Bradford , Ma jor , 228

Breada lbane , Lady , 323Breada lbane , Lord , 269Brockbank , J . H . , 3 1 8 note

Brophy , Regina ld , 3 1 8 note

Brougham , Lord , 34Browne , Genera l , 228 , 247Browne , Sir Thomas, 56

Browne , U t ten , 55Bubber Jung , 225Buccleuch, the Duke of, 2 82

Buckhounds, the Master of the ,

3 34-

3 45Buckingham , the Duchess of, 1 99Buckingham , the Duke of

, 1 99Buckingham , the Ea rl of , 8 8-90

Buckinghamshi re , the E ar l of, 1 2 ,

I 3Buc knil l , Dr . John , 92 , 9 3Buge ja , Mr . , 253 , 254Burdett-Coutts, Mr . , 3 32

Burgoyne , Sir John , 92 , 274Burke , 1 4Busk , Captai n , 92 , 93Buxton , T . F . , 25 , 7 7

CA I LLA RD , Admi ra l , 305Ca l cutta , the Bishop of, 203Cambri dge , the Duchess of, 50,

325Cambridge , the Duke of, 9 3 , 1 07 ,

1 09 , 1 53- 1 55 : 1 59 ) 2 75 ) 329

Canning , 2 1Capi ta l punishment , 56, 66, 67Cardigan , Lady , 303

—305

Ca rey , Lieutenant , 3 3 1Carnarvon , Lord , 28

Carpenter on taxa tion , a , 29 -3 1

Ca rrington , E arl , 1 54 , 1 56, 1 59 ,163 , 1 8 1 , 22 1 -223 , 257

Ca rrington , Lady , 260

Carri ngt on , the first Lord , 50Cashmere , the Mahara jah of, 200,225

Castlereagh, Lord , 1 4 , 2 1 , 23Castles in Norfolk , 52

Ce ci l , Lo rd Francis, 283Chamberlain ,

the Rt . Hon . Joseph,Chaplin , the Hon . H . , 1 56

Charles L , King , 3 , 5 1Charles I I . , Ki ng , 3 , 5 , 53 , 1 77Chartres, the Due de , 29 8, 299

INDEX

Chartres, the Duchesse de , 299Chatfi e ld , Captai n , 290

Che lmsford , Lord , 3 3 1 , 3 32Chesterfie ld , Lord , 3 53Childhood of the

Suffi eld , the , 3 8-

45Chr istian , Pri nce , 1 54 , 268

Christian , Princess, 1 54Chr istmas Day in India , 203 , 204Churchi l l , Lord Rando lph, 3 36Civi l War, the , 5 3Clarence , Duke of, Prince E ddy,

Clarke , Colone l , 1 5 7Clarke , Sir Stan ley , 1 59Clerk , Captain , 1 7 1 , 1 72

Clerk , Mrs. , 1 72

Clayton , E lizabeth, 57Clonme l l , Lord , I 53Coaching, 1 47 - 1 50Cobbett , Wi l liam , 3 4 and note

Coburg , Prince Phil ippe of, 30 1

Coke , Thomas Wil liam , 7- 1 2 , 24 ,

Coke , the Hon . W . , 1 53Coke , Wenman , 7 , 8

Co lombo newspaper descriptionof the Pri nce of Wales, a

, 259 ,260

Colvi l le , S ir Chas. John, Lord , ofCulross, 29 7

Colvin , Mr. , 23 3Comoundouzos, 1 63Connaught , the Duke of, 1 59 , 254

Cooke , Sir Wi l liam ,1 52

Cork , Lord , 1 1 7 , 3 36, 3 43Couper , Sir George , 220, 22 1 , 223Couper , Lady ,

22 1

Court influence , 1 3 3- 1 35

Coventry , Hon . B 286, 288

Cowes, 282 , 302-

3 1 0

Cow ley , Lord , 49 , 9 3Cowper, Spencer, 8 7Craven , G . , 1 53Crawford , Miss, 1 98 , 1 99Cri chtons, the , 290

Cri cket , 1 46, 1 47Crimean war, the , 96, 1 1 8 , 1 1 9Cromer, 7 7 , 83

-85 , 9 7 , 309 , 3 1 4 ,

Cromer Volunteers, the , 9 7Cropley , Harbord , the first Harbord Harbord , 6

Cropley, John , 6

fifth Lord

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390 INDEX

Frere , Mrs. , 3 1 6 Gurney ’s steam-carriage , 4 1Fry , E lizabeth, 57GALLI FE T , Madame , 1 61

Garden , a tropica l , 1 86Gardiner , Richard , 9 , 1 0

Gardner , Lord , 50

Gardner , Charlotte , wi fe of the

fourth Lord Suffield , 3 7 , 50

Gazette d’

I ta l ia , 263-266

George IV King , 3 1George V . , King , 307 , 3 1 9German Emperor , Frederi ck I I I . ,

268

German Emperor , Wilhe lm I 86

German Emperor , Wilhe lm I I

268 , 2 80

German Empress, the , 280

Gibra ltar, 73 , 7 4 , 254 , 255 , 263266

Gibson , M . , 290

Gilmour , Lord , 1 56

Gipsy and Lord Suffi e ld , the , 3 1 5Gladstone , Herbert

,Lord , 3 35

Gladstone , W . E . , 163 , 296, 3 34345

Glover, Archdeacon , 32

G luc ksborg , Prince John of, 299Gluc ksborg , PrinceWil l iam of, 299Glyn , Captain , 1 95 , 225 , 228 ,

Goodal l , Frank , 345Gore -Layton , Lady A . , 1 99Gosford , Lord , 1 56, 1 57Gosling , Sir Audley Charles, 299Granvi l le , Lady , 323Granvil le , Lord , 2 77 , 3 34-

345Greece ,

the King of, 1 62- 1 64 , 279 ,

Greece , Prince George of, 2 79Greece , the Queen of, 1 63 , 164 , 279Greenal ls, the , 290

Gregory , Governor, 1 84Grey , the Countess, 1 54Grey , the thi rd E arl , 1 54 , 1 55 ,

Grey , the second E arl , 28Grey , the Hon . H . de , 1 53Grimston , Commander W . , 84 , 85Grosvenor , Lord Robert , 1 23 , 1 53Guest , Hon . Monty , 296

Gunton , 1, 2 , 5 , 6, 1 2 , 1 4 , 20, 3 1

3 3 , 36, 3 7 , 50, 7 1 , 73 , 7 5- 83 ,

85 , 87 , 90, 1 36- 1 44 , 1 46, 1 50

1 58 , 3 1 2-

3 1 4 , 3 16, 3 33

HALDA NE , Lord , 9 8 , 1 1 4Hal l , Commodore King , 308Ha l l , Genera l , 1 53Hal l , Sydney , 1 59 , 1 87 , 258

Ham i lton , Lord , 1 53Harbord , Hon . Assheton , son of

the fifth Lord Suffield , 1 58

Harbord , Betty , Lady Hastings,Harbord , the first Sir Charles, 2 , 3Harbord , the second Sir Charles,3 . 4 and note

Harbord , Charles, son of the

second Lord Suffi eld , 7Harbord , Charles, son of the fifthLord Suffie ld , 1 58 , 1 59 , 3 1 2 , 3 1 3

Harbord , Georgiana , 35 , 36, 44 ,

45 , 49 » 50

Harbord , Hon . Harbord , Bobby

Harbord , Hon . John , son of Sir

Charles Harbord , 5 , 6, and note

Harbord , Hon . John , 1 20

Harbord , Li ly , Lady Carrington ,

301

Harbord , Phil ip , 5Harbord , Hon . Ra lph, 1 03 , 1 09,

Harbord , Hon . Wa lter, 1 1 9 , 1 20,1 69

Harbord or Hobart of Wi lton ,

Wi l l iam , 2

Harbord , Wi l l iam , the enemy of

Pepys, 4 , 5 , and note

Harbord , Hon . Wil liam , 1 1 9Harcourt , Sir Wi l l iam , 3 37Hardinge , Genera l , 224Hardwi cke ,

Lord , 1 56

Hargreaves, John Reginald , E sq. ,

309Harrington , Lord , 1 55Harvey , Lt .

-Col . , 1 39Hastings, the sixteenth Lord , 1 37Hastings, the seventeenth Lord ,Hastings, the nineteenth Lord , 203Hastings, the twentieth Lord , I 57 ;Hatter , Lord Cork and the , 1 1 7Hay , Lord John , 294Heath, Dr . , 1 8

Henderson , Ma jor, 228Henderson , Mr . , 1 96, 20 1

INDEX

Herberts, of Somersetshi re , the 2 ,

Herschel , 320Hesse ,

Prince Frederick Wi ll iam,

of, 86

Hi cks-Beach, Sir Michae l , 335H il lingdon , Lady , 3 7Hoare , Mr . , 289Hobart , Lady Carol ine , w ife of

the second Lord Suffi e ld , 1 2- 1 4Hofte ,

the banker , 29 8Hol kar, the Mahara jah of, 200,

Home Rule , 3 35-

345Hornby , Admira l , 275Horseman ,

Lord Suffield as a ,

vi ii,ix , 4 1 , 7 1 , 72 , 1 37 , 1 43 ,

Horse-racing , 1 45Houghton , Lord , 330

Houlton , Sir V .

, 289Howth, Lord , 69Hudson , the

4 1 , 42

Hulton , Lieutenant , 258

Hunting , 8 1 , 82 , 1 36- 1 45 , 267 , 268

Hunt ingfi eld , Lord , 1 55Hussars, the Seventh, 68-73Hussein ,

Prince , 2 80

Railway King ,

I MPE R IAL , the Prince , 274 , 3 30, 33 1

I ndia ,Christmas in , 203 , 204

India , the Prince of Wa les’

s visi tin 1 87 5

-6 to , vii , ix-xi , 69 ,1 58

-206

Indian Mutiny , the , 1 1 8 , 1 1 9I ndian Press, the , 1 76

I ngl is, Brigadier, 220

I nsurrection in I re land , 68 -

73I re land , the Empress of Austriain , 267 , 268

I re land , Lord Suffie ld in , 68-

73 , 86

I re land , Queen Vic toria in , 72 , 7 3I taly , the King of, 1 61I zard , Miss Gertrude, 3 1 8 note

JACKAL~ HUNTING , 1 98 , 1 99

Jarac zewsky , Count , 1 57Jehan ,

the Sultana , 202Jersey , La dy , 36

Jeypoor, Mahara jah of, 202, 230,

23 1

Joachim , 3 1 9

Jodhpoor, the Mahara jah of, 200,

202

Johnson, Dr . , 3 1 7

39I

Johnstone , Captain , 1 56Johnstone , Mr . , 1 56Journey to India , 1 58- 1 67Jung , Sir Salar , 1 70

- 1 73 , 1 77

KA RAKA , Dosabhoy Fram jee , 1 77 ,1 78

Karolyi , Count and Countess, 301Kenmare , Lord , 3 38

Kent , the Duchess of, 86, 308

Keppel , Admira l Sir H . , 1 54- 1 56

Keppe l , Colone l W . H . A . , 1 06,

3 1 1 » 3 1 4Kerr , Lord Mark , and KingE dward VI I . , 1 70

Kerrison , Sir E dward , 1 42

Khedive , the , 1 64 , 1 65 , 252 , 274.

2 80

Kimberley , Lord , 3 30

Kingscote , Sir N ige l , 1 3 7Kno l lys, Lord , 1 55 , 1 59 , 1 70 , 2 1 5 ,

Knol lys, Miss, 280Kololotrone

,1 63

LAHE J , the Sultan of 166

Lambert , 25 8

Lambton , Captai n , 27 8Lambton , Mrs 8 1

L’

ami c o di Gari ba ldi,

of Sutherland , 1 61

Lancast re , Count , 305Lane , Capta in Moore , 1 06

Langford , Dr . , 1 5 , 1 6

Langtry , Mrs. , 3 23Lansdowne , Lord , 29Laurenson , Captain , 82

Lebanoff, the Russian Ambassador , 30 1Leeds, the Duke of, 303Leicester , the first E arl of, see

Coke , Thomas Wi lli amLei cester , the second E arl of, 1 04 ,

Lennox , Gordon , Lord A . C. , 255 ,256

Lennox , Lord Wil liam, 1 48- 1 50Leopo ld , King, 48

l e Strange, Hamon , 1 27

- 1 30Letters of the third Lord Sufii eldfrom E ton , 1 5

- 1 9Lewisham , Lord , 1 56

Libera l first used in a pol iti ca lsense , 3 4 noteLichtenstein,

Prince Rudolph, 267

the Duke

fi fl

Li dde l l , E 283I i ddon , 32o

Lind , Jenny , 3 1 7Listowe l , Lord and Lady , 320Lloyd , E dward , 3 1 8 note

London , 3 52

London , the Bishop of, 3 30Londonderry , Lady , 323Longevity , 64 , 65Lonsda le , Lady, 323Louise , Princess, 3 1 8 , 3 53 , 3 54Lucknow , the heroes of, 220, 22 1

Lukin , M iss, 3 1 6Lukin , Vice -Adm ira l , 3 16note

Lyons, Lord , 1 61 , 272Lytte lton , Lady , 49Lyt ton, Lord and Lady , 252

MA CD ONALD , Jim , 1 55MacMahon ,

Marsha l , 1 60

Maffe i , 1 61Ma lta , 253 , 254Manchester , the Duchess of

, 1 54 ,

Manchester, the Duke of, 1 54 , 1 55Mari e Antoinette , 2 74Mari o , 3 1 7Marlborough Club , the , 1 3 3Marriage of the fifth Lord Suf

fi eld , the first , 7 4 , 7 5Marri age of the fifth Lord Suf

fie ld , the second , 3 59Marriages, ama zing , 66Mary . Queen , 3 1 9 . 3 32 , 333Mary ,

Bloody Queen , 54Mathews, Char les, 2 1 4Meath, Lord , 267Meer Al um Tank , 1 7 1Me iningen , the Prince and Princess, 280Me lbourne , Lord , 44 ,

Me lvi l le , Whyt e , ix , 1 44 , 1 45Middleton , 267Mil ls, Wa tkin , 3 1 8 note

Mi rza Jehandar Shah 2 1 9Monasteries in Norfolk the , 5 1 , 52Monson , Rt . Hon . S i r E dward ,Jnr 299Montagu, Admira l Sir E dward ,see Sandwi ch, the Ea rl ofMontagu, Oliver, 1 55Monta gu, Victor , 1 57 , 287Montem at E ton , 1 6, 1 7Montgomery , A l fred , 32 1Montrose, the Duchess of, 294

INDEX

OLD Age Pensions, 30Onslow , Mrs. , 1 09

Orford , the first E arl of, see

Wa lpole , RobertOrford , the thi rd E ar l of , 58Ormonde ,

Lord , 283 , 308

Overstrand , 76, 7 7 , 83 , 84PAGE T, Lord A lfred , 69 , 1 53 , 1 59Paget , Lord B . , 1 53 , 161 , 1 88 , 23 1 ,243Panmure , Lord , 9 3Pa tti , Madame , 320Pee l , Genera l , 1 03Penn ,

Colone l , 166

Pepys, Samue l , 5 and note

Perceva l , Hon . Charles John , 287

Moonlight race , a , 70Moore , C . H . , Mark O’

Polo,

207-2 1 4Morden ,John , 6Morden ,Wil l iam , 7Mudd , Mr . , botani st , 1 59

Mulumun ood Dowlah, 1 7 1Mundy , Mr . E . M . , 3 1 3 , 3 1 4Musi c , 3 16—320NACHEX , Tivadar , 3 1 8 noteNapier of Magdala

,Lord

, 1 1 1 ,

Ne lson , Lord , 5 1 , 56

N icol ini , 320Nilsson , Chri stine , 3 1 7Norfo lk , agri cu lture in , 54

-

56

Norfolk Artil lery ,the , 98- 1 1 5 , 1 20

Norfo lk , body—snatching in ,60-62

Norfolk Chronic le, the , 3 4 note,

55 note, 9 9- 1 0 1 , 1 39

- 1 4 1

Norfo lk , the Duke of, 24Norfolk, the Duke of , and the

Pri nce of Orange , 54Norfo lk , longevity in , 64 , 65Norfo lk , riots in , 26, 32

-

34Norfo lk , smuggling in , 60, 61

Norfolk, supersti tions in , 62 , 63Norfolk , weaving in , 54 , 5 5Normanby , the Marquess of, 3 1Northbrook , Lord , 1 67 , 200, 204

Norway , the Prince oi Wa les’svisit in 1 8 85 to , 295

Norwich M ercury ,the , 34 , 58 , 59

Norwich Musica l Festiva ls, 3 1 73 1 9

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fi fl

Somerset , Lord E dward , 20, 72

Sophie of Germany , Prin cess, 278Soutar , Mr . , kni ghted , 1 73Spain , the King of, 305Sparta , the wedding of the Dukeof, 2 78

-280

Spencer, Lord , 1 44 , 1 53 , 267 , 3 3 7 ,

3fiSportsman , Lord Suffi eld as a ,

vii i , x i , 7 1 , 72 , 1 36- 1 57 , 1 7 1 ,

1 72 , 1 88- 1 93 , 1 98 , 1 99 , 204 , 22 1

223 , 23 1-246, 287

-29 1 , 295-

301

S tafford , Lord and Lady , 3 1 8S tanford , C . V . , 3 1 8 note

Stephen , King, 52Stephenson , Captain , 1 57S tockmar

, Baron , 49S tra chey , Sir John , 2 1 5Strauss, Herr , 3 1 9S tuart , Sir Wil liam , 163Suffi e ld , Lady , the first wi fe of the

fifth Lord Suffield , 75 , 85 , 1 06,1 57 . 1 58 . 260

, 295 , 308. 3 1 5 ,

Suffie ld , Lady , the second Wl fe of

the fifth Lord Sufii eld, 3 1 0, 3 1 1 ,

3 59 , Appendix viSuffi eld , La dy Carol ine , 44Sufii e ld , the first Lord , 7-1 2 , 35 ,

7a mSuffield , the second Lord , 7 , 1 2 ,

I 4 » 7 5 » 99 . 3 I 3Suffie ld , the thi rd Lord , 1 , 7 , 1 1 ,

1 2 , 1 4-26, 27

-

4 1 , 56, 67 , 72 , 7580 , 9 9 , 1 02 , 1 2 1 - 1 23 , 1 46, 1 5 1 ,

Suffie ld , the fourth Lord , 3 8 , 39 ,Sufii eld , the fifth Lord , the birthof, 1

the chi ldhood of, 38-

45in Gibra ltar, 7 3 , 74gave up Gunton , 3 1 2

in the SeventhHussars, 68-73in India ,

vii, ix-xi , 69 , 167

in I re land , 68-73 , 86

the first marriage of, 74 , 75the second marri age of, 3 59Master of the Buckhounds,a Norfolk man , 5 1

suc ce eded to the ti tle , 73a tta ched to the Prince of

Wa les, 1 3 1

INDEX

Sul l ivan , Sir Frederi ck, 1 20

Sumpeter, Dr . , 1 46, 1 47Sunday observance , 1 22 , 1 23Sutherland , th e Duchess of, 276Sutherland , the Duke of, 1 59- 1 66,

Sutton , the Hon . Manners, 1 08Sutton , Sir Ri chard , 283Sweden , the Crown Prince of, 27 1

297Sweden , the Crown Princess of,

29 7Sweden , King Oscar of, 269-27 1 ,

296

Sykes, Colone l , 1 54

e lephant

TA ] Maha l , the , 227Tan jore , the Princess of, 1 96Tavistock, Lady , 323Teck, the Duchess of, 327 , 332Teesda le , Lord , 1 61 , 298

Temple , Sir Ri chard , 204Tennyson , Lord , 94 , 9 5Tha lberg, 320Thompson , Henry Kett, 8 1Thynne , Lt .

-Co l . the Hon . A lfred ,294

Thynne , M iss, 294Tiger-hunting , 23 1 -237 , 242 , 243Times The, 94

-96

To lstoi , Madame , 1 61

Tong , the Ra jah of, 227Too le , J . L . , 1 07Torigny , Robert de 52

Torre de l Pa zzo , 88-90

Trafford ,Colone l , 1 06, 3 1 1

Treve lyan , Sir George , 3 37Tri cycling, Lord Sufiield and, 308 ,

309Trincoma lee harbour, 1 95Turner , the Hon . F 1 53Turner, John , huntsman , 8 1

Tussaud ’

s, Madame , 276

VAN Aelst, Maria , Lady Harbord ,3

Vanity Fair, 32 1

Vari an and Fisher,hunters, 1 87 , 1 93Venni ng, Dr 293Vernon ,

Georgiana , first wi fe of

the third Lord Suffi eld , 1 9 , 25Vernon, Lord , 1 9 , 58, 7 7 , 78

Victoria Cross, the , 96, 1 1 8

Vic tori a , Princess, 306

INDEX

Victoria , Queen , 45-50, 72. 7 3 . 9 7 .

1 06, 1 1 8 , 1 1 9 , 1 25 , 1 26, 1 3 1 .1 58 , 253 » 268 , 27 5 ,

283 . 326, 335 , 343 » 345 : 353 ,

3 54Victoria Rifles, The , 93Vikar ood Dow lah, 1 72Vil lebois, 161Volunteer movement , the , 92-1 1 5WAGE RS , strange , 58 , 59Wa lpole , Robert , E arl of Orford ,56, 58Walsingham Way ,

Ward , Harry , 286

Weaving in Norfolk , 54 , 55Weekly R egister , the , 34We l lesley , Lord , 201

We l lington ,the Duke of, 59 , 92 ,

347 , 348 , note to Appendix vWemyss, Lord , 94 , 9 7 , 2 87Westminster , the Duke , 94Whee ler, Mrs. , 323White ca ttle a t Gunton , 80 , 82

Whi te ’

s Club, 1 33Wil l iam I I I . , King, 5 , 54Wil liam IV . , King, 3 1Wil liams, Genera l Owen , 1 56, 1 70,

227 , 246, 282 , 285-29 1 , 325

Wi lson of the Guards, 29 1

the , 5 1

395

YA CHTI NG , 282-295 , 325Yarmouth, 1 05, 1 07 , 1 08 ,

3 1 0-

3 1 2

Young, Sir Al len, 286, 290, 292,

293 , 298

Youthful kni ght , a , 3

1 1 1 ,

ZULU war, the, 330, 33 1

Wi lton , Lord and Lady , 3 30Wi ltshi re , the E arl of, 88Winch, Chief Constable of Nor

wich, 3 1 9Windham , Sir Charles Ash , 1 1 8

and note

Windham , Wil l iam , 7 and note, 1 2

Winterof 1 829-30, the severe , 26, 27Witchcra ft, 63Wives sold , 64Wodehouse , Sir R 167Woman , the emancipation of, 1 24 ,

1 25Woman Su ffrage , 1 25Wombwe l l , Sir C. , 1 56

Wood , Sir Eve lyn , 96, 332

Woodhouse , Sir Phi lip E . , 249Woodward , Dr. H . , 84Wri ght , Thomas, 6

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PRESS OPINIONS—continued.

The most captivat ing book of travel I have ever readnot a dull page from cover to cover a weal th of very

harmless,amusing, and exceedingly w i t ty personal it ies through

out the book, provocative oi irrepressible laughter.

” —Leaderof Brz

'

tiJ/a E . A .

Doreen is evidently a girl full of the joy of l ife she

has excellent powers of descript ion, a quick and ready Wit,

and a delightful ly frank and breezy style of set t ing downwhat she sees and thinks, very graphi c, and very amusing .

”

Norfolk Chronicle.

The impressions of an observant and quick-vvit ted lady.

The wri ter is an entertaining talker, and points herobservations and reflections w i th a mult i tude of interest ingsnapshot photographs. The bookWi ll well repay the at tent ionof readers —Scotrman.

Doreen’ has a very bright way of wri ting about her

fellow voyagers and the places she visi ted . The l ivelysketches of the people she met are vastly entertaining . The portrai ts are drawn wi th a vigorous touch,and the artist has a special gift for catching humorous phasesand peculiar trai ts of character.

”—Nottingham Guardian.

We have seldom met with a book of any kind more enter

taining . I t is as fascinating as a good novel and vastly morevivacious than the work of the average fic t ionist

,and, in

addition,i t is to be commended for its gallery of more

than a hundred i llustrations Doreen’so entirely

attract ive a personal i ty a distinctly clever piece of

work a keen observer,

a humorist , and the possessorof a remarkable gift of vivid descript ion.

”—Torkrhire Port .“Whether Doreen

’s let ters are genuine, or a mere

l i terary form w ill not mat ter at all to the reader -

of thischarming volume . The net resul t is a series of naive and

delight fully-wri t ten sketches. So vivid,indeed, isher pen that

there is not a lay figure in her book entertaining as

any work of fiction this al together charming ‘

book

wi l l be thoroughly enjoyed by every kind of book lover, and isquite a model of how to make a description of an ordinary tourreally interesting and readable .

”—Globe.

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