devoted myself to those parts of his career which influenced our national sports and life. Next to the Duke himself I am indebted for counsel and suggestions to Mr. Alfred Watson, who with characteristic unselfishness has found time, in the midst of a busy life, to suggest to me several touches as to the Duke's character. These are incorporated in the text. The historical chapters have been read by Mr. J. Horace Round, who is a well known authority on matters of peerage history and pedigrees. From him I have received some valuable hints and one or two corrections. Since writing this book I have read Mr. Round's "Peerage and Family History." Of special interest to me are those parts relating to the Earl of Glamorgan and Charles I. I have carefully studied and thought over the question; but while I appreciate the learning and force of Mr. Round's remarks, I am entirely unable to agree with him that the Earl of Glamorgan, afterwards second Marquis of Worcester, forged or tampered with the patent of the Dukedom of Somerset and Beaufort, now at Badminton. It seems to me that such an action was entirely out of harmony with his character. On the other hand Charles I. does appear quite likely to have caused purposely informal or irregular patents to be issued. This according to his favourite method would have left him free to keep or repudiate his promises to the second Marquis of Worcester and his father at his pleasure, or according to the real or fancied necessities of the case. It did not seem to come within the province of this book to discuss the matter at length, so with sincere acknowledgments to Mr. Round I leave it to professed solvers of historical puzzles. To Sir Richard Green-Price, so well known as a writer on sport, I am indebted for some letters of the late Duke, as also to Mr. Townsend of Cirencester. Mr. Baird-Carter, of 61 Jermyn Street, allowed me to copy the admirable portrait of Petronel in his possession, and Messrs. Dickinson, of Bond Street, kindly supplied me with the portrait of the present Duke. The majority of the illustrations are from the pictures at Badminton, but the frontispiece is reproduced by the kind permission of Messrs. Vinton & Co., the proprietors of Baily's Maga zine. I may here acknowledge the generous help the Editor of Baily is always willing to extend to those who are endeavouring to contribute to the history of fox hunting. This book has been long delayed, but the South African war seemed to make it undesirable to publish it earlier. I trust it may be not less acceptable to those who have learned in the hard school of war the true value of sport as a national training. E.T.U.S. CLUB 16 ST. JAMES'S SQUARE S.W |