20th May.
THERE is a story of a Glasgow bailie who in giving evidence -before a Committee of the Lords referred to some shot used for "jouks and ither sic tules:" he was saved from com-mitral for contempt bg a Scottish duke explaining that the worthy man meant "ducks and other such fowls." In the third quarter of our century the wearers of the strawberry Jeaves' were in some danger of subsiding into titular nonentities: they were the days when youn; philosophical Radicals sallied "fort! from Oxford to root up fossil opinions and to preach the gospel of Jeremy Bentham—a gospel in which dukes played small parts. The leading Liberal organ of those days stated that "dukes were no longer leaders: duo a non ducendo was their proper political etymology." picture of a naked duke addressing a We must admit that at that time' naked House of Lords. We are dis-there was some reason for thinking posed to think the dukes would ducal leadership played out: there survive the ordeal and would still were not a few cases of impoverished command the respect of the naked estates, fustian brains and moral lieges. - That old man eloquent who bankruptey; and these do not per- [ied the other day, the Macallum petuate esteem. It was a Duke, More, Duke of Argyll, was deemed by yelept Norfolk, who proposed to! many sound judges the best formal meet the Irish famine with a curry ' speaker of the generation which knew powder of his own concoction. This ' Derby, Bright, Gladstone and McGee. gentleman was the son of the Duke ' He was also an accomplished man of who wrote to his friends, "God letters, and a good natural-historian. willing, I intend to get drank next; The ducal family of Perey has ever, Tuesday at dinner, will you join /lived up to the highest standard of me?" It was a Duke of Cleveland noblesse oblige; there is ever a keen who headed off Bishop Blomfield; competition among farmers to get when about to divide his remarks'on to their property. The liberal into twelve heads, "Will your Lord- administration of their vast estates ships pardon me, if I remind my floods Northumberland with a peren-Lord Bishop of the man who with ' nial stream of blessing. The National drunken gravity listened to Great Lifeboat Institution owed much of Paul tolling the midnight strokes, its early success to their beneficence. and then angrily remarked 'D——As much could be said for the it, why couldn't you say that all at Russells of Bedford. Within the last six sixty years they have sunk nearly We recite this in preamble, not-so one tuillion sterling in improving the much to adorn our tale as to em-_estates of 'Thorney and Woburn; phasise contrast. The dukes of our much of the grand' pasturage of the day may be small fry as military or Fens is their creation. The propolitical leaders but as good citizens perties of the Portlands in the and social exemplars they are for the ukeness, the Grosvenors in Cheshire, most part splendid fellows. We the Cavendishes all over the kingdom verily believe that if the question are models of high cultivation and were put to a score of competent wise administration. The Bold judges "What man of our time has Buecleugh of the Border deserves as a lived closest. up to the ideal of good landlord all that the Ettrick Shepherd citizenship?" the late Hugh Lupus, wrote of his grandfather. It was Duke of Westminster, would be the father of the present Duke of found at the head of the list, with Athole who refused to convert his haifa dozen of his ducal brethren close hills and glens into deer forests, say-up. Very few men indeed could have ing he " preferred a fine race of men shown such wisdom, generosity and on his estates to a fine breed of self-subordination in the unique posi-animals." The late Duke of Suthertion he held in English society. He was land, although he ended indifferently a hard-working, extremely conscienin other aspects, was a colossal bene-tious man of business; and his chief factor to his generation. His land business was to spend his colossal improvement schemes in Sutherland wealth in the best possible way. would have reflected honour on a The late Duke of Devonshire was Roman Emperor; he turned tens of another man of the same type: but thousands of acres of bog on which a he added great ability to great wren might have starved into arable character. He was first man of his land and sheep runs, and brought year at Cambridge and if we omit the comfort if not wealth toa poverty-rear inventors such as Bessemer, ridden people.
alvin, Whitworth, etc. no one Of Henry Fitz Alan Howard, pre-his time did more towards developmier Duke (Norfolk) and Earl of ing the industrial and mining England, it is difficult to speak with wealth of the country. Of his son "moderation. He has done administra-the present Duke, and the rock-like tive drudgery on School Boards, has stability his presence gives been a hard-working Mayor of Shefpolitical life, we need not speak. field, has filled with success the The last Duke of Cleveland was so most exacting office in England, able and amiable a man, so generous that of Postmaster-General, and as a landlord, and so public-spirited a chief Roman Catholic layman has citizen that every one echoed the acted on countless delicate missions wish, if not the impertinence of the between St. James's and the Vatiwag who wrote in the visitors' book can. He now gives up leisure, office at Raby Castle. jand all that can minister to ambition Tis a pity at Raby, or to personal enjoyment to go to There isn't a baby the front in South Africaas a Major a pity all the more apposite as the of Yeomanry. Nor would he allow fuss accomplished Duchess was already, to be made over his patriotic conduct. the mother of Lord Rosebery by her}This may not be great leadership first husband. but it is fine example, and shifts the Carlyle in the "Sartor" drives; venue of the dux " non ducendo home the clothes theory by adaring' gibe. His Grace is not alone in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.