The Press.
London, England, 1854-02-18 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Berkeley had not the means to get him ashore. They say
that garden stuff is ris since they saw us among 'em."
That splendid artist of sweet comestibles, Mr. Gunter,
the renowned ice and pastry cook of Berkeleysquare, who
was always one of my field, was complimented by Lord
Alvanley on the appearance of his horse. " Yes, my lord,"
he replied, "but he is so hot I can hardly ride him."
" Why the devil don't you ice him, then, Mr. Gunter ? "
was the funny rejoinder.
While he was hunting his father's stag-
hounds Mr. Grantley Berkeley often got into
collision with unruly farmers. On one occa-
sion he was assaulted while trying to save the
deer, and ho gives the following graphic
description of what ensued :

I had but just time to thrust my fingers into the staple
to prevent the lock going in, and then, with my back to
the door, I begged the men to let me save the life of the
stag, and assured them if they did so I would pay all
damage. A brutal reply was all that this appeal elicited ;
and one of them, a very powerful man, seizing my arm,
endeavoured to force the lock through or between my
fingers ; on this, as he hurt me considerably, I struck him
over the wrist with my fist in an endeavour to knock his
hold off, when he drew back and hit left and right at my
face. I was close to the barn door, my hand fixed in the
staple, and very little room given me to give way; but, bad
judges of distance as these fellows usually are, his left
hand never reached me, and his right only struck the peak
of my hunting cap, which, however, it knocked off over my
face, and the cap gave me a bloody nose. The other
fellows also showed fight, so I withdrew my hand from the
staple, returned the blow on the arm of the man who
struck me with the heavy iron hammer of my whip, and
kept them at bay. Jast then the field arrived at the
gate, and I called out, " Gentlemen, will you sit by and
see this ?" In an instant such a lot of goodly legs flew
over their horse's manes as made it evident to me there
was no lack of help, and in another moment Mr. George
Hawkins, Mr. William Norton, of Uxbridge, Mr. Baring,
and, though last, not least, Mr. Gulley, some time member
for Pontefract, were with me. There were many others
equally ready and resolute, but my memory does not serve
me after such a lapse of time with their names; I assure
them that they are not intentionally omitted. When my
assistants arrived at the barn door, to my infinite amuse-
ment, I saw a huge ruffian, the one who had struck at me,
squaring at Mr. Gulley, and threatening to strike him ;
the latter simply collected himself, and, drawing his hands
together on his chest, said in a calm but ominous tone,
" You'd better not." So thought the countryman, or some
sort of instinct came to his rescue, for, turning quickly
away, he soughtsome other foe in the melee which had then
commenced.

We wish that we could find room to extract
the author's humorous sketch of an action for da-
mages against him in which the respective styles
of Scarlett and Brougham in a court of justice
are well described. Not the least interesting
parts of this amusing work are its accounts of
Berkeley-chase, Heron-park, and Charborough-
park, with all their various sporting resources.
Of the noble proprietor of the second of these
places Mr. Berkeley writes :
I know no place more deserving of sporting notice than
Heron Court; and Lord Malmesbury combines in his
person every knowledge of what is due to a country life, as
well as the more refined attributes of London society. In
this last year, 1852, we have seen him leave his manors
and rivers, his farms and his gun, and, when called on to
assist the Prime Minister, Lord Derby, with a firm hand
and thoroughly enlarged mind guide the foreign policy of
the United Kingdom ; and leave the interests of his
country peaceably and honourably maintained, his sovereign
on the best of terms with every foreign power. His more
important duties over, and a change in the Government
taking place, with honour he returns to his hospitable hall,
resumes the gun, and is as much of the country gentle.
man and sportsman as ever. Lord Malmesbury is an
excellent illustration of what a country gentleman and
sportsman should be, as recommended to the rising
generation in the commencement of this work. He
has not permitted his love of field sports to overwhelm
the more important and refined duties and accomplish.
ments of life ; but in his leisure hours he can be a perfect
sportsman, and when the Crown requires it an able
minister.
The following statistics would alarm the
weak nerves of the Peace Society
Grand total killed by the late Lord Malmesbury, in forty
seasons, to his own gun, from 1798 to 1840.
Black Game
Partridges .
Quails
Landrails 95
Pheasants
Woodcocks l,OBO
Snipes 4,694
Wild Swans 3
Wild Geese
Fowl 2,756

Other -
10
Bitterns
Golden Plover
5,211
Hares
7,417
Rabbits
--

Total 18 442
Summary of shots killed and missed in forty seasons,
ending 1840.
Shots
Killed
16,768