[To ns EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—It seems hard to
realise that the Duke of Devonshire is no longer, with us; he seemed to be so essential a part of our public life. Now that be is gone, those who were associated with him, however much or little, will recall with pleasure, if also with no small measure of sadness, many characteristic sayings and doings of "the Duke."
The Duke, then Lord Hartington, had to address a large meeting in Scotland, and he had arrived without being able to make full preparations for his speech. He was the guest of a well-known lawyer who, like himself, was given to somnolence at unusual hours, and generally accustomed to a short nap after dinner. The Duke had requested his host to send the after-dinner coffee to the library, and not to allow any one to disturb him on any pretext whatever, while he went over his notes. But when eight o'clock arrived, and there was no word either of the Marquis or his host at the public hall, a messenger was sent along in hot haste to tell them it was past eight o'clock, and that the audience was getting impatient. The messenger had some difficulty in persuading the servants to open the library door, but when they did so-they found the genial host fast asleep in one armchair, and his guest nodding over his notes in another !
One more remini scence, and I will conclude. I may state that the late Mr. Evelyn Ashley is my authority for this one. It was in the House of Commons, during the fierce debate which followed the Majuba Hill disaster, when Sir Michael Hicks Beach brought in a Motion of Censure on the Government for surrendering so much to the Boers. Mr. Evelyn Ashley, who was then Under-Secretary for the Colonies in Mr. Gladstone's Administration, was put up to reply for the Government, which lie did in as whole-hearted and effective a manlier as he could in the circumstances. Lord Hartington was sitting on the Front Bench, with his hat down on the bridge of his nose, and Mr. Ashley thought he was asleep. But no ; Lord Hartington was listening all the time, for when the speech was ended, he turned round and said to the Under-Secretary : " Well done, Ashley ; I never knew there was so much to be said for us before." The words were not only characteristic, but they threw a strong side- light upon the late Duke's view of the Majuba surrender.
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