ne year came to
1,300l. He had four sets of the papers he thought worth preserving,
one being at Welbeck, another at Fullarton House, a third at Bothal
Castle, and a fourth at Harcourt House. This collection of current
literature of the day is believed to be the largest private library
outside the British Museum.

In January, 1855, the Crimean War was in progress, and the Duke having
given 500l. to the Patriotic Fund, further showed his bounty by
ordering that several fat bullocks, 100 head of deer and 1,000 hares
should be potted and sent out to the scene of action. Besides these
eatables he gave a quantity of unbleached cotton and flannel to be made
into shirts and other garments by the ladies of Worksop and district. In
that same month Major-General Bentinck, who had been wounded in the
right arm, arrived at Welbeck, intending to return to the war as soon as
his wound would allow him.

It was formerly the custom for everyone who paid a visit to the stately
home in Sherwood Forest, whether on business or pleasure, not to come
away without tasting the Worksop ale. Its quality was renowned, and the
Duke sent 1,000 gallons of it to the Army fighting in the Crimea.

The lake at Welbeck is three miles long, and its waters are supplied
from an irrigation system at Clipstone, costing the fourth Duke
80,000l. to carry out, draining a tract of marshy land and making it
one of the most fertile districts in England. After supplying the lake
at Welbeck the stream flows to that at Clumber.

It was estimated that between two and three millions sterling were spent
by the Duke in putting his ideas into execution, and the one beneficent
effect of his expenditure was the employment of a large number of men in
work that was not altogether of a useless nature, as witness his great
improvements in agriculture, following up his father's ideas, adding to
the national wealth by the crops this hitherto uncultivated area was
made to produce.

After his long and chequered career the Duke passed away in December,
1879, having nearly reached eighty years of age. Peace be to his ashes.

CHAPTER VIII

THE PRESENT DUKE AND DUCHESS.--A ROMANTIC ATTACHMENT

There must have been a thrilling sensation of delight at the good
fortune that had overtaken him when the present Duke found himself in
possession of the family honours and estates. There had been so many
vicissitudes in the Dukedom that any chance survival might have stepped
in t