The Continental Monthly, Vol 3 No 3, March 1863, page 109 by Various Authors
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y of 1,500 foot and near 500 horse soldiers.
He had a stormy life before him, this young marquis, with many more scenes, adventures, and changes than are to be found in Woodstock and Peveril of the Peak. How he fought well, recapturing Monmouth among other things from the Puritan General Massey, how he was appointed, in consequence of his daring cavaliering raids, by Charles II to negotiate with the Irish Catholics; how the king often visited him at Ragland, is all a fine story, well worth reading. We can get glimpses of that REGAL life--as Mr. Partington admiringly small-caps his climax, from the 'list of the Ragland household' with the earl's order of dining--castle gates closed at eleven o'clock in the morning, the entry of the earl with a grand escort, 'the retiral of the steward'--the advance of 'the Comptroller, Mr. Holland, attended by his staff'--'as did the sewer, the daily waiters, and many gentlemen's sons, with estates from two to seven hundred pounds a year, who were bred up in the castle, and my lady's gentlemen of the chamber.' Therein, too, we see the rattling of trenchers, and hear the gurgling of bottles, at the first table, of the noble family, and such stray nobility as came there; at the second table, of knights and honorables--at the second 'first table' in the hall of 'Sir Ralph Blackstone, Steward; the Comptroller, the Master of the Horse, the Master of the Fish Ponds, my Lord Herbert's Preceptor,' and such gentlemen as were under degree of a knight--these all being 'plentifully served with wine.' Of the second table there is no note of much wine, but it still had 'hot meats from my Lord's table,' and at it sat the Sewer with gentlemen waiters and pages to the number of twenty-four--and even now we are not yet come to the vulgar. For at the third table sat my Lord's Chief Auditor, his Purveyor of the Castle, Keeper of the Records--Ushers of the Hall--Clerk--Closet Keeper--Master of the Armory--and below these divers Masters of the Hounds--Twelve Master Grooms of th