ts, is held
at the will of an absentee landlord, who has on several occasions
betrayed an utter want of sympathy with the people who lie thus at his
mercy. There are tenant farmers on the estate who hold as much as
100 to 200 acres, with handsome houses built by themselves, whose
interest, under the custom, should amount to 1,500 l. and 2,500 l.
respectively, which might be legally swept away by a six months'
notice to quit. The owners of this property might be regarded as very
independent, but in reality, unless the spirit of martyrdom has raised
them above the ordinary feelings of human nature, they will take care
to be very humble and submissive towards Lord Hertfort's agents. If
words were the same as deeds, if professions were always consistent
with practice, the tenants would certainly have nothing to fear; for
great pains have been taken from time to time, both by the landlord
and agent, to inspire them with unbounded confidence.

In the year 1845, the tenants presented an address to Lord Hertfort,
in which they said:--'It is a proud fact, worthy to be recorded, that
the tenant-right of the honest and industrious man on your lordship's
estate is a certain and valuable tenure to him, so long as he
continues to pay his rent.' To this his lordship replied in the
following terms:--'I am happy to find that the encouragement I
have given to the improvement of the land generally has been found
effectual, and I trust that the advantage to the tenant of the
improved system of agriculture will be found to increase; and I beg
to assure you that with me the right of the improving tenant shall
continue to be as scrupulously respected as it has been hitherto by
my ancestors. Your kindness alone, independent of the natural
interest which I must ever feel as to everything connected with this
neighbourhood, affords a powerful inducement to my coming among you,
and I hope to have the pleasure of often repeating my visit.'

Twenty-four years have since elapsed, and during all that time the
marquis has never indulged himself in a repetition of the exquisite
pleasure he then enjoyed. At a banquet given in his honour on that
occasion, he used the following language, which was, no doubt,
published in the _Times_, and read with great interest in London and
Paris:--'This is one of the most delightful days I ever spent. Trust
me, I have your happiness and welfare at heart, and it shall ever
be my endeavour to promote the one and contrib