The Ruthless Rake

“And who could better afford it?” the Prince exclaimed. “And that reminds me, Rothingham, I hear you paid two thousand guineas for those greys you were driving yesterday." - That would be a little over £2000 in 1790.

“It’s all because I miss Elizabeth,” he whimpered. “I cannot live without her, I never could live without her. How could she have died and left me alone. How could she, Syringa?”.....Then, even as she pushed her way towards the hall, there was an explosion, the loud echoing report of a pistol shot, and she knew what had happened! - her father was a wastrel and complete coward!

"Looking at him as he sat at the top of the table, the Earl thought that however handsome he might be he was already running to fat. Yet His Royal Highness at twenty-seven was little more than a handsome rollicking boy with a reckless sense of humour." - George IV was pretty obese in the last few decades of his life. I hate to think of the poor horses he sat on and crippled/injured 😭

"At the sight of the Earl she flung out her arms and ran gracefully like a bird in flight to lay her head against his shoulder. He had no illusions about the morals of the ‘little bits of muslin’ he took under his protection, but at the same time he disliked being lied to and deceived.....There was a red-haired dancer in the chorus who had a vivacious vitality that attracted him and he decided to make her acquaintance on his return to London. How he had been forced to ingratiate himself with those who had neither breeding nor honesty and how by sheer tact and diplomacy he had persuaded them to count him in as a partner." - so the Earl can act like a playboy but looks down on others who do the same...? Breeding is by chance - no one can really act like a snobby a-hole because they were born into wealth while another was born in the gutter...

The Earl was determined that his success on the turf these last three years should be but a beginning of his association with ‘the sport of Kings’. - ah yes, the sport of kings that destroys/cripples and injured (continues to injure) countless horses each year. Despicable!

Outside a horse was waiting for him – an enormous black stallion, an expensive piece of horseflesh which the Earl had purchased a year ago and which he had sent to King’s Keep the previous week....His cousin had not been a shooting man and the Earl had already realised that there were too few keepers on the estate.....He had seen numerous black and white magpies and several carrion crows, which he told himself a good keeper would have destroyed long ago.....“I cannot believe anyone could be cruel to such a fine animal,” the Earl said.....“I wonder which is worse, to imagine terrible things, to lie awake thinking of Judith’s bewilderment – or to know that Mercury is neglected, beaten, perhaps harnessed to a mail coach driven too fast with too heavy a burden.” So it's ok to love certain animals but treat others like trash...completely hypocritical. It's like the Yulin Festival in China - you cannot protest others eating dogs when you eat pig/cow/chicken etc. All animals are sentient and deserve our protection!

“None, apart from being educated and being able to ride,” Syringa answered. “Do you think perhaps I could break in horses?" - 'break in' is a very apt description, most of this breaks the horse's spirit...

“It’s no use trying to defend the man,” the Earl said. “My keepers have caught him in the act and you know as well as I do that poaching is a crime that cannot be tolerated. If he had anything to say in his defence, he would have said it by now.” - yes poaching is a crime but killing countless foxes in the hunts, destroying magpies etc. is okay. What utter horseshit in that these classes only took and destroyed!

“But, my Lord!” one of the keepers expostulated, “if he is allowed to wander over the woods in the nestin’ season, he will disturb the pheasants and we were lookin’ forward to providin’ good shootin’ for Your Lordship in the autumn.” - i hope this gets banned soon. There is no ethical reason to hunt (or eat animal products and by-products) these days.

“Must you employ keepers on the estate?” she asked. “It has been so quiet and peaceful in the woods until now,” “They are unfortunately full of vermin,” the Earl replied, “and vermin can be as cruel as human beings if they are allowed to get out of hand.” “I understand that,” Syringa said, “but at the same time I have loved the wildness of the woods and the feeling that everything is free and untroubled.” - again, Earl is unvoking hypocrisy.

‘Cripplegate’ on one occasion rode his horse up the staircase of Mrs. Fitzherbert’s house right into the attic, where he left it to be brought down by two blacksmiths. - Not 'IT', horses like people are sentient. What a frustrating time to live in where knowledge coupled with compassion was non existent.