historical error.' Count Woronzow, however, not contented with the correction which Sir Nathaniel proposes to inflict upon himself, is so kind as to assist him in the work of penitence with some help from the law: the case is now before the King's Bench, and (a new circumstance in literature) the veracity of the historian will be tried, not at the bar of posterity, nor even of a Review, but at that of Westminster.-God send him a good deliverance!

We may regret the awkward situation in which Sir Nathaniel has placed himself; but we cannot blame those against whom such grave accusations are made for resorting to the only means of defence left to them.

Sir Nathaniel may be, and we believe is, in private society, a good-natured gentleman, and a man quite above practising any premeditated deception; but his work is as far from deserving a character of good-nature as of veracity. It is not a sufficient justification of his moral character, that he does not mean to deceive, and that where he leads his reader astray he has been himself previously misled. We think that a writer is under no inconsiderable responsibility in his inoral character, to set down as fact, no more than he knows: for the injury to private feeling and public confidence is quite as great from his presumptuous ignorance as it would be from absolute falsehood or malice.-The fables of Sir Nathaniel are now capable of detection, but the detection will not accompany them down to posterity; and we even doubt whether the conviction of Sir Nathaniel for a libel, if it should occur, will reach many readers who, fifty years hence, may chance to pick up Wraxall's History of My Own Time. We fear that to such works as that which we are now reviewing, we may prophesy, in the eloquent expression of Junius, a longer existence than it merits' trifles float and are preserved-while what is solid and valuable sinks to the bottom, and is lost for ever."

ART. XII. The Life of the Most Noble Arthur Duke of Wellington, from the Period of his first Achievements in India, down to his Invasion of France, and the Peace of Paris in 1814. By George Elliott, Esq. 8vo. London. 1814.

A TITLE like this, designed for the hawker's catalogue and the provincial newspapers, may be supposed sufficiently to indicate the sort of book to which it is prefixed. The book, however, is not altogether so bad as the bill of fare promises. The right wood for making a Mercury may be spoiled by a clumsy carver: but he who has to make a molten image of precious metal, what

ever the workmanship may be, will produce something that must always be worth its weight. This is the case with the volume before us-it is made of golden materials: and such as it is, it gives us a fair occasion for presenting a summary of the exploits of our great captain.

The Cowley family, afterwards called Colley, migrated from Rutlandshire into Ireland in the reign of Henry VIII. A younger son of that family took the name and arms of Wesley or Wellesley, in the early part of the last century, pursuant to the will of a kinsman. Richard Colley Wellesley, who thus changed his name, was created Baron Mornington by George II. His son, Viscount Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, married, in 1759, Anne, the eldest daughter of the Right Honourable Arthur Hill, Viscount Dungannon, and died in 1784, leaving a numerous family and an embarrassed estate: but he left also an admirable widow, to whose wise economy and personal instruction her children have been deeply indebted, and who yet lives to witness the extraordinary glory which attends them. Arthur, the fourth son, was born May 1st, 1769, at Dengan Castle, the seat of his ancestors; the castle has lately been destroyed by fire, the estate has been alienated, and is now occupied by Roger O'Connor. He was a little while at Eton, whence, while yet very young, he was removed to the military academy at Angers, there being, at that time, no such institution in England. It has been said, that at the age of 12 or 14, he held an ensign's commission,-such things were common before that real and unostentatious reform which has been effected under the Duke of York's administration, and which has made the British army what all Europe now acknowledges it to be. The book before us, however, affirms that he did not receive his first commission (in the 41st regiment) till he was in his eighteenth year. After a series of exchanges and promotions, his brother, the present Marquis Wellesley, purchased for him the Lieutenant Colonelcy of the 33d; September 30th, 1793. In the ensuing year, he accompanied Lord Moira to Ostend, and, in the subsequent disastrous retreat from Holland, conducted himself in a manner which obtained much praise from military men. In 1795, he embarked for the West Indies; but the fleet was repeatedly driven back by tempests: before it could proceed, the destination of his regiment was altered, and he was ordered to Ireland to recruit,-thus perhaps providentially escaping that fate to which so large a portion of his fellow soldiers were doomed!

Lord Mornington being appointed governor-general of India in 1797, a fair field was opened for Colonel Wellesley in that country, whither his regiment was now ordered. When the new governor arrived to succeed Sir John Shore, he found Tippoo Sultan

making at the same time the most solemn professions of friendship to the English and the most extensive preparations for a war of extermination against them. The English in India have never had a more formidable enemy than Hyder Ali, never so inveterate a one as his son. Both would, in any station, have been remarkable men: the father, though he committed no wholesale massacres, like Mahmoud or Nadir, was as immitigable though not as indiscriminate in his cruelty, a greater statesman than either, and perhaps a greater general. The son was equally cruel, more ferocious, far inferior in ability, and his zeal for Islamism and hatred of the English amounted almost to madness. He imagined himself the chosen servant of the prophet destined to root out the Nazarenes, as he called them, from India, and, in his own language, send those accursed ones to hell. This was to be effected by the aid of the French, whom he suffered to establish a Jacobin club in his capital, where eternal hatred was sworn to all kings, with the exception of Citizen Tippoo;-when they had done his work Citizen Tippoo proposed to send them to hell also for their reward. His dreams (for I My Majesty,' as he calls himself, kept an account of his dreams) represented to him the consummation of these hopes; and that he might see more vividly than in imagination his heart's desire upon his enemies, he had a piece of mechanism constructed, which represented a tiger in the act of destroying an European; the figures were as large as life, and when the works were set in motion, the human automaton raised its hands as if in supplication, and uttered dreadful screams! Tippoo had a turban for this holy war, which had been dipt in the well of Zemzem, thereby acquiring a sanctity which he hoped, and perhaps believed, would render it impenetrable; and when he sate upon his throne it was under the splendid form of the humma,—a fabulous bird, which is supposed to confer prosperity and empire upon him over whose head it casts the shadow of its wings.

While this strange tyrant was forming alliances with the Mahrattas, with the French in the Isle of France, with Zemaun Shah in Candahar, and with Ali Buonaparte in Egypt, Lord Mornington obtained full information of all his measures, and prevented their execution, with that vigour which characterized his administration in India. One battle only was fought before Tippoo retired within the walls of his capital. It was at the village of Mallavelly : Major General Floyd commanded; Colonel Wellesley distinguished himself greatly, as also did Colonel Cotton, who was destined to be his companion in so many fields of glory. At the subsequent siege of Seringapatam, Colonel Wellesley had the difficult service of driving in the enemy from the strong ground which afforded cover for their rocket men; and upon its capture he was appointed

governor,

governor, and named as one of the commissioners who were to dispose of the conquered territories. To him in particular the arrangements for removing the family of the fallen sultan were committed. The details of this painful but indispensable measure,' said Lord Mornington in his instructions, cannot be entrusted to any person more likely to combine every office of humanity with the prudential precautions required by the occasion than Colonel Wellesley; and I therefore commit to his discretion, activity, and humanity, the whole arrangement, subject always to such suggestions as may be offered by the other members of the commission.' In this, and in all the arduous duties of his government, Colonel Wellesley so acted as to justify his brother's choice, and to deserve and obtain the gratitude of the conquered people. During his command at Seringapatam, one of those adventurers started up who have so often subverted empires and founded dynasties in the east. Dhoondiah Waugh was the name of this freebooter; he soon made himself formidable, and it was necessary to send a force against him under Colonel Wellesley. By a rapid movement he intercepted Dhoondiah on his march with about 5000 horse; Colonel Wellesley had four regiments with him whom he was obliged to form in one line, in order, as nearly as might be, to equal that of the enemy in length; they charged the enemy with complete success, routed them, dispersed them, and killed their leader, thus effectually completing the service upon which they had been sent.

Lord Mornington, upon the true policy of thinking nothing done while aught remained to be performed, now planned an expedition against Batavia, in which his brother was to have acted under General Baird. His object was to expel the French from the Indian seas, and for this purpose he meditated also the conquest of the isles of France and Bourbon,-a conquest, the delay of which had occasioned so heavy a loss to the East India Company. These plans were frustrated, partly, it is said, because Admiral Rainier made some demur as to the extent of the Governor General's power, as if such questions should have arisen when great objects of national policy were to be undertaken! General Baird was called off with his disposable force to Egypt; and Colonel Wellesley, who had so narrowly escaped exposure to the fatal climate of the west, was thus saved from the dangers of a region even more destructive in the east. It had been intended that he should accompany the troops to Egypt; but Lord Mornington perceived that a new scene of danger was opening in India, and therefore remanded him to his command at Seringapatam.

Notwithstanding the alliance between the Mahrattas and the British government, the former had carried on a secret correspondence with Tippoo, endeavoured to excite his family to oppose the

settle

of

settlement of Mysore after his death, and given unequivocal proof of their hostile purposes, by refusing that portion of his territories which was offered them. The Peishwah possessed at this time merely a nominal authority; his councils were entirely controlled by Dowlut Rao Scindiah, who, with inferior talents, and less discretion, had succeeded to the power of his uncle Madhagee Scindiah. This chieftain not only over-ruled his own sovereign, but was master also of the Mogul's person, holding thus in actual subjection the descendants and representatives of Seevagee and of Aurengzebe. Even oriental history presents few tragedies so frightful as that of Shah Aalum, the last of the Moguls! He had first protected, and then promoted Gulam Kaudir Khan, whom his own father had banished for his vices: the favoured servant of a weak prince easily becomes his master, and Shah Aalum soon found himself under a yoke which he could not shake off. Scindiah was marching against Delhi, and Gulam Kaudir offered to answer with his head for the result, if the Mogul would march out with his troops and give them a supply of money. Shah Aalum objected that he had no money; the Khan offered to advance a sufficient sum, saying all he had to do was to head the army, the presence a monarch being above half the battle. The Mogul agreed; but the next day a letter from him, desiring Scindiah to make all possible haste and destroy Gulam Kaudir, was intercepted by Gulam himself. However insufferable his conduct might have been, he was now fairly justified in measures of self-defence, and had he contented himself with simply putting the Mogul to death, he would have been liable to little censure for such an action. But this man had all the cruelty of the oriental character. He stormed Delhi, and entering the Mogul's chamber, knocked him down, knelt on his breast, and with his own hand pulled out one of his eyes. One of the Mogul's servants was made to pull out the other; the palace was then given up to pillage, and this ruffian going into the zenana, tore the jewels from the noses and ears of the Mogul's women, and cut off their arms and legs. The most beautiful of the Mogul's daughters is said to have stabbed herself to escape the violence which he offered. There is some satisfaction in recording the merited punishment of a wretch like this being unable to resist Scindiah, he stuffed his saddle with precious stones, and fled toward Persia; on the second night he fell from his horse, and was taken by his pursuers. Scindiah put him in irons and exposed him in a cage, then ordered his ears, nose, hands and feet to be cut off, and left him in that condition to expire!

Shah Aalum was thus revenged, but his condition was in no respect ameliorated. The Mahrattas held him in the most abject subjection; and when Scindiah left Delhi and its surrounding terri

tory