I should be delighted to see the new work of art just finished by Count D'Orsay would you be so kind as to tell me where I could see it?

"Believe me yours, most faithfully,

WELLINGTON."

"London, February 21st, 1845.

"I was very sorry that I had not the pleasure of finding your ladyship at home when Count D'Orsay was so kind as to show me his beautiful sketches some days ago.

"I have delayed to thank you for your kind note, in hopes that I might be able to call upon you at a particular hour.

"But I am sorry to say I can not yet do so; but I hope that it may be in my power to do so by to-morrow morning.

"Believe me ever yours, most faithfully,

WELLINGTON."

"London, June 19th, 1845.

"I am very much obliged to you. Count D'Orsay will really spoil me, and make me vain in my old age, by sending me down to posterity by the exercise of every description of talent with which he is endowed. "I will certainly call upon you at the very first moment I can. "Ever yours, sincerely,

WELLINGTON."

"London, July 22d, 1845, at night.

"I have just now received your note of this day upon the melancholy death of Lord C. I had learned, with much concern, of his pecuniary embarrassments, occasioned by the fire in 1834. It appears to me that you are mistaken in supposing that, when he was created a peer, provision was made for him by the grant of a pension from the Civil List. As well as I recollect, the of his father, had been enabled to grant to him the reversion of an office in the of, the emoluments of which were then considered in making the usual provision for him when he should no longer be the

of

"But my recollection of the transaction is very imperfect; and, after all, I judge from your statement that, when he retired from the the usual provision was made for him from the Consolidated Fund, under the authority of the provisions of an act of Parliament. I am certain that the grant could

not have been given from the Civil List, because I know that the total that the minister can grant in any one year from that fund is £12,000 a year. You have done quite right in applying to Sir Robert Peel. No grant can be made from the Consolidated Fund excepting under authority of the provisions of an act of Parliament, which act must originate in the House of Commons. But the House will not take into consideration the investigation of a grant of money which is not, in the first instance, recommended by the crown. I am not aware of any precedent of a grant from the Consolidated Fund to the widow of a deceased grantee, and, whatever the merits and services of

Lord I think it very probable that Sir Robert Peel might think it unreasonable to expect to prevail on the House to make such a grant to Lord -'s widow and child, in addition to the provision made from the same fund to his son, who succeeds to the title, and not consistent with a due performance of his duty to the queen to make the attempt.

"In respect to your desire that I shall suggest to Sir Robert Peel to make this arrangement, I am convinced that Sir Robert Peel requires no suggestion from me to induce him to adopt every measure in his power, and consistent with his duty, to mark the respect for the memory and affection for the person of the late Lord C. I have told you what I think of the nature of the case, and of the difficulties in which Sir Robert Peel may find himself placed; if he should think it necessary, and that my opinion could be of any use to him, I am certain that he will speak to me, knowing, as he does, the regard I have always felt for my departed friend.

"But feeling, as I do, that in my position in the House of Lords I can do nothing which can relieve him from the pressure of the difficulties which will exist in the House of Commons, it appears to me that I ought not to interfere unless and till Sir Robert Peel should require my opinion and assistance. Solicitation is out of the question. It is not desired by you, and would not be listened to by Sir Robert Peel; and as I know I can do nothing to assist him and overcome the difficulties of the case, I am convinced I do that which is best for the case as well as most becoming, by delaying to make a suggestion till I shall be required.

"Believe me ever yours, most sincerely,

WELLINGTON."

"London, January 19th, 1847, at night. "I received your note of this day when I returned home, at too late an hour to communicate on this day with Mr. Tuffett; but I will do so on Monday. You are quite right. Count D'Orsay's work is of a higher description of art than is described by the word portrait! But I described it by that word, because the likeness is so remarkably good, and so well executed as a painting, and that this is the truest of all artistic ability, truest of all in this country. I am really not a judge of the effect of my name in the newspapers, but I am sensible of the effect produced by any manifestations of interest in an officer I might wish dealt with favorably.

"Believe me, my dear Lady Blessington,

WELLINGTON."

"London, June 19th, 1847.

"I shall be delighted to see a good engraving of Count D'Orsay's picture of the queen on horseback.

But I should prefer not to take any steps to attain that object till it is seen what the queen and the prince themselves do as to the object of your wishes. "Unless it should be decidedly disadvantageous to the count to wait a little longer, I would recommend him to do so. Let me know what he determines. Ever yours, most faithfully, WELLINGTON."

"London, August 7th, 1849.

"I have received your ladyship's note, and am much concerned to learn that the gentleman in question is unwell.

"I don't know at what time my daughter-in-law will return.

"But if you will write me a note when the gentleman will be sufficiently well to look at pictures in gentlemen's houses, I will send you an order by my servant to show them, if my daughter-in-law should not be at the moment inhabiting the apartments. Ever yours, most faithfully, WELLINGTON."

LETTER FROM LORD FITZROY SOMERSET TO LADY BLESSINGTON. "Horse Guards, June 11th, 1848.

"DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-The Duke of Wellington will be happy to consider your nephew, H. F—————, a candidate for a commission by purchase, and to introduce him into the service when his other very numerous engagements may permit. Believe me, very faithfully yours,

"FITZROY SOMERSET."

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON

(LATE MARQUIS OF DOURO).

The eldest son of the late Duke of Wellington by a daughter of the second Lord Longford, who died in 1831, was one of the most intimate friends of the Countess of Blessington. He was born in 1807; completed his education at Trinity College, Cambridge; was returned to Parliament, and represented Aldborough in 1829-30-31, and again entered Parliament for Norwich in 1837, which place he represented till 1852. He married, in 1839, Lady Elizabeth Hay, daughter of the Marquis of Tweedale; was aid-de-camp to his father from 1842 to 1852, and in the latter year succeeded to the title. He was appointed Master of the Horse to the Queen, January, 1853; Lieutenant Commandant of the Victoria (Middlesex) Rifles, August, 1853.

Lady Blessington, whose insight into character was not the least remarkable of her qualities, said of the Marquis of Douro that "he had a fund of common sense, of rich humor, and of good nature sufficient for half a dozen elder sons of the nobility."

It is difficult to touch on the character of a man whose position in society, however exalted, is that of a private individual bearing an historic name, and having no personal distinction apart from it. Free from ostentation, simple in his tastes and

manners, reserved in society, but fond of it, and easily drawn toward those who shine in it, naturally generous and warmhearted, keenly perceptive of the ridiculous, of a very original turn of mind, shrewd and sensible, a close observer of character, with a profound admiration and respect for the memory of his illustrious father, the qualities of this young nobleman were calculated to render him a favorite in such circles as those of Gore House, and with those who presided over them.

FROM THE MARQUIS OF DOURO.

“Tuesday.

"MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,—I have shown your verses to the most brilliant German professor in the world, and he can make nothing of them. I therefore restore them to you, resisting the temptation to compose a translation, which certainly never could be detected. Yours sincerely,

"DOURO."

CHAPTER X.

SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTON.

EDWARD LYTTON BULWER, born in 1805, the third son of William Earle Bulwer, Esq., of Heydon Hall and Wood Dalling, Norfolk (brigadier general), by his marriage in 1798 with Elizabeth Barbara, daughter and sole heiress of Richard Warburton Lytton, Esq., of Knebworth Park, Herts,* succeeded to the Knebworth estates by the will of his mother, who died the 19th of December, 1844, and taking the surname of Lytton by sign manual, became the representative of his mother's family, and the head of the two other ancient houses of Lytton of Knebworth, and of Robinson or Norreys.

In 1838, on account of his literary merit, he was created a baronet. He married, 29th of August, 1827, Rosina, only surviving daughter of Francis Wheeler, Esq., of Lizzard Connel, coun

* This venerable lady, Mrs. Elizabeth Barbara Bulwer Lytton, died at her house, in Upper Seymour Street, at the age of seventy, 19th of December, 1844. There is no trait in the character of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton more remarkable or creditable than that of strong filial attachment, with all its feelings of high respect and tender affection, which, at every period of his career, he appears to have entertained for his mother.

ty Limerick, and had issue, Edward Robert, born 8th of November, 1832, and a daughter, named Emily Elizabeth, deceased. Bulwer's precocious poetical talents, like those of Byron, manifested themselves before he was seven years of age. He was placed at private schools in the neighborhood of Knebworth at an early age; was for some time under the care of private tutors preparatory to his being sent to college, and completed his education at Cambridge. He wrote a poem on "Sculpture" while he was at college, which obtained the prize for poetry. One of his earliest productions was a collection of small poems "Weeds and Wild Flowers"-which was printed in 1826, when he was twenty-one years of age, but was not published. This production was followed by "O'Neil, the Rebel," in 1827. His next work was "Falkland;" but the name and fame of Bulwer only became known after the publication of "Pelham,” in 1828. A writer in Bentley's Miscellany, apparently conversant with Bulwer's labors, and acquainted with his habits and modes of application to study, observes, "Bulwer worked his way to eminence-worked it through failure, through ridicule. His facility is only the result of practice and study. He wrote at first very slowly, and with great difficulty; but he resolved. to master the stubborn instrument of thought, and mastered it. He has practiced writing as an art, and has re-written some of his essays, unpublished, nine or ten times over. Another habit will show the advantage of continuous application. He only

At

The "Disowned" was published in 1829, and "Paul Clifford" in 1830. various intervals from the latter date appeared "Eugene Aram," "The Siamese Twins, a serio-comic Poem," "Conversations of an Ambitious Student," "England and the English," "The Pilgrims of the Rhine," "The Last Days of Pompen," an historico-descriptive novel, "The Crisis," a political brochure, “Rienzi, or the Tribune," "The Duchess de la Valiere," a drama, "The Lady of Lyons," a drama, "Richelieu," a drama, "Money," a drama, "Ernest Maltravers," Alice, or the Mysteries," "Athens," "Leila, or the Siege of Grenada," " Calderon, the Courtier," "Night and Morning," "Day and Night," "Last of the Barons," "Zanoni," "Eva, the Ill-omened Marriage, and other Tales and Poems," "Harold," "Lucretia," "The New Timon" and "King Arthur" [two politico-satirical poems without the author's name]. "Letters to John Bull" in favor of protection, and a drama, written for private representation, "Not so Bad as we Seem," were followed by two of his latest and best novels, "The Caxtons" and "My Novel."

VOL. II.-H