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IT

may with safety be affirmed, that it is not the Wellingtons that make the wars, but wars that make the Wellingtons. The publication of the Queen's Journal of her life in the Highlands, discloses a passage referring to the death of the great Duke, and shows us how the news of the event was received in her retreat at Balmoral.

"We got off our ponies," says her Majesty, "and I had just sat down to sketch, when Mackenzie returned, saying my watch was safe at home, and bringing letters: amongst them there was one from Lord Derby, which I tore open, and, alas! it contained the confirmation of the fatal news-that England's, or rather Britain's pride, her glory, her hero, the greatest man she ever had produced, was no more! Sad day! Great and irreparable national loss! Lord Derby enclosed a few lines from Lord Charles Wellesley, saying that his dear great father had died on Tuesday, at three o'clock, after a few hours' illness and no suffering. God's will be done! The day must have come; the Duke was eightythree. It is well for him that he has been taken when still in the possession of his great mind, and without a long illness. But what a loss! One cannot think of this country without the Duke,' our immortal hero! In him centred almost every earthly honour a subject could possess. His position was the highest a subject ever had-above, looked up to by all, revered by the whole nation, the friend of the sovereign. And how simply he carried these honours! with what singleness of purpose, what straightforwardness, what courage were all the motives of his actions guided. The crown never possessed-and, I fear, never will-so devoted, loyal, and faithful a subject, so staunch a supporter !

To us (who, alas! have lost now so many of our valued and experienced friends) his loss is irreparable; for his readiness to aid and advise, if it could be of use to us, and to overcome any and every difficulty, was unequalled. To Albert he showed the greatest kindness and the utmost confidence. His experience and his knowledge of the past were so great too; he was a link which connected us with bygone times-with the last century. Not an eye will be dry in the whole country."

This simple passage discovers the high moral position which the great Duke occupied in her Majesty's estimation, as it recalls the extraordinary deeds which raised him to the highest honours in the power of his country to confer upon him. The first opportunity which Wellington had of distinguishing himself, was in India, when Britain went to war with the Mahratta empire. This power consisted of a confederacy of princes, entirely independent of each other, yet all acknowledging a common ruler, to whom they gave a nominal allegiance, and on whom they conferred the title and dignities of a sovereign. Notwithstanding this, however, they invested him with no real power, and they all submitted to the authority of an executive, who was, hereditarily, the magistrate supreme, and denominated the Peishwah. It is not our intention to enter into the particulars which led to the war between the British and some of the Mahratta princes who united against them, but briefly to notice the event which fixed the general attention of the Indian, as well as the home government, upon the merits of Major-General Wellesley. At that time, his brother, the Marquis Wellesley, was Governor-General of India; and although this must have been a strong recommendation to favour, still, had he not been possessed of such qualities as are necessary to success, and proved himself to be equal to the chance which was thrown in his path, he could never have, step by step, fought his way to the climax of glory to which he attained.

In Indian warfare, the grand difficulty with which Europeans had to contend was the predatory mode in which the enemy conducted his operations. When he made an appearance, it might be said it was only to disappear; never suffering himself to be drawn into a position in which he must accept a battle. This was the method adopted by Hyder Ali, who had experience of its advantages, and who was too intelligent to suffer himself, by any offensive or degrading remarks from a foe, to be drawn from it. A British officer once wrote a letter, reproaching him with cowardice, and stigmatising his conduct as disgraceful in a prince who had at command a large army, and yet would fly before the smaller force of his adversary. The reply of Hyder proved his intelligence. "Give

me," said he, "the same sort of troops that you command, and your wish for battle shall be gratified. You will, in time, understand my mode of warfare. Shall I risk my cavalry, which cost a thousand rupees each horse, against your cannon-balls that cost two pice? No; I will march your troops till their legs swell to the size of their bodies. You shall not have a blade of grass, nor a drop of water. I shall hear of you every time your drum beats, but you shall not know where I am once a month. I will give your army battle, but it must be when I please, and not when you desire it." It was to conquer a wary enemy of this sort that a campaign was, in 1803, planned upon a much more expensive scale than had ever been previously contemplated by any European in India; and the command of one of the armies was conferred upon General Wellesley.

If numbers should give courage to an army, the Mahrattas should have been the pursuers in place of the pursued among the rocks and ravines of Hindostan. At Bokerdun they were strongly posted, and consisted of about 38,500 cavalry, 10,500 regular infantry, 500 matchlock-men, and 500 rocket-men, with 190 pieces of ordnance. In addition to this, there were a few thousands of well-trained Mahratta horse dispersed through the Adjuntee hills, which separated them from the British troops. To oppose this vast force, Colonel Stevenson had 8,000 men stationed at Budnapoor, where he was joined by General Wellesley about the end of September, when a plan of operations was immediately arranged. It was determined that General Wellesley should move by the eastern road round the Adjuntee hills, while Colonel Stevenson should take the western route, so as to shut out the possibility of the enemy escaping southward. To execute this plan General Wellesley divided his force; he taking 4,500 men, and giving the remaining 3,500 to Colonel Stevenson. On the 23rd of September he reached the ground upon which he had designed to encamp, and which was within half-a-dozen miles of the Mahratta army. From certain information which he had received, he was led to the belief that the enemy would try to effect his escape; he, therefore, resolved to attack him without waiting for the force of Colonel Stevenson, and advanced accordingly. The enemy was encamped between two rivers, the Kaitua and the Juah, his line extending along the north bank of the former, the banks of which are high and rocky. The only passage practicable for guns was completely occupied by him, whilst his right was wholly composed of cavalry. His infantry and cannon, which were to be the especial objects of the British commander, were on the left, near the fortified village of Assaye, from which the battle takes its name.

Such was the disposition of the Mahratta army when General Wellesley crossed the river at some distance from its left. He drew up his infantry in two lines between the rivers, leaving his cavalry to form a third in reserve. He now advanced to the attack; but the enemy stood his ground, and opened a heavy cannonade, carrying destruction into the British ranks. At that moment the Mahratta cavalry made their charge, which, however, was firmly sustained, and finally repelled. Then came the turning-point of the battle. The order was given for the British cavalry to advance. "The 19th Light Dragoons," says Captain Grant Duff, "who only drew 360 swords, received the intimation with one loud huzza! Accompanied by the 4th Native Cavalry, who emulated their conduct throughout this arduous day, the 19th passed through the broken, but invincible, 74th regiment, whose very wounded joined in cheering them as they went on, cut in and routed the horse, and dashed in at the infantry and guns. The British infantry pressed forward; the enemy's first line gave way, and fell back on their second, and the whole were forced into the Juah at the point of the bayonet. As the British line advanced they passed many of the enemy, who either appeared to have submitted or lay apparently dead. These persons,

rising up, turned their guns on the rear of the British line; and, after the more important points of the victory were secured, it was some time before the firing thus occasioned could be silenced. The enemy's horse hovered round for some time; but, when the last body of infantry was broken, the battle was completely decided, and ninety-eight pieces of cannon remained in the hands of the victors."

The brilliancy of this victory was fully appreciated both in India and in England, and immediately fixed public attention upon General Wellesley.

On the return of General Wellesley to his country, a new path to glory was opened to him. Towards the close of 1807, Napoleon I. and the then King of Spain agreed to unite in seizing the kingdom of Portugal, and appropriating it between themselves, in such a manner as might be arranged. The plan, however, was frustrated, and Sir Arthur Wellesley was sent into the Peninsula to measure swords with several of the greatest of Napoleon's generals. The first of his decided successes there was the battle of Vimiera, fought on the 21st of August, 1808, and in which he defeated Junot, and which was the first of that series of splendid victories which he achieved for the British arms, and which was to culminate at Waterloo seven years afterwards. Before this, however, he had successively risen through all the ranks of the peerage, and had

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