The Duke of Wellington.—Remarks.—The Waterloo banquet at Apsley House.—Salter’s celebrated painting.—The names of the generals and officers at the banquet.—Anecdote of Apsley House.—George the Second and the old soldier.—The old apple-woman and the lord-chancellor.—The legacy.—The Duke of Wellington’s generosity.—Major-General Macdonnel’s noble conduct.—Sergeant-major Frazer.

“Tell us something about the Duke of Wellington, uncle; you must know a great deal about him.”

“Almost everybody knows a great deal about 213him, but soldiers especially. I knew him when he was a much younger man than he is now: the soul of dispatch, the very spirit of enterprise. And then, he mingled prudence with his military ardour. Trace his progress all through his successful career, and you will not find him cruel, perfidious, and rapacious, as many of the French generals were.”

“Tell us all you know about him.”

“An able writer has eloquently said, ‘The Duke of Wellington, Field Marshal of the allied army, viz. the English, Spanish, and Portuguese troops, has most eminently distinguished himself in conducting the late war on the Continent, which lasted five hard campaigns, during which time it is remarkable, that no circumstances happened which could throw a shade once over the military glory of the country, or his own personal character.’ It was a new feature, that this great general had conducted these five campaigns through such extraordinary difficulties, in the face of the first armies of Europe, headed by some of the greatest commanders which the French Revolution had brought forth, and that in every instance he should have been victorious. The Field Marshal had inspired confidence in all the nations whose troops he commanded, and had risen to the highest command in their service; and so active was he in his exertions that he received the thanks of Parliament thirteen 214different times for his distinguished victories and great exploits, which have so mainly contributed to the restoration of peace, and the happy deliverance of Europe.”

“Wellington must be the first general in the world.”

“The duke, whatever he may think of himself now, used to much underrate his ability as a commander. In the early part of his military life often and often was he heard to say, ‘As for my military talents, it is all a mistake; I have none. Nature never intended me for a soldier, but for a statesman.’”

“Wellington did not know himself in thinking lowly of himself as a soldier.”

“He has, indeed, proved himself to be the champion of his country. The whole civilized world was threatened with a Gallic usurpation, and Great Britain found herself involved in a struggle, from which she could scarcely, with safety, withdraw. The question is, whether, if the battle had not been fought on Spanish ground, and in the Netherlands, it would not have been fought on the hills and green valleys of Old England? The battle of Waterloo was a dreadful fight, and many were the brave fellows, on both sides, who fell; but ever since then, Peace has waved her olive-branch among us. Who shall say this would have been the case had not British warriors, strong in their strength, 215and mighty in the justice of their cause, entered into the strife, and sternly grappled with their haughty foeman? The victory obtained at Waterloo was but one part of the conquest,—the peace we have since enjoyed, is the other.”

“You must please to tell us more about the Duke of Wellington.”

“The duke, notwithstanding the fame and fortune he has acquired, is very simple in his habits, sleeping at the present time in the same narrow bed in which he reposed on the tented field. It has no curtains, and is so narrow that he has hardly room to turn round in it. But he says, ‘when a man thinks of turning, it is time he were up.’ I will give you an anecdote or two of his conduct in battle, which, perhaps, may never have reached you.

“During the scene of tumult and carnage which the battle of Waterloo presented, at every moment, and in every place, the Duke of Wellington exposed his person with a freedom which made all around him tremble for that life on which it was obvious that the fate of the battle depended. There was scarcely a square but he visited in person, encouraging the men by his presence, and the officers by his directions. While he stood in the centre of the high road in front of Mount St. Jean, several guns were levelled against him, distinguished as he was by his suite, and the movements 216of the officers, who were passing to and fro with orders. The balls repeatedly grazed a tree near him; when he observed to one of his suite, ‘That’s good practice; I think they fire better than in Spain.’ Riding up to the 95th, when in front of the line, and even then expecting a formidable charge of cavalry, he said, ‘Stand fast, 95th, we must not be beat; what will they say in England?’ On another occasion, when many of the best and bravest men had fallen, and the event of the action seemed doubtful to those who remained, he said, with the coolness of a spectator, ‘Never mind, we’ll win this battle yet.’ To another regiment, then closely engaged, he used a common sporting expression: ‘Hard pounding this, gentlemen; let us see who will pound longest.’”

“He must have thought very well of his soldiers, to put such confidence in them in the very midst of the battle.”

“One general officer found himself under the necessity of stating to the duke, that his brigade was reduced to one third of its numbers, and that those who remained were so exhausted with fatigue, that a temporary relief, of however short duration, seemed a measure of necessity. ‘Tell him,’ said the duke, ‘what he proposes is impossible. He, I, and every Englishman in the field, must die on the spot we now occupy.’ ‘It is enough,’ returned the general; 217‘I and every man under my command, are determined to share his fate.’”

“What determination there must have been among them!”

“His Grace the Duke of Wellington gives an annual banquet at Apsley House, in celebration of the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. At this banquet the guests are chiefly the most distinguished officers who fought in that memorable battle, which hurled Napoleon Buonaparte for ever from the throne of France, and sent him an exile to St. Helena. The gold and silver services of plate, and the china used on these occasions, are very costly.”

“We should like to see that banquet very much.”

“In the eye of a soldier this banquet is a glorious spectacle, for every beating heart around the festive board has been, at one time or other,
‘Among the foremost in the proud array,
The battle’s bulwark in the narrow way.’

“Clad in full uniform, and wearing all their decorations, may be seen the illustrious duke and his military companions. Again do they recall the perils of the past; nor do they forget, among their toasts, to give, ‘The memory of the heroes who fell at Waterloo!’ and ‘The health of our brave companions in arms!’”

“Please to tell us the names of some of the 218generals and officers that were with Wellington at Waterloo?”

“There has been a splendid picture of the Waterloo Banquet, painted by Salter. I have a list of all the generals and officers that appear in the painting, and, as it is altogether a national record, if you like, I will read the list over to you.”

“What, the names of all who were at the banquet! That will be capital! Now for it, uncle.”

“I shall soon read it over, so pay attention.
“Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington.
His late Majesty William the Fourth.
His Majesty the King of Holland.
General Count Pozzo di Borgo, Russian Ambassador.
General t............