The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-19 00:00:00

THE WATERLOO GALLERY.

Yesterday Apsley House was again the scene of the same splendid
festivities by which the Duke of Wellington has now for so many years
commemorated the anniversary of the victory of Waterloo.
By the- kindness of his Grace a large number of ladies and gentle.
men were admitted to see the preparations for this really national cele-
bration. The Duke's magnificent collection of china and plate—the
spontaneous tribute of the Sovereigns of Europe to Isis high reputation—
were of course the objects of attraction.

Of these so many descriptions have from time to time been given to
the public that the subject may almost seem to be exhausted; but the
coup d'wil throws all these descriptions into the shade. Even before the
spectator is admitted into the banquetting room the objects that meet the
eye arc full of interest. You pass from the entrance-hall into a small anti-
room ornamonted with the busts of celebrated men. Here are the Duke of
Wellington himself, the Duke of York, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Spencer Perceval, Sir
Walter Scott, a curious bronze bust of Marshal Massena, and a small
statue of Prince Blucher, executed in bronze with all time delicacy of
finish for which the German manufacture is so remarkable, and placed
on a pedestal of the finest granite. At the foot of the grand staircase
stands the famous colossal statue of Bonaparte, which, if we recollect
aright, was formerly placed on the summit of the column of the Place
Vendome, at Paris, and having been removed thpnce was presented to
the Duke of Wellington by the allied Sovereigns. It is of white
marble, undraped, and holds in the right hand a gilt figure of Victory.
In a small anti-rosin, through which is the entrance to the pictuce
gallory—the particular scene of splendour on this occasion—there are
some fine paintings. Among them are portraits of Bonaparte and
Josephine, and a likeness of the former evidently taken at an early pe-
riod of his career, and to our taste showing more of intellect than is to
be found in the later pictures of him. The room is hung with amber
satin, and the windows look immediately upon tho grand arch at the
top of Constitution-hill, where the equestrian statue of the Duke is des-
tined to be placed.

On entering the picture gallery the effect is extraordinary. Only
imagine al ofty room, of which the ceiling is of the most elaborate
workmansi ip, and literally one blaze of gilding. The walls arc covered
with gold-coloured paper to represent damask, but are almost concealed
by a splendid collection of paintings, many of them by the old masters;
and the mantel-pieces are of Sienna marble carved with great boldness
in the richest style of the age of Louis XI V. At each end of the room,
ono side of which commands a view of Hyde Park, arc sideboards,
where a quantity of gold and silver plate is arranged in dazzling pro-
fusion. The Ftiperb shield, containing in high relief equestrian portraits
of the Duke and the companions of his triumphs, while the border is
composed of compartments, each representing one of his victories, is
naturally a conspicuous object. At the foot of the shield is an oval
salver of flue gold, and, by the peculiarity of the heraldic engraving, al,-
parently of Indian workmanship. On each side of this is a candelabrum
on a tripod, each supported by three figures exquisitely carved. On
one are an English Grenadier, a Scotch Highlander,and an Irish Soldier;
on the other a Sepoy, a Spanish Guerilla peasant, and a French Light
Infantry Mn. At the opposite end of the room, the centre of the side-
board, was occupied by the magnificent ♦ase presented to the Duke by
subscription, and containing on the pedestal the names of the subscribers.
The tide was laid out in preparation' for the banquet. A large
proportion of it was covered by a silver plateau of tire most costly Mid
beautiful description, a present, we believe, from the Prince Regent of
Portugal, to his Grace as Duke of Vittoria. One feels a difficulty in
describing this elaborate piece of plate. Columns, figures, trophies—
all inscribed with, or emblematical of, the Duke's various victories
are heaped together in a glittering agglomeration, from the centre of
which rises a palm tree, with its leaves of burnished silver reflecting the
light so brilliantly as to convey an impression that they must be formed
of fluted glass. Towards the ends of the table are two candelabra of
colossal proportions. They are of highly polished porphyry, enriched
with orottoulu. Near these you observe the celebrated Waterloo vases,

presented to the Duke of Wellington by one of the Continental Sove-
reigns. They are Etruscan in shape, and on each is painted a scene
from the last and greatest of his fields. In close order round the table
are vases, icepails, and tureens, interspersed with a variety of figures in
frosted silver. Some of the salt-cellars, in particular, were very elegant.
They were supported by elephants, in allusion to the early conquests of
the Duke in the East. On the side-tables were the silvet-gilt dessert
service, and pile upon pile of plates of Dre,den China.
In sketching from memory these gorgeous preparations, of which we
were so fortunate as to obtain a sight, we fear we may have omitted much
that would have been interesting; but enough has been noticed to show
that his contemporaries have so well proved their gratitude to the Duke
of Wellington, as to leave for posterity nothing bitt respectful admira-
tion, mixed perhaps with something like a feeling of sorrow at not hay_
ing been permitted to share his glories, of whom it may well be said that
they " neer shall look upon his like again."

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S
WATERLOO BANQUET.

His Grace gave his annual grand military banquet last evening at
Apsley House, to the general and staff officers who served with film on
that memorable occasion. By permission of his Grace the magnificent
;;allery and state apartments were thrown open from two to four p.m.
to such of th:',Nobility and Gentry who had previously obtained tickets
to view them as laid out for the banquet, and to inspect the valuable
gold and silver plate, and costly presents made to the Gallant Duke by
the Sovereigns of Europe. A dense crowd collected at the great ga,,,
of Apsley House while the company were being admitted, end a n„_
mesons party of police were obliged to be in attendance, to prevent the
crowd from rushing into and fi'ling the court-yard. The dinner wa,
served up on the splendid silver service, the gift of the laic King of
Portugal, Don John ; the magnificent gold service presented to the
Duke by his late Majesty George the Fourth ; and the set of Potsdam
china presented to his Grace by the King of Prussia, was also used upon
the occasion.

After the table was cleared, the Duke proposed " The health of her
Majesty the 121 teen," which was ch unk by the company amidst cheering
the most enthusiastic, which was re.cchoed by a large assemblage of re-
spectable persons outside.
The second toast was "The Memory of the Hero who fell at Water..
100," and the third, "The Health of our brave Companion in Aims."
The company separated about 11 o'clock, when his Grace and several
of his gallant visitors proceeded to the gucen'a grand ball at Bucking.
ham Palace
The following composed the party

His EKCCIICLey Count Pozzu di Borgo, the Russian Ambassador, who•
shared in the glory of the day as a General in the army of the illustrious
Duke; • General the Marquis of Anglesey, G CB., General Lord Hill,
ac 8.,; Lieut.-General Sir James Kempt,-G.C.B. ; Lieut.-General Lord
Straflbrd, Lieut -General Sir Conn Halkett, G.C.8.; Lieut.. Ge.
octal Hon. St: Charles Colville, G.C. 8.,d.0 H.; Lieut.. General Sir Hus-
sey Vivian, Bart. G.K.C.8., Master-General of the Ordnance;
General Sir John Elley; Lieut -General Sir Edward Kerris,n, Bart.,
G.C.H; Lieut-General Sir Andrew Barnard, K.C.8., G.C.H.; Major.
General Lord Fitzroy Somerset; Major. General Sir Thomas Reynell,
Bart.; Major-General Sir William Gomm; Major-General Sir Henry
Harclinge; Major-General Sir k:. Bowater, K.C.H.; Major-General Sir
A. Woodford, K.C.D. ; Major.Gcneral Sir H. Askew; Maj r-General
Sir G. Quentin, K.C.H. ; Majqr-General Lord Harrii ; Major-General
Lord Saltoun ; Major-General Sleigh ; Major-General Sir John Wood-
ford, K.C.H.; Major-General Sir Arthur Clifton; Major Generals Sir G.
Scorch!, K.C.8.; Major.Gcneral Clement 11111 ; Major_General Macdo.
nald, R. A:, C.B. ; Major General Sir Charles BrokeVere,.K.C.B.; Major.
General Henry Wyndham ; Major-General Charles Count Alten,G.C.B.,
G.C.H. (the Hanoverian Special Minister) ; Colonel Henry Doyley, Gre-
nadier Guards; Colonel W. Drummond, Scots Fuciliers ; Colonel Berke-
ley Drummond, ditto; Colonel Sir John May, K.C.11 , K.G.11 , Royal
Artillery; 'Colonel Sir Robert Gardiner; Colonel Lord Sandys; the Mar-
quis of Douro; Lord Charles Wellesley; Mr. Algernon Greville..
The brad of the Grenadier Guards attended during the evening.

WELLINGTON. MILITARY MEMO-

REAL.

On Saturday last the Sub.Committe,s, to whom the arrangements for
carrying theabove design into enct have been confided, absembled at
the residetice.of the Marquis of Londonderry, in Park-lane, and from
thence proceeded, by appointment, to Apeey House, where they were
received by the Duke of Wellingtol.

His Grace was addressed by. the Duke of Rutland, as Chairman of the
Committee, who stated that he could say for himself as well as for the
Noble and Honourable individuals who had been so kind as to accompany
hin, that they had never been engaged in any duty which had more di-
rectly caletl forth in them the strongest feelings of pride and gratified
tion than the occasion on which they now troubled the Duke. They
were members of a Committee which had been formed in order. to give
effect to the wishes of a large body of subscribers from all ranks an'l
classes and political parties in the British empire—all equally anxious to
see erteted in some conspicuous part of tha we t end of the metropolis
of Great Britain a memorial of his Grace's most splendid and glorious
litarY achievements during a life exlit;ively devoted to the service of
his country in various parts bf the globe.. The Committee was deeply
sensible—the whole body of subscribers were deeply sensible—the n 3
tion as one man was deeply sensible—of the immeasurable extent to which
his Gra,c had made his country his debtor by his transcendent services
The Committee confidently expect that the result of their labours will
be the production of a work which shall be deemed equally worthy
of the country Which originates it, and of the man whose deeds of pa-
triotism it is the object to gldrify and commemet ate. The Duke of
Rutland did not say snore in the pre,.enc...,
01 the Doke of Wellington,though he could assure him that both private friendship and attachment,.
as well as admiration of his public char cter, made it a heavy and irk-
some restriction upon his feelings to say so little. But it was his duty
to acquaint him that her Majesty, who had heel graciously pleased to
express an interest in the project, had given her consent to the erection
of an equestrian statue upon the summit of the triumphal it'd' oPirsit''
Apslcy House; and it was the fervent prover of himself, as he was sure
it was of all who heard him, that his Grace might live through many
many a long year to see from his own windows a proud testimonial of
the gratitude of an admiring country. The Cmamittee had selected
Matthew \Vyatt, Esq., as the sculptor to be employed upon them intcled
work ; and they hoped that his Grace world have tha goodness to allow
Mr. Wyatt occasionally to communicate with him, in order to insure, to
a
the utmost possible extent, perfection in its eecution. and
The Duke of WELLINoteg replied--My Lord Duke,.my Lords