The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-12 00:00:00

THE LATE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS.

We have received, from a correspondent, whom we
know -to have possessed the means of correct information
on the subject, the following-interesting details of the last
moments of the late Marquis of Hastings. He died*, as he
had lived—a creature of lofty, ardent, and chivalrous feel-
ing, who always mingled with the practicarbusiness of life
some portions of that elevated and elevating Sentiment
which throws . dignity and grace round the homely charac-
ter of this world's ordinary affairs.
IiITRACT Or A PRIVATE LITTER.)
As the public appears-to have received very little infor-
mation relative to the death of that distingnished Noble-
man, the Marquis of Hastings, perhaps a few particular
circumstances, connected therewith, may not• be unac-
ceptable.
In September last, his Lordship and family were resid-
ing at a little watering place called- Mora, on the North
East coast of Malta, and on the .26th of the
,same month,
his Excellency was attacked, after a shOoting excursion, by
an old complaint, to which he was subject many years
before in the. East Indies.

It was .in the discharge of the arduous and important
duties which devolved upon „the Noble Marquis, as Go-
vernor-General •of India, that the disease was induced,
which may be considered the immediate cause of his death.
He knew, from the first moment of the attack, that the
tone, vigour, and elasticity of body, which his Lordship
formerly enjoyed, were broken down by the influence of
climates, and that a. recovery, under such circumstances,
was doubtful, .which induced his Lordship to prepare, like
a true Christian, for that fate which awaits-.all mankind.
Intentions the most pure—actions the most brilliant—and
measures the most successful—seldom equalled, and never
surpassed, by any of his predecessors—were the claims
which the late Marquis of Hastings had upon the grati-
tude of his country.
The attachment to the person of his present Majesty,.
which' marked all his' actions, and which is known to the
world, manifested itself strongly_in his last illness. What-
eier differences might have existed..between.his Lordship
and the Members of Administratjon (if any), they never
altered his affections in this respect. .
It was not alone for the King who was always dear to
him, that his Lordship expressed feelings of attachment,
bat -for all the members of the Royal Family; As a proof
of this, on Sunday, the 12th of November, eight days be-
fore he went on board the Revenge, at Malta, he insisted
upon seeing Capt. Fitzclarence;-of the iiiindne, that day,
on his coming out of quarantine, though contrary to the
advice ofhis physician; and when, .at the same time, from
his extreme weakness, he was not allowed to see either Sir
F. Hankey, Chief Secretary, nor. General Woodford, the
Lieutenant-Governor, notwithstanding, he received Captain
Fitzclarenee,. and the consequence was, a severe relapse,
for his- Lordship's health had been iMproving for the two
preceding days.
On the 20th of November, his Excellency and family
'embarked on board the Revenge, for Naples. During the
first two days, his Lordship appeared.to • improve a little
by, the change of air, but the night of the second day, being
stormy, increased 'the motion of the ship, which rendered
it peculiarly inconvenient.
The night before his decease; apprehensive that that
night was to be his last, his Lordship desired his family
to be called.around him, that he might.take his last fare-
well. •

The scene that followed was most touching. His Ex-
cellency elevated himself on the pillows, and extending his
arms to grasp, as it were, within--them, all that was dear
and sacred to him on earth, his wife and daughters, he ad-
dressed them in the following manner, in a tone of voice
firm and unembarrassed.
My beloved wife, and darling children—l have called
you :„1:-.und me, as I am persuaded I have but a few hours
to live ;—know that the joys and pleasures of this life are
futile and. perishable. The world knows no feelings like
mine at this moment ; you, my beloved wife, will have to
struggle with an ungrateful world; bear up against its
coldness and malignity with Christian resignation ;• we
shall—we must part ; our separation will be of short dura-
tion—we shall all meet in Heaven !"
His Lordship embraced the young ladies severally, who
remained, for a short time, inconsolable, at his bedside, and
then withdrew to the other side of the same apartment,
,out of his Lordship's sight, where they continued, on their
knees, in fervent prayer, for two hours.
Lady Hastings remained on his right, with her hand
firmly grasped in his ; for his, very heart and soul, if I may
be allowed to use .the expression, were -centred in her
Ladyship.
This extraordinary attachment of the Marquis, was re-
turned, on her part, with sornething like supernatural affec-
tion. During his Lordship's illness, he was always at his
bedside, watching over him with anxiety, and anticipating
his wishes. FOr the last six Weeks her Ladyship's nights
were passed without sleep, and heydays without food, and
she is: now suffering the consequences of a separation from
the object of her affections, and
,the man whom, throughout
life, she adored.
To skew more clearly the.patriotie feelings, and philan-
thrOpy, which his Lordship possessed at all times, and, par-
ticularly, at a moment when the soul .was separating. itself
from the body, in the presence of all that was dear to him
on earth, he could not quit the world he was in, in peace,
without deploring thz exterminating war that ravaged
Greece, and the politiCal and religious dissentions which
convulsed his unhappy countrylroland.
His Excellency's son, Lord Rawdon, who was at Col-
lege, a youth truly worthy of such a father, was sent for ;
but had not-been apprised of the very dangerous state of
his Lordship.
He set out on his journey, alone, through France. The
delays which he experienced--,the adverse winds which
his little bark- had to encounter—the length of his voyage
—the sacred object of his pursuit—reminds one of the
wanderings of Telemachus, in search of his father, Ulysses.
Alas, he arrived at Malta the day after the interment of
his father !

A family .of Indians from the lake of the Two
Mountains, during their hunting excursion last summer, caught
a young bear of about two weeks' old, a Squaw of the party de-
termined to bring it up, for which purpose she weaned her own
child, a boy of about one year old, and took the cub to nurse in its
place. The cub in a short time became very fond of .its adopted
mother, and would search her out from amongst a crowd ; when
recognised, he would search and tease her until she would give
him access to her breast. If he thought he had been too long
neglected of receiving food as her adopted suckling, he would sig-
nify his wishes by laying hold of her breast, and would growl and
show his. displeasure if taken away before .his appetite. had been
thoroughly satiated.—.-Montreal Courant,