The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-02
The Duke of weIlington's Brooches.

The Duke of wellington's Brooches.
The London papers contain the following
ludicrous account Of game. of cross-pur-
poses played by the great Duke of Yelling
ton, the great Bishop of London, end the
not quite so great, but somewhat greatlsh
Mrs. Loudon, the authoress:
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND HIS
Waterloo! BREECHEs.--Ar remarkable story
has been in circulation in private circles for
some days past, which, we think, is too good
to be lost to the general public," particu-
larly as it numbers among its dromatis per-
some no less personages than Field Marshal
his grace the Commander-in-Chiet, the Me-
tropolitan Bishop, and an accomplished
authoress. 1t is only necessary to mention
the name of Mrs. Loudon, to recall to the
readers memory, the clever writings of that
lady on horticulture. She was lately in the
neig hborhood Of Strathfeldsaye, and being
anxious to visit spots remarkable for fine
specimens of the vegetable world, she wrote
to the duke, conveying her desire to see
some L" beeches," for which the gardens of
his Grace were celebrated. The letter was
duly delivered, and the duke, raising his
glasses and glancing at the contents, his eye
caught hastily the signature of the note, c.
j. Loudon," and he at once came to the
conclusion that it came from Charles James,
Bishop of London, more particularly as the
handwriting bore a close resemblance to
that Of the right Rev. Prelate. But whilst
there was nothing remarkable in the fact of
note from tine bishop, the object Of it did
raise his Grace's most especial wonder, for
that same rapid glance which had converted
an amiable lady into bishop, metamorpho-
sed the majestic beeches of Strathfieldsaye
: into the neither garment Of their illustrious
: owner in fact the note ran thus that " &.
J. Loudon (the ordinary laconic mode in
which Charles James, Bishop Of London,
: sums up his honors and dignities) was de-
, srous Of viewing the Duke of Wellington's
: "bresches." How the Duke looked as he
, eyed the note, is not our province to picture,
but with his usual despatch, and thinking
that the request applied to the Waterloo
t inexpressibles, and that they might be wanted
: for artistic purposes, he directed his valet to
t look out the article, and forward it in po-
lite form to his lordship.
: The packet arrived at the Bishops, and
the amazement with which the preate re-
, ceieved with F. M. the Duke of Yelling
toms compliments" his" Waterloo breech-
! Ies," may possibly be conceived. But the
udicrous was soon changed into the painful,
as the idea flashed through the mind Of the
bishop that all was not "quits right " with
the great veteran, and to solve the painful
doubt his lordshp started off to the premier
to make Lord John party to the extraordi-
nary present he had received. Now it hap
pened that after the parcel had been de-
spatched, the Duke was struck by similar
thought as to the mental state Of the right
reverend prelate, and he, too, thought it his
!, duty to repor. to the premier the probable
, state of one Of the heads of the church mill
: tant. His Grace arrived most appropos.
) The bishop was with the premier, Lord John
was bordering over the mystery of the
breaches, when up rode the noble owner of
them. How he and the bishop looked at
each other, is again one of those matters in
which the Imagination Of the pencil must
come to the duty of the pen. But the eli
max of the scene was, that the letter, the
source from whence all the mischief had
alose, was produced, 'conned over, and at
length rightly interpreted, c. J. Loudon was
substituted for the Bishop of London, the
beeches of Strathfeldsaye for the Dukes
breaches, and to sum up, Mrs. Loudon re-
ceived by return of post polite compliance
with her request We have given the above
facts as they have been related in different
quarters as authentic.
At the GeorgetownD.C. } College Obser-
y,tory Professors Curley Sestina and Rosa