The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-30
The Duke of Wellington.

Soon after my arrival in London had
the supreme satisfaction Of being intro
duced TO the Duke Of Wellington. A
grand ball was given at Willis Rooms
it was called "The Waverly Ball" and
its leading feature consisted in the for
nation of several sets of quadrilles, each
of which was danced by sixteen couple,
costumed TO represent the characters in
one of SCOTS novels. The crowd at the
entrance to the rooms, as we'll as the
crowd within, was immense. As | as
cended the grand staircase heard shouts
from the crowd at the entrance. Turn
ing around, said aloud, 81 wonder who
they are shouting for p The Duke OF
wellington was at my elbow, and sup
posing | had addressed him, replied in
his usual dry way al suppose It's either
for you or me, STRIP As | saw that the
Duke would have had some difficulty in
making his way through to the upper
end Of the ballroom. was glad TO es-
cape from my confusion, and atone for
my apparent rudeness by opening a path
for him. When we reached the upper
end he bowed to me and said, "Thank
you, sir, shall be glad to see you at
Apsley House, if you are fond of pic.
| lures"
need not say that allowed very few
days to elapse before presented myself
at the mansion, which still, in its pro-
lection Of iron blinds, reminded the
pnsser-by that the Duke had once found
1t necessary TO protect his windows frsm
mob fury. The Duke received me very
kindly, and at once lod me TO the Wa
terloo gallery long room in which he
was accustomed annually TO entertain
the old heroes of the great fight of June
Is, 1915. Many of the pictures were the
work of Wilde, Jan Stein, Gainsboro.
etc. There were numerous portraits of
the Dukes companions in arms, and of
Napoleon, whose military genius be
seemed delighted TO honor. There was
colossal statue Of Napoleon at the foot
Of the stairs. There was but one pic
ture of the battle of Waterloo in the gal
lery, and as il represented Napoleon and
his staff, with the British in the remote
distance, almost enveloped In smoke, l
ventured TO ask his Grace which was the
best representation of the battle he had
ever seenF "All bad, sir. A battle can
not be painted. 1t is continual motion.
| chose this because | could not say il
was false. 1t is quieter than any of the
others" He then proceeded TO descant
on the falsehoods perpetrsted by painters.
"Now," said he, "there's Mr. Bankers
painting Of my meeting with Butcher on
the field of Waterloo. 1t is absurd He
has made us in the act of saluting with
our cooked hats. That was not the way
of it at all Butcher rushed up to me at
La Belle Alliance threw his arms around
my neck, kissed me and covered me with
mud see that Maclise has sent in a
design for a fresco illustration of the
event in the House of Lord s; but from
the description given of ii in the papers,
| fear it will be no nearer TO the truth
than Barker's"
There is picture extant of the Duke
showing the present Duchess, the Mar
chOiness of the Douro, the localities OF
the chief incidents at Waterloo. l re-
marked.
"The likeness of your Grace is good"
eyes" he replied, "but the devil of il
is that the whole picture is false. | new
, er took the Marchioness to Belgium at
alp
r Seeing him in a chatty humor, | ven
, tured to inquire if it were true that he
. cried out up Guards and at themw al
e the crisis of Waterloo. He said: at
; stands to reason couldn't be such ID
3 fool. l was quarter of mile away
and could't have been heard. May b.
/ some of the staff called out the Guards
to rise out of the corn where they wer,
lying down. merely said-Let the line
advance