The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-02-06
From London Society.
BARON WARD THE LUCKY.


career of the late Baron Ward, who
from stable-boy became Prime Minis
ter OF Parma, was a remarkable in
stance of the union of luck and desert
| abrdge an account of him by one
who knew him we'll
l cannot tell the exact year in which
Ward entered the Duke of Lucca's ser
vice-it must have been between 1925
and 1880. He was for some wears in
the ducal stables when his cleverness
and good conduct attracted the fayora-
bic notice of his master And as he
was very fond of the English, he at
tached Ward more closely to his i'm
mediate service and, notwithstanding
his equestrian skill, he decided upon
removing him from his stables, and
making him his under VALET DE CHAM
BRE. H"
Ward owed this promotion entirely
to his high character, integrity, and
scrupulous English cleanliness.
Wards rise in the service of the Duke
of Lucca was extremely gradual, and
was the result, not of capricious favor,
but of the most well-grounded apprecia-
ton of his long-tried worth and his
rare intelligence. :. His, cxtraordi-
nary good sense and practical ability
became gradually more and more APP
parent. The Duke soon began to see
that his advice was good in matters far
beyond the departments of his stable
and of his wardrobe. He accordingly
| consulted him in many perplexed and
difficult cases as they happened to oc-
cur; and he invariably found such ben
| GIFT from the advice of his new coun-
sellor that he began to regard him as
| almost infallibie. . The zeal and adj
dress which Ward displayed in the ar
rangement of some affair procured for
him an unboundcd influence with his
master, who, soon after this, strongly
urged him to accept of portfolio, and
to assume the position of u Minister of
State. The proposition Ward refused
point blank. . The groom was eleva-
then of attendant of his stables and
household, then of comptroller of his
privy purse; then of Minister of State,
and, in fact, Prime Minister, with bar
onial titles and manifold knightly dec
orations. Such was the elevation to
which Ward had assembled at the pres
trusted adviser of his master III tffe-'
knottiest questions of foreign politics,
the arbiter of the most difficult points
of international policy with other States,
and the highest authority in all home
affairs He was one of those men of
action who speedily distinguish them
selves wherever the game of life is to
be played; quick to discern the char
actcr Of those around him, and prompt
to avail himself of their knowledge
Little hampered by the CONVENTIONAL
ties which impose trammcls on men
born in an elevated station, and refined
by elegant breeding, he generally at
tanned his object by q COUP DE MAIN be-
fore others had arranged their plans to
oppose him. . -#s
To these qualities, so instrumental to
his success he added most rugged,
unyieIding honesty, and loyal, single
hearted attachment to the person of his
prince Strong in his own conscious
rectitude, and in the confding regard
of his soAercign, Ward stood alone and
| fearless against all wiles and machina-
tons of his formidable rivals, who, al
though armed against counter wiles
and counter Vaccinations were quite
unprcpared against straightforward hon
estv. One day about this time,
when he entered the Dukes room, he
found him occupied with pencil and
paper. Ward said his Royal High
ness, Il am drawing coat of arms for
YOU. As mark ofthe esteem in which
YOU are held by the Duchess as well as
myself, you shall have armorial bear
ings compounded of her arms and my
own. | will give you the silver cross
of Savoy with the golden fleur de lvs of
France in dexter chief With many
expressions of gratitude for the honor
which was about to be conferred upon
him. he asked permission to add some
thing mathematical Ofhis native coun-
try; and as he heard that coats ofarms
sometimes had supporters, he would
like to have the cross of Savoy and the
lily of Bourbon supported by English
John Bulls. so be it, said the Duke.
You shall have two bulls regardant for
YOUR supporters and thus the arms of
Baron Ward may be found in :Burke's
Peerage' among those of English men
who have obtained foreign titles On
a field glles, cross agent, in the deN-
ter chief, shield azure surmounted by
royal crown, and charged with
FLEUR DE LYs or; supporters, two bulls
rcgardant proper. :. In the begin
ming of the year 1884 Charles iii, Duke
of Parma, was suddenly removed from
this world by violent death. One of
the first acts of the Duchess, his widow,
forced by its popularity among the sub
jccts of her infant son, was to depose
Baron Ward from his ministry, and
send him into Punishment Ward
was removed from the evil to come,
and was called to exchange this world
for better before the last fatal out
burst of ruin upon the family to whom
he had devoted the active energies OF
his virtuous and useful life. After he
was so suddenly and so harshly sacri-
feed by the course of events, and a
vain attempt to conciliate popular ia
vor, he entirely retired from public af-
: fairs Prince Metternich truly charac-
terized him when, after the revolution
of lS4S, he visited that illustrious min
lister in his retirement at Brighton by
greeting him as a 'Hcaven-born diplo-
| matist.' He undertook large farming
l establishment in the neighborhood of
Vienna, and spent his last few years in
: the enjoyment of domestic happiness
with his wife and children. In 1858
f Baron Ward died at the age, Of forty
: nine; and he has left us memorable
!, example how integrity, talent and
$ courage can raise man from tho low