The Cecil Whig., 1880-09-11

nent. Their mother supplied them lib
orally with money, which enabled them
to live in style becoming their illus
trious American birth. In the Autumn
of 1922, Robert Patterson died, and il
the following Spring his widow joined
her sisters abroad, where they had re.
mained since their first visit in 1S15-
Soon after Mrs. Patterson reached Eng
land, the Duke of Wellington invited the
three sisters to his country seat. During
their stay the Marquis of Wellesley paid
his brother visit, and met Mrs. Patter.
son for the first time. and was much
struck by her extraordinary personal at
fractions.
Richard Wellesley, second Earl OF
Mornington and first Marquis of Welles-
ley, was at this time an elderly widower
of siXty-three, his first wife having died
in 1916. The brilliant career of the Duke
of Wellington has dimmcd the fame OF
his elder brother the Marquis of Welles-
ley; but the latter had acquired distinc-
tlon as 4 soldier, statesman. and orator
while the future great commander was
as yet only Il young and by no means
promising officer in the army. In fact.
Arthur was considered the Ounce of the
family; he was an idle boy at school, and
grew up light and frivolous young
man. His abilities were thought to be
so mediocre that he was refused a place
in the customs upon the ground of in
competency. Richard, on the contrary,
was the most brilliant boy of his time at
Eton, where he acquired the beginnings
OF that elegant scholarship for which he
was afterward so distinguished. His
knowledge of the classics was profound,
and his Latin verses We're pronounced
by competent critics the purest that had
been written in England since the days
of Addison. In after years the Duke of
| Wellington, who was no scholar was
accustomed to submit the Latin and
Greek exercises of his sons to his brother
| the marquis.
Upon coming of age, on the Goth of
June, 1871. Richard succeeded to the
| family title and estate, and became the
Earl of Mornington. He entered Parlia-
ment at an early age, and was soon rec
| ognized as a polished and eloquent ora
tor. His speeches were animated by
sentiments of the most devoted loyalty,
of hatred to the principles of the French
| Revolution, and by expressions of pa
triotic enthusiasm calculated to inspire
the government with the resolution nee
| essary to maintain the hostile attitude of
England toward the Jacobins of France.
| In 1897, he was rewarded for his great
services to the government of George the
Third by the splendid Office of Governor
General of India. \ new and ilustrious
career was thus opened to the young but
already prominent Earl of Mornington.
He arrived in India when the affairs of
unfortunate country were in serious if
not critical condition. Tippoo, Sultan
| of Mysore, the son and successor of the
celebrated Hyder Ali, entertained a blind
and fanatical hatred toward Great Brit
ain. His vindictive character was shown
by the fierce motto which he had adopt
ed, Better live two years like a lion
than two centuries like 4 lamb" He
had n well disciplined force of seventy
five thousand men, commanded by skill
full French officers, whom Bonaparte had
dispatched from Egypt to assist the Sui
tan in opposing the English. With this
powerful army Tippo threatened to ami
hilate the British in India 1t was for
tunate for them that there was such q
man as the Earl of Mornington at the
head of affairs. The Governor-G General
was capable of dealing with gigantic en-
terprises: he was active, brave, prompt,
and far sighted; in short, he was the best
Niceroy India had yet known; more hon
est than Give, more determined than
Corvallis, and more honorable than
Hastings. Alison pays him the follow
ing splendid tribute: Ills energy and
determination, his moral courage and
thorough acquaintance with military af-
fairs rendered him, even in the days of
Fox and Pitt, the foremost statesman of
his age By series of prompt and
brilliant military movements, directed
by the Governor-General, the British
succeeded in defeating the designs of the
Sultan. Seringapatam, the capital of
slain, his family made captives, his army
dispersed, and his empire destroyed. In
return for this signal service rendered to
his country, the Earl of Mornington was
created Marquis of Wellesley. The re-
suit of his services in India may be sum-
med up as follows: he found the govern
mcnt occupying struggling line of sea
coast; he left it seated on the throne of
AurrngZebe, with the English suprem-
acy in India forever established. 1t
should be mentioned to the credit of
Wellesley that when the Indian govern
ment offered him hundred thousand
pounds as an appreciation of his brilliant
that the said sum should be distributed
among the soldiers, but accepted star
and badge of the order of st. Patrick,
made from portion of Tippoo's cap
tured jewels. After returning to Eng
land he held various political offices, and
in 1921 was appointed Lieutenant
of Ireland, in which capacity he showed
the same energy as had distinguished his
government of India.
In the Spring of 1925, Mrs. Robert
Patterson and her sister Elizabeth visited
Ireland. In Dublin she resumed her ac-
quaintancc with the Marquis of Welles-
ley, who paid her the most ilattering at
tentions. 1t was soon announced that
| the Lord Lieutenant was engaged to be
married to Mrs. Patterson, the most
beautiful of the American Graccs. The
wedding took place in the Castle of Dub
lin, the residence of the Niceroy. on the
29th of October 1925. At three o'clock
in the afternoon of that day two of the
| Lord Lieutcnant's carriages, with a nu-
merous retinue of servants in their state
| liveries, arrived at the fashionable hotel
in Sackville street. where the bride elect
and her sister had been stopping during
the three months previous. The two
ladies', accompanied by Col. Shaw and
Mr.. Johnston, entered one of the car