New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-21
WELLING TON AND HIS WAYS
Grenrf,e Murray IN The s,ciss riu,s

| OF the great Dukes dispatches Alter peTusins
many pages he said, in answer to q question a. "a
| what he thought OF them In my opinion be was s
| the greatest man who ever lived The words vera
uttered in tone OF deliberate conviction: but ons
| doubts whether many thoughtful persons youG
| ratify such Judgment. Perhaps the Queen is the
| one person now living who would agree with Lord
| Grey. Her Majesty shed tears when she heard
| that the good gray head, which all men knew
| would no longer be on this earth OF ours and
spoke Of him in terms which have rarely been an.
| Piled to even Caesar or Napoleon.
| amounted to positive haUghtiness. the reason
| which prevented the establishment Of sympathetic
| relations between Wellington and his officers
| After his elevation To the peerage, he was com.
monty spoken OF in camp as the Peer" partly no
doubt. to distinguish him from certain lords who
were not peers. Apropos OF this subject remem
Der in my youth talking To an old Spanish priest
who quite enthusiastic III his admiration Of
4" eel gran lord whom he well remembered and
whom he considered the greatest of all the Eng.
lish Not of the French Generals worthy
to tic the latchet OF his shoes-sO thought the
Padre. The severity with which the Duke put
down plundering seemed altogether extraordinary
to this priest who had dismal tales to tell Of the
soldiers CT Massena and MarmOnt. Light and
shade, however, must be equally thrown into every
picture; and there is an ugly little story Of one Of
those Peninsular campaigns which one can never
forget it is of a soldier who acted as the Dukes
servant, and who was one day empl0yed IN
breaking up biscuits to make for Lord
WelhngtOn's hounds poor fellow very much
longing to eat some OF the biscuit himself But
no man gave unto HIM." Somebody was to blame
fed hounds.
That part of welngton's life which has been the
NEST visited with censure IS his civil career: un
Justly as | think. He doubt committed grave
faults; but be was honest and courageous to de-
gree. curious instance OF the latter quality may
be seen in his conversation with George ~ who
conceived that his honor" forbade HIM TO accept
Canning q Minister can't. Arthur can't,
as a gentleman-can II" "Your Majesty is not q
gentleman" replied the Duke to the startled King
and proceeded to explain to him that Sovereign
not q gentleman, because something more
The King gave way. On subsequent occasion the
Duke showed equal courage but more tact. George
w. as is well Known. labOred under the hallncns-
ton that he had been present at Waterloo. One
day at a state banquet he made this amazing
statement, and appealed to the DIXIE for cOnhrms-
ton. Your Majesty has often told me So" re-
piled Wellington. l may add that the Dukes
opinion of George ~. was on the whole favorable
one. lie described hun as an astonishing tumble OF
conflicting qualities, in which. however. the good
decidedly predominated over tho bad. The King
was very kind hearted man"
The Duke cared little to talk OF his campaigns at
least to civilians He was not the to " light
all his battles Ger again for the benefit OF mixed
audience. a foolish lady once asked him 10 give
her account of the battle Of Waterloo There
is nothing easier, madam" he answered, the
french pounded us, and We pounded the French
aud | suppose we pounded the hardest FOL they
ran" He was never much OF "a reader and seemed
lin his later years at all eyentsl TO know the BIbo
better than any other book. When in London be
would go regularly every morning TO the Chapel
Royal OF st. Janes's.
Speaking of his habits, NAV mention a curious
one-by no means recommendable. as rule, to per-
sons wishing to prolong their lives albeit the Duke
lived to eighty three. After dinner. about the
time when ether persons would take tea. he hada
couple of decanters full OF iced water brought him.
and these he would finish before going to bed For the
rest, he was no gourmet, and still less OF gour
mand. At one time he took q very light breakfast
towards lO, OF tea and toast; and nothing MORA
till an o'clock dinner. A Fench paper neyerthe.
less ventured to assert that the Cheat Duke had
died of a surfeit OF apple-pudding. "Quelle mon
peu g,orieusc" it added. AS q matter OF fact
have heard that this homelT dish the last that
he partook Of on earth. Ho really died of an alec
ton OF the ear.
He was very hospitable especially at walmer, but
had his own notions on the subject OF equality
Thus, he had once asked Grlsi 10 come down IN
professional capacity to entertain some lllustrous
guests whom he was expecting. On Crisis arrival,
the Duke was very civil TO the lady and asked hef
among other questions, at what hour she would
like to dine Grisi replied with her most gracious
smile, that his Grace's hour, whatever it might be,
would perfectly suit her. The Duke bowed ana
the prima donna becames his guest; but be had no'
at all intended it. And yet he once asked clock.
maker who had come to repair the clocks al
Walmer to dinner, though this invltotion. TOO
believed to have originated in mistake. Inc
Duke fancied that the head of famous firm had
arrived in person to do the work: and issued ina
invitation accordingly. 1t was. however. a mere
artisan who had been sent, bnt the Duke was too
good-natured.and too much of gentleman to WIN
draw 1T when he learned the facts. lie Is NAN
of science, quoth Wellington, and that vas enousn
for him. 1t was "a nigh hOnor-fOr when any
human being, suppose would have almost gwen
day of his life-excepting the cplcurcan Lord
Seton. That nobcman had u very poor opinion o.
the Duke, whom he once asked to dinner oheoi
those exquisite little banquctsw which he alone knew
how to give. Lord Seton was much piQned al ine
Dukes evident want of appreciation of his COOK:
triumphs; and at length asked the Old soldier
point blank bis opinion of a dish. The Duke
answered that 1t seemed excellent, but that ior
his part; he never paid any attention to Tbat 10
friend to whom he told the story. did he come
and dine with me, then ~ And certainly Wehns'
ton showed want OF good taste, IN more mesH
lngs than one on the occasion. =,
The Duke. as stated above admired men .,
science also Lawyers" who seemed to hlm
possessed Of subtle craft beyond his own powers.
lie looked or them pretty much rs a knight OF tns
twelfth century would have looked on cieIs.
who could do sum the rule of three ny
political adversary Brougham he almost loyea
:" for the learning that was in him." On one oeca'
sion he ventured to spar" with the Chancellor;
and was worsted. "My lord" he said. you
will be remembered in history not for your eA,
ertions In abolishing slavery or reforming .Is
law, or changing our constitution.-bnt smvn
from giving your name TO q new style OF e MJ
.iage" And your grace will not be Fememoeies s
Tor Salamanca or yittcra or Waterloo but f9 orr
now style OF boot" DIN the boots hao ~"
gotten them" nalvely replied Wellington; ,,,,s,
We'll Wellington had not by the way , tnns a.
.ributed to him. He quite understood and rs
,pected the motives OF Radicals as well as WIGS
Cut he thought the former at all events, howe,.d
honld he ySoromsIy onnoseS s aIon@ tho hne
In the last years Of his life he had become perhaps
! triie ultra" in his Conservatism. Keep anS
To-" was the advice he once rendered her haless,
In very earnest tones And yet such coun aso,
4 It meant ANYTHING at ALL was virtually tnss ''
giving which Straford was brought to the block;
Towards the close of his life he became rsln,'
norose. lie was fond OF driving himself about
specially in the country. and used that most VA
,erous of carriages q currcle. Then he went -
'osp while driving. and drove into bitches ~ Iis
way but no ono dared interfere touch the ieI.,
IN pain OF u terrific scoldlng. A few days besois
le died he boastcd that {" no could do whaIes.
my other man could dc" and was always f'' rain,
vain OF his health and physical strength. III
leath was quito unex pectod ut least By hiiisS
md il is said his life might have been pro1opss,s
nad he been in London instead OF ut Walnlcr """''
help was not handy. III, A