Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-17
CROKER AND HIS TIMES.
Interesting Pictures of Three.Quarters
OF a Century Ago.


miralty from 1909 to 1880. and one of the found
ers of and chief contributor to the Quarterly
Rerie,o- From the volume referred to the fol-
lowing extracts are made:
HOW WELLINGTON WON AssAYE.
Wellington described to me his very critical
position on the march before the battle of As
save, when his small force was threatened by
an overwhelming de!uge of native cavalry, and
his only chance not of victory only. but of safe
ty, was his getting to the Other'bank of the
river (kistna. which was a few miles on his
right He had some OF the best native guides
that could be had. and he made every possible
effort to ascertain whether the river was any,
where passable and all his inforuants assured
him that it was not. He himself could not see
the river, and the enemy cavalry was in such
force that he could not send out to recOnnoiteI
AT last. in extreme anxiety. he resolved to see
the river himself. and accordingly, with his
most intelligent guides and an escort Of | think
he said. all his cavalry, he pushed forward in
sight of the river in tine neighbOrhood OF Assaye
which stood on the bank of another stream that
ran nearly parallel to that which he wished to
cross When they came there, he again ques-
toned his guides about passage which they
still asserted not to exist; but he saw
through his glass. for the enemy's cal
Airy was so strong that he could not
venture to get closer. one village or the right
or near bank OF the river. and another village
exactly opposite on the other bank, ard Il i'm
mediately said to myself that men could not
have built two villages close to one another
On opposite sides of a stream without some
habitua means of communication either hv
boats or ford-mOst probably by the latter
On that conjecture. or rather reasoning, in de-
iance OF all my guides aud iufornants | took
the desperate resolution. as it seemed, of march
ing for the river. and was right. | found a
passage. crossed my army over, had no more to
fear from the enemy's cloud OF cavalry. and my
army. small as it was. was Just enough TO fill the
space between the two streams, so that both
my TANKS We're secure and there fought and
Won the battle of Assaye. the blOOdiest. for the
numbers. that ever saw; and this was all from
nv having the common sense to guess that men
did not build villages on opposite sides of a
stream without some means of communication
between them. If had not taken that sudden
resolution, We were. assure you. IN a most
dangerous predicament.
WELLINGTON on NAPOLEON.
II never was believer in him. and ALWAYS
thought that in the long-run we should overturn
him. He never seemed himself at his ease. and
even in the boldest things he did there was
always a mixture of apprehension anc mean
ness. / used to call him Jonathan ITild the
Great. and at each new coup he made I used to
cry out We'll done. Jonathan to the - cat
scandal of some of my hearers. But the truth
was, he had no more care about what was right
or wrong. just or unjust, honorable OF dishC n
Orable, than Jonathan. though his great abii.-
ties, and the great stakes he PLAYED for thri W
knavery into the shade.
"BouDapartes mind was. in its details low
and ungentlemanlike- | suppose the narrow
ness Of his early prospects and habits stuck to
him; what are understand by gentJemGnlIe
feelings he knew nothing at all about. =
"All those cOdicils to his will in which he be-
queathed millions to the right and left ard
amongst others left a legacy to the fellow who
was accused OF attempting to assassinate me. is
another proof of bitterness of mind: the property
he really had he had already made his DISPOSE
ton Of For the payment of all those other
high-sounding legacies, there was not the shadow
OF fund. He might as well have drawn bills
Tor ten millions on that pump at Adgate. I'VE
mad on our way driven past it. While he was
writing 81. these magnificent donations he knew
tnat they were all in the air. all a falsehoOd
For my part. can see no magnanimity in a lie
and confess that | think one who could play
such tricks but shabby fellow.
FOUCHE AND TALLYRAND.
July 17th-We dned yesterday at Cattle
reagh's with. besides the Embassy. Tallyrand.
Fouche, Marshal Gouvion st. Cyr and the Baron
de Vitrolles. Lord Cathcart. Clancarty Stewart
and Give and two ladies. the Princesse de
Vaudemont. a fat. ugly old woman and a
Mademoisene Chase. her friend pretty
Young one. AT so quiet dinner you may Judge
there was not much interesting conversation,
aud accordingly have not often been at din
nef or which have less TO tell. The wonder
was to find ourselves at table with Fouche. who.
to be sure. looks very like what one would
naturally suppose him to be--a sly old rogue:
out think he seems to feel passion of which
i did not expect TO find him capable: | mean
shame. for he looks conscious and embarrassed
be Is a man about #. in. hi@h. very thin
with gray head. cropped and powdered. and
very acute expression of countenance Tally
rand. on the other hand. is fattsh for French
m nj la-a Il Il L..
and he totters about In a strange way His face
Is not at ali expressive, except it be of kind of
drunken stupOr; in fact he looks altogether like
an old fuddled. lame village schOOlmaster and his
voice Is deep and hoarse. / should suspect that
at the Congress his most natural employment
would be keeping the uruly boys in order.
l must tell you an anecdote Of old Tallyrand
Murray wanted an autograph to engrave S E.
benignantly consented, and taking Iona sheet
OF paper, wrote his name. You guess where
at the very extreme top OF the page so close
that the French lady, who wrote with feather
from the humming- birds wing and dried it with
the dust of the butterfy's wing could not have
squeezed in an /. o. L.
DR.. JOHNSON AND ADAM SMITH
AT Glasgow, Johnson had a meeting with
Smith. which terminated strangely. John Mllar
used to report that Smith, obviously much dis
composed, came into party who n ere PLAYING
at cards. The Doctors appearance suspended
the amusement, for as all knew he was to meet
Johnson that evening. every one was curious to
near what had passed. Adam Smith whose
temper seemed much RULED, answered only at
nrst: HE is brutei he is a brute" Upon
closer examination it appeared that DR.. John
son no sooner saw Smith than he brought for
ward Charge against him for something in his
famous letter on the death of Hume Smith
said he had indicated the truth of the state
ment- And what did the Doctor saw" was
the universal query. why he said-he said'-
said Smith. with the deepest impression of re-
sentiment, he said-'You her" .'And what did
you reply!" Il said: You are
On such terms did these two great moralsts
meet and part, and such was the classic dia-
r,Ogue betwiXt them.
.-... CARDINAL DE FLEURY.
3. Old Languet the celebrated Cure Of ST Snl-
pice. was remarkable and disagreeable for the
opportunity with which he solicited subscrip-
lions for flushing his church, which is not vet
finished. One day at supper. where Cardinal de
Fleury was he happened to say that he had
seen MS Eminence's portrait at some painters
The old Cardinal. who was stingy in private as
well as economical in public expenditure. was
glad TO raise laugh at the troublesome old
cure. and replied, Il dare swear then. YOU
asked ii (the pcture) to subscribe" ..Oh. no.
my Lord, said Languet, lit was too LIKE"
MADAME DE STAEL
She was ugly, and not of an intellectual uc-
Illness. Her features were coarse. and the ordI-
nary expression rather vulgar; she had an ugly
mouth, and one or two irregular prominent