were the eyes "bent with eager gaze" upon the field of combat. That tournament is now over; but its "foot prints" are left" on the sands of time," and its trophies are hung up in the halls of the Controversialist. For the purpose, then, of examining these trophies more minutely, and of enabling the readers of this magazine to view Wellington, if possible, in a proper light, we pen this article. We shall speak freely of our hero, utterly regardless of the fact that he is dead, which fact has been laid much stress upon, but which, we would

Pro.

premise, should not weigh one iota either for or against him.

The two most striking and characteristic of these trophies-these pen-won laurels— are those which are placed at the head of this paper; and, simply pointing out how truthfully they illustrate the lines of Tupper, and how significant the contrast between them, we will proceed to a brief review of the others, putting them, for the purpose of more readily comprehending their scope and signification, in a tabular forin, pro and con. Con.

"We see him, not resorting to the height of extravagance in revengeful actions, or exulting over his foes with cruel rapacity or horrid butchery; but, on the contrary, manifesting steady and unflinching adherence to the stern mandates of justice, and tempering all his movements with merciful consideration."-T. W., p. 20.

"A love of country, coupled with a sympathy for the faults and failings of his fellow-creatures, caused him at once to be just, but yet merciful."-C. W., Jun., p. 57.

"The amount of forethought evidenced by him in all his services, together with that prompt decision, that unwearied perseverance and strict regard to the requireinents of duty by which he was ever characterized, render him deserving our respect."-7. W., p. 21.

"We base our admiration of Wellington upon two positions, the first being in respect of those qualities of mind and habits of industry which led him on to greatness; the second being that true nobleness of nature which guarded him from falling a victim to those ambitious propensities which have so often overtaken other great men."-C. W., Jun., pp. 57-8.

"The poor old Duke endeavoured to carry out practically and zealously the injunction of Nelson, To do his duty.'"-J. G. R., p. 104.

"The immense sacrifice of men at Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos was by no means compensated for by the capture of those places." -Aristides, p. 59.

"To pity he was a stranger."-Aristides, p. 60.

"Shameless rapacity, brutal intemperance, savage lust, cruelty, and murder-shrieks and piteous lamentations, groans, shouts, imprecations, the hissing of fires bursting from the houses, the crashing of doors and windows, and the reports of muskets used in violence, resounded for two days and two nights in the streets of Badajoz.' And who permitted this, do you ask? We answer, the general commanding."-L'Ouvrier, p. 109.

"Neither his skilful combinations, his artful manœuvres, his inflexibility of purpose, nor his personal valour, can command our admiration, unless these be yoked to a good cause, and that cause itself be the only, or at least the chief, motive, for engaging in it."-Aristides, p. 23.

"We grant, at once, that in the minor traits of frankness, courage, decision, promptitude, unceasing activity, persistency of purpose, his life forms a pleasing contrast to that presented by the lives of many more highly-gifted men; yet these, as they involve not great principles, cannot elicit our admiration of a public man, so marred by other deficiencies."-Aristides, p. 60.

"Wellington's duty consisted in implicit obedience to his orders; and in the execution of these orders it was no consideration of his whether they were morally right or wrong, nor what might be the cost of property or life thereby his duty was to obey."L'Ouvrier, p. 108.

:

"An attentive observer cannot fail to distinguish throughout his senatorial proceedings, as well as in his military transactions, such qualities, and such manifestations of virtue and justice, as constitute the general tenor of his character worthy our admiration."-T. W., p. 21.

"The Duke always entertained serious apprehensions that any alteration in the laws would materially affect, and probably injure, the interests and prosperity of the kingdom at large; but when he saw that disastrous results were likely to follow unless certain remedial measures and alterations were proposed and carried into effect, he sacrificed his convictions, . . . . and cheerfully assisted in carrying out any measure calculated to promote the general welfare."J. G. R., pp. 105-6.

"His charity and benevolence, always unobtrusive, was most gratifying. One or two instances, selected from the many, will suffice," &c.-J. G. R., p. 104.

"His biographer says, 'He loved to do good by stealth, and did not care to find it fame."-J. G. R., p. 104.

"For my own part, I am glad that he was satisfied with the whispers of an approving conscience, endorsed with and by the approbation of his Queen, his country, and the major part of the states of Europe."-J.G.R., p. 104.

"He always evinced a laudable anxiety that the soldiery should have the assistance of chaplains of orthodox principles and exemplary conduct."-J. G. R., p. 105.

"When speaking or thinking of the departed Duke, let us ever remember that, unvanquished in the field,' his sword was never drawn for territorial conquest, but for the independence of Europe and the salvation of his country."-C. W., Jun., p. 58.

"He always acted as a disinterested party, and there is but one impression which is irresistibly conveyed to the mind of the

"We find him in the attitude of resistance towards the three momentous questions which then agitated the kingdom-the repeal of the corn laws, religious disabilities, and parliamentary reform; and, if he could have had his way, no modification would have been granted."-Aristides, p. 24.

"It is to the out-of-door agitation we are indebted for the concessions made during his administration, rather than to the ministry; so far as his own opinions were concerned, he was stoutly opposed to them; but the excitement throughout the country was so intense, so irresistible, that no alternative was left to ministers, if they did not concede, but to relinquish office."-Aristides, p. 24.

"We find him, while in power, placing his mother on the pension list. His own official salaries, and his various bounties, were surely sufficiently munificent to have enabled him to have secured her who bare him from being degraded into a state pauper." -Aristides, p. 58.

"Rarely was he animated by generous impulses to assist the weak or overawe the strong."-Aristides, p. 60.

"The test by which it is endeavoured to convince us of the rectitude of the Duke ...... is fatally defective, inasmuch as a man's conscience is not some incorruptible faculty. but one subject to modification from his principles and pursuits; . . . . and it is no torious that the Duke never was a favourite with the people at large, either of his own country or of the countries of the continent." -Aristides, p. 143.

"His famous declaration that men who believe in the New Testament have no business in the army, will serve to counteract any danger of mistaken views being entertained regarding the religious sentiments of his grace."-Aristides, pp. 143-4.

"Was he more than an instrument, and would he have refused to conduct the army in an unjust war? In this both negative and positive evidence is against him."— Aristides, p. 143.

"He was the aristocracy's hero, both in the field and in the parliament house; and at their instance, and by their influence, the

reader of his life, viz., his earnest devotedness to his country."—J. G. R., p. 106.

The above tabulated statements contain, if we mistake not, the pith of the several papers which have appeared on this question; and when it is noted how widely antagonistic these statements are, it will at once be perceived that the task is not easy of forming a true estimate of Wellington's character, and that not only must our range of information be varied and extensive-not only must we drink largely at all the intellectual rivulets which flow into the one great channel, but that the greatest amount of careful and patient thought, the deepest and broadest investigation, and the widest possible induction and deduction, must be brought to bear upon the subject.

as a man.

The writer of the first affirmative article finds cause to admire Wellington's character both as a soldier and a statesman; his justice, mercy, and strict regard to the requirements of duty, as a soldier; and his virtue, justice, sagacity, foresight, and common sense, Now, there are two points to be remembered in judging the character of a soldier: the one is, to exclude all consideration of the merits of the cause for which he fights; the other, to keep these prominently in view. The latter is the method which has been adopted by almost all panegyrists of Wellington; and hence, thinking that he fought for the "liberties of Europe and the salvation of his country," they have seen cause to shower upon him praises innumerable. The former, however, seems to be the method adopted by T. W. and the other affirmative writers; and consequently for the present we will take the same ground, touching upon the latter, however, in another part of our paper.

Against the assertions of T. W. we have those, as tabulated, of "Aristides" and "L'Ouvrier." Now, having taken the trouble to read and study the history of Wellington's military career, from his first exploit in India to his final chef-d'œuvre at Waterloo, and his consequent entry into Paris, we are compelled, by the evidence before us, to allow him those qualities for which, as a soldier, T. W. has praised him.

titles and estates, the places and pensions, were granted as the reward of those services which contributed to secure them in their immunities and privileges."-Aristides, p.

145.

| View him for a moment after the storming of Seringapatam. For two days his exertions to save the lives and properties of the inhabitants never flagged; and during the time he was governor there his invariable justice and humanity won for him the gratitude of the inhabitants. So much did they esteem him, that on his return from Assaye they presented him with an address, in which "they implored the God of all castes and of all nations to hear their constant prayer that, whenever greater affairs might call him away from them, to bestow on him health, glory, and happiness.”* "To this hour," says one who wrote some twenty years ago, "the memory of all these services, and more particularly of those which he rendered to the terrified and desolate natives in the moment of our triumph and their distress, is cherished by the aged inhabitants of Seringapatam with gratitude."†

View him again in the Peninsula. Trace him from Portugal to Paris. We find everywhere the same characteristics which distinguished him in India. We know, and we mourn over it, that many of his victories were purchased at a tremendous sacrifice of life, particularly those of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz; but, against the assertion of "L'Ouvrier," that our killed and wounded were ever far greater than those of the French, we, in all fairness, must place the fact, "that the losses of the French were never actually known, as, throughout the war, they published no returns." Many of Lord Wellington's proceedings," says Napier, "might be called rash, and others timid and slow, if taken separately; yet, when viewed as parts of a great plan for delivering the whole Peninsula, they will be found discreet or daring, as the circumstances warranted."

With respect to the conduct of the soldiers at Badajoz, it is due not only to Wellington,

* "Dispatches," vol. iii. p. 430. André Vieus

seux, "Military Life of Wellington."

+Captain Moyle Sherer, "Military Memoirs of the Duke of Wellington." ninsula."

W. Napier, "History of the War in the Pe