than some splendid fiction of eastern romance.

So like a

mere vision of the past does the glory of the imperial days of Napoleon, with the heroism, talent, and brilliancy-all the marvellous adventures, the sufferings and oppressions of his ill-starred reign, already begin to appear in our eyes. Besides, when once upon the scene, the rapidity of the incidents and events, springing from the actions of the hero in the grand historic drama we are preparing to represent, carries us along, scarcely allowing us time to breathe, from the thrilling interest excited, as new and startling objects rise before us, and we see, nearer and more near, the grand development verging towards the shades of dark and tragic night.* While the destinies of such men, and of mighty nations, hang trembling in the balance, the spectator cares little for preceding and more trivial events; he feels that men can be interested only in the characters of men, in their observations and actions ;-not in those of boys. Nothing, indeed, shows a sounder English taste than the more masculine tone of our modern biography, which now discards from its pages those idle inquiries into the nursery and the school which were formerly dwelt upon with so much complacency.

Were we to believe, however, in the words of our most philosophical of poets, that "the boy's the father of the man," we could easily picture to ourselves the early days of a Wellington; and if we take this as a reasonable foundation for our supposition, we "need no ghost to tell us" that singular activity, both of mind and body, excessive ardour of pursuit, and extraordinary determination of manner, were the characteristics of the young Arthur Wellesley. traits like these are lost sight of in the services of the man, to whom England owes so much for the revival of her mili

But

* It would be difficult, perhaps, to form any idea of the intense degree of interest and awe that would be felt by one, wholly a stranger to the histories of Wellington and Napoleon, who could witness such a drama, or read such a history, for the first time.

tary greatness-for that high respect in the eyes of other nations, so favourable to continued peace, and to national prosperity and independence.

The family of Cowley* (English in descent) is known to have resided, many centuries past, in the county of Rutland. Two brothers, Walter and Robert, having obtained royal grants, established themselves in Ireland. Both had been brought up to the bar, and, in the reign of Henry VIII., the younger became Master of the Rolls, and the elder was appointed solicitor-general, and, in 1548, raised to the office of surveyor-general of the entire kingdom.

The eldest son of Walter was Sir Henry Colley, who embraced, like his distinguished descendant, the profession of arms. In the reign of Elizabeth he was authorized to proclaim and execute martial law, throughout the disturbed districts of Ireland. The services which he rendered, led to his being appointed a Commissioner of Array for Kildare; and he was soon afterwards elected one of the representatives of its leading boroughs. He received the honour of knighthood from the lord deputy, Sir Henry Sydney, the father of the great Algernon Sydney; and he was also appointed a member of the privy council. The estimation in which he was held appears from a letter of Sydney to his successor, in which he recommends Sir Henry Cowley as "an active and efficient servant of the queen, and as good a borderer as ever to be found any where." His singular good fortune, his judgment and fidelity, are also dwelt upon by the lord deputy as the best recommendations he could offer for his further employment; and so great is the resemblance of character, that we could almost suppose he was describing some of the qualities of his still more fortunate descendant.

* The name has been also written Cooley and Colley, which last is the modern mode of spelling it in Ireland; but with regard to its English descent there can be no doubt, from many well-authenticated facts. In Glaiston church there is a monument to Walter Colley, and Agnes, his wife. This Walter was lord of the manor in 1407.

It is emphatically added by Sir Henry, that "his namesake was a knight of his own making;" and then follows that irresistible argument addressed to the self-love of men in power; while it displays a trait not a little honourable to the character of the family; "he was a sound and a fast friend to me, and so, I doubt not, your lordship shall find, when you have occasion to employ him."

This able borderer and privy councillor, it appears, had three sons by his lady, Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Cusack, of Cussington, Lord Chancellor of Ireland. The second of these, Sir Henry, of Castle Carbery, was the immediate ancestor of the present line. Emulating his father's example he rose to still higher preferments; was made provedore of the army-an office similar to that of commissary general. Desirous of preserving the peace of the country by civil means, he invited the leading representatives to attend him at Philipstown, to enter into engagements to promote the public tranquillity, to become surety for each other's conduct, and to pledge themselves to denounce "any one among them " who should infringe the new regulations. He fulfilled his military duties till the year 1599; attended parliament; married Anne, daughter of Adam Loftus,* Archbishop of Dublin, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry; whose successor, H. Dudley Colley, also adopted the profession of arms. He embraced the cause of Charles II., who, on his restoration, presented him with a new grant of lands; and left a numerous family, of whom Henry succeeded to his title; and Elizabeth was married to Garret Wesley, of Dangan, in the county of Meath; who traced his descent to a family of Saxon origin, long settled in the county of Sussex. Henry, by his marriage with Mary, a daughter of Sir William Usher, left a large

* One of the ancestors of the fashionable Lucy Loftus, second wife of Thomas, Marquis of Wharton; a lady notorious for her gallantries. Swift, in his character of the Marquis, gives some curious anecdotes which will not bear repeating.

family, of whom the youngest, Richard, adopted the name of Wellesley upon succeeding to the estates of his first cousin, Garret of Dangan, when he assumed the arms of that family. He appears to have been still more active than his predecessors, having obtained the offices of Auditor and Registrar of the Royal Hospital of Kilmainham, Chamberlain of the Court of Exchequer, Sheriff of the county of Meath, in 1734, and member of Parliament for the family borough of Trim. As some reward for his services, he was created a peer of Ireland, by George II., in 1747, by the title of Baron of Mornington. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Garret, who became Viscount Wellesley and Earl of Mornington; and married Anne, eldest daughter of the Right Hon. Arthur Hill, Viscount Dungannon, by whom he had a numerous offspring.*

By the early death of the earl, their father, while most of them were of tender years, an anxious and responsible charge devolved upon Lady Mornington, but one to which she showed herself fully equal. The prudence, vigilance, and decision of character which she displayed, with her wise and judicious regulations, went far to supply the loss which they had sustained. By a system of strict, yet liberal economy, she did much to repair the deficiencies of fortune, whilst her intelligent mind suggested the best means of bestowing upon her children an education adapted to their future prospects. Nor was it long before she reaped the reward which she so well deserved. In her eldest, even while young, she found an affectionate son and an intelligent counsellor.

It was he, who by his self-denying and generous conduct in confirming her authority, submitting to her direction, and

* 1. Richard, second Earl of Mornington, created Marquis Wellesley. 2. Arthur Gerald, who died in 1768. 3. William Wellesley Pole, Baron Maryborough. 4. Arthur, created Duke of Wellington. 5. Gerald Valerian, D.D., and a Prebendary of Durham. 6. Henry, created Baron Cowley. 7. Anne, married first to the Honourable Henry Fitzroy, and, secondly, to Culling Charles Smith, Esq. 8. Mary Elizabeth, who died unmarried. 9. Francis Seymour, who died in his fourth year, on the 10th of March, 1770.

assisting in the management of the estates, enabled her to bestow important advantages upon other members of the family. With equal magnanimity he anticipated her wishes, by gradually cancelling the whole of the obligations incurred by his father; a trait that redounds more highly to his honour, than the acquisition of the proudest worldly titles.

The Hon. Arthur Wellesley, son of the Earl of Mornington, was born at Dangan Castle on the first day of May, 1769. After a brief period of domestic tuition under the eye of an accomplished and intelligent mother-an advantage to which so many distinguished characters owe their best moral impressions-he received the benefit of a public education at Eton. But having early directed his views towards the military profession, he was removed, about the close of the American war, to the school at Angers; at that time under the direction of Pignerol, who enjoyed the reputation of being the most celebrated engineer of his day.

The advantages here afforded the young Englishman of studying the profession of his choice, were not a few, and we may conclude that he availed himself of them to their full extent. Angers was then a flourishing town; its university and academy were resorted to by the students of different nations; and what he thus early saw of foreign characters and manners must have tended both to amuse and to expand his mind. It gave him, moreover, that ease and polish which, united with his naturally frank and cheerful bearing, made his society extremely agreeable, besides furnishing him with those general ideas and that sort of information so useful in preparing him for public life, and a more extended intercourse with the world.

Soon after his return to England, the student of Angers obtained his first commission as ensign in the 73d regiment of foot, on the 7th of March, 1787, when in his eighteenth year. During the remaining period of peace, he was allowed sufficient leisure to enlarge his scientific knowledge, and to apply what was necessary to garrison and regimental practice.