ernment of the Marquess Wellesley for a period of six years, namely, from 1822 to 1828, when the Liverpool ministry broke up, and Lord Manners was succeeded by Sir Anthony Hart.

The conqueror of Tippoo Saib and the Nizam having resolutely encountered the hostile power of Irish Orangeism, that had been previously deemed indomitable in Ireland, and having succeeded largely in his warfare with that system, though not to the full extent of his desires, after an administration of justice and wisdom of six years' duration, was recalled in 1828, when his brother, the Duke of Wellington, took the office of first lord of the treasury.

The marquess married a second time, in 1825, the eldest daughter of Richard Caton, Esq., of Maryland, in America, and widow of Robert Patterson, Esq., a Roman Catholic lady, by which marriage there was no issue.

During the whole of the Duke of Wellington's administration, the marquess remained in retirement.

In 1833, Lord Grey being prime minister, the marquess, in his 74th year, once more took on him the office of lord lieutenant of Ireland, and retained office for the period of one year. He returned to England when Peel came into office, in December, 1834.

In 1835, he accepted the office of lord chamberlain, for the sake, it is said, of its emoluments; and with that humiliating step his public life may be said to have closed.

An elegant volume of his Latin poems, entitled "Primitiæ et Reliquiæ," many of them written after he became an octogenarian, were privately printed a short time before his death; and, perhaps, but for the care of one whom he loved like a father, and watched over with all the affectionate interest of a true and faithful friend-Mr. Alfred Montgomery-these remarkable poems never would have seen the light of day.

"Some of these had been recently written, and they exhibit in an astonishing degree his unimpaired vigor of intellect, and his unaltered elegance of taste. One poem in this volume justly attracted universal admiration.”*

* Memoirs of Eminent Etonians; with Notices of the Early History of Eton College. By Edward S. Creasy, M.A. Bentley.

This eminent man passed much of his time, in the latter portion of his life, in the vicinity of Eton.

The marquess lived and died in straitened circumstances, leaving a great name, which will yet be honored as that of one of the most illustrious men of his time-perhaps as that of the first British statesman of his age.

By the will of the Marquess Wellesley, Alfred Montgomery, Esq., his private secretary, was left £1000," in regard of his affectionate, dutiful, and zealous services." And the residue of his property was left to the Marchioness Wellesley, whose death took place in the latter part of 1853.

By a codicil to the will, the marquess bequeathed to his secretary, Mr. Montgomery, all his manuscripts, enjoining the public use of a portion of them in the following terms:

my

"And I desire him to publish such of my papers as shall tend to illustrate two administrations in Ireland, and to protect my honor against the slander of Melbourne and his pillar of state — O'Connell.”

To Lord Brougham he bequeathed his Homer, in four volumes, and earnestly desired him to assist in publishing his MSS., saying, "I leave my memory in his charge, confiding in his honor and justice.

The property was sworn under £6000.

LETTERS FROM THE MARQUESS WELLESLEY TO LADY BLESSING

ΤΟΝ.

"Kingston House, June 9th, 1839. “MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-Your little volume of wisdom, genius, and just sentiment has delighted me; I have read it with great admiration, and (although in my seventy-ninth' year) with instruction, and I hope with selfcorrection.

"It is very amiable to think of me so often in the midst of all your higher occupations, but your thoughts are chiefly directed toward the happiness of others, and I am proud of the share which your kindness allots to me.

"If your definition of a bore be correct, you never can have encountered one of those pests of society. For 'when were you thinking only of yourself?" "Ever your most grateful and devoted servant, WELLESLEY."

* Gentleman's Magazine, December, 1844, p. 654.

"Kingston House, November 9th, 1839. "MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-Your beautiful and magnificent present contains such a crowd of wonders, that it will require almost a season before I can finish my wonderments at the whole collection.

"The poetry (which I have read, none of your ladyship's) is very beautiful and interesting; the plates, printing, binding, all chefs d'œuvre of their kind. "I have not been able yet to appreciate the prose. A thousand thanks for your kindness in thinking of me. As to the play, I do not admire it, and I do not wish to criticise it.

"I have not been well lately, otherwise I should much sooner have acknowledged your ladyship's goodness and munificence.

"I am truly grateful for your protection of my dear young friend, Alfred Montgomery, who is truly grateful for it, and, I sincerely believe, truly worthy of it.

"I am too happy always to render any service to your ladyship; and I regret the approaching expiration of the privilege of franking, principally as it will deprive me of the pleasure of obeying your commands.

Ever, my dear Lady Blessington, your faithful, obliged, and devoted servant, WELLESLEY."

'Kingston House, January 1st, 1840.

* MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-I have suffered such continual pain, that I have been unable to offer my heartfelt acknowledgments for all your kindness and favor. Writing on this day, it would be impossible to omit the most ardent wishes for many happy returns of this season to you; if half the happiness you dispense to others is returned to yourself, you will be among the happiest of the human race. This is no great demand upon the gratitude of the world, to compromise your just claims by the payment of one half.

"Your commendation of my humble tribute to the adored 'Shrine of my Education' has raised me in my own estimation. The sentiments flow from the very source of my heart's blood, and therefore must be congenial with the feelings of one whose works abound with similar emotions. I am sure you understand the Latin; you could not write as you do if you had not approached those pure springs of all beauty, sublimity, virtue, and truth.

"I feel most gratefully the honor you confer on me when you desire to publish my verses in your beautiful annual collection; but I am averse to any publication; and I therefore hope that you will not attribute my declining this distinction to any want of a sense of its high value.

"Your protégé, Alfred, is still in Staffordshire, hunting and shooting with Lords Anglesey, Hatherston, &c. I expect him this week.

"Believe me ever, my dear Lady Blessington, with true attachment and gratitude, your devoted servant, WELLESLEY."

"Kingston House, March 27th, 1840. "MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-Being anxious to obey your ladyship's kind command, I send you some verses which I have lately addressed to my dear and highly respected friend, Lord Chief Justice Bushe (though nominally to his granddaughter, Miss Fox). You will not understand them unless you first read the packet (No. 1) containing a letter from the chief justice, with some verses from Miss Fox.

"If your ladyship thinks my verses worth notice, they are at your disposal. They have been sent to Ireland, of course, but with a notice that they are not published. It is, however, to be expected that the chief justice will be desirous of communicating them to his friends.

"If your ladyship should think them worthy of your notice, I think I could obtain permission from the chief justice to publish his letter, and his granddaughter's verses, and my original letter to his lordship at the same time... "WELLESLEY."

"Kingston House, 10th May, 1840.

"MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-You must think me very insensible, or worse, to have left your beautiful poetry unpraised for so long a time; nothing less than absolute inability to write could excuse me; but the sad truth is, that I have been in such a state of suffering from pain for some time past (although my complaints are said not to be dangerous) as to be quite disqualified for human society.

"I am restrained from giving utterance to all estimation of your verses by their excessive kindness to me, although I know your sincerity so well that I am sure you think all you say; and I have too much respect for your judgment to be disposed to dispute its justice when pronounced in my favor.

'Military laurels, by common consent of mankind, occupy the pinnacle of the temple of living fame; and no statesman should envy a living hero, particularly if the great captain should happen to be his own brother. But the page of history is wide enough to contain us all, and posterity will assign his proper place to each.

"I think Mrs. and Miss Fox a great deal too squeamish. The verses are really creditable to the young lady's genius, and the publication of them is my act, and not hers; therefore, there is no question affecting her modesty.

"Mrs. Malaprop (the original from whom Sheridan drew his character) resided at Bath; and there, somebody having mentioned a young lady, twelve years old, who was perfect in all accomplishments, she observed, 'For my part, I don't like those praycooshus young ladies.' This day the chief justice told me in the council chamber, Dublin Castle.

"Your ladyship may be assured that I will omit no effort to obtain the chief justice's consent, and if I should fail (which I do not expect), you may rely on my endeavors to make ample amends, and fully to discharge so clear a debt of honor. Ever, my dear Lady Blessington, your truly devoted servant, WELLESLEY."

"Kingston House, 3d August, 1841. "MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-I return the verses, with a high sense of the value of your approbation; they were an Etonian exercise in the fifth form, which was sent up for good. I translated them the other day (or rather sleepless night), at the desire of Lady Maryborough.

"I am very much better, but I shall never think myself recovered until I have been able to pay my duty to you. Ever, dear Lady Blessington, your grateful and devoted servant, WELLESLEY."

CHAPTER IX.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

ARTHUR WESLEY, third son of the Earl of Mornington, was born May the 1st, 1769, but not at Dangan Castle, county Meath, Ireland, as Burke erroneously states.*

* In the Public Register, or Freeman's Journal, of Saturday, May the 6th, 1769, there is the following brief announcement: "Birth. In Merrion Street, the Right Hon. the Countess of Mornington of a son.”

This newspaper was half-weekly, and only one publication could occur between Saturday, the 29th of April, and Saturday, May the 6th.

In Enshaw's Gentleman's Magazine, a monthly periodical published in Dublin, in the number for May, 1769, the following entry in the list of births is to be found: "April 29, the Countess of Mornington of a son.”

In the Dublin Mercury of Thursday, May the 4th, 1769, the same announcement is made, in the same words.

The parish books of St. Peter's Church, Dublin, contain the registry of the baptism, in the following words, at the foot of a page headed “Christenings, 1769." ‘April 30, Arthur, son of the Right Hon. Earl and Countess of Mornington ;" and signed, Isaac Mann, Archdeacon. The east side of Upper Merrion Street was then, as it now is, included in the parish of St. Peter.

The house No. 24, about the centre of the east side of Upper Merrion Street, now occupied by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, was formerly the town residence of the father of the late Lord Cloncurry, who in his Memoirs makes mention of an entertainment given by his father to the lord lieutenant "at Mornington House, a residence in Merrion Street, which he had purchased from Lord the late Marquess Wellesley.”

Mr. Burke, in his Peerage, erroneously records his grace's birth at Dangan Castle, county Meath, on the 1st of May, 1769; and in Dublin it was a generally received opinion that his grace was born in a house that formerly stood on the site of the late Royal Irish Academy House, in Grafton Street.

The fact of the birth of the late Duke of Wellington at No. 24 Upper Merrion Street has been clearly established, in a pamphlet on the subject, by John Murray, Esq., A.M., LL.D., published in 1852.