CHAPTER XII. RECOLLECTIONS OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.
Official visit to see the Difference Engine in 1829 — Extract from a letter from the late General Sir William Napier — Loss of the troopship “Birkenhead” — The Author accompanies the Duke to the Exhibition of 1851 — Fixed in the crowd, the Duke plays with a child of two years old — The late Countess of Wilton asks a question about the Difference Engine — The Author’s explanation — The Duke’s remark — Sketch of one portion of the Duke’s intellectual character — University Addresses — The Duke helps a dumpy fellow to see the Queen — The Author saves a Master of Arts from hanging — The Duke and the Ninth Bridgewater Treatise — The Duke an economist of time — Character of the French Marshals.
MY acquaintance with the late Duke of Wellington commenced in an official visit from himself and Mr. Goulburn, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to inspect the drawings and works of the Difference Engine No. 1. This was in November, 1829. Afterwards I met the Duke in private society at the houses of one or two of his intimate friends, and subsequently I was honoured not unfrequently by receiving him at my own. During the Exhibition of 1851 I very often accompanied him in his examination of the contents of that building. I made no notes of any of the conversations, some of them highly interesting, which occurred on such occasions, because I felt that the habit of recording privately the conversations with our acquaintances was a breach of faith towards the individual, and tended to destroy all confidence in society. {174}
I now perceive, when it is too late, that a rigid adherence to that rule has deprived me of the power of relating circumstances of the greatest interest to survivors, and of the highest credit to himself. I should not even have adverted to the subject in the present work, had I not observed in the fourth volume of the life of the late General Sir Charles Napier of Scinde a passage which, if not explained, might lead to the erroneous inference that I had myself proposed to speak to the Duke of Wellington on a certain military subject, whereas I only did so at the repeated desire of Sir Charles himself.
〈THE LOSS OF THE BIRKENHEAD.〉
The following is a portion of a letter from General Sir Charles Napier to his brother, General Sir William Napier, extracted from “The Life of Sir Charles Napier,” vol. iv., p. 347:—
TO GENERAL W. NAPIER; 1852.
“May 2nd.
“I met Babbage at Miss Burdett Coutts. He talked about the ‘Birkenhead,’ and was very eager, saying, ‘Cannot you speak to the Duke of Wellington?’ ‘No; it would seem a criticising of his conduct.’ ‘Well, I, as a civilian, may.’ ‘Yes; and you will do good, for the Duke alluded to the subject at the Royal Academy dinner an hour ago.’ Babbage did so at once, asking him to move in the matter; and the Duke said he would. I also spoke to Hardinge, who told me he had had a mind to allude to it in his speech at the dinner, but feared it might seem a reflection on the Duke.”