GENERAL SIR CHARLES NAPIER'S LIFE AND OPINIONS..

IF these concluding volumes of the biography of Sir Charles Napier, mainly descriptive of his Indian administration, were to be implicitly believed, the reader Must form a ead opinion of the bulk of Anglo-Indians. Treacherous, corrupt, jealous, slothful, after the manner of Belial

" To vice industrious but to noble deeds Timorous and slothful "— and incapable save in thwarting better men, would be the character of the civil and military servants ; while many 'are such awful villains that "hanging is too good for them." The comparatively few good men are "damned with faint praise," or the praise is a modified censure. The grand exception is Lord Ellenborongh, who is invariably great and noble ; and there are a few personal • The LOC, and Opinions of Geseral Sir Charles Jaws Napier, By Lieut.-Gem Sir W. Napier, k.C.B. Volumes 'IL and IV. Published by Murray.

friends in addition who relieve the moral desert of Ind with the poet's " oases of life." As we anticipated, the two volumes are heavy, from dealing so very fully with matter already discussed to a sufficient extent in works by 'William Napier the historian, by Sir Charles in a post

humous publication, by Outram, and we Wink others, in controversy, to say nothing of blue-books and newspapers. The sense

of unattractiveness in the copious extracts from letters and jour nals is further increased by the remote nature of the subjects, and the fact that many of them are done with, and others mere conceptions—projects of what Sir Charles would like to have done, or things that ought to have been done. A spirit of egotism pervades the whole ; not so much in mere self-obtrusion, for the hero was too great and unaffected for conceit, but an incessant depreciation of everybody who differs from the writer's views, and a disposition like Bottom's to centre every great part in his own

person. This stops short of offensiveness chiefly from the heroic

character and obvious earnestness of the man. But for this and his better breeding and acquirements, Sir Charles the General would be as offensive as his namesake the Admiral ; for there is the same Napier blood in both. Some of the fault is chargeable upon the editor in not being more discreet in his selections. The conqueror of &incl.° poured himself out upon paper to an extent surprising even if he had had nothing else to do ; and he seems to have committed thoughts to writing which other men. keep to themselves, or only utter to their nearest friends in their unguarded moments. Unless this perfect self-exposure be borne in mind, the reader will form a harsh and even false opinion of the man.

From the uniformity and remoteness of the subjects, these volumes have not the interest of the previous portion of the Life. The lengthiness and egotism were visible there ; but the frequent change of scene, the great variety of persons and topics, with the stirring events, and very often the manners that have now become traditional, prevented the faults from being so strongly felt. There are anecdotes and pithy remarks to be found, of course ; and here are a few of them.

Lecturing Hannibal on the Art of War.—" After the battle of Waterloo, the editor of this biography happened to enter the Duke of Wellington's opera-box in Paris, on some business. The Duke was sitting alone in an upper dark corner of the box, the seats in front being filled with fashionable London men and women' who were with great volubility discussing the battle, and assigning all the honours to the cavalry. The Duke listened, laughed, and in a low voice said, I have told them that the British infantry won the battle, and all our battles but it has been intimated to me that I know nothing of the matter, and expect soon to be told I was not there.' " Expectation of Life.—" So, old Lord Lynedoch is gone. Being at Malta about three years ago, when there was talk of a war with France, he said, can't go home by France.' 'Why not, my Lord?' ' Oh, d them, they might catch me, and I don't want to spend twenty or thirty years in a French prison ' ; he being then past ninety."

A Chat on Family Ilfatters.—" It is curious that I have this moment received a letter of my old friend Lord Lynedoch, written not long before his death. My brother observes to me, he had, as Ciesar said of himself, lived long enough for nature and for glory. It is true. Lord Lynedoch and my father were schoolboys together, under the same tutor, Hume the historian. My father was some years younger than Graham, and the handsomest man I ever laid eyes upon. He was six feet three inches, and I do not think there was a perceptible fault in his figure. Sir Joshua Reynolds said the only failing was that his neck was too short. I have known him take a pewter quart and squeeze it flat in his hand like a bit of paper. He told me he was, nevertheless, a child in the hands of Prince Alexis Orloff, Catherine's friend, who was a giant. My father once stood under Orloff's arm when extended straight from the shoulder, and his head scarcely touched the Prince's arm ; he stud no two men would a chance in contending with Orloff."

Anglo-Indian Style and illanners.—" The whole style of the civil and military correspondence in India is bad and vulgar, and not business-like. Instead of pith, half a sheet is filled with titles and references and dates, where a Horse Guards' letter would at once touch the subject ; and when you wade through this stuff you come to nothing comprehensible at last, and you have then to refer to other letters for explanation of the one in your hand. Society in India is not above a third-rate English town, so far as manners go, though with more enlarged knowledge perhaps. Amongst the civilians—with many exceptions, however—there is an aping of greatness, leaving out that which marks the really highborn gentleman and lady, kindness and politeness to those below them."

lily ouvi Faults.—" Like all men, I have my sins of temper ; of swearing Illte a trooper, which is vulgar and a vile habit ; of not being charitable enough ; of ambition overmuch—that is, ambition to do my duty well and cleverly before men as well as before God ; of being too arbitrary and violent, letting judgment halt tamely after action : in all these things I am frail and culpable. But as regards a vile Government that lets such men as Lord Ripon control the fate of a better man than himself, as Toni, there is no self-reproach."

Soule s Oriental information.—" I sat half an hour with Soult yesterday, Who twice aware& me to sirv how much he regarded you. Re paid me the highest compliments, as he had studied all my operations in China! and entirely approved of them. This was flattering. Depend upon it, that when a French soul is damned, it puts on a greatcoat and compliments the Devil on his fine climate—though us pen/reed."

A marked feature of the work, which will scarcely find favour with many, even not exactly peace people' is the "nothing like leather" principle that pervades it. By Sir Charles reflections on the horrors of war are sometimes mixed up with plans of cam rpaigning, , or a stave from "See the conquering hero." But the iaZnYnance of martial virtue over all other virtues, the right of military men like the Napiers (for many soldiers are fit for nothing) to rule the roast over civilians Of all grades' and a most philosophic composure in bearing the evils that war brings upon other people, characterize both brothers; Sir William especially exhibits a thick-and-thin admiration of Napoleon, not exa.ctly in accordance with the sounder judgment of the present age. There

is also a marked aversion to all the restraints of rule, and an absolute longing for arbitrary power—to be exercised by themselves, and sometimes on the principle that the end justifies the means. We can readily believe that the moral feeling of AngloIndian officers is very low, and that .justice was often sacrificed to an esprit de corps ; but what would the brothers hays said, of anybody else who used a position to coerce regularly-constituted fribunals ?

"I have smashed about a dozen blackguards. The courts-martial thought they could do as they liked, reject revised sentences, and spit in my face ; but found they were in the wrong box : they forget that I could show them up in my remarks first, and next mark them as 'very good regimental officers but not St for the staff.' I let this ooze out as an on alt, and somehow courts now think twice before they attempt to bully : there are but few, and those are honest recommendations to mercy now. The youngsters thought they had the bit in their teeth."

Many characteristic notices of Indian celebrities, and some remarks on the Indian army and Indian affairs, are scattered through the book ; but the almost monomania of the writer where opponents are concerned renders it necessary to receive his stories and even his criticisms with reserve. This is a strange tale of a man who has himself won battles just now—Outram; and a still stranger story of the Bombay Government-Staff.

"When the news of Feroshashur reached Bombay, they were in terror, and Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Reid, Senior Member of Council, sent to Setters for Outram express : he arrived, and they made a minute, that he was to to be despatched directly to the army to get it out of its difficulties, and teach Ilarclingo and Gough what should be done. Sir George Arthur was absent, but they wrote to him to sign the minute and send Outram off. He asked them if they were mad ? and ordered Outram back to Sattara ! This is scarcely credible, but the authority is irrefragable, and it is certain Out

ram came from Sattara at that time. * * * "Outram, I do believe, is mad. His brother cut his own throat."

There is not much of biographical matter supplied by General William, except a short notice of his brother's life in England, and of his deathbed, which, while the hero himself was unconscious, presented a strange medley of family affection and display. There is a picture by himself of advancing years.

"August 10th.—I am sixty-eight years old this day ; and very old ! My strength is gone. I could once hold a musket out at arra's length by the muzzle, and now can hardly raise the butt an inch from the ground : nave just tried to do so. Ileigho ! The world has gone fast for me ; and now, instead of chivalry, welcome physic, flannels, and crutches ; all very good in their way, but not warlike ! I shall never see another shot fired ! Just as a man feels he is able to command as a general so fares mind goes, his carcass gets the staggers and down he goes, worthless ! When he has learned how to kill in good style, he is turned out of the slaughterhouse. Well, it is easy to joke, but taking leave of the stage after acting for fifty-six years is easier said than done. I am not a cabbage ! Yet right feelings and right sense say—so best."

Amid all his egotism and fury against foes, or those whom he assumed to be such, Charles Napier, like Nelson, was full of "the milk of human kindness." Children seemed to have great attraction for him. We saw in the former volumes his regard for his old horse ; his great trouble, he says, in quitting India the last time, was parting with animals, who must have been new friends.

"I want nothing, and can laugh at them all, even at the public if it is unjust. I have done nothing wrong, and truth will come out sooner or later. I am most in grief at parting with my beautiful Arab, Mosaic : he is my last, and is such a coaxing playful animal, that it is hateful to sell him : and then my little fat pony Rajah! hew fond we do get of the besets!"