His government at Madras was unmarked by any events of conspicuous interest, or at least by any in which he individually bore a part; for the period of his government was that of the close of the Mahratta war.1 His private life was, however, brightened by the acquisition of many valued friends, some of whom bore names which, as those of Munro and Malcolm, will live in the history of India.

"No

The last year of his residence at Madras was rendered one of gloom by the death of his wife. words can describe," wrote one of his family, "the loss of her who was the centre of all our affections and of all our pleasures."

Mr. Elliot returned to England in 1820, with his family. On their way home they were detained for some time by stress of weather at St. Helena, where, He who had "dropt from the zenith like a falling star," was wearing out the term of his existence. Living at the Governor's house, they had daily opportunities of witnessing the agitated existence of Sir Hudson Lowe, constantly haunted as he was by fear of his illustrious captive's escape; while the satisfaction with which these alarms were viewed, and the skill with which they were heightened by the French society at Longwood, were no secret to Sir Hudson's visitors :

1 The Mahratta war was finally terminated at the battle of Mahidpore, 21st December 1817, when the army of Holkar was routed by the army of the Deccan, under the personal command of my father, General Sir Thomas Hislop, for which victory he received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament.

"Hardly ever did we get through dinner without his starting up to inquire if all was safe." The agreeable qualities of the guests were by no means unappreciated by the French residents in attendance on Napoleon, and many efforts were made to induce Mr. Elliot to ask for an interview with him; but this he persistently refused, saying that he considered Bonaparte to have been the greatest enemy his country had ever had, and a curse to Europe; and for his own part he had no desire to see him.

The spectacle of fallen greatness affected him less than the contemplation of the Nemesis which had worked the fall-bringing to a far Atlantic Isle the man whose unrivalled career the united nations of Europe had barely sufficed to check, the noise of whose armies had banished peace from the quiet gardens of Dresden, and thoughts of peace from the lovely terrace of Palermo.

For the remainder of his life Mr. Elliot resided chiefly in London, where some still survive who remember the charm of his society. One who knew him well described his conversation as "a shower of pearls and diamonds," so sparkling and so spontaneous; but whatever the felicity of his talk, or the grace of his manner, by his descendants he is best remembered for the gifts of heart and mind which made him beloved by a large and devoted family.

He died on the 2d of December 1830, and was buried by the side of his brother in Westminster Abbey. A few weeks before his death he visited my mother at

Boulogne, where he, who had seen the Revolution of '89, had an opportunity of witnessing a review of the National Guard of 1830. The earliest public event he is said to have remembered was the funeral of George II. He lived to see the accession of William IV.

His surviving children at the time of his death were five sons and three daughters. Henry, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army, died 1842. Edward, for many years Police Magistrate at Madras, died 1866. Gilbert, Dean of Bristol. Charles, Admiral and K. C. B., Governor of St. Helena. Frederick, Assistant Under-Secretary of State for the Colonial Department. Emma, died 1866. Harriet Agnes, died 1845. Caroline, god-daughter of the Queen of Naples.

Mr. Elliot's daughter by his first marriage, Isabella, married at Dresden, in 1801, to George Payne, Esq., died in 1826. And a son by his second marriage, Maximilian, died in India in the same year.

APPENDIX.

I.

LETTER FROM MR. STANLEY, SECOND SON OF LORD DERBY, DESCRIBING THE BATTLE OF BUNKER'S HILL (P. 92, NOTE).

66

Camp at Boston, Aug. 7, 1775.

My dear Friend-I know it will give you pleasure to hear that I arrived safe here in good health last Sunday, after a very tedious passage of near eight weeks; in short, we had not four-and-twenty hours of fair wind from the time we left England till we got here.

"I shall now attempt to give you some little description of our present situation; I can't say that our affairs wear the best face possible, but there is an old saying, that when things are as bad as they can be they must mend. We are in a town almost deserted by its inhabitants, situated upon a peninsula with a very narrow neck of land that runs into the country; this neck we have very strongly fortified; on all other sides of us are small arms of the sea, where our men-of-war and transports, for they are all armed, lie at anchor. Opposite our lines, upon the heights, and indeed all round us, the Americans are