recognition of his services in Spain. From the Spanish Government he received the Grand Cross of SS. Ferdinand and Charles.*

In 1835, as we have seen, he was member for Westminster, and again in 1837; but at the general election in 1841 he lost his seat, being defeated by Captain, now Admiral Rous. At the next dissolution, however, he regained his place, and continued to represent that constituency down to 1865, when he retired from political life. In 1846 Sir De Lacy attained the rank of major-general; and on the breaking out of the Russian War in 1854, he was appointed to the command of the second division of the Eastern army, with the rank of lieutenant-general. At the battle of the Alma, his was one of the leading divisions, and was led by him across the river in the most dashing and intrepid style, under a murderous fire of grape, round shot, cannister, case shot, and musketry. His troops suffered terribly on that memorable occasion, and Evans received a severe contused wound in the right shoulder. He again showed his worth as a man and a general on the 26th of October, during the siege of Sebastopol, when his division was attacked by a large force of Russians, which moved out of the town for that purpose, amounting to 6000 men. The enemy advanced with masses of infantry supported by artillery, and covered by large bodies of skirmishers. Such, however, was the warmth of their reception, that, in less than half-an-hour, the Russian artillery were compelled to retire. The Russian columns, exposed to the fire of the English advanced infantry, were soon thrown into confusion. The English then literally chased them over the ridges, and down towards the head of the Bay of Sebastopol. The English loss was 80 killed and wounded; 80 was also the number of Russian prisoners taken; but the total loss of the enemy was about 800. Lord Raglan, in reporting on the battle, declared that he could not too highly praise the gallant manner in which Evans met the attack, and that nothing could have been managed with more consummate skill and courage.t

But the close of his glorious career was now at hand. On the morning of the 5th of November 1854 commenced the ever-memorable battle of Inkermann. Evans, worn out by illness and fatigue, had gone on board a vessel, lying in the harbour of Balaklava, leaving General Pennefather in command of the division. On hearing, however, that a desperate battle was raging before Sebastopol, the gallant veteran, sick and exhausted as he was, insisted on leaving his bed, and proceeded at all hazards to the front, but not to take the command from General Pennefather, or deprive that brave officer of the honours of the day, but to help him with his advice in the momentous crisis of that terrific fight. As might be expected, his noble conduct on this occasion was made the subject of special commendation in the despatches of the commander-in-chief, and again in the despatch from the Minister of War, which conveyed Her Majesty's thanks to the army

66

*For full particulars of the Spanish expedition, we refer the reader to "Memoranda of the Contest in Spain," published by Sir De Lacy Evans in 1840, and dedicated to his constituents of Westminster; also to A Concise Account of the British Auxiliary Legion in Spain," published at Scarborough in 1837. Some of the most severe criticisms on Lord Palmerston and Sir De Lacy will be found in Blackwood's Magazine, vols. xl., xlii., xliii., xlvi., and xlix. + See Russell's "War in the Crimea."

of the East. In the following February, immediately on his return to England invalided, and the re-assembling of Parliament, Sir De Lacy Evans received in person, in his place in the House, the thanks of the House of Commons "for his distinguished services in the Crimea," the vote being conveyed to him in an admirable speech from the speaker, who referred in the most complimentary terms to his illustrious services. His reply on this occasion was modest and manly, and thoroughly characteristic. While he acknowledged the high honour done him by that august assembly in the most respectful terms, he did not forget to remind his hearers of the very different feeling which had been displayed in that House some eighteen years before, when, after returning from duties like those which he had so lately performed, he had been assailed with all the bitterness of party and personal rancour. He claimed for himself to have been as good a soldier in 1837 as he was in 1855, and protested against the injustice of attacking a man with slander and vituperation, merely because the enterprise with which he was intrusted did not happen to be agreeable to the tastes and doctrines of his political opponents. In the same year he was promoted to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, and created an honorary D.C.L. by the University of Oxford, and in 1856 a grand officer of the Legion of Honour. He died at his residence, Great Cumberland Street, London, on the 9th of January 1870, at the age of eighty-two. His death caused a general feeling of regret in public and in private circles, as he had acquired not less esteem and affectionate respect in his private relations than he had of public admiration for his brilliant achievements.*

SIR HENRY MONTGOMERY LAWRENCE,

BORN 1806-DIED 1857.

BRIGADIER-GENERAL Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence, K.C.B., was born at Mattura, in Ceylon, 28th June 1806. He was the eldest son of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander William Lawrence, of the county of Londonderry, some time Governor of Upnor Castle, Kent, an officer of great gallantry, and who distinguished himself at the capture of Seringapatam. He received his early education at Foyle College, Londonderry, and afterwards at the Military College, Addiscombe, entering in 1821 the service of the East India Company, as a cadet in the Bengal Artillery. Early in his career he attracted the favourable notice of his superiors; and long before he had an opportunity of displaying his high qualities, he was recognised as one of the most efficient and promising officers in the service. He served in the Cabul campaign of 1843 under Sir George Pollock, and was raised to the rank of major.

* His sagacity as a statesman in matters coming peculiarly within the scope of his military experience, was evinced in two publications: one "On the Designs of Russia" (London, 1828), and another on "the Probability of an Invasion of British India" (London, 1829). An account of the campaign in America will be found in his work, entitled "Facts relating to the Capture of Washington " (London, 1829)

In the same year he became British Resident at Nepaul. He afterwards took a distinguished part in the Sutlej campaigns, and was promoted for his services to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and created a military C.B. In 1846 he was appointed Resident at Lahore, and agent for the Governor-General on the north-west frontier; and for the able discharge of the duties of this important post he was created a K.C.B. in 1848. On the annexation of the Punjab in 1849, Sir Henry was appointed the chief commissioner of that province his brother, Mr John Lawrence, afterwards Lord Lawrence, and Mr Grenville Mansel being the other members of the board of administration. These gentlemen undertook separate branches of the administration. Sir Henry Lawrence conducted all the political business with the Punjab chiefs, whilst Mr John Lawrence superintended the revenue administration. From the Punjab he was removed to the superintendence of the Rajpoot states, where his measures were equally successful, as in the Punjab, in conciliating the chiefs, and ameliorating the moral and social condition of the people. In 1854 he attained the rank of colonel, and was appointed an honorary aide-de-camp to the Queen. On the annexation of Oude, Sir Henry was nominated the chief commissioner at Lucknow -an office which virtually made him governor of the new province. On the breaking out of the mutiny of 1857, all Oude was speedily in arms, although he had taken every precaution that prudence and foresight. could suggest to prevent an outbreak. The mutiny at Lucknow broke out on the 30th of May, and the conduct of Sir Henry under the terrible circumstances is described as "worthy of his character as a valiant and skilful soldier, and a great ruler." For a long time he held his mutinous regiments to their allegiance by the force of his character; and when finally the torrents of disaffection swept away these also, he retired into the Residency, which he had hastily fortified, with a handful of brave Europeans, soldiers and civilians, and a crowd of helpless women and children, and a few steadfast native soldiers, who held fast to their affection for Lawrence, with the devotion of the early Sepoys to Clive.*

The circumstances of the death of Sir Henry Lawrence are these:He had taken up his quarters in a room of the Residency very much exposed to the enemy's fire. On the 1st of July an 8-inch shell burst in this room, between him and Mr Cowper, close to both, but without injuring either. The whole of his staff implored Sir Henry to take up other quarters, as the Residency had become the special target for the round shot and shell of the enemy. This, however, he jestingly declined to do, observing that another shell would certainly never be pitched into that small room. Unhappily the chances were adverse. On the following day another shell burst in the same spot, mortally wounding Sir Henry, Captain Wilson, deputy-assistant-adjutantgeneral, receiving a contusion at the same time. Colonel Inglis, who succeeded to the command at Lucknow, in his despatch, dated September 1857, thus describes the last moments of this brave

* For an account of the resolute defence of Lucknow, the daring exploits and devoted sacrifice of the men, and of the patient endurance and terrible sufferings of the women and children, the reader is referred to Mr Gubbin's account of the mutiny in Oude.

IV.

G

Ir.

commander :--"Knowing that his last hour was rapidly approaching, he directed me to assume command of the troops, and appointed Major Banks to succeed him in the officer of chief commissioner. He lingered in great agony till the morning of the 11th of July, when he expired, and the Government was thereby deprived, if I may venture to say so, of the services of a distinguished statesman and a most gallant soldier. Few men have ever possessed to the same extent the power which he enjoyed of winning the hearts of all those with whom he came in contact, and thus insuring the warmest and most zealous devotion for himself and the Government which he served. The successful defence of the position has been, under Providence, solely attributable to the foresight he evinced in the timely commencement of the necessary operations and the great skill and untiring personal activity which he exhibited in carrying them into effect. All ranks possessed such confidence in his judgment and his fertility of resource, that the news of his fall was received throughout the garrison with feelings of consternation, only second to the grief which was inspired in the hearts of all by the loss of a public benefactor and a warm personal friend. . . In him every good and deserving soldier lost a friend, and a chief capable of discriminating and ever on the alert to reward merit, no matter how humble the sphere in which it was exhibited."

Another writer says:-"A nobler soldier, a more devoted public servant, a more benevolent and large-hearted man, never died."

Of his wisdom and practical benevolence a lasting memorial survives in the noble institution which bears his name "the Lawrence Asylum "—which was established for the reception of the children of European soldiers in India. The necessity and utility of this institution were soon so fully recognised by the Indian public, that on the death of the estimable Lady Lawrence, the English in India, who knew her high qualities, subscribed a very considerable sum in augmentation of the funds of the Asylum, thinking that there could be no testimonial more worthy of the deceased, or more respectful to the memory of her husband. The Government, too, have accorded it a liberal support. For many years Sir Henry devoted a portion of his leisure from official labours to literary pursuits. His contributions to the Calcutta Review in the years 1844-56 have been collected since his death, and were published in London in 1859 as "Essays, Military and Political." Two of these essays are especially remarkable; they were written in the year preceding the mutiny, and prefigured with extraordinary foresight the terrible calamity that was then impending.

In recognition of Sir Henry's services, his eldest son has been created a baronet.

THE RIGHT HON. ABRAHAM BREWSTER, P.C., EX-LORD-CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND.

BORN 1796.

THE Right Hon. Abraham Brewster was born at Ballinamulta, in the county Wicklow, in the year 1796. He was the eldest son of the * See also Mr Gubbin's account of the mutiny of 1857.

late William Bagenal Brewster, Esq. of Ballinamulta, by Miss Bates, daughter of Mr Bates of Killenure, county Wicklow. His grandfather William was the second son of Samuel Brewster, Esq. of Ballywilliam Roe, county Carlow, and was descended from a branch of the East Anglian family of Brewster. He received his early education at Kilkenny College, graduated A.B. 1817 at Trinity College, Dublin, and was called to the Irish bar in the year 1819. In 1835 he was promoted to the inner bar, where he enjoyed a most distinguished practice as a leader until his elevation to the bench in 1866. He was law adviser for many years to successive Lord-Lieutenants of Ireland. In 1846 he became Solicitor-General under Sir Robert Peel's Ministry, but filled that post for a few months only, namely, from February to June of that year. In the same year he was elected a Bencher of the Honourable Society of King's Inns. On the formation of Lord Aberdeen's Ministry in 1852, Mr Brewster was made Attorney-General for Ireland, and held that office until March 1855. He was added to the Privy Council on becoming Attorney-General. During Lord Derby's second administration, in 1866, Mr Brewster was appointed Lord-Justice of Appeal in the room of Mr Blackburne, who resigned that office to accept the Great Seal for a second time. Early in 1867 Mr Blackburne, owing to his failing health, retired from the Chancellorship, and Mr Brewster was promoted to the office of Lord Chancellor, which he vacated on the retirement of the Derby administration in December 1868.

he was.

When Mr Brewster was promoted to the most exalted position open to him in the law, there was no one who could dispute his title to the highest honours which the country could confer upon him; nor could any one deny that if merit had been made the ground of preferment, he should have been advanced to the foremost place many years before Nothing but the consciousness of this could have sustained him during a long servitude to the arduous labours of professional life. For a period of twenty years, from the time he was Solicitor-General in 1846 until he became Lord-Justice of Appeal in 1866, he was doomed to plead before judges in the Courts of Law and Equity, whose claims to judicial honours were in nearly every instance much inferior to his own. But it is creditable to him that he always bowed with respect to the offices, if not always to the men, and never evinced, in public at least, any symptoms of jealousy or bitterness towards his more fortunate legal brethren.

In Ireland there is not, as in England, the same division of legal labour; and a junior barrister in the former country must be ready to plead in every court, whether of Law or Equity, at the shortest notice. The result of these multifarious demands upon Irish barristers is sufficiently obvious in the fact, that few of them have time to attain that high excellence in any one department which distinguishes their more fortunate brethren on the other side of the water, as lawyers, authors, and judges, and has been unfairly ascribed to the difference of race. If to this state of things-which is to a great extent the necessary consequence of the dearth of business in Ireland, as compared with England— be added the pernicious system of making political agitation and parliamentary services the passport to advancement, it seems more