F10195_0092

42.
ley to win the ultimate approval
of Parliament, he had to foresee what
would win that approval. Of those who
came after him none equalled him in
enterprise & therefore in responsibility, &
those who approached him had - even
at so early a date - the advantage of
the gradually increasing speed of navigation.

Wellesley's character.

Wellesley's personal character is interesting
& has in it much that is admirable.
Ambitious for himself & zealous
in his work, yet he had right & duty at
heart. Firm & unbending, he was neither
unjust nor cruel. He possessed the forethought,
the prudence, & the courage
alike necessary to his position. Penetration
into the characters of other & a
mind clear to grasp the most complex
situations & quick to devise the most
far-reaching schemes, these attributes
claim for him a place among the
first rank of British statesmen. But
if he was great he was fully aware
of his greatness. Though neither arrogant
nor wholly conceited, he did not
- at least - underrate his own good
qualities. Vain & self appreciative, he
was at the same time pleasant &