'The Life and Correspondence of Major-General Sir John Malcolm, G.C.B., late envoy to Persia, and governor of Bombay; from unpublished letters and journals. In two volumes. Vol. II.' [‎100] (117/654)

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after waterloo.
to idle tourists liimgering after a sensation—had flocked
to Paris to see the show. The great French capital,
indeed, was in a chronic state of spcctciclc. Malcolin
went thither under the happiest auspices. His old friend
Arthur Wellesley was now, in Paris the great focus of at
traction—in the world, the foremost man of his age.
Malcolm never doubted for a moment the reception lie
would receive from the conqueror of Napoleon and the
deliverer of Europe ; and he was not disappointed. The
Duke of Wellington received him cordially, as an old
friend; and talked to him unreservedly, as to one by
whom he desired to be thoroughly understood. They
had many interesting conversations, the substance of
which, and often the words, Malcolm chronicled at the
time in his journal. I feel, therefore, that I cannot do
better now than leave the journalist to speak for himself:
Paris, July, 1815.
July 24. —Arrived at two p.m ., as the army of the Duke of Wel
lington were passing in review before the Emperors of Austria,
Russia, Kings of Prussia and the Netherlands, and all the principal
Generals and Staff, &c., who stood in front of the Tuileries to
see the heroes of W aterloo. They were not, I was told imme
diately afterwards, less surprised at their fine appearance than
their numbers. They amounted to 65,000, which is more than
they were at the battle of the 18th.
I went to the Duke's hotel. He had not returned from the
review, so Allan and myself left our names, and the moment he
came in (five o'clock). Colonel Campbell brought us a message re
questing we would dine with him, and that we would bring Lord
John Campbell, who was our fellow-traveller. We found the
Duke with a large party seated at dinner. He called out, in his
usual manner, the moment I entered, " Ah! Malcolm, I am de
lighted to see you." I went and shook hands, introduced Lord
John Campbell, and then sat down, I mention this trifle because
it showed me at once that his astonishing elevation had not pro
duced the slightest change. The tone—the manner—everything
was the same.