Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 13).

Date:: 1830-33

Credit: Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 13). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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$then forced the passage of the Bidas.«oa, and entered France. Soult endeavored to impede liis march, but was repulsed on several occasions; and at Toulouse the last battle was fought.—See Napier's History of the War in the Peninsula (4 vols., 1828—1832).—The peace imme- diately followed, and the return of the Bourbons. Wellington was created a duke, and retunied to London, after an absence of five years, and again received the thanks of the houses of parliament, who voted him a gift of £400,000. In July he was nominated ambassador extra- ordinary to France, and was then sent to the congress at Vienna. While he was there. Napoleon escaped from the isle of Elba. lie was instantly named, by the allied sovereigns, generalissimo of the European troops. He fixed his head- quarters at Brussels, and issued a proc- lamation. Hostilities commenced, and Napoleon, after having defeated the Prus- sians at Ligny, was completely routed at Waterloo, by the fortunate anival of Billow and BKicher. (See Waterloo.) Wellington then advanced to Paris, and an end was put to the war under the walls of Paris.—See Siierer's Military Memoirs of the Duke of Wellington (2 vols., Lon- don, 1832).—The parliament of England now voted him a further sum of £200,000; and the sovereigns of I'urope all be- stowed on him rewards and honors. He afterwards commanded the army of oc- cupation in France, and was at the con- gress of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1818, where he was attended by a guard of honor, like a pi-ince of the blood. In 1822, he was British minister ])lenipotentiary at the congress of Verona, and, in accordance with the policy of Canning, refused to participate in the measures of the powers against Spain. In 182G, he was sent to St. Petersburg to congratulate Nicholas on his accession to the throne. On the ajjpointmcnt of Canning to the premier- ship, in 1827, Wellington resigned his seat in the cabinet, with the other minis- ters opposed to Catholic relief (see Cath- olic Emancipation); and, in 1828, having overturned the Goderich administration, which had given him the important post of commander-in-chief of the army, he liimself assumed the premiership, al- though, at the previous session of parlia- ment, he had declared his entire unfitness for high civil office. In December, 1830, he was obliged to give way, in turti, to the present whig ministry. Such is a rapid sketch of the forty-years' public life of tills distinguished man, as a gene- ral, a diplomatist, and a minister. The details of his history and conduct in these different character are too well known to need repetition.* Wells ; a city of England, in Somer- setshire, nineteen miles south-west of Bath, 121 west of London : Ion. 2° 50' W., lat. 51° 11' N.; population, 6649. United with Bath, it forms a bishop's see. It is situated in a diversified and picturesque country, having fertile and extensive meadows to the south, east and west. It is small, compact, generally well built, and contains one of the most magnificent cathedrals in England (381 feet long, 131 broad, with a quadrangular tower 178 feet high). It receives its name from a re- markable spring, called St. Andrew^s well (vulgarly bottomless well). W^elser; an old patrician family in Augsburg, now extinct. A Julius Welser is mentioned under the emperor Otho I, who was made a noble, in 959, on ac- count of his services in the war against the Hungarians.—His son Octavianus set- tled in Augsburg ; and from him sprung the family which became so famous.— Bartholomew Welser was privy counsellor of Charles V, and so wealthy that, with the family of the Fugger, he lent 1,200,000 florins to the emperor. With the consent of the emperor, he equipped, in 1528, three vessels in Spain, which sailed under * lie was created baron Douro of Wcllcslcy in the county of Somerset, and viscount Welling- ton of Talavera, and of Wellington, in 1809 ; earl of Wellington in 1812 ; marciuis of Wellinelon in 1812 ; marquis of Douro and duke of Wellington in 1814. He is also duke of Ciudad Rodrigo, and a grandee of the first class in Spain ; duke of Vitloria, marquis of, Torres Vcdras and count Vimeira in Portugal, and prince of Waterloo in the Netherlands. He is likewise kniHit of the no- ble order of the garter, knight grand cross of the Bath, &c., &.C. Previous to the change of minis- try in 1830, his grace was at once field-marshal in the army ; colonel of the royal regiment of horse- guards ; colonel-in-chiefof the rifle brigade; con- stable of the Tower; prime minister (hrst lord of the treasury); a lord of trade and plantations; commissioner for the affairs of India ; lord-warden of ihe Cinque Ports ; lord-lieutenant of the county of Hants, &c., &c., and, including Iiis pensions, salaries, and the interest on grants, in the receipt of £48,000 per annum from the pub- lic. In addition to these honors and distinctions, he was field-marshal in the Portuguese, Spanish, Netherlandish, Austrian,Russian and Prussian scr- > ice. The king of Portugal gave him a service of plate of the value of about g'?00,000 ; the emperor of Austria, and the kings of Prussia and Saxony, splendid services of Vienna, Berlin and Misnian porcelain ; the city of London a shield of massive silver, upwards of three feet in diameter, with representations of his victories in relief, &c. His eldest son and heir, .\rthur, marquis of Douro, wm born in 1807, and his other son, Charles, in 1808.$

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