HAVELOCK.*

WE suppose that there has been within the experience of living men no other individual on whose career, or at any rate, a portion of it, such mighty and intimate interests have depended, as there have on the life or death, the success or the failure, of Henry Havelock within the last few months; and that this was felt to be so was manifest, for in all this land there was no name so constantly on men's lips, not only in conversation, but in prayer, as his was. Did a man meet his fellow in the street, there was no question asked and answered with greater earnestness than "How was Havelock getting on?" and afterwards "How was Havelock holding out?" and doubtless his name, thus present in all hearts, rose in prayer from as many of them as prayed at all in Christian Britain.

God who raised him up for us, and employed him in the noble cause which centred all England's gaze upon him, has seen fit that in the flesh he should never be seen of his countrymen, to receive the demonstrations of a nation's gratitude and admiration; and the justice rendered to him by the aristocrats in power at the time was so tardy as to have been well nigh too late altogether. It was in the last letter which he ever wrote that he mentions the receipt of newspapers announcing his elevation to the commandership of the Bath; "though," he presently adds, "I do not after all see my elevation in the Gazette, but Sir Colin addresses me as Sir Henry Havelock." This slight and unsubstantial instalment of what England would do for him was not too soon. In a few more days he had entered into the joy of his Lord, and was alike beyond and indifferent to what men could say of him. It is however left for us, as a people, to cherish his memory, though hardly shall we individually follow his example. Such, then, being the relation filled by Havelock, or rather by his memory, towards our masses, it was evident that no publication would better chime with the sentiments of the people of these islands than one which told of Havelock-how he lived and how he died.

By the preface of the little work which is at present under our notice, we perceive that it pretends to be little more than a stop-gap, if we may use the colloquialism, until, in the fulness of time, a more ample memoir of its illustrious subject, now in course of preparation, shall appear. Moreover, Mr. Brock's book distinctly professes to have "special reference to the religious character of the deceased General," and purports to let the world know "how good as well as how great a man he was whose loss we so unfeignedly deplore," a man whom Lord Hardinge designated as "every inch a soldier, and every inch a Christian."

Henry Havelock, then, we learn from his own papers, was born at Bishop Wearmouth, in the County of Durham, in April, 1795, which

"A Biographical Sketch of Sir Henry Havelock, K.C.B." By the Rev. W. Brock. London: Nisbet and Co., 21 Berners-street.

would make him have been about sixty-three at the time of his death. At the early age of six, he and his brother William, who was two years older than himself, and who afterwards fell in a cavalry action in the Punjaub, in 1843, went to school at Dartford in Kent, near to which place their father, who had been employed in ship-building and commerce, had purchased a place called Ingress. Of this father Havelock says:

"My father, William Havelock, descended from a family which formerly resided at Grimsby in Lincolnshire, and was himself born at Guisborough, in Yorkshire. After his first improvement of fortune at Sunderland he married Jane, daughter of John Carter, a conveyancer of Stockton-on-Tees, whose wife was the sister of William Ettrick, Esq., of High Barnes, near Sunderland, a man of ancient family, and landed property in the County of Durham, which had belonged to it for many generations.'

During the four years or so that he remained at school at Mr. Bradley's, he frequently evinced the qualities of cool judgment, calculation, and forethought, together with an amount of fearlessness at which his father was surprised. "Were you not frightened?" said his father to him one day, "when you fell off that tree just now?" "No; I had too much else to do to be frightened. I was thinking about the the bird's eggs." This story reminds us forcibly of some of those which we read of the young Nelson. This constitutional courage was always Havelock's, but could hardly have borne him through the experiences with which his future was fraught, had it not been fortified by that courage, born of faith, in an overruling Providence, so that he was not afraid for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that Iwalketh in darkness."

His next step in life was his removal to Charterhouse School, when he was a little more than nine years old. Here he became the companion of several boys, whose future was to be distinguished in several walks of life, himself destined to achieve as brilliant success in his own way, and to bequeath to old Charterhouse as proud a boast, as any of them.

Even at this early period of his life, Havelock was distinguished for a habit thoughtful beyond his years, and which was quite distinct from that constitutional gravity which we sometimes see in the young, and mistake for a symptom of a thoughtful disposition, while at best it is but a musing one, and is as different from the former as random scribbling is from careful drawing. Somehow the boy had got hold of the question whether his faculties were given to him to be exercised only in this fleeting world, and for a limited lifetime, or whether there were not a grander hereafter, for which he had better fit himself before it should be thrust upon him. Accordingly, braving the taunts and scoffs of his schoolfellows generally, he and two or three others established a little prayer-society among themselves, praying and reading sermons to each other in one of the sleeping-rooms of the Charterhouse.

On leaving school, it was the original intention of his parents that Havelock should adopt the Bar as his profession, and in 1814 he became a pupil of Chitty's. Talfourd was fellow-clerk with him-the good Talfourd, who died on the bench but the other day, "right eloquently

pleading for greater sympathy between rich and poor, whilst for his fellow-student it was reserved to die in camp at Lucknow, exhausted by his exertions in relieving helpless women and children from disgrace and death :".

In

"But with the law Havelock was not destined to become familiar. the year in which his mother died (1810), his brother William entered the army, and commenced his active career at the battle on the Coa. This circumstance drew Henry's attention again towards military pursuits; and when Napoleon returned from Elba, in 1815, he yielded,' as he says, 'to the military propensities of his race,' by asking his brother to get him a commission forthwith.

"There was however some delay, but having greatly distinguished himself at Waterloo, as aide-de-camp to Baron Altern, his brother-described by his superior officer as one of the most chivalrous officers of the British service' -became a more influential man, and he at once exerted himself on Henry's behalf. About a month after the battle of Waterloo Henry was appointed second lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade, then the 95th.'

Even at the time of the bird-nesting adventure told above, Havelock's own tastes indicated a bias towards arms. We are told that—

"He was a great reader at this time of all papers on which he could lay his hands relating to military affairs. With the movements of Napoleon he made himself familiar, and evinced such tendencies towards the profession of a soldier, that his mother apprehended the disappointment of her project of educating him for the law.'

He appears especially to have had a genius, at any rate a taste, for military strategy and generalship :

"Having thus entered the army, he gave his whole soul up to his profession. He read every military memoir and history within his reach. He laid in a rich store of information for his future guidance. He became familiar with every memorable battle and siege of ancient or modern times, and examined the detail and the result of every movement in the field with the eye of a soldier. Frequently has he delighted his friends in India by fighting over again the actions of Blenheim and Austerlitz, and the other memorable battles of Marlborough and Napoleon, calling up from memory the strength and disposition of each division of the contending forces, and tracing on paper their successive movements, till he came to the critical movement which, in his opinion, decided the fate of the day. His great aim was to master the principles of the art of war, which he always affirmed to be unalterable, and which no general could neglect without risk of failure. The history of our own military achievements became perfectly familiar to him, and he could refer from memory to the services of every British regiment in the Army List. For several years he continued to serve in England, Scotland, and Ireland, constantly adding to his stock of observation and knowledge. In 1821, he travelled through France and Italy, and never failed to visit and examine the fields on which great actions had been fought."

He did not continue long with the gallant 95th, being transferred to the 13th Light Infantry on their augmentation, and with them, in January, 1823, Havelock embarked for India. "It was his own choice to serve in this part of the world, and he had fitted himself for Indian

service by studying Hindostanee and Persian under Dr. Gilchrist in London, before he left." While at sea it was that the grace of God visited him, satisfactorily, completely, effectually. As Mr. Brock has it, "Havelock, like Cornelius, was a devout man, and one who prayed to God alway; but he needed more instruction about the perfect freeness of salvation, or, at least, a clearer conception of his own welcome to the immediate participation of all that Christ had lived and died to procure." And even as Cornelius's prayer was heard and Peter sent to him, so Havelock found on board the transport an apostle to clear away his doubts, and to let in light upon the dark places-this was Lieutenant James Gardner of his own regiment; and he "was," we are told, "most influential in leading Havelock to make public avowal, by his works, of Christianity in earnest."

On his arrival in India, Havelock at once set about working for that Master whose service he had chosen to enter. Finding it perfect freedom, he was not the kind of Christian to sit with clasped hands and upturned eye, crying, "Lord, Lord!" but, fervent in spirit, serving that Lord, he knew that in no way could he act more acceptably than by teaching his holy truths to the many ignorant souls around him, "that he might by all means save some.' Accordingly, "with his

men he was assiduous and discreet, the earnest exhorter always, but the exhorter who sought to win them to the Lord Christ." The discretion which he shewed in this was and is worthy of all imitation by many who, with the best intentions but less tact, are working in the same field. We read

"No indiscriminate endeavours were his endeavours which overlooked constitutional diversities, and made no allowance for a man's bringing-up. He studied men's tempers carefully, and brought truth to bear upon individual minds, as it seemed to him in the best way for them, one by one. His religious influence over them became remarkable; and, though he was a strict disciplinarian, he gained their hearty goodwill."

In 1824, while with his regiment at Rangoon, Havelock was an invalid from liver-complaint, and was compelled to go to the Deccan for his health.

That his having become a Christian soldier did not prevent his being a good one, is vouched for by a brother-officer, who says

"When I first knew Havelock, in 1824, he was only eight-and-twenty; but he was conspicuous as an earnest student of his profession, a chivalrous soldier, and a man of the highest integrity. That which formed the brightest glory in his whole career was his sterling Christian consistency."

His health was soon restored, and "he sailed back by Madras to Rangoon, found the army at Prome, and fought with it at Napadee, Patanago, and Pagham-Myo."

An anecdote, further illustrating the compatibility between the whole armour of God and the sword of the King is told here:

"No godliness of mere psalm-singing was Havelock's. It is told that whilst in Burmah, the army was one day suddenly apprised of the near

approach of the enemy. Sir Archibald Campbell sent in great haste to order the men of a particular corps to occupy at once a prescribed post. Imminent as was the danger the order was to no purpose, for the men of that regiment were so many of them intoxicated that they were unfit for duty. The position was embarrassing, and would presently have become serious. The General knew this well, and he knew, too, upon whom he could depend upon such an emergency. Then,' said he, call out Havelock's saints; they are never drunk, and Havelock is always ready.' The bugle sounded; they were immediately under arms, the enemy was repulsed, and the General's object achieved.”

Chapter V. of this little work has the heading, "Havelock's Fragmentary Memoranda from 1827 to 1849," in which he generally speaks of himself in the third person. The first we will take runs thus :

1828. Published the Memoirs' by subscription, in the intervals of professional exertions at Chinsurah.”

The "professional exertions" mentioned allude to his duties as Adju tant to the Depôt of King's troops, to which post he was appointed in the previous year, and the "Memoirs" are those of the "Campaign in Ava"-a work which, it appears, did not sell, though it obtained the barren approval of three Commanders-in-chief.

“1829. February 9th, Anniversary of Fight at Pagham-Myo. Married at Serampore to Hannah, the third daughter of Dr. Marshman."

Mr. Brock gives a characteristic anecdote of Havelock's conduct on this occasion

"Havelock had been summoned to attend a court-martial on the morning appointed for the wedding. Instead of sending an excuse, he thought it his duty to go down to Calcutta, and proceeded from the altar to the boat. Having completed his duty as a member of the court, he returned to the wedding-feast in the evening."

« April 4. Havelock baptised at Serampore by the Rev. John Mack, having since walked ever with the Baptists."

On this incident Mr. Brock makes the following felicitous remarks:

"In reference to this incident in his religious history, and to the consistency with which he subsequently acted, it has been said, He was not a large or liberal-minded man; on the contrary, he was a sectarian of the Baptist persuasion.' If by sectarianism be intended attachment to a parti cular body of Christians, then this witness, of course, is true; but if, as the critic intimates, sectarianism, in the sense of narrowmindedness and censoriousness, distinguished him, then his witness about Havelock is not true.

"As a soldier he was a sectarian, in that he served immediately with the 13th Light Infantry; but then he was not a sectarian, by refusing to serve with any soldier not of the 13th. By association with a particular military corps, he did not dissociate himself from the main body of the British forces. His regiment was a sect, in the sense of being one part of the whole; it was not a sect in keeping aloof from or in decrying the chivalrous and heroic