William Windham

“ Windham, of whom Wilberforce says that "he had many of the true characteristics of a hero, but he had one great fault as a statesman, he hated the popular side of any question," gives as his opinion in the next letter, that he saw no impossibility in two armies of from twenty to thirty thousand men being landed in different places, and being opposed only by yeomanry and volunteers they might advance to London or wherever else they pleased. "Government acknowledge that there is an utter want of firearms." ”

“ He naturally asked himself the question, Why had Windham fallen back on the city instead of pursuing his conquest ? The answer came quickly enough Cawnpore was not defensible. He at once resolved therefore to attack it, and of his intentions Windham, from lack of spies, was kept for a time in ignorance. ”

“ The “profession and character” of the fraternity had just been roughly assailed in Parliament by Mr. Windham. The question of excluding reporters from the gallery of the House of Commons was one which would come up at intervals, and it was one upon which most public men changed their opinions, from time to time, according to circumstances. Mr. Windham was now for shutting the gallery ”

“ John entered Parliament as member for Wotton Bassett, the family borough. He acted with the Tories, and became intimate with their leader, Robert Harley. He soon became distinguished as the ablest and most vigorous of the young supporters of the Tory party. He was a handsome man and a brilliant speaker, delighted in by politicians who, according to his own image in the Letter to Windham, “grow, like hounds, fond of the man who shows them game.” He was active in the impeachment of Somers, Montague, the Duke of Portland, and the Earl of Oxford for their negotiation of the Partition Treaties. ”

“ Windham was also invited, but did not go, and thought that Payne should have told him of the invitation to the premier (Windham, Diary, pp. 198, 288, 310) . This change of politics was rendered necessary by the shrinking of his resources, and it soon bore fruit. He was created Baron Lavington of Lavington in the peerage of Ireland on 1 Oct. 1795, and a privy councillor on 30 Oct. 1799. In February 1799 he was reappointed as governor of the Leeward Islands, and the assembly voted him an allowance of 2,000l. a year, that he might the better support the dignity of the position. ”

“ Nigel Prior of Windham, Ingulf Prior of Norwich, Stephen Prior of Thetford, Hugh Prior of Acre, and William, Luke, Wibert, Gregory, Thomas, John, Silvester, Paulinus, Florentius, Hugh, Eudo, and Stephen, then monks of Windham, Jeffry de Morley, and many others; and the same time, William de Cruciona or Curson gave them 20 acres of land and all his tithes of Stanfield in Windham, in the presence of Alice Bigot, mother of the deceased, Agnes de Beaufoe, and Almund, her daughter, and others. ”

“ Nearly five years passed away and Windham records in his diary that most of Johnson's chief friends and Metcalfe among them met at dinner at Malone's (29 Nov. 1789) to discuss the proposed monument. In the same month Boswell describes a dinner at sir Joshua's house, with Metcalfe among the guests, to "settle as to effectual measures" about it. A whole-length statue by Bacon would cost £600. Sir Joshua and sir Wm. Scott the executors of their departed friend were to send out circular letters. "Several of us" writes Boswell "subscribed five guineas each; Sir Joshua and Metcalfe ten guineas each ”

“ I am not at all sure Windham may do better than any other man would do, but to justify such an appointment he ought to do far better; and, though he is a sharp fellow enough, I have never seen anything in him which indicates real genius or a superior intellect. ”

“ The story of Windham’s disastrous fight at Cawnpore is a sort of bloody appendix to Campbell’s march on Lucknow. It must be told here to make the tale complete.
Windham was a soldier of a fine, if not of the highest type, a man of immense energy and of cool daring which, if it always saw the peril, scorned to turn aside on account of it. His sobriquet was “Redan” Windham, and no one who has read the story of how, on September 8, 1855, he led the British stormers through the embrasures of the Redan can doubt that Windham’s courage was of a lion-like quality. ”

“ His entrance into public life took place in April 1783, when he went to Ireland as chief secretary to Lord Northington, the lord-lieutenant in the coalition ministry of Fox and Lord North. Windham was his own keenest critic, his distrust in his own powers and his disappointment at his own achievements being conspicuous on every page of his Diary. ”

“ Windham, with his devotion, his fervid passion, his burning words, his despairing love, his incessant self-watchfulness and strong self-control. Windham, who had snatched her from a dreadful death, and given glory and bliss to that heaven in life which she had known in Marseilles and in Florence; Windham, who had found in her society his highest happiness, and had spoken to her words of frenzied adoration; Windham, who had been the partner of so many stolen interviews; Windham, who once had flung aside even his honor and duty in his mad love, and urged her to fly with him to India! ”

“ PAGE . I48 Westminster, abbey -2I Windham, William , 20,31 „ representation Wolcot, John, Dr. , 83, 93 of . . I78 Wood, Isabella . 122 Whimple (Devonshire) .
Woodfall, George . , 96 Whiston, rev. William . -4,8 Wordsworth, William . 98 Whitbread, Samuel , 181 Worthing, beauty of . 140 White, Lydia -71 Wraxall, sir Nathaniel i> 176 Whitehall banqueting house 23 Wilberforce, William . • 32 Yates, Mary Ann, Mrs. • 95 Wilkes, John . 96 Young, Murdo . . ”

“ A mere glance at his diary is sufficient to convince us that Windham, p. 330when in London, mixed with the first men and women of his time. The late Lord Chief Justice Scarlett, on being asked by his son-in-law to name the very best speech he had heard during his life, and that which he thought most worthy of study, answered, without hesitation, ‘Windham’s speech on the Law of Evidence.’ In a conversation with Lord Palmerston, Pitt observed of Windham: ‘Nothing can be so well-meaning or eloquent as he is. ”

“ He himself had gone from China to India, where he had taken a small tour though the country, and then had embarked for Europe. Before going back to America he expected to spend some time with his family in Italy, France, and Germany.
There was a grandeur of view in this man's way of looking upon the world which surprised Windham, and, to some degree, amused him. For Obed Chute regarded the whole world exactly as another man might regard his native county or town ”

“ The captain looked annoyed.
"It looks to me," said he, "simply like some heavily laden schooner."
"But I tell you she is sinking, and there is a woman on board," said Windham, more vehemently than ever.
"Oh, it's only some Neapolitan fish-wife."
"You must turn the steamer, and save her," said Windham, with savage emphasis.
"I can not. We shall be behind time."
"Damn time!" roared Windham, thoroughly roused. "Do you talk of time in comparison with the life of a human being? If you don't turn the steamer's head, _I_ will." ”

“ Windham was selected to lead the storming party of the 2nd division at the assault on the Redan on 8 Sept. 1855. Although the assault failed, the gallantry of Windham's conduct earned the warm commendation of General (Sir) James Simpson [q. v.] , who had succeeded Lord Raglan in the command of the army in the Crimea. Extraordinary enthusiasm was aroused when the descriptions of the assault, written by the special correspondents of the ‘Times’ and other papers, were published in England, and Windham became, in a moment, the best known and most popular man in his native country. ”

“ Windham told the king, that Sir Thomas, his father, in the year 1636, a few days before his death, called to him his five sons. “My children,” said he, “we have hitherto seen serene and quiet times under our three last sovereigns: but I must now warn you to prepare for clouds and storms. Factions arise on every side, and threaten the tranquillity of your native country. But whatever happen, do you faithfully honor and obey your prince, and adhere to the crown. I charge you never to forsake the crown, though it should hang upon a bush.” ”

“ A thing may be unknown to practitioners, as humanity and sincerity may be unknown to the practitioners of State-craft, and foresight, science, and harmony may have been unknown to the planners and practitioners of Continental Expeditions; but even "cheese-parings and candle-ends" cannot be known or unknown "to" a practice!!
Windham was destined to be attacked by another stalwart in Lamb's circle, for it was his speech in opposition to Lord Erskine's Cruelty to Animals Bill in 1809 that inspired John Lamb to write his fierce pamphlet (see page 434) . ”

“ To a man who, three months ago, had borne his part in the wonderful retreat at Fontenoy, that epic of steadiness under fire, and who had even been complimented by the Duke of Cumberland on his conduct, the last half-hour had been a nightmare of shame, and Keith Windham, glad to be able to extricate himself from it with the confidence that he was not abandoning his men on the eve of a fight, he set spurs to his horse with great relief. ”

“ And I thought to see old Windham and my patient love once more;
When a kinsman's letter reached me: "Come at once, or come too late!
Your Katie's strength is failing; if you love her, do not wait:
⁠Come back to the elms of New England." ”

“ After landing at Suez they were thrown more closely together; their intimacy deepened on the way to Alexandria; and when they embarked on the Mediterranean they had become stronger friends than ever. Windham had told the other that he had recently heard of the death of a friend, and was going home to settle his affairs. He hinted also that he was in some government employ in India; and Obed Chute did not seek to know more. ”

“ Windham knows that he was never despised by the Whig interest in the city, till he appeared in the character of a war minister, and the enthusiastic abettor of the most disgraceful and perilous measures ever pursued by weak and wicked men. ”

“ Intended for the profession of a country attorney, he was articled to a Norwich firm, and eventually spent a year in London before entering into the full practice of his profession. Having made the acquaintance of Mr. Windham, he became that gentleman's agent during the election contest which followed the dissolution of parliament in 1802, and a permanent friendship was established between them. In 1806, upon Windham becoming war and colonial minister, he appointed Amyot his private secretary, who thereupon threw up his Norwich practice, and came to London. ”

“ Windham accompanied the 2nd battalion of the Coldstream guards to Canada in January 1838, and served with them in that country during Papineau's rebellion, returning to England in the autumn of 1842. On 22 June 1849 he retired on half-pay.
On the outbreak of the Crimean war Windham was still on half-pay, but, having on 20 June 1854 been promoted to the rank of colonel, he was appointed assistant quartermaster-general of the 4th division of the army of the east, and accompanied his divisional commander, Lieutenant-general Sir George Cathcart [q. v.] ”

“ And otherwise we would miss Lord Wilmot, which would be inconvenient to both of us."
Windham gave in, and they rode boldly forward to the chief inn of the place. The yard was filled with soldiers. Charles, as the groom of the party, alighted, took the horses, and purposely led them in a blundering way through the midst of the soldiers to the stable. Some of the red-coats angrily cursed him for his rudeness, but he went serenely on, as if soldiers were no more to him than flies. ”

“ Windham this day, is too interesting to be omitted. It presents his opinion of the patriotic character of Mr. Windham, the disinterestedness of his own, and the wretched pusillanimity of the Neapolitan officers.
Naples, 10th Dec. 1798.
"MY DEAR SIR, "Your several letters of November 30, came to me this moment. Believe me, no person can set a higher value on your friendship than I do; for, I know, from experience, that you have nothing more at heart, than the honour of our king and country. I rejoice to hear, that the cargoes of corn in the Mole of Leghorn will be landed ”

“ In our Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky, there is a subterranean lake containing fishes which have no eyes at all. So it is in character and in morals. I will point you out men whose eyes are inflamed by the hot rays of passion; and others who show by their eyes that they have lived in moral darkness as dense as that of the Kentucky cave. Take a thief. Do you not know him by his eye? It takes an honest man to look you in the face."
"Yon have done a great many things," said Windham, at another time. "Have you ever preached in your country?"
"No," said Obed Chute, with a laugh ”

“ WINDHAM, JOSEPH (1739–1810) , antiquary, born at Twickenham on 21 Aug. 1739, at a house which was afterwards the residence of Richard Owen Cambridge [q. v.] , was related to the Windham family of Norfolk. He was educated at Eton, proceeding to Christ's College, Cambridge, but did not graduate. In 1769 he returned from a prolonged tour through France, Italy, Istria, and Switzerland. He had a strong interest in matters connected with art, was well read in classical and mediæval writers, and made numerous drawings both of natural objects and of antiquities. ”