father was one of the oldest captains in the West India trade out of the port of London. His family would appear to have come out of Yorkshire, but upon this point we have no certain intelligence; nor is it of much consequence how many generations we can count backwards in the pedigree of a man, who is indebted to his own exertions for his celebrity. At the early age of fourteen, having been then but two years in an academy at Hammersmith, he was placed as an extra clerk in the East India House. He always deplored the insufficiency of his education. Before and after office hours he endeavoured to make up for his misfortune in this respect, and contrived not only to make himself master of the French language, but to "prosecute inquiries into some of the branches of literature and science." Little, however, is known of the course of his studies at this period. Indeed the greater part of his history before leaving England is told in a few words.

The early youth of Mr. Raffles was a period of obscurity and labour, without friends to aid him, as well as without the hope of promotion; his family only searching for that mode of life in which he was most likely to acquire the greatest pecuniary success, without regard to the natural bias of his mind, or to the talents which he possessed. At fourteen he was chained down to the duties of an office; at this early age, and a friendless boy, it is not likely that he would at first be intrusted with much which was interesting; but his was a master mind, and soon burst its shackles, and manifested a high and noble resolve to devote itself to the good of others, and a yearning to obtain the station for which it felt itself best fitted.

His attention to his dull routine of duty was unremitting; he worked early and late; he studied, as he himself says, in stolen moments; by his extra labour at his office he obtained an addition to his salary, which was not appropriated to any selfish purpose; but all he earned was carried home to his parents, as they were at this time in difficulties. His affection to his mother was always one of the strongest feelings of his heart. At this time, with that self-denying devotion to the happiness of others, which was his distinguishing quality through life, he deprived himself of every indulgence, that he might devote to her his hard-earned pittance: and in after-days of comparative affluence he delighted in surrounding her with every comfort.

Such a sedentary life of labour was, however, ill adapted to the delicacy of his frame; and it was feared that symptoms of consumption were becoming confirmed; he was ordered to relax his exertions, and to leave his office for a time; he obeyed, and obtained a fortnight's leave of absence. The use which he made of this short period of recreation is very characteristic: he seized on the moment to indulge that love of mountain scenery, so strong in most youthful minds, so happily undying and unfading in its exciting joyous feeling. He resolved to go into Wales, set off on foot, and walked at the rate of thirty and forty miles a day, accomplished his object, and returned to his desk with restored health. school-boy, his garden was his delight; to this was added a love of animals, which was perhaps unequalled. It has been observed, that it is one of the characteristic properties of a great mind, that it can contract as well as

As a

dilate itself; and the mind which cannot do both, is not great in its full extent: this observation was forcibly realised in him; he spent hours in foodling and domesticating those objects of his care and attention. He entered with the most child-like simplicity into occupations and pleasures which many would consider beneath their notice. A mountain scene would bring tears into his eyes; a flower would call forth a burst of favourite poetry. It was, perhaps, peculiar to himself to be able to remark, on his last return to England, that he had never seen a horse-race, never fired a gun.

His facility in acquiring languages was extreme. He made himself master of French, with scarcely any assistance, on his first going into the India House; and as he never forgot any thing which he had once attained, he always continued to speak this language with great fluency, though he had little opportunity of practice. As an instance, in the year 1818, during his government of Sumatra, a lady was singing in his house one of Moore's Melodies, "Rich and rare were the gems she wore," when some French gentlemen present regretted that the beauties which he was so admiring were lost to them: he immediately translated the whole into French verse, much to the surprise of all present.

His taste for drawing was shewn at an early age, though he never had leisure to indulge it as he wished. In music he was always fonder of melody than of harmony; perhaps because he did not sufficiently cultivate this delightful science.

His studies, from his facility of acquirement, were desultory; but he was always acquiring something; and was never for one moment unoccupied; later in life, if obliged by illness to relinquish his occupations, he covered his couch with papers on the first cessation of pain, and was immediately engaged, either in reading or dictating.

Little is known of his religious feelings on first entering the world. Early religious instruction was not then, perhaps, so general as at present, and he was not one of the happy few who received it; but, as he advanced in life, prosperity warmed his heart towards the God who led him forward in his course of usefulness; adversity taught him to look to another state of being for the happiness which he felt himself capable of enjoying: perhaps his most prominent feelings on this subject were humility and faith. From his first setting out in life, he gave the praise to God for all the blessings which he enjoyed, and was deeply impressed with a sense of his own unworthiness. He constantly mourned over his own weakness, and deplored his want of power to do that which he felt he ought to do, and his failure in the performance of every duty from the earliest period he acquiesced in every privation, as the wise purpose of an Almighty Father working for his own glory, which, though mysterious to the limits of man's understanding, would be brightly and clearly known hereafter.

Beginning life under the influence of such principles and feelings, it will not be matter of surprise, that his own exertions proved his best patron, and procured him friends, whose good opinion was at once honourable to his talents, and favourable to his advancement. Such friends, at a very early period of his connection with the East India House, he had obtained; for a vacancy having occurred in the establishment, his peculiar qualifications were allowed to secure his accession to it, notwithstanding the claims of others who possessed an interest of which he could not boast.'—pp. 3—5. The Court of Directors having, in an evil hour, determined, in

1805, to send out an establishment to Penang, or Prince of Wales's Island, Mr. Raffles was appointed assistant secretary, on account of the aptitude for business which he had already displayed. On his way thither he made such progress in the Malayan language, that he was enabled at once upon his arrival to enter efficiently upon his new duties. From the beginning he accustomed himself to converse as much as possible with the natives; a habit which he always pursued in the different islands in which he was subsequently stationed. In this manner, besides making himself well acquainted with the different dialects which prevail in those regions, he obtained an ascendancy over the native inhabitants which often materially facilitated his operations. This trait of character he also possessed in common with Sir Thomas Munro, and it was at once a proof of his good sense, and of his zeal for the service in which he was employed. A great variety of laborious duties devolved upon him at Penang, in consequence of the indisposition brought on by the climate, which proved fatal to two governors, the whole of the council, and many of the new settlers. The prevailing disease, which had nearly numbered Mr. Raffles also amongst its victims, drove him to Malacca for better air; and it is most probably to this circumstance that the Company is now indebted for the retention of that station in the consolidated government of Penang and Singapore, as secured by treaty with the Netherlands. The inquiries and observations of the secretary while recovering his health at that place, pointed it out as infinitely preferable to Penang, in every respect, for an establishment, and in consequence of his reports, orders which had been sent out from the Directors for the demolition of Malacca,-in which one may see an edifying specimen of the aptitude of such a body for the superintendence of such extensive possessions as they possess in Asia,were recalled, and a point d'appui was preserved, now acknowledged to be of considerable importance.

The next appointment which Mr. Raffles obtained, shewed the great confidence which was reposed in his abilities. He was selected by Lord Minto to assist as his agent in the operations for the reduction of Java, in 1809, and thus eventually became connected with the island, upon which the chief portion of his celebrity is founded. The most interesting incidents in his career at this period, and until the close of his administration in Java, having been already detailed in his excellent history of that island, we shall here only observe, that he appears throughout the whole business to have conducted himself with the best intentions. The soundness of his discretion in acting on several important occasions without authority, may indeed be questionable. But it does not appear to us that in relieving him in the manner they did of the government of Java, the Company made any thing like a reasonable allowance for the difficult circumstances in which he was placed. Such being the impression we have received, as well from

the work just mentioned, as from the correspondence now before us, we feel pleasure in quoting a private letter which was addressed to Mr. Raffles, at an early period of his administration, by Lord Minto.

6

'Calcutta, 15th Dec. 1812.

My Dear Sir, I shall be impatient for the materials which are called for, because I am anxious to deliver, without reserve or qualification, the very high and favourable view I now have of that whole series of measures beginning with the expedition to Palembang, and ending with the arrangement of the two courts of Solo and Djocjocarta, connected and combined with each other as those measures were. I consider the result of the latter proceeding as very glorious to your administration, during the short period of which more will have been accomplished for the security of the Europeau power, the tranquillity of the island, and the solid improvement of general prosperity and happiness, than several centuries have been able to perform, when the superiority of European power was exerted, unencumbered by the scruples of justice and good faith.

Nothing can be more excellent than all your arrangements in the eastern districts of Java.

With regard to Palembang and Banca, your latest reports have enabled us to approve, without reservation, the arrangement formed at Palembang, and the annexation of Banca to the territories of the East India Company, our minds being satisfied upon the two points of justice and expediency. The sovereignty of the Sultan of Palembang is indisputably subject, both to the laws of conquest in so just a war, and to the effect of cession from the authority under which it is now held.

Believe me ever, my dear Sir, most truly and affectionately your's, 'MINTO.'—pp. 130, 131.

Before Mr. Raffles quitted Java, he was appointed by his friend, Lord Minto, to the Residency of Bencoolen; but his health was then so exhausted, that his medical advisers considered it necessary for him to return to England, where he arrived in the summer of 1816. His first ambition was to vindicate his late administration, a task in which he unfortunately did not succeed, at least so far as the Company were concerned. They coldly gave him credit for good motives, but would express no opinion on his measures. We have but a scanty notice of his residence in England on this

occasion.

Mr. Raffles's health was so much impaired by his residence in India, that his friends strongly urged the necessity of relinquishing all thoughts of returning to that country, but to this advice it was unfortunately not in his power to attend; previously to leaving England, however, he was anxious to record the information which he had collected regarding Java. The island had been transferred by the English government, in total ignorance of its value, to the Dutch. The presence of Mr. Raffles in England created an interest in the subject as far as his personal influence extended. To diffuse this interest more generally, and to make the country sensible of the loss sustained by the relinquishment of so flourishing a colony to a foreign and a rival power, he determined to write his History of Java, which he completed with his usual quickness. A few sheets were rapidly written

off every morning for the printer, and corrected at night on his return from his dinner engagements. It was commenced in the month of October, 1816, and published in May, 1817.* It was at this time that Mr. Raffles was presented to his Majesty, then Prince Regent, and received the honour of knighthood.

'During this period Sir Stamford enjoyed the pleasures of society with a zest which may be well imagined, when the vigour of his mind and the variety of his tastes are considered. He left England, indeed, at an age when he had no opportunity of judging of the attractions of its best society; but whilst he was occupied in his public duties in the East, he seized eagerly every opportunity to gratify his thirst of knowledge, and to improve the talents with which God had blessed him; he, therefore, in every station, surrounded himself with all of every class from whom he could derive information; and he returned to England with talents ripened, and with a taste formed for all the intellectual enjoyments of life. During the fifteen months which he thus passed, he had the happiness to obtain the friendship of many, whose sympathy in after scenes of anxiety and sorrow with which it pleased God to visit him, proved a source of comfort and consolation. He had also the high gratification of being one of those whom their Royal Highnesses Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold honoured with proofs of regard. He was a frequent guest at Claremont. His last dinner, before he set out on his last expedition, was there, and the ring which, on that day, the Princess gave to him, was the gift which, of all such gifts, he prized most.'-pp. 286, 287.

After a tour through the Continent, during which he commenced a correspondence, continued for several years after, with the Duchess of Somerset, Sir Stamford Raffles returned to India, and entered upon his duties as Resident at Bencoolen, in the island of Sumatra. He thus describes the comforts which awaited him on his arrival. This is, without exception, the most wretched place I ever beheld. I cannot convey to you an adequate idea of the state of ruin and dilapidation which surrounds me. What with natural impediments, bad government, and the awful visitations of Providence which we have recently experienced, in repeated earthquakes, we have scarcely a dwelling in which to lay our heads, or wherewithal to satisfy the cravings of nature. The roads are impassable; the highways in the town overrun with rank grass; the Government-house a den of ravenous dogs and polecats.' In short, the settlement was in a most miserable condition. The chief revenue of the government was derived from taxes on gambling and cock-fighting. No wonder, therefore, that murders and robberies were of daily occurrence, and that Bencoolen, although one of the Company's first settlements in point of time, was a complete sink of vice. It was, moreover, the Botany Bay of India, whither numbers of convicts were annually transported. The Company retained possession of Bencoolen solely on account of its produce

Early in this year Mr. Raffles married Sophia, daughter of J. W. Hull, Esq., of the County of Down, Ireland.