The mind of Lord George Murray was one of great original power, and less
dependent upon those circumstances which usually affect the formation of
character, than that of most men. He was determined and inflexible in
opinions, yet cautious in action. That he was sincere and honourable
there can now be little doubt. It was his consciousness of upright
intentions which inspired him with contempt for the littleness of
others; and with his love of superiority, his self-will and ambition,
there was wrought a strong conviction of his own worth, as opposed to
the hollowness of some of his party. Throughout all his letters, and in
his journal, there is a strong evidence of his confidence in his own
powers; of a self-sufficiency too lofty to be called vanity, but which
sometimes descends to egotism. To his courage, his energy and
perseverance, his military contemporaries have borne unanimous
testimony. They seem entirely to have comprehended a character which the
unfortunate Charles Edward could never appreciate. They felt the
justness of his ascendancy, and discriminated between the bluntness of
an ardent and honest mind, careless of ordinary forms, and the arrogance
of an inferior capacity. As a soldier, indeed, the qualities of Lord
George Murray rose to greatness: so enduring, and so fearless, so
careless of danger to himself, yet so solicitous for others. As a
general, some great defects may be pointed out in his composition,
without detracting from his merits as a private individual.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account