"
Wellington's watchword, like Washington's, was duty; and no man
could be more loyal to it than he was. (5) "There is little or
nothing," he once said, "in this life worth living for; but we can
all of us go straight forward and do our duty." None recognised
more cheerfully than he did the duty of obedience and willing
service; for unless men can serve faithfully, they will not rule
others wisely. There is no motto that becomes the wise man
better than ICH DIEN, "I serve;" and "They also serve who only
stand and wait."
When the mortification of an officer, because of his being
appointed to a command inferior to what he considered to be his
merits, was communicated to the Duke, he said: "In the course of
my military career, I have gone from the command of a brigade to
that of my regiment, and from the command of an army to that of a
brigade or a division, as I was ordered, and without any feeling
of mortification."
Whilst commanding the allied army in Portugal, the conduct of the
native population did not seem to Wellington to be either becoming
or dutiful. "We have enthusiasm in plenty," he said, "and plenty
of cries of 'VIVA!' We have illuminations, patriotic songs, and
FETES everywhere. But what we want is, that each in his own
station should do his duty faithfully, and pay implicit obedience
to legal authority."
This abiding ideal of duty seemed to be the governing principle of
Wellington's character.
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