116 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



in France previous to the revolu- 

 tion, in his 85th year. 



20. Major-general sir Barry 

 Close. This eminent officer was 

 forty-two years in the service of 

 the East India Company ; he went 

 abroad when very young, but the 

 commencement of his career was 

 marked by the same ardent passion 

 for knowledge, and entire devotion 

 to his duty, that distinguished his 

 riper years. There never perhaps 

 existed a man who was more wholly 

 public ; and this habit of his mind 

 was indeed so strong, that he could 

 hardly tolerate in others any feel- 

 ings that had a tendency to with- 

 draw tliem from the performance 

 of public duties. 



In every situation in which ge- 

 neral Close was placed during his 

 progress through the service to 

 which he belonged, he was pointed 

 to as a model for others to form 

 themselves upon. He held for many 

 years the station of adjutant-gene- 

 ral of the army of Fort St. George, 

 and acquired in it very high mili- 

 tary reputation. At the last siege 

 of Seringapatam, his conduct was 

 the admiration of all ranks ; — his 

 established character obtained on 

 that memorable occasion the en- 

 tire confidence of the commander- 

 in-chief (general Harris), and that 

 confidence gave a scope to his 

 efforts, which entitled him to a 

 very distinguished share in all the 

 glory which attended that brilliant 

 and important achievement. When 

 the house of Hyder was over- 

 thrown, and British justice restor- 

 ed the imprisoned neir of the an- 

 cient Rajahs of Mysore to the 

 throne of his fathers, the governor- 

 general (marquis Wellesley) ap- 

 pointed sir Barry Close resident at 



the court of the young prince, and 

 confided to his care and wisdom 

 all those arrangements that were 

 necessary to give full effect to this 

 politic and important measure. 

 Where temper, experience, and 

 judgment were combined with the 

 most complete knowledge of the 

 languages, the manners, and the 

 history of the natives of India, 

 success in the performance of such 

 duties must follow of course ; and 

 general Close by his conduct as 

 resident at Mysore, and in other 

 high diplomatic stations to which 

 he was afterwards called, became 

 as distinguished for the qualities 

 of a statesman and politician as he 

 had been before for those of a 

 soldier. 



The character of sir Barry Close 

 was very marked ; his manner 

 and expression were as mild and 

 unassuming as his purpose was 

 firm, and his judgment decided. 

 He had a shade of reserve about 

 him that only gave way to habits 

 of long and intimate friendship ; 

 his advice to others was never in- 

 truded, but it was never refused ; 

 and when sparingly given, it pro- 

 ceeded less from caution than a 

 conviction in his own mind that a 

 fuller communication of his senti- 

 ments would have been attended 

 with no real benefit. The heart of 

 this able man was as warm as his 

 principles were pure and his head 

 unclouded. In that country in 

 which he passed the greatest part 

 of his life, he was regarded with 

 feelings of the sincerest affection 

 by many, — with those of respect 

 and esteem by all. These feelings 

 were not confined to his country- 

 men, for his name was, if possi- 

 ble, more beloved and revered by 



