queen victoria-第38章

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gnificance　of　the　functions　he　performed。　He　considered　that　it　was　his　duty；　he　told　the　Duke　of　Wellington　in　1850；　to　〃sink　his　OWN　INDIVIDUAL　existence　in　that　of　his　wifeassume　no　separate　responsibility　before　the　public；　but　make　his　position　entirely　a　part　of　hersfill　up　every　gap　which；　as　a　woman；　she　would　naturally　leave　in　the　exercise　of　her　regal　functionscontinually　and　anxiously　watch　every　part　of　the　public　business；　in　order　to　be　able　to　advise　and　assist　her　at　any　moment　in　any　of　the　multifarious　and　difficult　questions　or　duties　brought　before　her；　sometimes　international；　sometimes　political；　or　social；　or　personal。　As　the　natural　head　of　her　family；　superintendent　of　her　household；　manager　of　her　private　affairs；　sole　CONFIDENTIAL　adviser　in　politics；　and　only　assistant　in　her　communications　with　the　officers　of　the　Government；　he　is；　besides；　the　husband　of　the　Queen；　the　tutor　of　the　royal　children；　the　private　secretary　of　the　Sovereign；　and　her　permanent　minister。〃　Stockmar's　pupil　had　assuredly　gone　far　and　learnt　well。　Stockmar's　pupil！precisely；　the　public；　painfully　aware　of　Albert's　predominance；　had　grown；　too；　uneasily　conscious　that　Victoria's　master　had　a　master　of　his　own。　Deep　in　the　darkness　the　Baron　loomed。　Another　foreigner！　Decidedly；　there　were　elements　in　the　situation　which　went　far　to　justify　the　popular　alarm。　A　foreign　Baron　controlled　a　foreign　Prince；　and　the　foreign　Prince　controlled　the　Crown　of　England。　And　the　Crown　itself　was　creeping　forward　ominously；　and　when；　from　under　its　shadow；　the　Baron　and　the　Prince　had　frowned；　a　great　Minister；　beloved　of　the　people；　had　fallen。　Where　was　all　this　to　end？

Within　a　few　weeks　Palmerston　withdrew　his　resignation；　and　the　public　frenzy　subsided　as　quickly　as　it　had　arisen。　When　Parliament　met；　the　leaders　of　both　the　parties　in　both　the　Houses　made　speeches　in　favour　of　the　Prince；　asserting　his　unimpeachable　loyalty　to　the　country　and　vindicating　his　right　to　advise　the　Sovereign　in　all　matters　of　State。　Victoria　was　delighted。　〃The　position　of　my　beloved　lord　and　master；〃　she　told　the　Baron；　〃has　been　defined　for　once　amid　all　and　his　merits　have　been　acknowledged　on　all　sides　most　duly。　There　was　an　immense　concourse　of　people　assembled　when　we　went　to　the　House　of　Lords；　and　the　people　were　very　friendly。〃　Immediately　afterwards；　the　country　finally　plunged　into　the　Crimean　War。　In　the　struggle　that　followed；　Albert's　patriotism　was　put　beyond　a　doubt；　and　the　animosities　of　the　past　were　forgotten。　But　the　war　had　another　consequence；　less　gratifying　to　the　royal　couple：　it　crowned　the　ambition　of　Lord　Palmerston。　In　1855；　the　man　who　five　years　before　had　been　pronounced　by　Lord　John　Russell　to　be　〃too　old　to　do　much　in　the　future；〃　became　Prime　Minister　of　England；　and；　with　one　short　interval；　remained　in　that　position　for　ten　years。



CHAPTER　VI。　LAST　YEARS　OF　PRINCE　CONSORT

I

The　weak…willed　youth　who　took　no　interest　in　polities　and　never　read　a　newspaper　had　grown　into　a　man　of　unbending　determination　whose　tireless　energies　were　incessantly　concentrated　upon　the　laborious　business　of　government　and　the　highest　questions　of　State。　He　was　busy　now　from　morning　till　night。　In　the　winter；　before　the　dawn；　he　was　to　be　seen；　seated　at　his　writing…table；　working　by　the　light　of　the　green　readinglamp　which　he　had　brought　over　with　him　from　Germany；　and　the　construction　of　which　he　had　much　improved　by　an　ingenious　device。　Victoria　was　early　too；　but　she　was　not　so　early　as　Albert；　and　when；　in　the　chill　darkness；　she　took　her　seat　at　her　own　writing…table；　placed　side　by　side　with　his；　she　invariably　found　upon　it　a　neat　pile　of　papers　arranged　for　her　inspection　and　her　signature。　The　day；　thus　begun；　continued　in　unremitting　industry。　At　breakfast；　the　newspapersthe　once　hated　newspapersmade　their　appearance；　and　the　Prince；　absorbed　in　their　perusal；　would　answer　no　questions；　or；　if　an　article　struck　him；　would　read　it　aloud。　After；　that　there　were　ministers　and　secretaries　to　interview；　there　was　a　vast　correspondence　to　be　carried　on；　there　were　numerous　memoranda　to　be　made。　Victoria；　treasuring　every　word；　preserving　every　letter；　was　all　breathless　attention　and　eager　obedience。　Sometimes　Albert　would　actually　ask　her　advice。　He　consulted　her　about　his　English：　〃Lese　recht　aufmerksam；　und　sage　wenn　irgend　ein　Fehler　ist；〃＇*＇　he　would　say；　or；　as　he　handed　her　a　draft　for　her　signature；　he　would　observe；　〃Ich　hab'　Dir　hier　ein　Draft　gemacht；　lese　es　mal！　Ich　dachte　es　ware　recht　so。〃＇**＇　Thus　the　diligent；　scrupulous；　absorbing　hours　passed　by。　Fewer　and　fewer　grew　the　moments　of　recreation　and　of　exercise。　The　demands　of　society　were　narrowed　down　to　the　smallest　limits；　and　even　then　but　grudgingly　attended　to。　It　was　no　longer　a　mere　pleasure；　it　was　a　positive　necessity；　to　go　to　bed　as　early　as　possible　in　order　to　be　up　and　at　work　on　the　morrow　betimes。

＇*＇　〃Read　this　carefully；　and　tell　me　if　there　are　any　mistakes　in　it。〃

＇**＇　〃Here　is　a　draft　I　have　made　for　you。　Read　it。　I　should　think　this　would　do。〃

The　important　and　exacting　business　of　government；　which　became　at　last　the　dominating　preoccupation　in　Albert's　mind；　still　left　unimpaired　his　old　tastes　and　interests；　he　remained　devoted　to　art；　to　science；　to　philosophy；　and　a　multitude　of　subsidiary　activities　showed　how　his　energies　increased　as　the　demands　upon　them　grew。　For　whenever　duty　called；　the　Prince　was　all　alertness。　With　indefatigable　perseverance　he　opened　museums；　laid　the　foundation　stones　of　hospitals；　made　speeches　to　the　Royal　Agricultural　Society；　and　attended　meetings　of　the　British　Association。　The　National　Gallery　particularly　interested　him：　he　drew　up　careful　regulations　for　the　arrangement　of　the　pictures　according　to　schools；　and　he　attemptedthough　in　vainto　have　the　whole　collection　transported　to　South　Kensington。　Feodora；　now　the　Princess　Hohenlohe；　after　a　visit　to　England；　expressed　in　a　letter　to　Victoria　her　admiration　of　Albert　both　as　a　private　and　a　public　character。　Nor　did　she　rely　only　on　her　own　opinion。　〃I　must　just　copy　out；〃　she　said；　〃what　Mr。　Klumpp　wrote　to　me　some　little　time　ago；　and　which　is　quite　true'Prince　Albert　is　one　of　the　few　Royal　personages　who　can　sacrifice　to　any　principle　（as　soon　as　it　has　become　evident　to　them　to　be　good　and　noble）　all　those　notions　（or　sentiments）　to　which　others；　owing　to　their　narrow…mindedness；　or　to　the　prejudices　of　their　rank；　are　so　thoroughly　inclined　strongly　to　cling。'　There　is　something　so　truly　religious　in　this；〃　the　Princess　added；　〃as　well　as　humane　and　just；　most　soothing　to　my　feelings　which　are　so　often　hurt　and　disturbed　by　what　I　hear　and　see。〃

Victoria；　from　the　depth　of　her　heart；　subscribed　to　all　the　eulogies　of　Feodora　and　Mr。　Klumpp。　She　only　found　that　they　were　insufficient。　As　she　watched　her　beloved　Albert；　after　toiling　with　state　documents　and　public　functions；　devoting　every　spare　moment　of　his　time　to　domestic　duties；　to　artistic　appreciation；　and　to　intellectual　improvements；　as　she　listened　to　him　cracking　his　jokes　at　the　luncheon　table；　or　playing　Mendelssohn　on　the　organ；　or　pointing　out　the　merits　of　Sir　Edwin　Landseer's　pictures；　as　she　followed　him　round　while　he　gave　instructions　about　the　breeding　of　cattle；　or　decided　that　the　Gainsboroughs　must　be　hung　higher　up　so　that　the　Winterhalters　might　be　properly　seenshe　felt　perfectly　certain　that　no　other　wife　had　ever　had　such　a　husband。　His　mind　was　apparently　capable　of　everything；　and　she　was　hardly　surprised　to　learn　that　he　had　made　an　important　discovery　for　the　conversion　of　sewage　into　agricultural　manure。　Filtration　from　below　upwards；　he　explained；　through　some　appropriate　medium；　which　retained　the　solids　and　set　free　the　fluid　sewage　for　irrigation；　was　the　principle　of　the　scheme。　〃All　previous　plans；〃　he　said；　〃would　have　cost　millions；　mine　costs　next　to　nothing。〃　Unfortunately；　owing　to　a　slight　miscalculation；　the　invention　proved　to　be　impracticable；　but　Albert's　intelligence　was　unrebuffed；　and　he　passed　on；　to　plunge　with　all　his　accustomed　ardour　into　a　prolonged　study　of　the　rudiments　of　lithography。

But　naturally　it　was　upon　his　ch