queen victoria-第61章
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tion should be sufficient。 Each paper was read aloud to her； and she said at the end 〃Approved。〃 Often； for hours at a time； she would sit； with Albert's bust in front of her； while the word 〃Approved〃 issued at intervals from her lips。 The word came forth with a majestic sonority； for her voice nowhow changed from the silvery treble of her girlhoodwas a contralto； full and strong。
IV
The final years were years of apotheosis。 In the dazzled imagination of her subjects Victoria soared aloft towards the regions of divinity through a nimbus of purest glory。 Criticism fell dumb； deficiencies which； twenty years earlier； would have been universally admitted； were now as universally ignored。 That the nation's idol was a very incomplete representative of the nation was a circumstance that was hardly noticed； and yet it was conspicuously true。 For the vast changes which； out of the England of 1837； had produced the England of 1897； seemed scarcely to have touched the Queen。 The immense industrial development of the period； the significance of which had been so thoroughly understood by Albert； meant little indeed to Victoria。 The amazing scientific movement； which Albert had appreciated no less； left Victoria perfectly cold。 Her conception of the universe； and of man's place in it； and of the stupendous problems of nature and philosophy remained； throughout her life； entirely unchanged。 Her religion was the religion which she had learnt from the Baroness Lehzen and the Duchess of Kent。 Here； too； it might have been supposed that Albert's views might have influenced her。 For Albert； in matters of religion； was advanced。 Disbelieving altogether in evil spirits； he had had his doubts about the miracle of the Gaderene Swine。 Stockmar； even； had thrown out； in a remarkable memorandum on the education of the Prince of Wales； the suggestion that while the child 〃must unquestionably be brought up in the creed of the Church of England；〃 it might nevertheless be in accordance with the spirit of the times to exclude from his religious training the inculcation of a belief in 〃the supernatural doctrines of Christianity。〃 This； however； would have been going too far； and all the royal children were brought up in complete orthodoxy。 Anything else would have grieved Victoria； though her own conceptions of the orthodox were not very precise。 But her nature； in which imagination and subtlety held so small a place； made her instinctively recoil from the intricate ecstasies of High Anglicanism； and she seemed to feel most at home in the simple faith of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland。 This was what might have been expected； for Lehzen was the daughter of a Lutheran pastor； and the Lutherans and the Presbyterians have much in common。 For many years Dr。 Norman Macleod； an innocent Scotch minister； was her principal spiritual adviser； and； when he was taken from her； she drew much comfort from quiet chats about life and death with the cottagers at Balmoral。 Her piety； absolutely genuine； found what it wanted in the sober exhortations of old John Grant and the devout saws of Mrs。 P。 Farquharson。 They possessed the qualities； which； as a child of fourteen； she had so sincerely admired in the Bishop of Chester's 〃Exposition of the Gospel of St。 Matthew；〃 they were 〃just plain and comprehensible and full of truth and good feeling。〃 The Queen； who gave her name to the Age of Mill and of Darwin； never got any further than that。
From the social movements of her time Victoria was equally remote。 Towards the smallest no less than towards the greatest changes she remained inflexible。 During her youth and middle age smoking had been forbidden in polite society； and so long as she lived she would not withdraw her anathema against it。 Kings might protest； bishops and ambassadors； invited to Windsor； might be reduced； in the privacy of their bedrooms； to lie full…length upon the floor and smoke up the chimneythe interdict continued！ It might have been supposed that a female sovereign would have lent her countenance to one of the most vital of all the reforms to which her epoch gave birththe emancipation of womenbut； on the contrary； the mere mention of such a proposal sent the blood rushing to her head。 In 1870； her eye having fallen upon the report of a meeting in favour of Women's Suffrage； she wrote to Mr。 Martin in royal rage〃The Queen is most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad； wicked folly of 'Woman's Rights；' with all its attendant horrors； on which her poor feeble sex is bent； forgetting every sense of womanly feeling and propriety。 Ladyought to get a GOOD WHIPPING。 It is a subject which makes the Queen so furious that she cannot contain herself。 God created men and women differentthen let them remain each in their own position。 Tennyson has some beautiful lines on the difference of men and women in 'The Princess。' Woman would become the most hateful； heartless； and disgusting of human beings were she allowed to unsex herself； and where would be the protection which man was intended to give the weaker sex？ The Queen is sure that Mrs。 Martin agrees with her。〃 The argument was irrefutable； Mrs。 Martin agreed； and yet the canker spread。
In another direction Victoria's comprehension of the spirit of her age has been constantly asserted。 It was for long the custom for courtly historians and polite politicians to compliment the Queen upon the correctness of her attitude towards the Constitution。 But such praises seem hardly to be justified by the facts。 In her later years Victoria more than once alluded with regret to her conduct during the Bedchamber crisis； and let it be understood that she had grown wiser since。 Yet in truth it is difficult to trace any fundamental change either in her theory or her practice in constitutional matters throughout her life。 The same despotic and personal spirit which led her to break off the negotiations with Peel is equally visible in her animosity towards Palmerston； in her threats of abdication to Disraeli； and in her desire to prosecute the Duke of Westminster for attending a meeting upon Bulgarian atrocities。 The complex and delicate principles of the Constitution cannot be said to have come within the compass of her mental faculties； and in the actual developments which it underwent during her reign she played a passive part。 From 1840 to 1861 the power of the Crown steadily increased in England； from 1861 to 1901 it steadily declined。 The first process was due to the influence of the Prince Consort； the second to that of a series of great Ministers。 During the first Victoria was in effect a mere accessory； during the second the threads of power； which Albert had so laboriously collected； inevitably fell from her hands into the vigorous grasp of Mr。 Gladstone； Lord Beaconsfield； and Lord Salisbury。 Perhaps； absorbed as she was in routine； and difficult as she found it to distinguish at all clearly between the trivial and the essential； she was only dimly aware of what was happening。 Yet； at the end of her reign； the Crown was weaker than at any other time in English history。 Paradoxically enough； Victoria received the highest eulogiums for assenting to a political evolution； which； had she completely realised its import； would have filled her with supreme displeasure。
Nevertheless it must not be supposed that she was a second George III。 Her desire to impose her will； vehement as it was； and unlimited by any principle； was yet checked by a certain shrewdness。 She might oppose her Ministers with extraordinary violence； she might remain utterly impervious to arguments and supplications； the pertinacity of her resolution might seem to be unconquerable； but； at the very last moment of all； her obstinacy would give way。 Her innate respect and capacity for business； and perhaps； too； the memory of Albert's scrupulous avoidance of extreme courses； prevented her from ever entering an impasse。 By instinct she understood when the facts were too much for her； and to them she invariably yielded。 After all； what else could she do？
But if； in all these ways； the Queen and her epoch were profoundly separated； the points of contact between them also were not few。 Victoria understood very w
