IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I l^|2£ 125 ■ 50 "^™ I^H Jjlii |22 Ui 140 IL25 III 1.4 ■ 20 ui 1.6 ^ V5 ^' >^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEf.T MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) S72-4SC3 w 4^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH CoElection de microfiches. Canadian institute for Historicai Microrep'oductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques \ \ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag6e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur6e et/ou peilicul6e I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Coloured init (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bieue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reiii avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serr6e peut causer de i'ombre ou de la distortion ie long de la marge int^rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes iors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais. lorsque ceia 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 fiimdes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl^mentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il iui a 6ti possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la methods normale de filmage sont indiqute ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ D D Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/oi Pages restaur6es et/ou pelliculies Pages discoloured, stained or foxei Pages d6color6es, tacheties ou piqu^es Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualiti inigale de I'impression includes supplementary materia Comprend du materiel suppidmentaire I — I Pages damaged/ r I Pages restored and/or laminated/ rri Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ r~| Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ I I includes supplementary material/ Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponibie Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refiimed to eisure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partieilement obscurcies par un feuiilet d'errata, une peiure, etc., ont 6ti film6es d nouveau de faqon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. The c< to the The in possib of the filmini Origin begini the iai sion, other first p sion, or iilui The la shall < TINUE which IVIaps, differ< entirel beginr right I requir( metho This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiqu6 ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X / 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X ilaire m diitails ques du It modifier (iger une le filmage The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. L'exempiaire film* fut reproduit grAce A la gAn6rosit6 de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Las images suivantes ont 6t^ reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettett de l'exempiaire filmi. et en conformit6 avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. 1/ iu6es Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated Impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim6e sont filmAs en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'iilustration, soit par ie second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont f ilmte en commenpant par ia premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'iilustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^- (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, seion ie cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols V signifie "FIN". lire Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmAs & des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est f llmA A partir de i'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iiiustrent ia m6thode. by errata led to ent jne pelure, fapon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 Il rf ■ ■■► »r ip^p^l *!.: \\ \ /■»* *%. :l M:^. Victoria #r* PRINTED av MORRISON A QIBB LIMITED EDINBURGH i- 'h* -r > '^ ''^Ssj^..««mji,c..jk_ •f^4 A VICTORIA AN APPRECIATION ^^. 'S ■n ivtif [GRIFFITH FARRAN BROWNE & CO. 35 BOW STREET, LONDON j^-''*'^ » I ^5 165344 ( ■*-■: I' ! 1^ ill ■ Hi 1^ # ■t. Pref; Of boo: there h in recei addresse to read modern whose li and to Queen a come as surprise, was maj patience not beca may thin at all,— I shovvrx to f Preface ■t Of books relating to Queen Victoria there have been many, particularly in recent days. This work is not addressed to those who have leisure to read the lengthy biographies of modern times, but rather to persons whose lives are filled with occupation, and to whom the idea of the late Queen as a hard-working woman may come as something of an unexpected surprise. And that such she indeed was may be seen by those who have patience to glance through these pages, not because of anything the author may think — that would carry no weight at all, — but because of what is here shown to have been the views of those • • vn *•,*' Prefa ace I 1 fc ^ who make history — the great statesmen and writers of the reign ! Since 1887 the author has read many works relating to her late Majesty. In these pages, however, he has relied upon the Greville Memoirs for the first period of the reign, and afterwards, up to 1861, upon Sir Theodore Martin's Biography of the Prince Consort (Smith, Elder, & Co., popular edition), while later he has chiefly depended upon Lord Malmes- burfs Memoirs (Longman & Co.), and for the facts relating to the Dis- establishment of the Irish Church to the Life of Archbishop Tait (Macmillan & Co.). The other authorities he has referred to are, he hopes and believes, all duly noted in the pages of this volume, wherever they are cited. In dealing with the life of the Queen, the author confines himself almost entirely to the working part of it. He has done this for the benefit • • • Vlll ■(:i\. ''M *» *W^V>''"^ Preface statesmen those who have been brought up fith the idea that the Sovereign's ities in these days are purely >minal. And that this was indeed the tew of many, not merely uneducated irsons, but of those who should have [nown better, the writer has had imple, and at times almost amusing, ixperience. " The Queen work ! " or You do not think she reads the [despatches placed before her really ! " were remarks he has heard again and again. It is to this class of people, [then, that this volume is directed. In it they will find a sketch — an imperfect one, indeed — of some of the political duties, to all of which she so faithfully devoted herself, down to the last hour of her reign ; together with occasional glances at the private and homely life. These last have been gathered from the letters of those who, in their lives, were permitted to approach Her Majesty, and whose ix i-'u m ,y Preface correspondence since their deaths has been opened to the public in memoirs or other like works. It should perhaps b«; added that this volume does not pretend to be in any sense a history of the reipfn. No one can be more fully aware than the author how much better it would be if all would read for themselves the great works mentioned above. Never- theless, as at the end of a day's work many are apt to think the perusal of large volumes a task beyond them, he ventures to hope that this small volume may be found to supply a want. X lontents PAGE :he accession and early years of the reign .... i marriage and increase of the WORK a6 I THE PALMERSTON EPISODE . . 46 NATIONAL DEFENCE .... 58 I THE CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 63 [THE ASSUMPTION BY THE CROWN OF THE DIRECT GOVERNMENT OF INDIA J 2 A YEAR OF SORROW . . . . 76 THE " TRENT " QUESTION . I THE DEATH OF THE PRINCE ALONE IN HER WORK IsCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN COMPLICATION xi 84 88 92 112 IpiWIV Contents PAGE DrSESTABLISHMENT OF THE IRISH CHURCH IIxJ THE QUEEN AND THE WAR OF 1870, ETC. 12: LATER YEARS OF THE QUEEN's LIFE . 12^ THE SOUDAN m MANY SORROWS THE JUBILEE OF 1 887 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE WORKING TO THE END THE TASK FULFILLED 16 ■14 xu ICTORIA : N Appreciation f ■ I "he premature death of the Princess [harlotte of Wales, whose stately tomb ;s to the left of the great west door of George's Chapel at Windsor, was ^e cause of the marriage of the Duke Kent to the widow of the Prince of iiningen, and the sister of the King of Belgians. This union resulted in the rth of our late beloved Sovereign on |e 24th May 18 19. A few months later id the Duke of Kent died after a short less, leaving the Duchess the guardian the heiress of the Crown. [How well she filled the position is fognised now in history, but it was )bably long before the kingdom in leral quite comprehended the great fu^^-i Victoria : debt it owed to the Duchess of Kent.i Those in authority, however, early recognised her worth, and Her Royal Highness was named Regent in the! event of a demise of the Crown before! the Princess Victoria was of age. For- tunately the last-named event had takei place before King William the Fourtl expired, on the 20th of June 1837. Irl the hush of the summer dawn of that! memorable day Lord Conyngham, the Lord Chamberlain, and the Archbishop of Canterbury left Windsor in hastej bearing to Kensington momentous tidings indeed ! The sun had risei ere the journey was accomplished, an( then came that loud knocking at palace door which has since becomel historic. One can picture the prettyf scene which followed : the sun-lit rooirj — the song of the birds without — the bowing forms of the two men — the figure in the white draperies, with the bluej eyes open wide to hear the wondroui fairy tale that she, a girl of eighteerj summers, had become " the Queen " ! For sixty-three years she bore it, tht iCSs of Kent. I yever, early I Her Royal gent in the I Crown beforej o( age. For- ;nt had takei 1 the Fourtl ine 1837. Ir.l dawn of that! lyngham, the e Archbishop sor in hastej momentous n had risei Tiplished, an( ocking at ince become! ■e the pretty! sun-lit rooiTJ without — the men — th^ , with the blu^ ;he wondrod |l of eighteetj Queen " ! bore it, th| An Appreciation )roud title, until there grew around it m almost hallowed sound. How quickly ihe realised the dignity of her position lay be seen in the account given by .ord Conyngham to Mr. Greville. He Ibid the latter that as soon as he uttered le words " Your Majesty," she put out ier hand, meaning that he should kneel ^nd kiss it before proceeding further, ^hich he at once did. The Archbishop )llowed suit, and then, after a few )lemn words from the latter, she retired, javing the courtier and the churchman [like astonished at the quiet dignity |nd immense self-possession with which had received the announcement. Eighteen ! and the mightiest throne in le world ! Eighteen ! hardly more lan a child ! What wonder, then, that le passed the hours that immediately )llowed in the silence of her own Ihamber ; nor is it difficult to imagine iow much of that time must have been )ent ! For the benefit of those not in the kbit of reading memoirs we must ex- plain who Mr. Greville was, and why. 1 Victoria : like everyone who writes of the Queen'* accession and the early years, we goj direct to his journals. It is because he) is the great authority for the period.] He had been Clerk of the Privy Council through part of the reign of George th( Fourth, and he held the post right awa] till 1859, when failing health compelle( him to relinquish it, attending his las^ council in April of that year. Th( journals, though their author speaks ii a slighting way of them, are in real it) the history of those times.^ The writer| of this work is not old enough tc remember the storm of controversj] which arose when those dark blue volumes first appeared, but he hi heard from others something of ij No one is infallible, and it was showi in many cases, that Mr. Greville wai wrong. With that we have nothing tc do, and the matter is only mentionec here because of the great lesson to he learned from those errors. If the write^ of those famous memoirs, whose pes * Greville MemoirSy second series, vol. iii. p. 67. An Appreciation ►f the Queen'j years, we goj is because he] :tr the period.] Privy Council of George th< ost right awaj ilth compelle( nding his last ,t year. Th( [hor speaks ii are in real it) i} The writerl Id enough tc f controvers) >e dark blue but he hi ething of it was showi Greville was Lve nothing tc ily mentionec : lesson to he If the writeil s, whose pes >, vol. iii. p. 67. )ened to him all sorts of means of iformation, went astray at times, how )w should people be to take as gospel ie gossip concerning the Court, etc., as jcorded in some of the cheaper weekly ipers. One other remark and we have )ne. It is not an original one. Others ir more competent to do so have dealt lequately with the matter, but briefly is this. Every word Mr. Greville says praise of the young Queen is worth msidering, since, as a rule, his refer- ices to royalty are the very reverse of )mplimentary. We have now finished, id return to our subject. At two o'clock 1 on that memorable )th June, of the opening hours of [hich we have already spoken, came the jmous First Council. Everyone knows le picture of it. There is in it some- ling peculiarly touching — the young Irl, unsupported by any single member ^ Dean Stanley states that Her Majesty gave the )ur as "2 p.m." {vide the Li/e of Dean Stanley ^ W. ii. p. 127). Mr. Greville gives 11 a.m. in vol. p. 408 of the first series of the Greville Papers* le London Gazette is silent as to the time. ,1 5 Victoria : of her own sex, and surrounded by th< first men of the realm, to whom sh< must have appeared almost a child That she bore herself with the samel dignity with which she had receivet Lord Conyngham and the Archbishop] we learn from Mr. Greville.^ " Nevei was anything like the impression sh( produced," he writes. Once only was she observed to be nervous, and that was when her uncles came to kiss hei hand ; then, as they knelt before herj the same authority records, "swearing allegiance, and kissing her hand, I saw] her blush up to her eyes, as if she fell the contrast between their civil and theii natural relations." It was on that first day of the reigl that an incident occurred which, thoug| it has often been told, and is almohf outside the scope of this volume, thi writer cannot help referring, since it wai so characteristic of the Queen's sympa| thetic nature. Directing a letter oi condolence to the widowed consort o| William the Fourth, she was remindeij * Greville Memc'rSy first series, vol. iii. p. 406. 6 tA I I An Appreciation ounded by the to whom sh< most a child vith the same] had receivec tie Archbishop] ville.^ " Nevei impression sh( Dnce only wa.^ vous, and that me to kiss hei lelt before her] )rds, "swearing ler hand, I saw] \Sy as if she fell r civil and theij ay of the reigj which, thougl and is almoi volume, th- ng, since it wa. Queen's sympa ig a letter oi ived consort oi was reminder 5, vol. iii. p. 406. is lat she should have styled her "The jueen-Dowager." To this objection le simply replied that it would be ibecoming in her to be the first to tcali to the sorrowing lady her change style. The next morning came the Proclama- lon from the Presence Chamber at St. James' Palace, with the details of which re shall not trouble. There is, however, point in connection with it which is of iterest, showing the complete revolution rhich the Queen accomplished in her ife. Watching the carriage procession, le Clerk of the Council tells us that it passed, not only without exciting en- lusiasm, but that scarcely a hat was Fted.* When we recall the character the " First Gentleman of Europe," we mnot be surprised at the indifference lown. Only a short while ago we ime across, in a weekly newspaper,^ an iteresting extract from a leading article ^ Greville Memoirs^ first series, vol. iii. p. 409. ' The Tablet y 9th March 1901. Being away from )ndon, the writer has been unable to search the file the Times for the date. 7 I 1 I I ■ iiiii I k ' Victoria : ill the Times, written shortly after the death of this monarch. " The truth is/ the Times records, " and it speaks^ volumes about the man, that there neveJI was an individual less regrett<;d by hi fellow-creatures than this deceased King, What eye has wept for him? Wha heart has heaved one throb of un mercenary' sorrow? Was there at an time a gorgeous pageant on the stag more completely forgotten than he ha been, even from the day on which th heralds proclaimed his successor ? Ha not that successor gained more upon the English tastes and prepossessions of his| subjects, by the blunt and unaffected even should it be grotesque — cordialit of his demeanour, v/ithin a few shor weeks, than George the Fourth — tha ' leviathan of the hauc ton — ever die during the sixty-eight years of hi.' existence? If George the Fourth evei had a friend — a devoted friend — in ary : rank of life, we protest that the name o him or her has not yet reached us." Still, to us of a later generation accustomed to witness the block \\ 8 rde % !,ci I tly after th rhe truth is/ d it speak it there neve fretted by hi eceased King him ? Wha hrob of un there at an on the stag 1 than he ha on which th :cessor ? Ha Tiore upon th lessions of hi unaffiscted ue — cordialit a few shor Fourth — tha on — ever di ^ears of hi e Fourth eve riend — in an .t the name o :hed us." ;r generatio the block i An Appreciation '^de Park when there was the tphtest chance of beholding the late )vereign, this anecdote of Mr. Greville's ikes us as very curious. The change le, and came quickly too, in the )ple's loyalty, and it was brought )ut by the personal ch .racter of the rl Queen. I The Proclamation ended, came the :ond Council of the reign, and we are 4ven to Mr. Greville's^ account of it, ice he was naturally present. " She jsided," he writes, " with as much ease if she had been doing nothing else all ir life ; and though Lord Lansdowne id my colleague had contrived between lem to make some confusion with the )uncil papers, she was not put out by She looked very well, and though small in stature, and without much fetension to beauty, the gracefulness her manner, and the good expression her countenance, give her, on the lole, a very agreeable appearance, and, ith her youth, inspire an excessive * Creville Memoirs^ first series, vol. iii. p. 409. *.J I Victoria : interest in all who approach her." Tl Clerk J Council then goes on to gi^ an instance of the young girl's dee^ consideration for Queen Adelaide, an concludes by adding : " In short, sh appears to act with every sort of goo taste and good feeling, as well as goo' sense ; and, as far as it has gone, nothi can be more favourable than the i pression she has made, and nothing c promise better than her manner ar conduct do, though it would be rash count too confidently upon her judgme and discretion in more weighty matter How sound that judgment, how adm able that discretion, will be seen as t tale unfolds itself. Lord Melbourne, the Whig Pri Minister, was in office at the time the accession, and from him the Qu began to learn the art of governme; From the first, he devoted himself her, even spending his evenings the palace, till we find Mr. Grevill recording of him : " I have no dou that he is passionately fond of her, ^ Grevilk Memoirs j second series, vol. i. p. 130.^ 10 IS. An Appreciation achher." Tl goes on to gi^l ng girl's dee! Adelaide, am "In short, shj ry sort of gooj IS well as goo^ is gone, nothii ; than the ii and nothing a it manner an rould be rash Dn her judgmej /eighty matter] ent, how adm| be seen as t'i 2 Whig Prii at the time him the Que^ of governme oted himself lis evenings d Mr. Grevill have no dou fond of her, iries, vol. i. p. iSO-i might be of his daughter, if he one." That this loyal devotion ted his life, we know from the authority, for long after the s of Prime-Ministership and Cabinet- king were over, when there were wanting very many steps before great change, Charles Greville, ting of some conversation^ he had h him, in which Her Majesty's e was introduced, records that — elbourne never can speak of the een without tears coming into his ;s." To this statesman the country res much. As has been well said, he been less scrupulous, he might re bidden the young Sovereign enjoy pleasures of her Court, and not mble with business which Ministers fuld manage for her ; but, instead, he the whole Foreign Office correspond- :e before her for her consideration, .et us pause for a minute to see what work of this one department of the Greville Memoirs^ second series, vol. ii. p. 292. was in August 1845. Lord Melbourne died in I I ( I! Victoria : State is. It formed, not many yea^ ago, the subject of an attack by tl Gladstonian party on Lord Salisbury* undertaking to combine, in his owij person, the offices of Prime Minist( and Foreign Secretary. The writer this memoir remembers to have hearl the late Lord Granville on that occasioj assert, in the House of Lords, his belie that such a combination was beyonj the powers of one man — giving, as al instance, that when he himself fir( held the Foreign Office seals, tl annual average number of despatch^ was some thirty thousand, and th the numbers subsequently increase] during his second and third tenures office, first to forty thousand, and finall to nearly ninety thousand documenj per year.i It is difficult, when co| sidering the matter, not to agree tl the Gladstonian party had good groui for objection. ^ These figures are given from memory, and befj in the country while this work is being prepa^ for press, the author has been unable to refresh memory on the subject. 12 ii An Appreciation not many yea^ I attack by tl Lord Salisbury' ne, in his owi Prime Minist< , The writer s to have hearl on that occasioj Lords, his beli^ ion was beyonj .n — giving, as a le himself fid )ffice seals, tl er of despatch^ bsand, and thi lently increase! third tenures isand, and finalj sand documen cult, when coj ot to agree tl lad good groui )m memory, and beia Drk is being prepai| unable to refresh 'here was, of course, no idea at first le young girl altering the despatches \e power of doing that wisely could come after much experience, and lat she was as yet wanting, 'he Prime Minister was not content the Foreign Office despatches je should be submitted for the sen's consideration. Every import- document connected with the |er departments of the State was [uired to be laid before her, and mass of memoranda made on the Iject by the Queen, Lord Clarendon ^ )rmed Mr. Greville, were all pre- red for future reference, 'he afterwards Secretary of State Foreign Affairs gave Mr. Greville a >t interesting picture of the diligent mer in which these duties were formed, and though it relates to )eriod subsequent to her marriage. Is thought best to insert it here, larendon," ^ the Clerk of the Council \Grevi!/e Memoirs, second series, vol. ii. p. 424. iGrevi/ie Memoirs ^ third part, vol. ii. pp. 125 and 13 Victoria : writes, "then talked of the Court, anj confirmed what I had heard befoi going into more detail. He said thi the manner in which the Queen, her own name, but with the assistanc of the Premier, exercised her functior] was exceedingly good, and well becai her position, and was eminently usefij She held each minister to the discharf of his duty and his responsibility to he and constantly desired to be furnishc with accurate and detailed informatic about all - important matters, keepii a record of all the reports that w( made to her, and constantly recurrij to them : e.^. she would desire to kn( what the state of the navy was, ar what ships were in readiness for acti] service, and generally the state of eac ordering returns to be submitted to from all the arsenals and dockyar{| and again, weeks and months aftd wards, referring to these returns, ai| desiring to have everything relating them explained and accounted for ; z\ so throughout every department, this practice, Clarendon told me An Appreciation ■ -I f the Court, an] ,d heard befoi 1. He said thi the Queen, th the assistani ;ed her functiot| and well becai eminently usefij • to the dischar^ ponsibility to he i to be furnish( :ailed informati( matters, keepii eports that w( istantly recurrij Id desire to knc e navy was, ar adiness for acti] the state of eac submitted to and dockyard id months afte lese returns, aH ^thing relating ccounted for ; aj department. on told me encouraged her strenuously." Mr. -le goes on to remark that this fk had been quite neglected by her lecessors, and he attributed her tude to the influence of that Prince, :erning whose marriage we shall sently treat. is far more than half a century :e Lord Clarendon gave this picture, [ring that period, till the actual >roach of him before whom prince pauper alike must yield, the work It on increasing. It does not need great powers to comprehend what the cause of this increase. The expansion of the empire, and the reased facilities of communication at fe strike us. 'o those who have hitherto supposed the Queen's life consisted in driving occasionally holding a drawing-room [the month of March, receiving the ibers of the Diplomatic Corps at a rly Court, or presiding at a Privy incil, and signing State documents lout any knowledge of the contents [the same, it may be of interest to 15 V Victoria : learn something of her habits till ij last moments of her life. Always early riser, the Queen liked to do much of her work out of doors as t1 weather permitted. At Windsor, s^ frequently drove to Frogmore, whe she would breakfast, afterwards work! in her tent at the vast pile of documei which awaited her consideration. Di ing the hours that she remained thei grooms were kept mounted, who we| constantly passing and repassing tween Frogmore and the Castle, carr ing the despatch boxes to the Priv£ Secretary, who, in his own apartmej was assisting in the labour of the dj How heavy the task was we knc from Mr. Arthur Balfour's speech the House of Commons on the aftj noon following the Queen's dcc There would be Foreign Office despatc| which had to be considered and alter such alterations leading to letters Ministers, giving the reasons for proposed changes, besides drafts re| ing to India, the Colonies, the naj and so forth, to say nothing of the t| i6 ? 2r habits till \\ life. Always 1 liked to do t of doors as it At Windsor, s^ Frogmore, whe ifterwards workii : pile of documei »nsideration. D\ le remained ther lounted, who we| ind repassing the Castle, can xes to the Privz iis own apartmel labour of the da sk was we knJ Balfour's speech ons on the aftj Queen's dea n Office despatclj [sidered and alter ing to letters le reasons for lesides drafts rej olonies, the nay lothing of the i^ An Appreciation formality of affixing her signature prodigious number of papers. And then the work had hardly begun. >nd the public documents had to :onsidered a correspondence of an >st overwhelming nature of which late Lady Waterford^ gave a picture letter dated some few years back, iside me," she writes, speaking of journey across the Solent, made in lience to a summons to Osborne, on •d one of the royal yachts, " were two •mous bags, each as big as an arm- ir. These contained the letters to Queen for that day!" And even the materials for further work were all complete. Throughout the day flowed in a constant, a never- ing stream of telegrams, many of :h had to be dealt with as they ^ed. Perhaps no more pathetic ire has ever been given of the aged treign than that presented by Mrs. [hant,^ in which she told a wondering Two Noble Lives ^ by Mr. Augustus Hare. uen Victoria: Personal Sketch (Cassell & Co.), 17 Victoria : public what Her Majesty herself h; unfolded to her, — that it was often t^\'| in the morning before the day's worl was done, and she was able to lie dow] to rest ! Tales are numerous of di* tinguished persons, and it is difficult know what is really true, but one ca] well believe the story of her success( during the first few days of his reigj exclaiming again and again, as tl work poured in, his amazement thj his beloved mother had even foui time to deal with it all. What wondc after such a life of labour, that when tl summons came, the tired eyes close very easily, or that a short while befo| she should write to a distinguishe Minister leaving office on account age, " Your old Queen is weary t( and longing for her rest."^ But to resume. Of all the work thaj the Sovereign has to do, that in connect tion with the Foreign Office is the mosj important. It is in relation to this departj ment that monarchy has advantage ii- ^ We give this story from the columns of the publij press a few days after Her Majesty's death. i8 An Appreciation )pe over a republican form of govern- [t. Allied, as has been well said, by rimonial ties or family connections lis or that potentate, ways of know- re are unfolded which cannot be to Ministers of more democratic jtitutions. We have in a neigh- •ing country an example of this, [the till lately somewhat isolated [tion of France, whose Foreign Office writer remembers a few years back ring described, by one connected the Diplomatic service, as "the rst informed in the world ! " We [11 see, as we progress, more than one tance of the influence of the Crown in jign politics. 'here is a point in connection with Queen's reign which, though it is lewhat outside the scope of this work. Is desired to touch on, because perhaps no other matter are so many persons [dly informed. An idea existed that late Sovereign was enormously rich ^in reality nothing was farther from |e truth, as has been shown again and fain by those in a position to speak 19 I . I Victoria : with authority. On her accession the throne, the Queen, as all the woi knows, made over to the country for own lifetime — she had no power to more — the hereditary revenues of t] Crown. Parliament, in return, voted income of three hundred and sixty-eig^ thousand pounds, undertaking at t] same time, in the event of marriaj the provision of each one of her childrej Again and again Ministers of bothparti( answering Radical objections on tl occasions of royal grants, pointed to tlij agreement, and explained that to retn from it, after for years taking the mont from the hereditary revenues, would an absolute breach of contract of a di| honourable nature. The sum voted maf sound ample, but it is small when coi pared with the incomes of other Europe? potentates ; and it will perhaps be a suij prise to many to learn that out of it onlj about sixty thousand pounds reached thi Queen's privy purse ! Nothing is morel difficult than to convince persons whol without sufficient data, have formed arl opinion on any subject. This was th| 20 i! ! 1, l^^ An Appreciation with the extreme Radical party till lin the last few years. >ne would have thought the idea lid have been for ever disposed [when the then leader, for whom expressed so great reverence, llared at the table of the House of imons that an extraordinary and meous opinion existed that the rereign was possessed of great wealth. ^s a matter of fact no savings exist itever," were, we believe, Mr. Glad- le's exact words. Still the small but |sy band persisted. From time to le paragraphs appeared in the press )porting the before-mentioned idea, the happy inspiration arose, when question of a further provision the children of the Prince of [ales necessitated a select committee, placing upon it one who could not fail have the confidence of the Radical irty in the shape of Mr. Labouchere. |t this committee all the pecuniary fairs of the Queen were disclosed, id it is to this gentleman's credit that, fter the conclusion of the business, he 21 I 1 itriiin i ' » Victoria : sent for Sir Robert Peel, and intrustej to him the formation of a Ministry Lord Malmesbury tells us two thingl in connection with the interview, botj characteristic of Her Majesty, namel) that she received Peel kindly, diJ not attempt to disguise her sorrow aj parting with her late Ministers, bi showed that the good of the countrl superseded every other consideratioij with her.* But when Sir Robert pre posed that the Whig ladies of the Cour should retire, and Tory ladies take theiil places, it was altogether too muclil and the Queen declined. The afTairj is generally spoken of as the " Bed| chamber Question." Mr. Greville has] written of it — Lord Malmesbury has] dealt with it — the tale has been told inl every life of the Queen, and it is only| brought forward here for two reasons First, it shows how much more powerj ful the Crown is than some persons^ suppose, and, secondly, we tell thel story because the Queen was entirely! * Memoirs of an Ex-Ministery vol. i. p. loi. 24 :■: i i ■ft vol. i. p. loi. An Appreciation and we do not wish it to be ;d that we are representing her late >ty as a person who could never Into error. It would be ridiculous link that the Queen, at the early )f twenty, could have been possessed ^11 the wisdom that undoubtedly to her in riper years, and after experience. From the first she great good sense, but on this Ision she let herself be influenced »er feelings. She was willing to let [men of the household go, but not 1 ladies; and to that she stood firm, [re is something, too, which is very lactive in the line she adopted — iething the very opposite, in her ilty to her friends, to the traditional ratitude of princes — that leads us to her the better for the incident. It characteristic, too, of Her Majesty lom Mr. Bright once described as \q most truthful woman he had ever )wn in his life") that she should after years bluntly have declared Lord John Russell that the "Bed- imber Question" was entirely the 25 h ii i'i j^i' ;| I Victoria : result of her own " foolishness." * if the Crown had no power, as suppose, the matter could not ended, as it did, with a victor the Queen. The Conservative Pre departed from the palace, and Melbourne returned to power. \] Sir Robert Peel was again sumi to the counsels of his Sovereign, had come to her that wise counsl who, for two and twenty years, wa be her guide and friend, and then, \\ she was competent to stand alone, tl withdrawn ! In after years, glancirJ a list of the late Queen's ladies, it v| have puzzled anyone to say whiq either party of the State, Her Maj] favoured. The only lady directly afi ed by a ministerial change ultima] was, we believe, the one who held historic office of Mistress of the Rot It is time to refer more directlyl that counsellor of whom we spoke now. The marriage was the great evi of the Queen's life, and the one \\\\ * Greville Memoirs, third part, vol. i. p. 132! 26 ird part, vol. i. p. 132J An Appreciation ided most to the welfare of the nation, the late Laureate truly said ' — ''e know him now : all narrow jealousies ire silent ; and we see him as he moved, IHow modest, kindly, all-accomplish'd, wise, With what sublime repression of himself, And in what limits, and how tenderly ; [Not swaying to this faction or to that ; Not making his high place the lawless perch [Of wing'd ambitions, nor a vantage ground For pleasure ; but thro' all this tract of years Wearing the white flower of a blameless life, Hefore a thousand peering littlenesses. In that fierce light which beats upon a throne. And blackens every blot." Ambition ! the world said concerning lis marriage ; but it was wrong, for all lat, as it so often is — above all in its judgments of those in high places. From (he first hour down to that last one, when, is far as this world is concerned, it ended |n the hush of a winter's night, the story )f Victoria and Albert is a love story as )ure and simple as that told in Mrs. bavin's exquisite Ricit d'une Sceur, We shall pass by the marriage cere- [monies, which took place in the Chapel * Idylls of the King, Dedication. 27 Mil! r 1 1 1 I i 1 i ! ■ Victoria : Royal of St. James' Palace, but th^ is a letter from Lady Lyttleton^ wh is of interest, since it shows the welco change in the Queen's life which 1] union at once produced. " The Queen's look and manner," s\ writes, a few days after the ceremo^ " were very pleasing ; her eyes mij swollen with tears, but great happinj in her countenance ; and her look confidence and comfort at the PrinI when they walked away as man an| wife was very pleasing to see. understand," she continues, "she is extremely high spirits since. Such new thing for her to dare to unguarded in conversing with anybod)] And with her frank and fearless natun the restraints she has hitherto bee under, from one reason or anothe with everybody must have been moij painful." It would have been but natural if He Majesty, still in the heyday of youth! and united to the husband of her choice] ^ Sir Theodore Mart?n's Life of the Prince^ vol. | p. II, and always afterwards referred to as The Z(/^.; 28 An Appreciation Palace, but th^ Lyttletoni wh hows the welco 's life which 1| id. and manner," s\ er the ceremoj her eyes mil t great happinj and her look -t at the PrinI 'ay as man an| ing to see. fiues, "she is I since. Such CO dare to g with anybodij 1 fearless natun hitherto bee on or anothc [lave been m( It natural if He yday of youth! d of her choice! 0/ the Prince^ vol. if rred to as The LifA 'allowed herself, at least for a time, fhink only of pleasure; but with :e Albert at her side this was not :cur. From the moment of his riage, the Prince had but one :t, and that was to assist the ;n in her work. How well he did re know now from Sir Theodore tin's five great volumes. At first ras not admitted to the interviews Ministers, but after a time, at the of the latter, he was present, and young pair were soon deep in Itics. 'ith every magnificence around them rith every temptation to indulge in of ease and pleasure — how lofty aim of this royal pair ! At home abroad there was trouble, and Mr. ^ville 1 tells us that Her Majesty was irwhelmed with anxiety by, amongst (er things, an outbreak of the never- ling Eastern Question, which for a le threatened the peace between igland and France. But in all her [' Greville Memoirs^ second part, vol. i. p. 312. 29 p?S" T ; i i i ^ : i ! 1 1 1 1 ; '■" S ! H ! (,. I 11 Victoria : troubles she turned for consolation i her husband. And that he was c( petent to give advice on matters pi tical we know beyond doubt. By c( stant study he sought to be ready at points to advise the Queen rightly a* any question that might arise respect] the affairs of her empire. It is si wonder, then, that Her Majesty shol have told us somewhere that, with si a lofty aim as this, and looking at in the serious way that the Prince dl though a good shot and sportsmj himself, he should never have been al to comprehend anyone treating shootii except as a relaxation. It will be of interest here, tH knowing how largely the Prince \\j responsible for the growth of mind, to turn aside for a moment contemplate one whom the outsil world of that period judged "hi| self-contained, and passionless," bil who in reality was the kindest ani gentlest of men. Already in tho^ early days the work was so heavy a- to leave but scanty leisure for tl 30 An Appreciation lent of art and music, to both |ich the Prince was devoted, while [ajesty herself was an apt pupil artists of the day. Indeed her powers received the warm en- |m of no less an authority than lelssohn himself Lady Lyttleton^ [iven two pretty pictures from her )f the Prince's devotion to music. [first is dated from Windsor Castle :tober 1840. 'esterday," she writes, "as I was »g comfortably after the drive, by flelight, reading Guizot, suddenly rose from the room beneath — oh ! sounds ! . . . It was Prince Albert iar Prince Albert — playing on the m, and with such master skill, as ippeared to me, modulating so ledly, winding through every kind )ase and chord, till he wound up into most perfect cadence, and then off [in, louder and then softer : no tune, I am too distant to perceive the icution or small touches, so I only ' The Life^ vol. i. p. 15. 31 Victoria : heard the harmony ; but I never h'stened with much more pleasure to any music, I ventured at dinner," she goes on to record, "to ask what I had heard. *Oh, my organ — a new possession of| mine. I am so fond of the organ ; it is the first of instruments — the only instrument for expressing one's feelings.' I thought," Lady Lyttleton continues, "are they not good feelings that the organ expresses !" And ten years later we have another picture, this time dated from Osborne in the month of July. " Last evening," she records, " such a sunset ! I was sitting gazing at it, thinking of Lady Charlotte Proby's verses, when, from an open window below this floor, began suddenly to sound the Prince's organ, expressively played by his masterly hand. Such a modulation — minor and solemn, and ever changing, and never ceasing — from a piano, like Jenny Lind's holding note, up to the fullest swell, and still the same fine vein of melancholy. And it came on so exactly as an accompaniment to 2>2 An Appreciation the sunset. How strange he is ! He must have been playing just while the Queen was finishing her toilet, and then he went to cut jokes and eat dinner, and nobody but the organ knows what is in him, except, indeed, by the look of his eyes sometimes." The Early Years^ has a picture of the Prince in the sickroom, which seems to make a sequence to Lady Lyttleton's two letters — a picture so vivid and natural that we seem almost to see the form of the slight, handsome young man bending over the couch to whisper words of love and sympathy, or drawing the curtains of the windows to shut out the glare, and, consequently, to pro- mote the healthy slumber which, at the periods spoken of, Her Majesty stood in need. " During the time the Queen was laid up," Her Majesty records, when speaking of the birth of her eldest daughter, " the Prince's care and devotion were quite beyond expression. He refused to go to the play or anywhere else, generally * The Early YearSy p. 365. Victoria : dining alone with the Duchess of K? tih the Queen was able to join tht and was always at hand to do anythiJ in his power for her comfort. He vi content to sit by her in a darkei room, to read to her, or write for U None but himself ever lifted her froij her bed to her sofa, and he always helpej to wheel her into the next room. Porl this purpose he would come instantly from any part of the house. As years| went on, and he became overwhelmed with work," the Queen continues, speak- ing of her c ler confinements, " this was often done at much inconvenience to himself ; but he ever came with a sweet] smile on his face. In short," she added] "his care of her was like that of aj mother ; nor could there be a kinder,] wiser, or more judicious nurse." We have wandered somewhat from the political duties of the reign in giving! these domestic pictures of the Queen's | early married life. They seemed, how- ever, to fall in with the remarks made I that when Lord Melbourne's Ministry! was defeated for a second time, he 34 >uchess of K? - to join th( to do anythi; mfort. He V3 in a darkei " write for IiJ lifted her froJ 2 always helpej xt room. Porl :ome instantly use. As years] ' overwhelmed ntinues, speak- ents, *' this wag onvenience tc e with a sweet) t," she added,! ^e that of a| be a kinder,! rse." newhat from ign in giving | the Queen's I eemed, howj Tiarks made 's Ministry d time, he An Appreciation was to influence in so judicious a nner the life of the Sovereign was hand to bring home to her the true ition of a monarch in a constitu- al State, which doctrine had already n preached to her by the King of Belgians, when the " Bedchamber estion " had first arisen, but on that asion, it must be admitted, without ect.! We have seen the self-possession of er Majesty when presiding at her first d second Councils. The one con- ned for the transfer of the seals from e friends who had been with her since er accession called for an immense effort In the part of the Queen ; and that she se to the occasion may be seen in the ivid account Mr. Greville gives of this istoric scene.^ " Her heart," he writes, was evidently brimful, but she was omposed throughout the whole of the roceedings ; when her emotion might cry well have overpowere ^, her, she ' Ftde the Life, vol, i. p. 7. - Greville Memoirs, vol. ii. pp. 37 and 38 (second Jeries). 35 Victoria : li preserved complete self-possession and dignity." The Clerk of the Council, whose journals, up to the time of Her Majesty's accession, contain really in- sulting remarks respecting his previous royal masters, finishes the account by describing the conduct of the Queen as a remarkable exhibition of self-control in such a young woman, and stating that her firmness " excited his admiration." There had been more than a fore- shadowing of these great qualities of dignity and self-possession, so necessary in a sovereign, in the interview with Lord Conyngham and the Archbishop in the sun-lit room in old Kensington on the day of the Queen's accession. They had been displayed, as we have just mentioned, on other occasions ; but at those times there was nothing to try her as when parting with old friends, and about to enter into close relation- ship with Ministers of a party she cared little about. It is impossible to doubt who it was had helped thus to develop these qualities to so high a pitch, so that the Sovereign was able to meet 36 An Appreciation this trying emergency in a worthy spirit. The explanation comes in the touching letter of Lord Melbourne, which the Queen copied with her own hand for King Leopold, in which he spoke of the lofty opinion he had formed of Prince Albert — of his judgment, of his temper, of his discretion, and the sense of security he felt in leaving the Queen in his care.* One other point we should like to mention. It is dealt with on the same page of Sir Theodore Martin's great work as the letter just cited. It relates to Sir Robert Peel's admiration for the Prince's conduct towards himself. The new Prime Minister, from the highest motives, had opposed the original grant suggested for the Queen's husband, and he expected to be coldly met in con- sequence ; but such was far from being the case. It was the Prince who tried to put him at his ease — the Prince who at once began to treat him as a friend. Sir Robert, however, seems to have been some little time in getting quite at home ^ The Life^ vol, i. p. 20. 37 Victoria : at Court, if we may judge from }[ Greville's amusing, but rather ill-natun account of a dinner-party at Windsi Castle in the September following tj accession of the Tory party to powder It is not every man who, having h some twenty thousand a year by th action of another, yet attributes it, the Prince Consort did, only to a liigl| sense of duty. When we reflect upo this, we cannot wonder that the lat Laureate should write that, to himsel the Prince seemed — " Scarce other than my king's ideal knight."' The administration of Sir Robert Peel was, as all the world knows, famous foj the repeal of the Corn Laws. It cama to an end in 1846, and long beforel that date all prejudice had vanished orj the part of Her Majesty. Indeed the Premier had not been in office two, years when the Queen paid him a| high tribute, speaking of him as "un- doubtedly a great statesman, a man] * Greville Memoirs^ vol. ii. p. 44 (second series). 2 Idylls of the King Dedication. 3 8 judge from Mj ither ill-nature rty at Windsc jr following tlJ •arty to powU ho, having h\ a year by thj attributes it, only to a liigl| ve reflect upon that the late hat, to himsell] :'s ideal knight."" Sir Robert Peel 3WS, famous foj Laws. It camJ d long before! ad vanished or| y. Indeed the in office twol I paid him al f him as "un- isman, a mani ^4 (second series). An Appreciation io thinks but little of party, and jver of himself"^ Higher praise rem his Sovereign surely no man )uld desire. The close of the ad- hnistration was a time of sorrow for ler Majesty. "Yesterday," is the record of the (ueen 2 in a letter to the King of the lelgians, " was a very hard day. I had |o part with Sir Robert Peel and Lord .berdeen, who are irreparable losses to IS and to the country. They were )oth so much overcome that it quite ipset me. We have in them two levoted friends. We felt so safe with them"; and going on to say how, during ill the five years of office, they had jver acted without regard to party, setting before themselves but one )bject to be attained, namely, what [was best for the Queen and for the jcountry. Peel was succeeded in office by Lord [John Russell, with Sir Charles Wood [at the Exchequer, and Loni Palmerston at the Foreign Office. Mr. Sidney ^ The Ltff, vol. i. p. 28. 8 Vol. i. p. 56. 39 Victoria : Herbert, the afterwards distinguished Secretary for War, was invited to join the Government, but declined. The seals were handed over on the 6th July 1846, and the Ministry remained in power through a period of distress and revolution. Millions were voted by the Imperial Parliament for the starving Irish in 1847, who showed their gratitude by attempted rebellion ; while the following year, with blood flowing in the streets of Berlin, and the Orleans family in full flight from France, the Chartists attempted a demonstration in London ; but the Throne was in a very different position to that which it had occupied before the Queen's accession. Indeed it was not many years prior to the last- named event that Mr. Greville had expressed regret in his diary that the office of king had not been got rid of altogether ! Now, however, at the period of which we are writing. Her Majesty was able to inform the King of the Belgians that the newspaper reports of riots meant nothing at all, 40 An Appreciation and that the hearts of the English people were in reality loyal enough. The quiet work, and the devotion to duty of the royal pair, together with the lofty aims of the Prince, were already bearing rich fruit. That the clear intellect of the latter had fully grasped what the true position of the Sovereign should be, we know from Mr. Greville, who, if he was at times wrong in his judgments, certainly understood the British constitution thoroughly. All the Prince's views, he declares, were in perfe t accord with what the constitutional position of the Monarch in this country should be.i To him was due, he states, the fact that the Crown began to discharge properly the functions which belonged to it. Prince Albert, in a memorandum, dealt with in Sir Theodore Martin's great work, has shown what these duties are.2 A passive indifference to politics, he declares, on the part of the Crown is a gross misconception. ^ Greville Memoirs^ third series, vol. ii. p. 126. "^ The Lifey vol. ii. p. 27. 41 Victoria : That a royal person should be denied the credit of having political opinions, based upon anxiety for the national interests, pppeared to him monstrous. The Sovereign, he lays down, is the natural guardian of the honour of the country. Ministers out of office lose access to information, the monarch re- mains, and to him it is ever open. No pary considerations warp the judgment of the latter. As the perma- nent head of the nation he has only to consider what is best for its welfare, and his accumulated knowledge and experience are available in Council to the Ministn- of the time, without dis- tinction cf party. How valuable the last is na" be seen from an observa- tion once made, ve believe, by the great Lord Derby. " People speak," he said, " of Ministers guiding the Queen. Who among us has the ex- perience of Her Majesty? It is as often the Queen who guides her Minis- ters as Ministers guide the Queen." It is small matter for surprise, after considering the memorandum just 42 An Appreeiation spoken of, to find Lord Clarendon ^ tell- ing Mr. Greville that Prince Albert had rendered most important services to the Government, or to find him declaring that His Royal Highness had written some of the most able papers he had ever read. To occupy, then, the correct position which the Crown should fill in this country requires no slight labour. A Minister has to be conversant chiefly with his own department ; not so the Monarch, who must be ready at a moment's notice to turn from a Foreign Office despatch to one relating to India or the Colonies, with an equal knowledge of either. To discharge the duties of her high office, and to assist her "whose other self he was,"^ being the aim, we can understand, when Sir Theodore Martin, writing of 1849,^ tells us that " Already the days were beginning to be too short for the vast amount of work " to be got through. Leisure there was hardly any, except such as health or ^ Greville Memoirs^ third series, vol. ii. p. 126. ' The Lifet vol. ii. p. 27. • Vol. ii. p. 27. 43 Il Mi 1'' Victoria : social duties absolutely compelled. " The mere reading of the English, French, and German papers," the Prince writes to his stepmother, " absorbs nearly all the spare hours of the day, and yet one can let nothing pass without losing the connection, and coming, in con- sequence, to wrong conclusions." 1 Seven o'clock, even in winter time, saw him at his writing-table ; and before Her Majesty joined him, which she did at an early hour, he had done much to lighten her task. Their writing tables — even as, alas ! their tombs are now — were side by side, and for hours the pair would be immersed in business. It was not alone foreign politics that engrossed attention, but all that tended to the welfare and prosperity of the people. The Exhibition of 185 1 was the Prince's own idea. How he toiled for its success, in the face of coldness and opposition, we know from a letter of his to the Dowager-Duchess of Coburg, in which he describes himself as " more dead than alive from overwork." 2 It ^ The Life, vol. ii. p. 13. 2 \qI ^ p^ gQ^ 44 '» i An Appreciation must have been a consolation to the Queen to see, from a letter of Lord John Russell's,^ that those best able to judge knew the real truth. "The grandeur of the conception," he wrote at the close of the enterprise, " the zeal, invention, and talent displayed in the execution, and the perfect order main- tained, from the first day to the last, have contributed together to give im- perishable fame to Prince Albert. If to others much praise is due for their several parts in this work, it is to his energy and judgment that the world owes both the original design and the harmonious and rapid execution. What- ever may be done hereafter, no one can deprive the Prince of the glory of being the first to conceive and to carry into effect this beneficent design. Nor will the monarchy fail to participate in the advantage to be derived from this undertaking. No republic of the Old or New World has done anything so splendid or so useful." The ceremony of opening the Ex- ^ The Life^ vol. ii. p. 68. 45 "•Min jiii Victoria : hibition lies beyond these pages, but we cannot forbear one glance at it, because of the religious note, characteristic of the Queen in great moments, that appears in her journal of that day. She declares that it was more imprc sive even than the stately event of her Coronation. And that this was not an exaggeration may be seen from the fact that the Home Secretary (Sir George Grey) altogether broke down during the scene. "One felt," she writes, "so thankful to the Great God who seemed to pervade all, and bless all." ^ The letter just quoted from Lord John Russell to the Queen is dated the 17th October 185 1, and two months later occurred what is generally known as the " Palmerston episode." We give, as shortly as we can, the whole history of the affair, and if we deal with it at some little length, and in a manner some may consider out of proportion to the size of this volume, it is because no more striking instance can be given of the ^ The Life^ vol. ii. p. 61. 46 An Appreciation care with which Her Majesty devoted herself to her political duties ; nor can, we think, be found a better example of the power of the Crown, when we recall the fact that the then Foreign Secretary was one of the most powerful Ministers this country ever had. As far back as 1849 the Prince Consort had drawn the attention of Lord Palmerston to the fact that the Foreign Office despatches had all to come before the Queen. ^ It was a neglect of this duty which brought about the incident. Not for a moment is it hinted that there was any intentional disrespect to the Queen on the part of Lord Palmerston, but simply that his nature was impulsive and impatient of control — in a word, he liked to do every- thing off his own bat. That this is not beyond the truth may be seen from what the Duke of Wellington relates of his line of action in 1834, when the conqueror of Waterloo succeeded him in office. Before his retirement Lord Palmerston, Sir Theodore Martin tells us,^ had ' The Life^ vol. ii. p. il. Vol. ii. p. 72. 47 Victoria : made an offer of the mediation of England between France and the United States, which the latter Power had accepted. When, however, this came to the knowledge of the Duke, and he desired to see the exact terms of the proposal, no papers relating to it could be found at the Foreign Office, the fact being that Lord Palmerston had arranged the whole matter by private correspondence. After such an experi- ence, it is no wonder that the Duke should declare that this distinguished man "could at no time be trusted, as he was always anxious to do things by himself," ^ or that Sir Theodore Martin should describe him as not trying to keep in touch with his fellow Ministers,^ and only making things known to them when " some serious embarrassment resulting from them could no longer be concealed."^ It was the impulsive ^ The Life^ vol. ii. p. 72. ^ Mr. Greville speaks, too, of Lord Palmerston's audacity, and the endurance of his brother Ministers, and gives a striking instance in the Memoirs^ second series, vol. iii. p. 62. ^ The Life^ vol. ii. p. 51. 48 ition of e United iver had lis came ;, and he IS of the ) it could iffice, the ■ston had y private .n experi- the Duke :inguished rusted, as ithings by )re Martin trying to inisters,2 nown to rrassment o longer impulsive 1 Palmerston's ^er Ministers, noirs, second An Appreciation nature of Lord Palmerston which led to the episode. Constitutionally the King can do no wrong. When a draft despatch has been submitted by a Minister for consideration, the Crown amends or alters, if possessed of infor- mation beyond what the Minister of the department appears to have. But, as writers on the constitution have pointed out, the duty of the Sovereign is finished if the Minister finally objects to the suggestions made by the Monarch. He, and not the occupant of the throne, is responsible, and the Crown acts under the advice tendered. It is not difficult to realise how often sources of information must be open to a European Monarch which cannot be open to a Minister. The Sovereign, too, is advantageously placed, as we have beibre seen when quoting the words of the Prince Consort, to the effect that regal office is never quitted, and access to the best informa- tion thereby lost, as in the case of party politicians. Nothing more admirable can be conceived than the check this function of the Crown affords to any- 49 i: n 1^1 Victoria : ' the extracts given here from Sir Theodore Martin's work would be suffi- cient to show that the Crown is no mere ornamental part of the consti- tution, but that, on the contrary, the work attaching to the office is both extraordinarily heavy and filled with responsibility. At Windsor Castle, as the December days crept on, the anxiety respecting the Prince increased. The sad announce- ment of fever was made to the Queen by Dr. Jenner, and through the dark hours that followed, the late Grand- Duchess of Hesse — " Princess Alice," as le will ever be fondly styled by the English-speaking race — was not only her mother's support, but the good Prince's nurse. Throughout, his mind was rarely clouded. He liked being read to, and followed closely, as was shown by his remarks, takinr^ notice, too, of all around him — admiring a picture on china of the Madonna, " ever loving," as Her Majesty recorded, * what was beautiful." "It helps me through half the day," he said. But on the 1 3th 88 An Appreciation im Sir be suffi- i is no consti- iry, the is both ed with ecember jspecting inounce- e Queen :he dark Grand- fVlice," as i by the lot only he good lis mind ed being as was rr notice, Hiring a na, " ever sd, *" what through the 13th there came a change, It was noticed that he no longer glanced up at the painting, and that he "would not be turned, as he had previously been, with his back to the light, but remained with his hands clasped, looking silently out of the window at the sky." This was the great crisis of the Queen's life, and we may be excused for dwelling on it for a few moments. Early on the morning of the fatal 14th December, one of the m.edical men informed the Queen the crisis was over, and the Prince better. " I went over at seven," Her Majesty's journal recorded, " a bright morning, the sun jiist rising. The room had that sad look of night-watching — the car dies burned down to their sockets, — the doctors looking anxious. I went in, and never can I forget how beautiful my darling looked lying there^ his face lit up by the rising sun, his eyes un- usually bright, gazing, as it were, -^n unseen objects, and taking no notice of me." Throughout the day the Queen rarely 89 Victoria : left the sickroom. The Prince was reluctant to have her absent. " Good little wife," he whispered more than once, and laid his head upon her shoulder. " It is very comfortable so, dear child," he said ; and then came the story of that little moan, " not of pain," as the Queen recorded, "but as if he felt that he was leaving me." Before the daylight waned it was known to the household that the favourable diag- nosis of the morning was a mistaken one. No more beautiful or more auth- entic description of the closing scene can be found than that given by Sir Theodore Martin, and for that reason we give it verbatim from the abridged edition of the Life from which we have throughout quoted. "As the evening wore on, Her Majesty once more retired to give vent to her grief in an adjoining room. She had not been long absent when Sir James Clarke, noticing the great change, not to be mistaken, asked the Princess Ah'ce to request Her Majesty's return. The import of that summons was but too 90 An Appreciatijn ? nee was " Good )re than pon her table so, came the of pain," as if he ' Before :nown to ible d lag- mistaken ore auth- ng scene n by Sir it reason abridged we have Majesty jt to her I She had (if James !fe, not to ;ss Alice irn. The but too I plain. When the Queen entered she took the Prince's left hand, which was already cold, though the breathing was quite gentle, and knelt down by his side. On the right of the bed knelt the Princess Alice, while at the foot knelt the Prince of Wales and the Princess Helena. Not far off were Prince Ernest Leiningen, the physicians, and Lolein, the valet. General the Hon. Robert Bruce knelt opposite the Queen, and Sir Charles Phipps, the Dean of Windsor, and General Grey were also present. In that chamber was grief such as has rarely hallowed a deathbed. A great light, which had blessed the world, and which but yesterday the mourners had hoped might long bless it, was waning fast away. A husband, a father, a friend, a master, endeared by every quality by which man in such relation can win the love of fellow-man, was passing to the silent land, and his wise counsel, his firm, manly thought, should be known among them no more. The castle clock chimed the three-quarters after ten. Calm and beautiful grew the beloved 91 Victoria : form ; the features settled in serene repose : two — three, long but gentle breaths, and that great spirit had fled to seek within the veil a wider scof>e, where the spirits of the weary are at rest, and the souls of the just made perfect." ■^^ ■J ^■i With the death of the Prince Consort we come to the second half of the Queen's life. When the blow so un- expectedly fell she was but just over forty, and many doubted her ability, after so crushing a stroke, to stand alone. Writing in his diary on the evening of the 15th of December, the late Lord Malmesbury, records that^ " the greatest anxiety is felt on the Queen's account, for it is feared that this affliction may be too much for her health or mind to bear. She has lost everything," he goes on to say, "that could make life valuable to her, as all her happiness was centred in her husband, who was not only most devoted * Memoirs of an Ex-Minister^ vol. ii. p. 265. 92 An Appreciation serene gentle ad fled scope, are at t made Consort of the so un- ist over ability, o stand on the ber, the s that' on the ed that for her as lost , "that her, as in her evoted 1. 265. to her, but her best friend, advising her in all her difficulties, consoling her in all her annoyances, and saving her as much trouble and anxiety as possible." But those fears were groundless. He who in His wisdom had seen fit to remove from her side the sustaining hand was well able to support her in the day of affliction. As Sir Theodore Martin wrote, and as we have already seen, " the blow had fallen in an hour of peril to her land." ' We ourselves have just noticed the peaceful termination of the American quarrel, but we must not forget that when, in the blackness of the winter's night, the great bell of St. Paul's tolled forth to the listening world the announcement that the beloved Prince was no more, the breath of war was in the very air itself. What his heart had striven for — what his dying hand had sought — had been attained, but that fact was not known by the bereaved Queen in those first moments of agony. None can doubt who have made any study whatever of her character that she was ^ The Life^ vol. v. p. 77. 93 Lai "^ Victoria : a religious woman — that when in the early hours of the morning of her accession day she requested to be left alone, she had recourse to Him who has promised to be not only the helper of all, but, in a special manner, the defender of the cause of the widow ! So now, when thus sorely needed, strength was given. It was, we believe, none other than Mr. Bright who told us that the Prince Consort havin.' In the Life of th. I ,f " "^asure. object, she foSs Sr "" "^^'^'''^ been to obh-tel! u ' ^^"^ '° ''^ve Obliterate herself as far as 103 ' I 'tH Victoria : possible. It is a charming trait in her character, it is a proof — if, indee-^ y proof were needed- -of how deep ner love fc * him was ; but there can be no manner of doubt that such was her desire. Mrs. Oliphant's words on the subject are so true that we venture to extract them. " To him/'i she writes, speaking of the Prince, "was to be attributed, by the Queen's wish, all that was worthy in the first twenty years of her reign — all that was wise — all that was noble. Had we taken Her Majesty at her word — most sincerely given, and in perfect good faith, as it was — we should have looked for nothing but complete breakdown, and a season of helpless misery and distraction, ending either in the reduction of the Queen to a puppet Monarch, giving signatures and murmuring assents with- out either power or influence ; or a puppet of a still more usual kind — fall- ing into the hands of favourites, and ruling, or pretending to rule, as they ^ Queetf- Victona: Personal Sketch (Ca'^sell & Co.), p. il8. A in her ar* y :tp ner 1 be no ^as her on the iture to g of the by the y in the -all that Had we d — most od faith, )ked for n, and a traction, of the giving Its with- or a id— fall- tes, and las they lell & Co.), An Appreciation guided. Both Great Britain and the world are fully aware that nothing of the kind happened. Her Majesty re- sumed her place, and the wheels of State rolled on as before. If she were by herself unable to grasp the problems of State, if her judgment failed, if she ceased to have an independent opinion, none has ever breathed a word to that effect. Statesmen have died, and their lives have been written, and many a troublous and painful secret, and many a secret whisper, has been made known to the world; but amid all these babblings, no one has ever ventured to say, Alas ! things were different now ; that when the Prince was gone, who kept her right, the Queen's in- fluence was diminished. One can imagine that, in her generous en- thusiasm for him, it would almost have pleased Her Majesty had some- thing of this kind been said ; but, so far as we are aware, it never was said — nay, nor hinted — amid the manifold gossipings of a Court. If she owed all to her husband, as Her Majesty has Victoria : over and over again told us, to what has she owed it that her great career has gone on undiminished? Her complete self-abnegation was beautiful, and there is no doubt that it was expressed with entire sincerity ; but there can be still less doubt either that Prince Albert's royal pupil had attained, by the time he left her, to the power of standing alone, or that her attribution of every wise instinct to him never prevented a large admixture of her own." These words were written during the Queen's lifetime. That they were com- pletely true nonf^ acruainted with the admirable manner in which, through all the long years of her widowhood, Her Majesty discharged the duties of her office, can doubt for a single moment. The soundness of judgment which she displayed on so many occasions had indeed developed long before the Prince's death. We had many proofs of that sagacity given by Ministers on both sides of the Houses of Parliament on the evening following the day of her death ; and in Lord Kimberley's touch- io6 : I An Appreciation hat has 2er has )mpletc d there ed with be still Albert's time he ig alone, ;ry wise a large iring the ere corn- ^vith the ough all >od, Her of her moment. Ihich she ms had ,re the proofs sters on Irliament of her 's touch- ing oration there seems to us a striking evidence of the contention just made. " Let us have the Queen's opinion first. That is always worth hearing, even if one does not agree with it," he told us, was a customary observation of the late Lord Clarendon, who was no less than four times Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and twice over held the seals during the Prince's lifetime. Nothing is farther than any desire to take from the last named, nevertheless the words of Lord Clarendon are substantial proof of the truth of what is here contended. It may be well to finish at once the question of the Queen's retirement. After a time, murmurs were heard, more particularly from those classes which have little knowledge of the real duties of the Sovereign. To them it would indeed have been a revelation if they had learned that all the time, even, as we have seen, from the morrow of the Prince's death, she was working, ever working, for the good of her people — ay, struggling for them, to come always to a decision which she believed would 107 p. ■!,! 1*4? Victoria : be best for their welfare. " Groping by myself, with a constant sense of desola- tion," were the pathetic words she herself used to describe her position to Dean Stanley.^ And, as time went on, the murmurs increased, till they were distinctly heard at a meeting of the Trades Union, some five years after the Prince's death. But the Queen was not, on that occasion, left without a defender. He who rose to speak in her cause was no courtier, but, on the contrary, was indeed styled the " People's Tribune." Death has long silenced the harsh political strife which for long raged about him ; and to-day men of all parties agree to honour the memory of John Bright. " I rise,"2 he said, " for the purpose of making, in one sentence, a reference to a portion of the speech of Mr. , which I hope I did not fully comprehend. • Life of Dean Stanley (John Murray). 2 The writer is entirely indebted for a knowledge of this speech to Mr. C. Jeaffreson's Victoria: Queen and Empress (Heinemann), which, on searching the file of the Times, he finds to be reported on the 5th December 1866. 108 ] An Appreciation •ping by f desola- le herself to Dean on, the ;y were r of the ars after ueen was dthout a speak in it, on the " People's ;nced the for long men of memory irpose of [erence to • > iprehend. |nowledge of h'ia : Queen [arching the on the 5^^ ] . . . He made observations which, in my opinion, no meeting of people in this country, and certainly no meeting of reformers, ought to have listened to with approbation. Let it be remembered that there has been no occasion on which any Ministry has proposed an improved representation of the people when the Queen has not given her cordial, un- hesitating, and, I believe, hearty assent. But Mr. referred further to a supposed absorption of the sympathies of the Queen with her late husband, to the exclusion of sympathy for and with the people. I am not accustomed to stand up in defence of those who are possessors of crowns. But I could not sit here and hear that observation with- out a sense of wonder and of pain. I think there has been by many persons a great injustice done to the Queen with reference to her desolate and widowed position. And I venture to say this, that a woman, be she the Queen of a great realm or be she the wife of one of your labouring men, who can keep alive in her heart a great sorrow for the 109 ■-*■ ,n Victoria : lost object of her life and affection, is not at all likely to be wanting in a great and generous sympathy." True, noble, manly words ; and all not blinded by party passions must agree they were worthy of John Bright. The murmurs did not pass at Court unnoticed. From time to time it was said that Her Majesty was about to return to the gay world, till at last she did what she so often did through- out her reign — took her people into her confidence. In a few simple, womanly words she told them that mere gaiety was beyond her powers, but that on occasions, when her presence was really required, she would come among them, but that, as a rule, she should delegate her social duties to those who could so well perform them, contenting herself with labouring for the good of her people. And there are many who think that this comparative retirement did no harm ; that, on the contrary, the very rarity of the Queen's appearances in public did but increase their value in I lO .•*fct"' 'ection, is in a great ue, noble, linded by hey were s at Court me it was about to 11 at last d through- ie into her ;, womanly lere gaiety It that on was really long them, ,d delegate lo could so ng herself d of her think that did no the very trances in value in An Appreciation popular estimation. We confess that we agree with this idea ; and that we are not alone in this view of the sub- ject may be seen from an article which appeared, we believe, in the Spectator about a year previous to the Queen's death, and which on that occasion ex- pressed practically the same opinion. It was but fifteen months after the death of the Prince Consort that, if such an expression may be allowed, a suitable substitute for Her Majesty in social life was found in the then Princess Alexandra, who entered London on the 3th of March 1863 two days prior to her marriage to the present King, amid a storm of enthusiasm not likely to be forgotten by any who witnessed it. The gorgeous ceremony is outside our limits — " so grand as to be quite overpowering " was the description given by a Cabinet Minister of the scene in St. George's Chapel, where Her Majesty was present in the royal closet. That she was no longer pros- trated with grief we know from Lord Malmesbury, who had an audience I I I I ■t •■-(►. Victoria : with her a few days later, and records that she was "quite calm, and even cheerful," though complaining of "not feeling strong, and unable to stand much." 1 Gaiety, we know, was beyond her, but work came naturally to her, and of that, as we have already seen, there was never any cessation. That the Queen was ever on the side of peace, if it were compatible with the honour of the country, we know be- yond all doubt. We have seen, in conjunction with the good Prince, how in 1 86 1 the Court lent all its efforts for a happy solution of the American difficulty. In 1864 Her Majesty was alone, and it may be said to be due to her influence that this country was not involved in a war with the hosts of Germany. It is not our intention to deal here except most briefly with the Schleswig - Holstein complication, concerning the succession to which duchies an agreement had been come to between the Great Powers in 1852. The details relating to the dispute ^ Memoirs of an Ex- Minister ^ vol. ii. p. 295. I 12 An Appreciation 1 records ind even of " not to stand IS beyond y to her, iady seen, )n. That le side of with the know be- 2 seen, in *rince, how its efforts American ajesty was to be due luntry was the hosts |r intention .riefly with implication, to which been come |rs in 1852. lc dispute ii. p. 295- which arose after the accession of Christian IX. to the throne of Den- mark are exceedingly intricate, and ended in war being declared against the latter Power by Austria and Prussia on the 31st January 1864. In this country a large party were in favour of assisting the Danes, and that the Government of the day were in sympathy with it may be seen from the entries in Lord Malmesbury's memoirs. Writing under date of the 27th January, he tells us that, at a meeting of the Cabinet a few days before, a very grave decision had been come to — that that decision had been submitted to the Queen, and the Courts of Prussia and Austria noti- fied that this country would assume a hostile attitude in the event of the forces of the last-named Powers in- vading Schleswig. But an unexpected factor stood in the way. Two days later the same statesman records : " The Queen will not hear of going to war with Germany."^ Ministers, we know, ^ Memoirs of an Ex-Minister, vol. ii. p. 3T5. 113 |il: Victoria : were strongly in favour of interven- tion, but Her Majesty stood firm. How fortunate it was she did so any- one with any knowledge of military matters will easily comprehend when it is recalled that the Prussians were at that time armed with the breech- loader, whereas we ourselves were only provided with the old-fashioned weapon. " We should probably have suffered in consequence the same disaster as the Austrians did two years later," is the comment of the writer we have quoted above, and which he added in later years in a footnote in his diary. Con- cerning this, it is only necessary to say that had Lord Malmesbury, in- stead of the word " probably," used that of " certainly," he would not have gone beyond the mark. To the Queen's affection for the land of the Prince Consort's birth and her love of peace we owe on this occasion a debt of gratitude, since the two combined saved us from a misfortune too terrible to even contemplate. It was not only in foreign politics 114 fra ow An Appreciation interven- Dd firm, so any- military nd when ians were e breech- were only d weapon, uffered in ter as the .r," is the ive quoted i in later ary. Con- icessary to esbury, in- .bly," used not have To the .nd of the ^er love of ion a debt combined :oo terrible Kgn politics that Her Majesty was a power in favour of peace. In home matters she ever lent herself to smoothing down difficulties. Where opposition was keen she adjusted things by tactful interposition at the right moment, with suggestions of wise compromise, doing all she could, by judicious advice, to lessen evils which had arisen through sharp asperities. And this she ever did without regard to personal feel- ings. In no case is this more con- spicuous than in her dealings with the thorny questions which presented themselves in the matter of the dis- establishment of the Irish Church. Whatever were the views of Her Majesty in the later years of her life on this subject, it is no secret that at the time she greatly disliked the measure. Presumably she changed her ideas on the matter. Be that as it may, we have in her attitude a striking piece of evidence of the impartial manner in which she ever acted, the candid and frank way in which she displayed her own views to the Minister from whom 115 *a Victoria: she differed, and the loyal support she gave him when once she realised that her opinions were to be disregarded and that she was to be called upon to act under advice which was unpalatable to her. And at such a time she did not, as it were, retreat in dudgeon, giving ungracious consent and no more, but from the instant she comprehended a matter was inevitable, she did all in her power to bring it to a wise and pacific ending. In a letter dated from Balmoral in 1869, General Grey^ wrote by her command to Archbishop Tait, saying, " Mr. Gladstone is not ignorant (indeed Her Majesty has never concealed her feelings on the subject) how deeply Her Majesty deplores the necessity under which he conceives himself to lie, of raising the question as he has done, or of the apprehensions, of which she cannot divest herself, as to the possible consequences of the measure which he has introduced." In this ^ Life of Archbishop Tait (Macmillan & Co.), vol. ii. p. 24. The particulars regarding the passage of the Bill are all taken from the same work and chapter. 116 ' II An Appreciation »ort she ed that ied and 1 to act table to did not, », giving lore, but ended a d all in ^vise and ted from syi wrote lop Tait, ignorant oncealed w deeply necessity limself to Is he has of which to the nieasure In this Co.), vol. ii. ssage of the chapter. letter we have evidence of the Queen's frank nature, and, during the negotia- tions which followed, of that which has just been stated, how she never retreated in sullen silence, but did all she could to make the wheels of State roll smoothly on their course. Mi. Glad- stone, as he himself has told us on this occasion, felt a difficulty in approach- ing the Archbishop of Canterbury on some of the points connected with a measure which could not fail to be disagreeable to the occupants of the Episcopal bench, and it was Her Majesty who paved the way for the meeting between the cleric and the statesman. " I explained to the Queen," the Prime Minister wrote to the Archbishop from Carlton House Terrace, under date of the 1 8th February 1869, ''that I had not felt myself warranted in so approaching your Grace. This lack on my part the Queen kindly undertook to remove." This letter of Mr. Gladstone's had been called forth by a friendly note from the Archbishop, which had been 117 *1' Victoria : the result of a letter from the Queen, in which she had told the last named that the subject of the Irish Church made her very anxious, and urged him to see the Prime Minister. The inter- view took place the following day, and it was a relief to the Archbishop to find himself in agreement with Mr. Gladstone over certain stipulations which he deemed necessary in connection with the Bill. The ten days that followed the meeting, the Archbishop has told us, were the most difficult of his life. In a work of this kind it is impossible to go into the details connected with the measure in any way, and we can only give a bare outline of the affair. The Bill was introduced into the House of Commons by Mr. Gladstone in a speech of three hours and a half, and the second reading was carried by 368 against 250. Mr. Disraeli still hoped to save at least a reduced estab- lishment, and he wrote to the Arch- bishop urging that when the Bill reached the Lords the action of the House should be divested as far as 118 \ An Appreciation possible of party character. He sug- gested a meeting of leading Peers, which was accordingly held at Lambeth Palace, when the Archbishop urged that the Bill should be read a second time as soon as it came before the Upper House. The only supporters of this proposal, however, were Lords Grey, Salisbury, and Stanhope,^ though the measure was even then passing through the committee stage of the Commons with immense majorities. It was read a third time on the 31st May, and sent to the Lords. The Queen's dislike of the measure had in no way abated, but she at once wrote to the Arch- bishop urging him to put himself in communication with Mr. Gladstone. She saw the danger of a violent collision between the two Houses, which Dr. Tait had already declared to the Prime Minister to be " immi- nent." The Archbishop was, as we have seen, in favour of the second reading of the Bill, but, in spite of that, Mr. Gladstone's reply was hardly ^ Life of Archbishop Tait, vol. ii. p. 19. 119 (i! I Victoria : conciliatory as to the other points which the Archbishop had raised, and the latter replied, making allowance for the Governmental position, and stating that he was ready at any moment in the future to act as Her Majesty urged. The negotiations which followed are full of interest, and show the immense and tactful part played by the Queen ; but we can only deal briefly with the matter. Writing to Her Majesty on the 7th June, the Archbishop gave her twenty as the probable number against the second reading, and saying that every- thing would depend on the manner in which Lord Granville introduced the Bill. How well he knew the Queen's wise judgment and tact may be seen from the words he then added : " Any representation from your Majesty would make it almost impossible for him to avoid adopting a conciliatory tone.''^ The day after this letter was written the Archbishop ^ Lord Granville's tone was, it is almost needless to add, everything that was charming. — Lt/e of Archbishop Tait^ vol. ii. p. 27. An Af)preciation wrote to Mr. Disraeli to inform him that the Queen was desirous that the second reading should be carried, which ac- cordingly came to pass on the i8th of June at three o'clock in the morning, with a majority of thirty-three. The Hill was amended in committee, and once more difficulties rose between the two Houses, but compromise was the wise order of the day. The Archbishop was, as the Bishop of Rochester wrote ^ " in almost hourly communication with the Queen," and in the end a satisfactory solution of all the difficulties was come to. If the matter has been dealt with at some little length, the reader must pardon it, since no more admirable instance of the good sense and rectitude of conduct can be given of her whose loss we deplore. As the biographer of the Archbishop truly declared — " Beyond question it was to the Queen and the Archbishop that the successful compromise was mainly due." A leading article in the Times a few years ago, reviewing the Memoirs of the great cleric, from which the story * Life of Archbishop Tait^ vol. ii. p. 39. 121 Victoria : has been culled, seems to justify the importance we have attached to the incidents, since it said in effect, that if people would only peruse the volumes in question they would see what the position of the Crown in the country was, and its undoubted influence for good. With the great War of 1870 this country was happily not concerned. It is mentioned here, however, since there is a special point of interest connected with it in relation to the Queen. It is natural to suppose — indeed it is no secret — that the heart of Her Majesty was on the side of Germany, bound to it as she was by the closest ties, but nevertheless she was sad for the sorrows of France, and filled with sympathy for the Emperor Napoleon and his wife, who were her personal friends. Great Britain rightly never departed from a line of strict impartiality, but all that the people of this country could do to a?ifst the wounded and the starving was done, and our attitude on that occasion, it was said, would never be forgotten 122 ' 1 An Appreciation by the French people. In one of the state rooms at Windsor Castle Her Majesty received the deputation from that country after the war was over, the signatures amounting to nearly twelve million ! When one recalls some of the things that have been said and 1 done in France during the last eighteen months, above all, in relation to the Queen, it is impossible not to feel that the gratitude so warmly and grace- fully expressed on the before-mentioned occasion was not of such a lasting nature as was then stated would be the case. There was indeed another and greater reason why the people of that country should have held the name of Queen Victoria in veneration. Whatever was said of England, however deep the feeling in favour of the Boers, her name should have been kept clear of the con- troversy, when the fact is recalled that it was Her Majesty's personal influence which some few years after the war of 1870 prevented a second onslaught by Germany on France. The spiteful remarks — the bitter chagrin^ indeed, of 123 Aiiia-liiPJ 1^' »:'m Victoria : Prince Bismarck, which has since come to light — show clearly how completely his game was spoilt by the interposition of the Queen of England in the cause of peace. In 1872 Her Majesty made the first of those three royal progresses of her widowhood through the streets of her capital. It lies outside the scope of this work, which has not attempted to deal with the ceremonial part of the reign. It was made in consequence of the recovery of the Prince of Wales from an illness which had well-nigh proved fatal, and it called forth a scene of enthusiastic loyalty. That it is a tempt- ation to speak of the event we own, but we shall reserve ourselves for mere ceremonies to the last progress of all, that of the Diamond Jubilee, which may be said to have been of a unique character. There is, indeed, too, one other progress — the last progress of all, — the one that lies closest to our hearts, and on that too we shall touch within a few pages now. But though 1872 was the first great 124 M nee come ompletely erposition the cause e the first 5es of her ets of her ope of this ed to deal the reign, ice of the Vales from igh proved scene of is a tempt- we own, :s for mere ress of all, lee, which If a unique too, one ress of all, our hearts, luch within first great An Appreciation public appearance of Her Majesty in the heart of the city, she had already emerged from that " strict seclusion " which she had sought in the early days of her widowhood. Parliament had been opened in state — Netley Hospital visited — the fleet reviewed in honour of the Sultan of Turkey, who was invested by the Queen with the Order of the Garter, during the passage of the Victoria and Albert through the lines of the great battle- ships. True to her promise. Her Majesty had shown herself in public whenever it was really nec( ssary for her to do so, and, if we may again say it, the rarity of her appearances had increased the value attached to them. But in spite of it all — spite of the work, which, as we have seen, was being daily carried on, and, with the expansion of the empire and the increased facilities for communication, daily, too, becoming more heavy, — she was still in sorrow for, as Mr. Bright said, "the lost object of her life and of her love." But yet there was a 125 t'< Victoria : change, and a great change, in the tone of it. Things were no longer with the Queen as they had been when she wrote in her diary ,^ in the early days of her widowhood, that in the life that was left there was "no pleasure — no joy — all dead." The situation was, as Sir Theodore Martin - has so well put it : " Years not many had gone — the grief of those that loved him had been purged of well-nigh all its pain," and then the apt quotation — " Harsh grief doth pass in time into far music." The Queen sorrowed, but not as those without hope. The birth- days of the Prince — even the fatal 14th of December itself — were no longer looked upon as days of gloom. " That's not the light to look at it in,"^ one of her humble but faithful Highland attendants had said to her, years before the period now treated of, and she had grown able to agree with him. Still, to the very last, the shadow of his passing ^ More Leaves, "^ Life of Prince Consort^ vol. v. p. 77. ^ More I^eaves. 126 An Appreciation ;e, in the no longer had been ry,^ in the )d, that in ; was "no ad." The re Martin- not many ; that loved ell-nigh all quotation — [ time into rrowed, but The birth- e fatal 14th no longer n. "That's t in," 3 one Highland ears before d she had Still, to his passing p. 77- was upon her. We do not mean any- thing morbid. On the contrary, she had grown, like the saintly Alexandrine de la Ferronnays in the R^cit d'une S(Bur^ to find " life beautiful and in- teresting " once more — and like her, too, to mourn almost " gaily " ! Everything was worth studying. " Her sagacity in reading people and their ruling motives and weaknesses, and a little disposition — though very little, and scarce more than to show her complete grasp of them — to be quietly amused at them, struck me very much,"^ wrote Arch- bishop Benson from Osborne on one occasion ; while on another he notes that Her Majesty was " shrewder and fuller of knowledge than most men."^ Life to her was a very serious thing. She looked on it always, as she herself has told us the Prince Consort did, as a preparation for a higher and nobler one beyond the grave. That others should not do the same, but make this life everything, was a matter of grief to her. ^ Life of Archbishop Benson^ vol. ii. p. 2. 2 Vol. ii. p. 561. l£?'Wat"fi3PafflTr'StFW»^.^ ._^^-4 /< r 1 Victoria : " I cannot understand the world," she said at another time to Dr. Benson, — " cannot comprehend the frivolities and littlenesses. It seems to me as if they were a// a little mad ! " ^ To one with 3o lofty an aim as the Queen, how natural this view ! Her religion, how- ever, was of the closet, and not for outward show. She detested cant of any kind, and if we are to believe some of the stories told, was not slow to show her dislike of anything approaching to it. She never, so far as /e know, preached to anyone — never in those visits of which we have any rec )rd, to the houses of the afflicted, told people "that it was for their good," or that they must submit at once, and so forth, as is the way with some pious people. She understood to the full how difficult it was for imperfect mortals to bow the head when that which made life fair and pleasant was taken away. Surely, if submission was so easy, there would be little merit in it ! No, there was nothing of that kind in the sympathy which ^ Life of Archbishop Benson^ vol. ii. 128 An Appreciation Drld," she Benson, — >lities and as if they one with leen, how jion, how- d not for :d cant of ieve some iw to show )proaching ;e know, in those rec )rd, to lid people or that id so forth, |us people. )w difficult ;o bow the le life fair Surely, if would be LS nothing [hy which ^1. ii. must ever be associated with the name of Queen Victoria. Now and then there was a whisper to the stricken one of the life beyond, and the duty left to fulfil, but, in the records possessed, hardly more than a whisper. " I came in and took her hand, and pressed it," is the sort of entry one meets with in her accounts of visits to those in sorrow. Nothing more pathetic can be fancied than the picture which appeared in Black and White^ some years ago, of Her Majesty sitting with her hand on the shoulder of the bereaved High- land woman in her lonely and homely cottage. And all the time, when thus able to throw herself into the griefs of others, — weighed down " with the cares and over- whelming anxieties " of her own position, as she herself put it to Dr. Norman Macleod,^ — the cares of the mightiest empire in the world! This is surely in looking back now, one of the chief, charms — one of the chief characteristics of the Queen. It is not our intention ^ More Leaves, \^ti Victoria : to attempt to draw her character, which was a marvellous combination of sweet- ness and strength. That must be left to the historian, and to those who were in personal relationship with her. We merely wish, as we stated at the commencement of this little work, to deal now and again with some small characteristic. If this were intended to be a biography of the Queen, it would be easy enough, in a way, to write it up to date — to the last date of all, the 22nd January 1901 ! so far at least, that is, as ordinary public events are concerned. But in setting himself to this task, the writer had no such idea. Lives of the Queen there have been, and will be many. Some of authentic kind will be among the number, but those will be at such length as to be beyond the power of the ordinary work-a-day reader. It is for the benefit of the latter, and to bring to his notice the opinions of competent judges on the subject, that these imperfect pages are hastily put together. It is hoped, too, as we have before said, that they may 130 An Appreciation ter, which of sweet- ist be left who were her. We d at the ; work, to ome small .biography Lsy enough, ate — to the uary 1901 I nary public in setting ter had no ueen there ,ny. Some mong the uch length |he ordinary the benefit his notice ges on the pages are |hoped, too, they may supply a want, since the ordinary small volumes dealing with the late Queen treat more of the ceremonial events of the reign than the work of her beloved Majesty. At this point, then, we are met with a supreme difficulty. In the above pages we have dealt only with facts, not at all with surmises. The political events of the later years of the reign are associated with the great names of Gladstone, Disraeli, and Salisbury, and the last named of these is still happily with us. It is therefore too soon for the publication of the letters and despatches, from which alone we should care to quote, consequently it is as yet impossible to know the particular line which Her Majesty took over the various momentous questions which have arisen during the terms of office of these three statesmen. Gossip and club rumours there have been indeed in plenty; but that is useless for the purpose of this volume, since the writer determined to have nothing to do with any question which was unsupported by documentary evidence. The position of 131 Victoria: a constitutional Sovereign is in some respects an unfortunate one. The Minis- try of the hour may blunder, may even involve the country in a disaster, but the occupant of the throne cannot show if he or she has done anything to avert the evil which has fallen upon the land, but must wait for years before the true part played can be revealed with pru- dence to the public. In the case about to be treated of, this was not the case with the Queen. The story of the first expedition to Khartoum is too recent for it to be necessary to be dealt with at any length. Indeed, we might go farther, and say that the disgrace attach- ing to the period has sunk too deep into the hearts of the nation for anything connected with it to have been entirely forgotten. We do not imply that the policy of the then Government was not dictated by supposed humane motives, but the fact that it was a weak one — a policy, if the expression may be used, of shilly-shally, causes the word disgrace to be employed. Gordon, as all the world knows, had 132 An Appreciation s in some The Minis- , may even isaster, but annot show ing to avert )n the land, Dre the true d with pru- i case about lot the case r of the first 5 too recent e dealt with e might go ^race attach- oo deep into ■or anything leen entirely ily that the ent was not ,ne motives, eak one — a be used, of disgrace to knows, had been Governor of the Soudan, therefore anything he said in relation to the place was worthy of the deepest consideration, and it is difficult to understand how the Ministry came to the decision to abandon the country, when we reflect upon the ad- vantages that had accrued to the unhappy natives under his rule. " I had taught them," he said, " that they had a right to exist — taught them something of the meaning of the words liberty and justice." He had warned the Khedive of the care necessary in dealing with the Soudan, but his warnings had been disregarded, and the Mahdi had arisen. Into what followed we shall not attempt to go. There is no necessity for it. Briefly, a crisis had arisen, the British Government decided to abandon the Soudan, and General Gordon was requested to go out to Khartoum and superintend the evacuation of the province. There was a hush upon the nation as he went, in that supreme moment of difficulty, and the country watched his going forth into the blackness of the Soudan night with breathless awe. Without show, without 133 f T^TTT^ ' r-JJ'^'T^rr-'' Victoria : state, he went — the very footsteps of his going hushed by the desert sands. We know what followed. Procrastination and refusal — refusal and procrastination on the part of the Government, who were so anxious to avoid firing a shot that in the end their hands reeked with blood, the most noble and heroic ever shed in the history of this country. And during all these delays — during the time of paralysis of manly feeling which had smitten the Ministry of Mr. Glad- stone, she who in the darker hours of the Indian Mutiny had seen the serious- ness of the situation and the need of reinforcements long before her then Government, had on this occasion taken also the right view — the view which in the end had also to be adopted ! We claim no great genius for the Queen, but merely sound wisdom and a most well-balanced judgment. Warning after warning had been addressed by Her Majesty to her Ministers as to the line to be adopted if the garrison of Khartoum was to be saved and General Gordon rescued. It was not, however, till too late that the 134 An Appreciation Government rose from its torpor and despatched the expedition, which, as we all know, arrived only when all was over. The general world knew nothing then of the part played by the Queen — did not know that, if the Ministry had listened to her wise words, the terrible disaster would never have happened. She was ill from the shock. That much was known, and there were whispers and surmises, but outside the circle of leading politicians none knew the truth for certain. There was a general wish among the more thoughtful to know what the Sovereign's view of the terrible situation was, but it was realised that years must elapse before that wish was likely to be gratified. And then — suddenly the veil was lifted ! The communications to Ministers could not be published, but one letter appeared, and in that letter the whole scene was made clear. To the sister of the dead hero nothing could be refused. Miss Augusta Gordon applied for leave to incorporate into the volume of her brother's correspondence, which she was 135 Victoria: 1 bringing out, a letter dated from Osborne on the 17th February 1885 — a letter which may be described, as was a very similar one to the widow of the murdered President of the Jnited States, as a letter from a woman to a woman in her hour of need ! It was as follows : 1 — " Dear Miss Gordon, — How shall I write, or /tow shall J attempt to express wAat I feel} To think of your dear and noble and heroic brother, who served his country and his Queen so truly, so hero- ically, with a self-sacrifice so edifying to the world, not havmg been rescued ! That the promises of supp" rt were not fulfilled — which I jo frequently and constantly pressed on those who asked him to go — is to va^ grief inexpressible \ indeed it has made me ill. My heart bleeds for you, his sister. . . . Will you express to your other sisters and your elder brother my true sympathy, and, what I do so keenly feel, the stain ^ Letters of General Gordon to his Sister (Mac- millan & Co.). 136 An Appreciation left on England for your dear brother's cruel, though heroic, fate? — Ever, dear Miss Gordon, yours sincerely and sym- pathisingly, " Victoria, R. and I." In this beautiful and touching letter the veil was, as we have said, lifted. It was the Queen who saw the situation — the Queen who urged, and Ministers who rejected. It was the woman who pleaded — the men who had refused ! Surely, after perusing it, no great gift of prophecy is needed to say that when, in the lapse of time, the whole correspondence that passed between Her Majesty and her Ministers during those frightful days of anxiety is given to the public, there will be in her letters such burning sentences as must — however convinced they may have been of the rectitude of their attitude — have been sufficient to have brought a flush of shame to the cheeks of any man. The admiration which Her Majesty displayed for the character and life of him who has been well styled "the ^2>7 Victoria : ideal Christian soldier," and the tender sympathy which she exhibited towards his sorrowing sister was consolation deep and true to the latter. The writer knows that beyond any manner of doubt. Deigning to be pleased with a little tribute which he had paid to the memory of the hero of Khartoum, Miss Augusta Gordon was good enough to express a wish for an inter- view, and in the twilight of a winter's day he arrived at Southampton, and waited on her in the house — the famous house at Rockstone Place. In the hour that followed much was said which the writer can never forget, and which justi- fies fully the above remark. Later, when standing in Charles Gordon's own room, where his favourite texts hung on the wall, she placed in the author's hands the well-worn Bible of the dead soldier. " Not his favourite," she said ; " that I gave his Queen. I couldn't keep that, you know," she sweetly added. That the Queen ap- preciated the offering to the full may be seen from its subsequent fate. It 138 An Appreciation lies open on a white satin cushion, under a crystal cover, called the " St. George's Casket" in the corridor of Windsor Castle, among the busts and portraits of the great men of the reign whose memories the Queen delighted to honour. It is of interest to know, as Mrs. Oliphant has told us, that in the later years of her life Her Majesty, in passing, would often pause and read a verse or two from that sacred volume. Egypt is the last political subject to which we shall refer. It is one more instance of the Queen's clearness of vision and soundness of judgment. Had the Ministry of Mr. Gladstone followed the lines of the opinion Her Majesty " so frequently and constantly pressed," to use her own words, the garrison of Khartoum would not have been massacred, the life of the great hero would not have been sacrificed, and there would not have rested, as there must ever do in relation to the whole matter, an everlasting stain on England's honour. There is one point which we should 139 Victoria: like to mention, namely, the repeated blows which fell upon the Sovereign in the later years of her life. Till the death of the Queen's mother, to whom she was, as we have seen, r ost deeply attached, things seemed to go well with her, but after that period loss followed upon loss. True, this is the penalty that has to be paid for a lengthened period of life, but, even with that allow- ance, it still seems that she was unfor- tunate in this respect. Those whom she had a right to expect, if we may make use of such an expression, should remain with her were snatched away, and she was called upon to mourn for friends who, in the ordinary course of nature, should have wept beside her own bier. True, after the great sorrow of her life, griefs which otherwise would have been overwhelming were to a certain extent minimised. As the old Highland widow put it in her homely language, " When lie \vas ta'en, it made sic a hole in my heart that a' other sorrows gang lichtly through," and as Her Majesty pathetically wrote, " So it 140 \ An Appreciation e repeated Sovereign ;. Till the r, to whom lOst deeply o well with ss followed he penalty lengthened that allow- was unfor- hose whom if we may ision, should ^ched away, mourn for y course of beside her reat sorrow rwise would were to a As the old ler homely en, it made .at a' other ;h," and as •ote, " So it was, and ever will be, with me."^ Of the four sons given her, two were torn away, while from among the daughters, the one who had been her stay in the hour of desolation was carried off, after a few days' illness, on the very anniversary of the father's death, and whose dying couch she had so lovingly tended. The writer till recalls the words of the touching letter written on that occasion by the then Prince of Wales to Lord Granville, and read aloud by the latter in the House of Lords. " So good, so kind, so clever ! We had gone through so much together — my father's illness, then my own ; and she has succumbed to the pernicious malady which laid low her husband and children, whom she nursed and watched with unceasing care and atten- tion. The Queen bears up bravely, but her grief is deep beyond words." And that it was ever so with all her sorrows is certain. She had been once overwhelmed almost to despair, but that could never happen to her again ; ^ More Leaves. 141 Victoria : but her heart never grew cold — never grew accustomedy if one may say so, to the deaths of those she loved. To the very last "her grief" for their loss "was deep beyond words." How pathetic is that cry of hers, given, we think, in a letter to Dr. Macleod's son after the loss of his father: " Never again — never any more ! Those dreadful, dreadful words that I have had to say so often ! " Truly, as was said in the little poem already mentioned, as the years rolled by, her heart only became more tender, her smile more kind. Death indeed seemed always casting his shadow on the beloved Queen. Chil- dren, as we have seen, were taken from her — three at least of her grand- sons, and one of these the heir pre- sumptive to her throne, while the last one she had to mourn fell in the cause of her land ! Sons-in-law, too, were snatched away — the figure that had been most conspicuous in the first Jubilee Pro- cession, in the white uniform, among the number — " that splendid, knightly Prince, as good as he was noble," 142 An Appreciation :old — never say so, to d. To the their loss s." How , given, we Lcleod's son Mever again e dreadful, ad to say so in the little s the years ecame more nd. Death casting his leen. Chil- were taken her grand- e heir pre- ile the last in the cause too, were at had been [jubilee Pro- rm, among d, knightly as noble," as she herself described the dead Emperor Frederick in a letter dated from Windsor Castle on the 22nd June 1888.* And that other son-in-law, too, from her own immediate circle, the one who had done more, perhaps, than any- one to rouse her from sorrow, and who had gone forth into the field, " not with any idea of glory," ^ but just simply with the wish to do something for the land of his adoption. The writer well recalls the beautiful winter's day when Prince Henry's body was landed at Osborne — the Queen's face of sorrow, with the large tears pouring down her cheeks as she sat waiting in her carriage, watching the Alberta moving slowly through the ships of the flying squadron ; the orroup of outriders and other horsemen, bare- headed, motionless ; and the intense silence which reigned, broken only by the tolling of church bells and the steady boom of the minute guns. It was one of the most pathetic scenes ever witnessed — above all when the ^ Life of Archbishop Benson^ vol. ii. p. 211. ''Vol. ii. p. 713. 143 Victoria : Alberta was at last alongside, and Her Majesty, supported by her Indian attendant, tottered across the gangway, while her soldier son, with an arm held ready, if she needed it, bowed back- wards before her. And it was not only in her own family that death was busy. Friends innumerable were taken away ; all the three ladies whose names were so familiar as being about her — Lady Ely, the Duchess-Dowager of Rox- burghe, and Lady Churchill — prede- ceased her, — the iast indeed, the familiar " Jane Churchill " of More Leaves from the Journal^ on the very morning of the Queen's last Christmas Day on earth. Faithful attendants, too, it was the same with, and the Queen mourned them as she mourned the friends who were among the mightiest in the land. And yet, as we have said, she never grew accustomed to death, never grew cold and stolid, as is too often the way with those who have exceeded the allotted span of human life. To the last her heart was young\ To support troubles so great as these 144 An Appreciation de, and Her her Indian he gangway, an arm held )Owed back- was not only ath was busy, taken away; names were It her— Lady ^er of Rox- irchill— prede- ;d, the familiar e Leaves from y morning of mas Day on .s, too, it was [ueen mourned le friends who It in the land. id, she never never grew often the way [exceeded the life. To the [great as these — to return to the daily task, as we have seen she did, when her heart was well- nigh broken — could only have been possible to a woman of real religious feeling. We have already touched on this subject, and we have no intention of going into it here at any length — indeed, it is only mentioned because of what seems to have been a popular error, and 'with which we should like to deal for a moment. It would be impertinence for anyone outside the Queen's own im- mediate circle to attempt to examine into exactly what were her own par- ticular ideas on so sacred a subject. It is impossible to read her journals — to study the letters which have passed between her and those she was pleased to honour with her friendship, and which have appeared since in various memoirs, etc., without knowing that she passed this life but as a preparation for a higher and greater one. That, it seems to us, is sufficient to say here, but the matter is brought forward because of the before-mentioned popular error. It was the common belief of many that, 145 j ii rti I 11 Victoria: whenever there was a question of ecclesiastical preferment, the Queen was in favour of giving the post to a Low Churchman. This is absolutely opposed to all we have been able to ga er from a study of the subject. The idea appears to have arisen from what was wont to take place at the time when the Queen was first left to stand alone. At that period Lord Palmerston was the great man of the day. Of Church matters he knew nothing, and cared less. Such being the case, he looked round for one he was sure was in earnest on the subject, and such he found in his relative — the noble and self-sacrificing Lord Shaftesbury. Whether the latter was or was not discreet in his selections we do not know. The matter is one in which the writer is not in any way concerned or competent to judge. That Lord Shaftes- bury never mentioned a name to Lord Palmerston without believing it was the best one under the circumstances we do not doubt. The names so submitted were not likely to be displeasing to Her 146 An Appreciation question of ; Queen was 5t to a Low \tely opposed ga ' er from J arisen from :e at the time left to stand d Palmerston he day. Of nothing, and the case, he was sure was ct, and such re— the noble Shaftesbury. or was not we do not s in which the concerned or Lord Shaftes- ame to Lord |eving it was umstances we Is so submitted .leasing to Her Majesty. They were the names of men whose religious convictions tallied with those in which she had been reared, added to which, we must remember that in the Palmerston period views which have since become popular were little known outside University circles. Those holding them were all classed together under one heading — Puseyism. And the British public, as a whole, disliked Puseyism at that time, and mistrusted the High Church party. It is probable that the Queen shared this mistrust. If it is not disrespectful to say so, her knowledge of the party at that time was possibly not great. Once, however, the hand of Lord Shaftesbury was withdrawn, things changed. As High Church views spread, the Queen came to know more on the subject. To the last we believe she liked the simplest form of worship, and from what she has herself recorded in her journals, particu- larly where she spoke of her friendship with the late Dr. Macleod, it is evident she maintained in a great measure the views on ecclesiastical subjects in which 147 m Victoria : she had been brought up, but much broadened by modern readings. But it was characteristic of the Queen that she did not allow herself to be biassed. She understood to the full the growth of the before-mentioned party in later years, and, devoted as she undoubtedly was to the Church of England as by law established, she saw that it could not be maintained except by wise and judicious selections to the Episcopal bench. The following letter, written to Archbishop Benson, himself a High Churchman, seems to prove the truth of what we have stated above, and to quote it, the best way to bring the matter to an end. " Osborne, yaw«ary 3;y/, 1890.* "My Dear Archbishop, " The great amount of letters and telegrams which I have received and had to write during the last few days will, I hope, be understood as the cause of my not sooner answering your kind letter and thanking you for it, and for the volume of your charges. * Lt/i of Archbishop Benson^ vol. ii. p. 293. 148 ), but much ings. But it ueen that she biassed. She rrowth of the later years, )ubtedly was id as by law : could not be and judicious , bench. The 3 Archbishop Churchman, I of what we quote it, the :er to an end. lary ird, 1890.* » Dunt of letters ave received last few days as the cause Ing your kind •r it, and for )1. ii. p. 293. An Appreciation "I deeply regret the death of the Bishop of Durham, whom I knew well in former days — and who was a man of such knowledge and power, and of such use in his position ; and I entirely agree with you in the immense importance of the selection of bishoprics. It is a great anxiety, and the men to be chosen must not be taken with reference to satisfying one or the other party in the Churchy or with reference to any political party — but for their real worth. We want people who can be firm and conciliating, else the Church cannot be maintained. " We want large, broad views, or the difficulties will become insurmountable. " I have understood that you consider Canon Westcott as the fittest successor to Bishop Lightfoot. A few days must elapse before much can be done. . . . —Yours truly, V.R.I." The time has now come to touch for a few minutes on the closing events of the reign. Hitherto we have dealt almost entirely with the working part of the Queen's life ; but as the Jubilees 149 ■W-'r^.'^ Victoria : of 1887 and 1897 were in a great measure the earthly rewards of the faithful devotion she had displayed towards her duties, it seems not altogether inappropriate to refer to them, particularly the last named. That other and silent procession which but a short time back passed before the gaze of millions of mourners we shall also say a few words concerning. " Most noble was the aspect of every- thing," recorded Archbishop Benson in his diary, speaking of the service in Westminster Abbey in 1887. Thirty- two sons, sons-in-law, and grandsons rode before her carriage ; and this, the same authority tells us, was the Queen's own idea. Though everything concern- ing the event was utterly surpassed by the Diamond Jubilee, there is no doubt that the celebration of 1887 was a very wonderful one. Lord Granville, speaking of it, told his audience that in many lands he had witnessed many pageants — that he had watched the funeral of the Iron Duke go by ; that he had seen the triumphal entry of the then Princess 150 An Appreciation in a great ards of the id displayed seems not to refer to lamed. That )n which but efore the gaze we shall also ?• pect of every- lOp Benson in ;he service in 1887. Thirty- nd grandsons and this, the ,s the Queen's :hing concern- surpassed by re is no doubt ;87 was a very ville, speaking [that in many any pageants Ihe funeral of .t he had seen then Princess Alexandra into London, before her marriage ; as the representative of his Sovereign he had taken part in the coronation of a Czar at Moscow, — but that at no time or place had he seen anything which, to quote his words, " in any way resembled the passage of the Queen's Majesty through the streets of London on that Tuesday morning." And if this could be said by an authority on such subjects, as the late Lord Granville undoubtedly was, how much more might be said of the Diamond Jubilee ! It was an altogether unique event. Everywhere one went one heard the tale of the strange emotion with which everyone seemed to have been seized. In the World news- paper there was an amusing, yet not altogether un pathetic, account of the number of men who, • on that wondrous summer day, complained of being troubled with hoarseness and heavy colds ! This was the striking part of it all. In every account it was the men who figured. The writer well records the words of a girl friend, who, standing 151 v;?w at Apsley ige of the ,t what had ; faces of the I, "that we That was )een wanting 1 been other- their faces ! " ger, I should nd cried like od next her e that day y — from the with medal Dut broken daily press )ut perhaps appeared in Mail} It we cannot ascription of avenue of le 23, 1897. eager faces, through a storm of white waving handkerchiefs, through roaring volleys of cheers, there was approaching a carriage drawn by eight cream- coloured horses. The roar surged up the street, keeping pace with the eight horses. The carriage passed the barrier ; it entered the churchyard; it wheeled left and then right ; it drew up at the very steps of the cathedral ; we all leaped up ; cheers broke into screams, and enthusiasm swelled into delirium ; the sun, watery till now, shone out suddenly clear and dry, and there — , And there was a little, quiet, flushed old lady, all in black, a silver streak under the bonnet, a simple white sunshade, sitting quite still, with the corners of her mouth drawn tight, as if she was trying not to cry. But that old lady was the Queen, and you knew it. You didn't want to look at the glittering uniforms now ; nor yet at the bright gowns and the young faces in the carriages ; nor yet at the stately princes — though by now all these were ranged in a half circle round her. You couldn't 153 Victoria : look at anybody but the Queen. So very quiet, so very grave, so very punctual, so unmistakably and every inch a lady and a Queen. Almost pathetic, if you will, that small black figure in the middle of these shining cavaliers, this great army, this roaring multitude ; but also very glorious ! When the other Kings of the v/orld drive abroad, the escort riov 3 close in at the wheels of the carriage; the Queen drove through her people quite plain and open, with just one soldier at the kerbstone between her and them." We have read many accounts, but none that more actually described the scene than this. It was said, we re- member, that during the time she drove through those seven miles of the streets of her capital she spoke but little to those with her. and that, as she bowed from side to side, all she kept exclaim- ing was, " God bless my people ! God bless my people !" It is not our intention to deal further with this ceremony, or attempt in any way to describe the procession or the 154 5 Queen. So ave, so very ly and every leen. Almost t small black these shining ', this roaring ery glorious ! of the v/orld Qv3 close in at re; the Queen le quite plain soldier at the d them." accounts, but described the said, we re- me she drove of the streets but little to as she bowed ^ept exclaim- people ! God > deal further tempt in any jssion or the IK! An Appreciation illuminations and bonfires which took place all over the country. Mr. Punch summed up the last in brief verse, — "It was about the close of a warm day in June, Sweet bells, loud trumpets, all that day had played most joyous tune ; Night sank upon the dusky beach and o'er the purple sea. Such night as England ne'er had seen, nor e'er again shall see. And now to greet the Jubilee night of our glad sea-girt isle. At earliest twilight, beacon piles lay waiting many a mile ; Far on the deep the sailor sees, along each shore and shire. Cape beyond cape, in endless range, those twinkling points of fire." It has been well said that on those rare occasions, when the first of all comic papers — the one whose proud boast it is, through all the years of laughter and fun, never to have perpetrated a joke to bring a blush to a maiden's cheek — sees fit to sound the note of pathos, it is all the deeper — all the sadder, because of its very rarity. Above the pealing of the joy-bells — 155 * fi Victoria : above the blare of trumpets — above the salvo of the guns, on that beauteous day, it sounded loud and clear in the closing verses of Punch's stirring "Song Im- perial " : — " Stand up, all ! yea, princes, nobles, peoples. All the mighty empire — mightier ne'er hath been ; Boom from all your decks and towers, clang from all your steeples, God save Victoria ! God save the Queen !" Then comes the solemn funeral note ! — "But now our sun descends, from the zenith westward, Westward and downward, of all mortals seen ; Yet may the long day lengthen, though the fall be restward, May we long together cry, God save the Queen ! "When in the coming time, 'neath the dim ocean line, Our dear sun shall sink in the wave serene. Tears shall fill these eyes of mine, tears shall fill these eyes of thine, Lowly kneeHng, — all shall pray, God save the Queen ! " On the day following the great demonstration of loyalty, Her Majesty 156 :s — above the teauteous day, in the closing ; "Song Im- obles, peoples, htier ne'er hath nd towers, clang I the Queen!" leral note ! — from the zenith of all mortals len, though the God save the 'neath the dim e wave serene, line, tears shall )ray, God save the great [er Majesty An Appreciation telegraphed her thanks to all parts of her vast empire. We cannot, we think, do better than bring this reference to that memorable time to an end by quoting the words — the characteristic words, — " From my heart I thank my beloved people. May God bless them." With the exception of Her Majesty's visit to London when a gleam of light had shone forth in the South African war clouds, this was the last great visit to her capital : that war which cast its shadow so heavily on the closing days of her reign. At all times everything concerning the army and navy interested her down to the most minute details, and in war time it doubled. All that she could do to promote the comfort of her troops she did. So great was her solicitude for them that, it is recorded in the life of Mr. Childers, at the period of the expedition to Egypt, in one day alone he received no less than seventeen letters from Her Majesty and her Private Secretary. And in this greater war, which is still 157 jLBR#:3 Victoria : raging, her thought for the army was shown to the very last. Though there was no visible sign of rapidly advancing age, everything that could be done to spare her extra fatigue was arranged for. But as to the work, little could be done to lighten the task How heavy the daily round is few reai rei Ise. It was said, and we believe truly, c^ ^t during his fatal illness the late Sir Henry Ponsonby, who acted as Private Secretary to Her Majesty for so many years, used to exclaim, " It is rest I need — rest ! " The little crowd which were wont to see the gentlemen of the household driving down Constitution Hill in the heavy carriages, with the scarlet footmen, and other gorgeous accessories, on the occa- sions of the Court coming to town, no doubt fancied that their lives were very easy — very splendid. Probably *'the man in the street" pictured these courtiers of Queen Victoria as having nothing else to do but enjoy themselves, and never dreamed of the piles of docu- ments, letters, and telegrams which were awaiting those employed in the task of 158 An Appreciation the army was Though there idly advancing Id be done to IS arranged for. Duld be done to leavy the daily e. It was said, • ut during his enry Ponsonby, icretary to Her y^ears, used to i—rest \ " The ^ont to see the sehold driving in the heavy footmen, and s, on the occa- ng to town, no lives were very Probably "the pictured these oria as having joy themselves, piles of docu- ms which were in the task of assisting the Queen in the government of her vast empire. And not only the " man in the street," but a number of others who might, if they had chosen to read, have known better, would have been equally surprised at that weary sigh, " It is rest I need — rest ! " A never-ending round of work — of work that did not even cease on a journey, when sheaves of telegrams would be handed up into the royal saloon when the train stopped at Perth or wherever else it was that the special halted. It went on, as we have said, always for the Queen. There was nothing that concerned her people that did not concern herself. It was not only, as we have seen, that she went deeply into political matters, while ever keeping, as Mr. Chamberlain ^ ex- plained in his touching testimony to her worth at the memorial meeting at the Mansion House, "within the strictest limits of our constitution," and attain- ing thereby "to a height of power and * Vide Mr. Chamberlain's speech as given in the Morning Post, 27th March 1901. 159 Victoria : personal authority which even the most despotic Monarch might well have envied," but she concerned herself about even small details in far less important matters. Work must indeed have become a normal part of her existence latterly, in which in reality there was very little relaxation. If we except the morning's airing in the donkey chair, there was just the break of the after- noon drive, and nothing more, and which, when she was not in London, was taken in the very quietest manner. Indeed, those accustomed to see Her Majesty as she drove about the metro- polis with some little state, particularly in going to or from the station, when she was always attended by an escort of household cavalry, would have been sur- prised to have met her in the quiet roads around Cowes, or even in the neighbour- hood of her stately castle at Windsor. There was just the carriage and pair, with a Highland attendant on the box, and, far on ahead, one outrider — no- thing more. And when the drive, which even in winter was taken rather late, I 60 An Appreciation ven the most well have herself about ess important indeed have her existence ity there was Are except the donkey chair, of the after- g more, and >t in London, etest manner. 1 to see Her >ut the metro- ;e, particularly station, when ly an escort of ave been sur- he quiet roads |he neighbour- at Windsor. ,ge and pair, t on the box, outrider — no- |e drive, which rather late, and far more so in summer, was over, the work was not finished, or, indeed, anything like finished. Dinner was generally about nine, and when Her Majesty had once more regained the privacy of her own apartments, the preparations for the next day's task had to be begun. It is hardly more than a year since the writer heard an absolutely true story of how, not very long ago at Balmoral, at one o'clock in the morning, everyone had retired to bed except an attendant or two, and the telegraph clerks, who were engaged in deciphering an immense despatch of importance from Constanti- nople which had begun to come in while the Court was at dinner. There was one other person up too, and that was the greatest lady in all the land ! White-haired, feeble, needing rest, and yet waiting up because it was her duty to master the contents of the document at once ! It was characteristic of her devotion to the great work intrusted to her, and as such the tale was told before the writer. How the picture of it rises i6i ^Rrj iti^M. ..ai ■ ■^■-» " Victoria : before one as one writes ! The lonely castle, in the midst of the Highland scenery, which she knew and under- stood so well — nearly all the windows dark save the Queen's own ! Eighty years of age, and working at that hour for the good of her people ! Truly might Mr. Chamberlain say in the speech already referred to, "that all admit what a debt of gratitude this country owes to the example of her life, — a life so pure, so dignified, and yet so simple ; to the spectacle of her constant devotion to duty; to her un- ceasing care and labour in the interests of the State, which hardly ever rested, even for a day, during the whole sixty- three years over which her reign ex- tended." " Hardly ever rested for a single day ! " We repeat the words, which seem to echo what we have already contended concerning the state- ments made and believed by many people, that after the Prince Consort died Her Majesty did nothing further! Yet this very work was possibly one of the reasons of her long life. It was, 162 I I An Appreciation we believe, Mr. Gladstone who said that he was always well because he had no time to be ill, and doubtless it was the same with the beloved Queen till almost the last. Her devotion to fresh air, too, and her generally healthy habits, no doubt contributed greatly to her length of days. For many years she appeared far more feeble than was actually the case, but this was caused by the rheu- matic afifection in one of her knees, which occasioned her to require assist- ance when she moved, particularly in the latter days. But even in making this allowance, there were no doubt times when, as age increased, she was much exhausted. The annual spring visit to the Continent did much to revive her, but that the actual journey fatigued her latterly is beyond doubt. Not more than a few years ago it called forth a striking and pathetic account from a correspondent of re- publican sentiments, and vhich con- sequently makes it all the more interesting. It was called " A painful impressionist Picture," and appeared. 163 ■^ r. .S(Si??-?CT7irL'^.-'r'c^^»":>« Victoria : m we believe, originally in the columns of Truth, though the account here set out was taken from the Westminster Gazette. " I was at once glad," Mrs. Crawford records of Her Majesty's arrival at Cimiez, "and sorry to see the Queen as she alighted. The gladness was due to feeling for her the deepest respect, and to regarding her as a quite exceptional member of her caste — indeed, so exceptional that I always cry ' Amen ' when I hear ' God Save the Queen.' The sorrow arose from seeing how years tell on her. She v/as greatly stooped. How weary she looked, and yet how kind and obliging, and well disposed to play her part in the rapidly acted pageant ! She seemed unable to raise her head. The upward glances that she cast on all went to one's heart. She looked up and round under her eyelids, as if wanting strength to look otherwise. One might have thought that she did not feel her feet under her as she tried to descend the sloping gangway from her train into 164 An Appreciation the columns unt here set Westminster xs. Crawford s arrival at e the Queen rladness was the deepest g her as a of her caste that I always r ' God Save V arose from >n her. She )W weary she and obliging, her part in She seemed The upward all went to p and round ting strength might have feel her feet descend the r train into the station-house. Two servants usually help her ; but no doubt to lend herself to the function, she leant only on one of the Indian servants, who supported her well. The blood left her face as she tottered down. A painter worthy of ihe name could have done an immortal portrait if he had caught her at that moment. He should not be a frivolous Angeli from Vienna, or a fashion-plate artist from Copenhagen ; but a modern Velasquez or a Bastien-Lepage, with the courage to be absolutely truthful and the ability to transfer to canvas all the history tlie Queen's face suggests — all the exceptional experience of her exceptionally long regal career. It more than hints all her constantly re- peated and firmly fulfilled desire, to keep in the right path, and ail her woman's joys and sorrows, which are written in plain characters. That painter would have said with his pencil : She was unswervingly good ; at seventy- six she was invested with a majesty that altogether ceased to depend on her lofty station — that was entirely personal, and 165 i,»K^^J Victoria : I! a moral fact strange and interesting. The smile — that test of disposition — vas most sweet. There was no trace of the gloom which is characteristic of so many of the Queen's photographs, not one of which conveys a moral portrait of her. How was the Queen dressed ? It would be hard to describe. The clothes were all loose. Were they bundly ? Perhaps ; but they suited her. They conveyed the idea that she was her own law, and that she had other things to think of. more important by far than her clothes. Convenience alone was consulted. The bonnet was of white satin, veiled with black lace, and trimmed with ribbons falling down on the nape of the neck. A modern Velasquez would have been faithful in noting these details, as giving an index to the royal mind. He would have seen in them evidence of a nature superior to stupid conventionalities. For the want of such a painter, I fear one of the great lessons of the Queen's life will be lost to posterity." No more characteristic sketch of Her 1 66 ) An Appreciation sketch of Her ) Majesty as she was at such a moment has ever appeared in print. Anyone in the habit of seeing her arrive after a long journey will recognise the truth of it at once. And now we come to the last stage of all, and we trust we may be forgiven if for a moment we touch on a purely personal matter. Being in London during the month of December 1900, it was im- possible for the writer to witness the Queen's arrival in the Isle of Wight for Christmas, as had been his custom for many years ; but a strange feeling possessed him, and rising in the dark winter's morning, he went down from Paddington by the early train to Windsor, in order to see the Queen leave the Castle for Osbonie. The royal special, which was ordered for a little after ten o'clock, was drawn up at the departure platform in readiness when the writer arrived ; but it was only to learn that the hour had been postponed, and to hear a whisper that " the Queen was not well ! " A day or two before, she had visited 167 Victoria : the Bazaar for Irish Industries. It was the last thing of the kind she was ever to attend, and, contrary to her usual habit, she had made no selections herself, but had delegated the task to the daughter who had been her constant companion, and whose marriage even had made no difference in Her Majesty'^ daily life. Very grand the Castle looked that morning, in the pink mist which half- veiled its splendours, but after a while it lifted, and the grey towers and battle- ments showed clearly. The Queen did not leave the quad- rangle till nearly a quarter to twelve, and it was with a shock of painful surprise that the author, looking up the hill, expecting to see the outrir^*-, saw instead a hearse with the ci- l:-mary attendants descending the steep incline ! It contained the body of an old servant who had died suddenly the day before. A moment afterwards the customary procession came in sight on its way to the station. One had a vague know- ledge of an outrider, equerries, and a i68 An Appreciation istries. It was d she was ever r to her usual no selections ed the task to en her constant marriage even n Her Majesty' ^> tie looked that list which half- it after a while ^ers and battle- leave the quad- irter to twelve, ock of painful looking up the le outrir^r saw the ct l:mary e steep incline ! an old servant the day before, the customary on its way to vague know- uerries, and a groom, but it was the Queen only that one saw in reality. There was the beautifu? silver hair, the deep mourning one knew so well, but she seemed stiller than V:sual — not bowing, or scarcely bowing — grave beyond her wont ! Then the carriage turned the corner by the station and passed from view ; and the writer, who had contrived to see her at all the great moments of her later years, was to look upon her face on earth no more ! Was it fancy that Windsor seemed g ayer, stiller than usual that day ! Christmas came, and with it the death of Lady Churchill, who had gone to C)sborne for her customary wait. The shock must have been terrible. Doubt- less it hastened what was coming. Those in the habit of noticing the Queen's movements now saw a change. True, there were the daily drives, but even they seemed different. There was no visit to West Cowes, with the familiar entry : " The equerries were in attendance on horseback." No one dined at Osborne. The programme for 169 iBJti t;.rren*»f «i Victoria : Lord Roberts reception \vas altered. Instead of staying the night, he left immediately after the audience. The Secretary for the Colonies arrived, and he, too, was received, but there was no entry to the effect that he had after- wards dined with Her Majesty. There was a vague disquiet. Trouble was in the air. Then came the fatal Friday morning with the official announcement — "The Queen has not been in her customary health of late." A period of rest was spoken of as being required. One read the words over and over again, turning them now this way, now that, seeking to find some gleam in the dark- ness which seemed to have fallen. It was evidence of the way she was regarded by her people that everyone behaved as if a break was threaten. ^«'^ in the family circle. " You see she was out on Tuesday " — " And she saw Lord Roberts that second time — she could not have done that if she had been so very ill," were the kind of remarks that went on all thai day "^rue, there were people who pursued their usual round, 170 f .1 as altered, ht, he left ence. The rrived, and ere was no had after- sty. There able was in ital Friday nouncement een in her A period of [g required, over again, r, now that, n the d^rk- fallen. It she was everyone threaten."^; ee she was saw Lord -she could ad been so marks that there were ;ual round, It An Appreciation and did not seem in any way concerned, but they were people not likely to be distressed by anything unless it had affected their own personal comforts and so forth. In the homes where her name was a household word — and they were to be found among " the castles of the noble, the mansions of the wealthy, the cottages of the poor"^ — the news produced the effect Monsignor Vaughan so well described in his fourth sermon on the subject : A sense of bereavement, that nothing else but the loss of one bound by the closest family ties could have done. Nothing else was thought of — nothing else was spoken of. And the next day came the news which dashed aside every ray of hope that had been gathered together, by the reminder that it was but natural that at her age she should be indisposed, and that one must expect it occasionally, and so forth. "The Queen is in a state of great prostration, accompanied by symptoms that give rise to anxiety." ^ Quoted from Mr. Bright's speech on the Austrian negotiations during the Crimean War. 171 7rBii.T»M»#j«min^»mpff^'- ifc.-'. '<%^' Victoria : Such an announcement might have been made about an ordinary person with a hope of recovery, but it was felt at once that it was altogether different when made respecting the Queen of Great Britain — the Empress of India — the mightiest ruler, the best loved Sovereign upon earth. And on the Sunday a great stream of prayer went forth. In the country it was a day of agonising suspense, but to those who telegraphed to London for information a little reward came in a gleam of hope in the evening. It was but a passing one after all. Who will ever forget the two days that followed, — above all, the Tuesday? The grey sky — the extra- ordinary silence that reigned, reminding one always of a Sunday — the hurried sound of footsteps without, as though each passenger bore tidings, or went in search of such. Towards evening this greyness passed ; the western sky turned red and beautiful — great shafts of light shot upwards to the highest heavens, and in this golden brightness the Queen passed ! Sons and daughters, 172 .1 ^ An Appreciation ght have ry person t was felt r different Queen of of India )est loved d on the •ayer went s a day of those who nformation im of hope a passing forget the ove all, the the extra- reminding |he hurried as though or went [vening this stern sky reat shafts e highest htness the daughters, grandchildren, faithful friends, loving attendants, — they were all there, close to her to the very end. Into that still chamber it is not our intention to pry. In time, when it shall please those closest to her to give the details of those hours, her people who loved her, and watched by her dying couch in spirit, will welcome them with reverence; but that time is not yet. And in con- nection with that closing scene will ever be bound in English hearts the memory of a great Emperor's name. He was the commander of the mightiest hosts of war the world has ever seen, but it was said that within that still chamber he was tender as a woman, and we believe it. Not lightly will the people of this countiy let pass from their memories this hasty coming of William of Germany to a sorrow-stricken nation. There was mourning far and wide that night when the news spread. As the Morning Post truly said on the morrow of that fatal 22nd January 1901 : " Wept for at Osborne and Windsor, and on Deeside,and throughout her kingdoms 173 Victoria : and empire, mourned by all the world, never did the departure of one soul cause such deep feelings of pain to so many hearts." Well might Harold Begbic write in the columns of the same paper — " Now doth a darkness wrap the earth ; a sob Breaks from humanity and cleaves the night, A chord in England's heart has ceased to throb : Death's hand has passed between us and the light." And as it was at home in our sea-girt isle, so it was in Australia — in Canada — in India — at the Cape. Nothing more dramatic, more touching, has ever been told than the story of the correspondent of the Daily Mail, who through the anxious days that followed the coming of the first ill-omened telegram, haunted the rude office near the African veldt, and listened to the clicking of the in- strument that brought now hope, and now despair, until at last he heard — click-click-click, and a man's hoarse, broken voice gave forth the whisperings of the mystic wire — " Her Majesty died last night." 174 I An Appreciation the world, J soul cause :o so many )ld Begbie me paper — jarth ; a sob /es the night, easecUo throb: itn us and the our sea-girt in Canada— othing n^ore as ever been orrespondent through the . the coming |ram, haunted frican veldt, Ing of the in- |W hope, and he heard — an's hoarse, whisperings tight." The grey days went by. On Osborne tower the royal standard drooped sadly in the wintry air, while within she lay quiet and still with folded hands — at rest at last ! A Queen in marble, they said, who saw her thus. There was a whisper — ay, perhaps more than a whisper — of a robe of pure white satin, of strewn orange blossoms, and of the face, with the sweet silver hair, hid at the last from sight by the veil she wore on that long-gone wedding morn, sixty years and more ago now. It may have been so. We repeat — to the last her heart was young. Into the mighty pageant that followed we shall not attempt to go. The event is too recent ; the purple hangings on the walls seem scarcely to have dis- appeared. She was happy in her life, and, as Mr. Arthur Balfour truly said, happy also in her death. It was fitting that the end should come at Osborne — "sweet Osborne," as she had ever styled it in her journals — since it enabled her sailors to pay a last tribute of love. Who that saw the passage of the tiny Alberta 175 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /. V 1.0 1.1 ISifj^ 125 mm jm £f tiS, 12.0 IL25 i 1.4 6" Ilk III 1.6 vl ^V O / /^ '•^ / Photographic Sciences Corporation i\ ^ < ^^ :\ \ 23 WEST MAIN STREfT W'iBSTER.N.Y. 14S80 (716) •72-4503 o Victoria : t...r, through the lines of the mighty ships of war will ever forget it, while the minute- guns rolled like thunder along the eight miles of vessels. Overhead the sky was one great sheet of blue. " Queen's weather to the last," we whispered some- how, as we watched the splendour of the day. There were other vessels following — the Victoria and Albert ^'whh. the King on board, and the mighty Hohenzollem ; but one never thought of the King, or, if one did, it was but as her son. Nor, we venture to think, would the King have wished it to be otherwise. There was only one thing that day, it seemed, and that was the fairy yacht, with the royal standard flying low upon the slender mast, and on the deck the snowy burden, half veiled with the ermine and crimson robe that she had worn in the hey-day of hor youth, and in the sunlight of a June morn, when they crowned her Queen in the grey abbey, long, long ago. No — one only saw the Alberta y with its casket, around which her sailors watched. "Such a little casket to contain the heart of an empire ! " as someone truly 176 An Appreciation rhty ships of ; the minute- )ng the eight ;ad the sky e. " Queen's ispered some- endour of the sels following srith the King Hohenzollem ; tie King, or, if son. Nor, we tie King have 5. There was t seemed, and yith the royal 1 the blender snowy burden, e and crimson [1 the hey-day sunlight of a crowned her long, long ago. IbertUy with its ailors watched, contain the someone truly said. Once more the shafts of light shot upward in the western sky, turning distant Osborne and its towers into a palace of gold, while the yacht sped silently through a flood of glory into the chief harbour of what, but a few short days before, had been " Her Majesty's Navy." On the morrow she was borne across London amid a manifestation of grief such has never before been witnessed for any earthly Sovereign. Not in the stately chapel of St. George at Windsor do her remains lie, but in that mauso- leum which she had erected for herself and her much loved husband. " Here will I rest with thee, and rise again with thee, beloved," were the words she had caused to be inscribed upon the walls of that beautiful memorial, and beneath the stately dome of which Victoria and Albert are now reunited. It is too soon, and beyond the scope of this little work, to attempt to realise the effect of her life and work upon those she ever proudly called her people. That will be the task of wiser and more competent hands than ours. 177 1^' Victoria The aim we have had in writing this, was to endeavour to bring home to those whose leisure hours, as we have said, do not admit of the study of lengthy volumes, the nature of her duties, and to realise something of the beauty of her character, the effect of which we believe will, in after years, fulfil the prophecy — " She wrought her people lasting good." 178 writing this, ig home to as we have tie study of of her duties, the beauty of of which we ars, fulfil the lasting good." PRINTED BV MORRISON « aiBB LIMITED EDINBURQH