.TTn1 R iMf Yesir Qjieeini A SKETCH OF HER LIFE AND TIMES BY RICHARD T. LANCEFIELD Librarian Public Library, Hamilton WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HON. G. W. ROSS, LL.a Minister of Education for Ontario TORONTO a M. ROSE & SONS, PUBLISHERS MDCCCXCVir one Entered according to Act of U.- ■ .rliament of Canada, in the year and ninety-Beven. by G. M. R..se & Sons, at the Department of AgnouUure thousand eight hundred PRIirrRD AND BOUND BY Tub Hunter, Rohk Company Ltd. TORONTO. THIS RECORD OP THE LIFE AND TIMES OF OUR QUEEN AND EMPRESS IS DEDICATED TC HIS FELLOW BRITISH SUBJECTS. RESIDENT IN THE UNITED KINGDC. OF GREAT 3..TAIN AND IRELAND, OR IN ANV PORTION OF ^HE -OREATER BRITAIN BEVOND THL SEAS WHO. THANKFUL FOR THE INFLUENCE WHICH THE LOFTY PEKSONALITV OF ' HER MAJESTY HAS HAD UPON HER COURT AND PEOPLE. AND GRATE FUL FOR THE CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES ENJOYED UNDER THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION, THROUGHOUT HER VAST EMPIRE, WILL. WITH THE AUTHOR, REVERENTLY AND \ ■ FERVENTLY PRAY (Sod Save Zbe tSiuccn! ^,:^ - A « ^^' \r ' yy. ■ ; 6oJ) Save Xlbe (Huecn. >"^^;"^ God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen ; Send her victorious, Happy and glorious. Long to reigu over us ; God save the Queen. Thy choicest gifts in store On her be pleased to pour. Long may sbo reign ; May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause; To sing with heart and voice, God save the Queen. INTRODUCTION. O the millions of people composing the British Empire, the life of a 30vereigr who hau reigned for over sixty years, with such dignity and grace as her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, is of no ordinary in- terest. It is usual for those who favor a republican form of govern- ment to say that a ruler elected by popular vote is far more likely to protect the constitutiona' rights of the people than one who enters upon the exercise of sovereignty by hereditary precedence, and in proof of this, examples are cited of the despotic character of hereditary rulers at different periods of the world's history. While it may be true that in most cases the presidents of the great republics, both in America and in the Old World, have been men of ability, it has occurred more than once, at least in the experience of the United States, thpt mediocrity has beeu preferred to the most commanding talents ; as, for in- stance, the defeat of Daniel Webster by a man who had made comparatively no record in the councils of ths nation. It must be admitted that heredity does not furnish an absolute guarantee of fitness for the exercise of the powers or prerogatives of sovereignty. The throne of Great Britain has been occupied more than once by men whose character for ability, if submitted to the popular test, would scarcely secure for them the dis tinci,ion which they enjoyed ; and yet no person who reads the history of Eng- land impartially can fail to find in almost every ruler characteristics of a kingly character, which, in one form or another, justified the people in re- garding their sovereign as the representative of the public opinion of the realm. Who will say that the Tudors, with all their arrogance and love of power, were not, in the main, well qualified to defend the rights of the people durino- the perilous times of the middle ages ? The Stuarts, too, though despotic by instinct, as well as by practice, were the fearless champions of the nation against foreign encroachment. In the days when every nobleman was a cavalier, possessing almost unlimited power over his vassals, it is, perhaps, not to be won- dered at that the sovereign, who was, by virtue of his office, the first nobleman vi INTRODUCTION. of the land, should be more exacting than a strict interpretation of the usages of Parliament and the unwritten laws of England should warrant. The spirit of ecclesiasticism, which made the king the head of the Church, as well as of the State, had much to do with the abuse of that power which the Stuarts con- sidered the divine right of kings, and which they exercised with an insolent disregard of the feelings or rights of their subjects. After the great revolution, however, the subjection of the monarch to the constitution was asserted by Par- liament in such unmistakable terms that no sovereign, howsoever disposed, could for any length of time, substitute for the will of the people his own arbitrary decrees. It is true that, as one estate of the realm, the sovereign was at all times an important factor in administration. Apart from his personal knowledge of public affairs, the right which he possessed to dismiss his advisers gave him a potential voice in the policy of the State ; but beyond this, the will of Parliament was practically the will of the sovereign, and whatever might be his personal preferences, that will ultimately prevailed. Every reader of English history knows with what determination, not to say obstinacy, George IV. refused to accept th«. Catholic Emancipation Act, and with what dread his successor regarded the pass- age of the Reform Bill of 1832. It is possible that both measures were delayed by the repugnance of the monarch to the provisions which they contained, but neither of them saw fit to exercise the veto power which he possessed in thwart- ing the will of Parliament. Even under the advanced opinion of the last decade of a century, so noticeable for its constitutional reforms, it is no unusual thing for the President of the United States to balk the voice of 70,000,000 of people, in Congress expressed, by a presidential veto ; and yet we are told that under a republican form of go\ "rnment the will of the people is more generously inter- preted than under a monarchy. But while there is a possibility that under the British constitution the throne may be occupied by a sovereign unworthy of tb.e position, it is to be remembered that every person, whether as heir apparent or heir presumptive, is educated and trained from earliest infancy with a view to the honors which may befall him. Being born to greatness, he is prepared for discharging the responsibilities which it involves, and when he enters upon his kingly prerogatives, the transition is more a matter of form than of reality. Constitutionally, therefore, the demise of the monarch is a far slighter shock to the Government of the country than even the demise of parliament or a presidential election, as it necessarily involves no change of policy either in domestic or in foreign affairs. INTRODUCTION. vii Tho reigti of Queen Victoria illustrates the value of kingly training in a re- markable degree. It is not desirable to anticipate tho narrative which follows, but the student of English history may very properly notice that the basis of parliamentary government has greatly expanded during the last sixty years. The parliament over which her Majesty first, presided, re- presented the voice of less than one million electors, or about one in every twenty of the population. The parliaujeni, over which she now presides re- presents over six million electors, or about one-sixth of the whole population. That is to say, the Sovereign has extended her confidence in her subjects six- fold, and has thus given practical force to the words of Tennyson, in which her throne is described as Broad-bused upon a nation's will. ' With this expansion has also come a more equitable distribution of electoral power, the removal of class disabilities, and the recognition, with very moder- ate limitations of the right of every loyal subject to partake in the government of the nation. During no period in English history has there been such a triumph of democracy or such an acknowledgment of the rights of the people to speak directly through their representatives within the ancient halls of the British House of Commons. The influence of the British Empire, politically and commercially, has also grown in an equal, if not in a greater ratio. In the early part of this century it appeared to be the general conviction that the power of Britain in the councils of the world depended upon the number of men which she could place in the field at a moment's notice. The moral equation of government had but very little weight. During her Majesty's reign this condition of things has entirely changed, and that the change is largely owing to her jiersonal influence is now beyond ques- tion. Her remonstrance with Lord Palmerston for his interference in the affairs of France when Napoleon III., by an unexpected coup d'etat became Emperor, her letters addressed to the Emperor of Russia during the Crimean War, her appeal to the Emperor of Germany not to humiliate France at the time of the Franco-Prussian War, her messages of sympathy to the United States on the occasion of national bereavement, greatly strengthened the moral power of Great Britain and its political influence in the councils of the world. It is probably true, as Lord Dufl^erin said in a recent speech at Belfast, that force is still neces- sary to the existence of every nation. That Britain has a very practical sense ▼itt INTRODUCTION. of its value is evident by her liberal expenditure upon her army and hur navy ; yet no one will underrate the high estimate placed upon the value of moral con- siderations ip determining the fate of nations which has so characterized the action of her Mnjesty during her long reign. To attribute to the Sovereign the commercial prosperity of a country is per- haps presuming too far upon her iiiHuence in material tilings. This much, how- ever, may very j)roperly be said that a sovereign who jiromotes the peace of a nation, who avoids all foreign entanglements in expensive and destructive wars, and whose policy enables the whole industrial strength of the people to be devoted to the development of the national resources may, legitimately, claim a share in the commercial prosperity which naturally follows. When it is said that the French war with Napoleon added X32.'},()0(),0()0 to the national debt, that the Crimean war added £40,000,000, that since the Crimean war the national debt has decreased £100,000,000 sterling, it becomes very apparent what untold calamities may be intlicted upon a people by the belligerency of parliament or of the reigning sovereign. No one but her P^'me Ministers can tell to what extent her influence has averted not only the Iusl it life but the loss of treasure, which rulers like some of her predecessors wonl'^' liave re^ai'ded with supreme indiffer- ence. Not the least significant of the events of her Majesty's reign is the territorial expansion of her possessions. Her colonies have increased in population from 5,100,000 in 1840, to 19,312,000 in 1895. Her possessions in India from 150 millions to over 300 millions; the geographical area o\er which she holds sway from slightly over five millions of square miles to nearly nine millions of square miles. In most cases this territory has been acquired by peaceful negotiation or preoccupation in virtue of her colonizing power. As far as the exigencies of the case would admit, the native population whose rights were interfered with were generously treated, and in thecour.se of time transformed into her warmest allies. Rarely can it be said that in the n.arch of Empire she deprived even the most savage tribe of any right or privilege for which in some form or another she did not afford adequate compensation. To Canadians her Majesty's reign has been one of unmingled pleasure. When she ascended the throne, the two largest provinces of the Dominion, Upper and Lower Canada, were in the throes of an incipient rebellion. The Parliament of Great Britain, which had for 150 years accepted the constitutional principle of INTRODUCTION, IX Responsible Government, declined to concede similar privileges to the Cana- dian Colonists. When, however, confronted with the state of affairs which threatened the subversion of the authority of the Crown, the Colonial Office did not long hesitate to provide an adequate remedy. It is a source of pleasure to recall the fact that one of the earliest acts of her Majesty was to commission Lord Durham to report upon tne discontent in the Canadian Colonies, for which the Union Act, to which her Majesty assented in 1841, was a complete and effect- ual remedy. It is equally gratifyiug to remember that from that day till now every demand made by her Canadian subjects for constitutional remedies of l)olitical grievances, or for the ratification of nieasures for the consolidation of British power in North America, has received her Majesty's most cordial approval. By this means the scattered forces of the different provinces have been consolidated into one great Dominion, and the personal authority of a Colonial Secretary has been exchanged for the sovereignty of a Canadian Parlia- ment. Nowhere in hor vast djminions has she a more loyal people. Nowhere can it be said that the form;; of the British Constitution and the procedure of that Parliament, after which the deliberative bodies of every civilized nation in the world have been modelled, are more strictly followed, and nowhere are the words of the late poet-laureatf. more fully appreciated in which he says : Her Court was pure ; her life serene ; God gave lier peace ; her hind reposed ; A. thousand claims to reverence closed In l.ier as mother, wife and queen. Toronto, May 7th, 1897. GEORGE W. ROSS. CONTENTS. . CHAPTER I. V THE PRINCESS VICTORIA. ''''VHer/"'rM^""'^~?'''^''™'"^"««' ^^'^ Young Princess-Declaration °* Her Legal Majonty-Death of King William IV. - . . CHAPTER II. QUEEN VICTORIA. Proclamation of the Ouppn — Tion T7';..o» a . -^ ^inn p !; ... Appearance in Public after Her Acces- CHAPTER III. MARRIAGE OP THE QUEEN. ^''t'ltt^e'^Trc"' P'-inee Albert-Formal Announcement of the Corn- Children ' "!"^ ''' '' James'-The Prince Consort-The Royal CHAPTER IV. TROUBLES AT HOME AND ABROAD. The Chartist Riots— Free Tndp n,„i <^\ n t and the United ^^Z-'n :H„'^Z^''-;ZT'°"u "'* ^"""'' CHAPTER V. THE QUEEN AT HOME. Attempts at Assassination— Prince Albeit n,.rl P i t, ,■ at Home and Abroad. - ^"P"'^' ^^^l^^g- Royal Visit, , __ _ .^ , ^ CHAPTER VI. . : ,.^ , . _,.._ BRITAIN AND HER COLONIES Muti„,-r„e Queen P::Lfn:r,^."lf r/t^^'" '° '"*».-"'! '"*"" PAGE 17 30 50 62 74 92 Xll CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. BRITAIN AND HER COLONIES — Continued. PAOB Greater Britain in Australasia — Federation of Australian Colonies — The New Zea- land War — British Colonies in South Africa — The Boers and the Transvaal — The Kiitfir and Zulu AVars — The Souuh African Confederation —The British South Africa Company —The Indian and Colonial Exhibition — The Imperial Institute. - 14? CHAPTER VIII. THE ROYAL FAMILY. Death of the Prince Consort — Tiie Queen's Sorrow — The Albert Memorial — The Prince of Wales' Visits to Canada and India — His Serious Illness — Thaiiks- giving over His Recovery — The Death of the Princess Alice— The Queen as an Author. 178 CHAPTER IX. SOME FOREIGN WARS. " Death of Wellington — His Wonderful Career — His Death at Walmer Castle — The Afghanistan Campaigns of 1842 and 1879 — The Abyssinian Expedition of 1868. 229 CHAPTER X. FOREIGN WARS — Continued. The Crimean War — The Egyptian Campaigns — The Opium War in China — The Northwest Rebellion — The Horrors of War — Neutral States — Settlement by Arbitration. ............ 260 CHAPTER XI. ROYAL VISITS TO TIIE QUEEN. King Leopold — Frederick William IV. — Louis Philippe — Napoleon III. — Victor Emmanuel — The Sultan— The Shah of Persia —The Czar of Russia — Other Notabilities. - - 290 CHAPTER XIL HOME POLITICS. Some Notable Ministries — The Queen's Prime Ministers — The Queen's Diplomacy -Her Attention to Public Business. 312 CHAPTER XIII. SOME ROYAL MARRIAGES. Marriage of the Princess Royal and other Royal Princesses — Of the Prince of Wales— Of the Duke of Edinburgh and other Royal Dukes — The Royal Grandchildren. ----- 361 CONTENTS. xm CHAPTER XIV. THE JUBILEE OP 1887. p^GE The Jubilee Celebration -Unparalleled Enthusiasm-The Procession in London -Colonial Addresses-Celebrations throughout the Empire. - . 387 CHAPTER XV. TEN YEARS LATEK—TIIE FIRST FIVE YEARS. The Fisheries Commission-The Jesuit.' Estates Bill -I„,perial Federation-Sir John A. Macdonald-The Canadian Pacific Railway - - . . . ^qS CHAPTER XVI. TE\ YEARS LATER— THE SECOND FIVE YEARS Mining at Kimberley-The French Connnercial Treaty-8ir John Thon.p3on-The Armenian Atrocities -The Venezuela Question -Arbitration with t5.e United ' btates-Dr. Jameson and the Transvaal - ^.^2 CHAPTER XVII. THE VICTORIAN ERA. The Progress Of Sixty Years-Pub'ic Education-Work Among the Poorer Classes-The Temperance Movement-The British Army and Navy. - - 445 CHAPTER XVIII. THE VICTORIAN ERA— C'0Mi!Mme(/. ""''"' PrisontT'^'ir' '""'"^" '"^"'''^' ^"'"••■^ -^^^— - S--1 Science -Prison Reforu.-Llectricity-Travel and Exploration. - - - - 459 CHAPTER XIX. THE VICTORIAN ERA— Continued. '""M;ca';t"T "' ^"r-"^""' ^^«^^--^''- ^"^-^ of Species-Carlyle- Macaulay-Tennyson-Browning-Art and Artists - - . - - 479 CHAPTER XX. THE VICTORIAN KRA— Concluded. A Final Survey-The Four Survivors -Canada and the Hereditary Monarchy " " The Queen as an Imperialist-The Source of the Imperialists' pission ' ~ 491 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. ♦•••—♦ PAGE. 1 Frontispiece, Queen Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Kenainiiton Palace, where the Queen was born . . . . . • . . . . . . 19 3 H.R.H. Prince Edward, at the age of 28 23 4 Princess Victoria at the age of two years, and her mother, the Duchess of Kent . . 25 5 Princess Victoria and her mother breakfasting in tlio garden . . . . . . 27 6 The Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 7 Queen Victoria and the Peel Ministry of 1841 . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 8 Westmin.ster Abbey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 9 The Queen as she appeared at the review of troops, at Windsor, Sept. 28th, 1837. 39 10 Coronation Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 43 11 Coronation of Queen Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 12 Queen Victoria, 1839 53 13 H. II. H. Prince Albert 56 14 The Queen in her bridal dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 15 Marriage of the Queen and Prince Albert . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 1(5 The Houses of Parliament, London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 17 Richard Cobden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go 18 The Right Hon. John Bright 69 19 Sir Robert Peel .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 71 20 London Bridge . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 21 Edinburgh 79 22 Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 23 Earl of Aberdeen (one of the Ministers of Queen Victoria) . . . , . . 87 24 Balmoral Castle, Scotland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 25 William Lyon Mackenzie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 93 26 Lord Palnierston 97 27 The Volunteers' Monument, Quean's Paik, Toronto . . . . . . . . . . 101 28 TheRight Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald, K.C.B 103 29 The Hon. Alexander Mackenzie . . 105 30 Sir Oliver Mowat, K.C.M.G., Minister of Justice, Canada 109 31 Group of Native Indian Soldiers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 115 32 Nana Sahib 121 33 The Memorial Well, Cawnpore , 135 34 Buckingham Palace .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..143 35 The Hon. George Houstcm Reid, Premier of New South Wales 145 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. 36 The Hon. Sir George Turner, K.C.M.G., Premier of Victoria . . 38 Ti e Hon. Charles Can.eron Kingston, Q.C., Premier of South Australia 40 The Hon. S.r John Forrest. K.C.M.G., Premier of Western Australia 41 An nicident in the Zulu War 42 Lord Wolseley 43 Cecil Rhodes . . _ 44 H.R.H. The Prince of Wales ".. 45 H.R.H. The Princess of Wales .. ".. 46 The Hon. Sir Charles Tupper, Bart., K.C.M.G." C B 47 Lord Melbourne ... 48 St. George's Chapel, Windsor . . " 49 The Queen and Prince Albert . . . , 60 The Albert Memorial Chapel, Windsor 51 Albert Memorial, Hyde Park, London " ' '• " " 52 The Prince of Wales in Canada : The landingat nliifax " " ' " ' ' - 53 The Prince of Wales in Canada : H.R H landinc, .f n u " " 64 Silver Trowel .. •^^•«- landing at Quebec .. .. .^ 55 "I ,, , , • . . . 56 j- Medal-Albert Edward, Prince of Wales 57 The Prince of Wales in Canada : The Prince landing at Montreal ' " ' ' 68 Parliament Buildings, Ottawa . . Montreal . . 69 The Prince of Wales in Canada : ' The Arch -.tHn " '\ " 60 The Prince of Wales in Canada • tL P ''"''' '^ '""^ ^"'"^^-^ ' 61 The Prince of Wale, in cI" d '• T p""""" •" ''''''' ''' ''^"^^•^'^' " " 62 The Prince of Wales irc^rd:.' TheA T7 '" '"' ^'^'^ ^'^™' ^^^^'^ " 63 Oronhyatekha " ^"'' "^ '^"^^'^^^ ^'^'^^^ "y the Orangemen ^^:::::::Z^; -:tWe;;ernR;ilwayMech:nics.A.h - .. - .. " 68 The Queen and John Brown 69 Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh . . 70 Horse Guards, from Whitehall .. " ' 71 His Grace the Duke of Wellington' "' "" 72 Wellington at Waterloo .. .. " " 73 St. Paul's Cathedral, London ..'.." 74 The last gallant stand of thp fififJ, p.. ■ 75 0W„., 1854.-..S„u:<,' rX,!!'" " "■• '^"'"' ""'""^^ ^"'^ ^™.. 1S85 76 Czar Nicholas * " " " " , • • XV PAOK. .. 145 147 .. 147 149 .. 149 165 .. 161 163 .. 169 171 .. 173 175 .. 179 181 .. 183 187 .. 191 195 ,. 198 199 . 200 201 . 203 205 . 207 208 . 209 213 217 221 223 225 228 229 231 233 235 242 249 263 XVI INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. VAOE. 77 'Scotland for Ever"— The Charge of the Scots Groys 255 78 The Queen distributing decorations to wounded officers and soldiers from the Crimea, May21, 185C 257 79 Crimean Souvenir Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 80 Florence Nightingale . . 263 81 General Gordon 269 82 The Mahdi 271 83 David Livingstone 273 84 Major-General Sir Fred. Middleton, C.B 280 85 Northwest Volunteer Monument, Queen's Park, Toront > .. . . . . , . 283 86 The detachment of Canada's Own Corps, Her Majesty'- 100th Royal Canadians . . 286 87 Osborne House, Isle of Wight 291 88 Windsor Castle 297 89 Sultan Abdul Aziz 298 90 Trafalgar Sijuare, Sh(jwing Nelson's Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 91 The Thames Embankment, London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 92 Nasrullah Kahn responding to the toast, *' The Ameer " . . . . . . . . 309 93 Lord John Russell 319 94 O'Connell Monument, Dublin 321 95 Earl of Derby 326 96 Benjamin Disraeli — Lord Beaconstield . . . . . , . . . . . . . . 333 97 Right Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone 343 98 The Phuinix Park, Dublin 350 99 Lord Rosebery . . . . . . 356 100 Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £57 101 Queen Victorii 361 102 The Wooing of the Princess Royal 363 103 Dowager Empress Frederick of (jrermany . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 104 The Princess Alice 367 105 H.R.H. The Princess of Wales 369 106 H.R.H. Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh .. 373 107 H.R.H The Duchess of Edinburgh 374 108 The Marriage of the Princess Helene . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 375 10!) The Princess Louise 377 110 The Marquis of Lome 377 111 The Duchess of Connaught 379 112 The Dukeof Connaughi 379 113 The Duchess of Albany 381 114 The Duke of Albany 381 115 Prince Henry of Battenberg .. .. .. .. .. 383 116 Princess Beatrice " 384 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. XVll 117 Kings Lodge, Halifax . . ^ . 118 Tower of London 119 The Guards at Whitehall .... " " " 120 The Drive and Rotten Row, Hyde Park, London 121 The Crystal Palace, London 122 Sir Casmir S. Gzowski, A.D.C. to the Queen 123 H.RH. The Duke of York .. 124 H.R.H. Princess Mary, Duchess of York 125 Prince Christian 126 Princess Helene 127 The Fo, r Generations 128 High Street, Belfast 129 Edinburgh Castle . . . . 130 H. M. Stanley . 131 North-West Mounted Police 132 The Right Hon. The Baroness Maalonald of Earnscliffe . 133 feir William C. Van Home, K.C.M.G. 134 Baron Mount-Stephen 135 Hon. Geo. Brown (From a Bust) 136 His Excellency the Earl of Aberdeen 137 Hon. Sir John S. D. Thompson, K.C.M.G. " 138 Hon. Sir John J. C. Abbott, K.C.M.G., Q.C. 139 Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell, K.C.M.G ' 140 Hon. Wilfrid Lauriur .. .. 141 The Earl of Dufferin . . 142 Paul Kruger . . 143 Marquis of Lome . . 144 Lord Lansdowne . . ••••... 145 Lord Stanley of Preston (Earl of Derbyj 147 uLlT ^^:r;"'^"*-«--"- K-^^Patrick a'nd Mr.' Kirkpatrick i.*i Hands Across the Sea ... 148 The Victoria Cross . . 149 The Most Exalted Order of the Star «f India " " ' " 150 The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert " 151 The Imperial Order of the Crown of India " " " ' * 152 The Order of the Indian Empire 153 "Albert" Medal .. .. 154 Sultan Abdul Hamid II " * 155 The Four Survivors PAGK 386 .. 387 391 .. 393 395 .. 397 399 .. 401 403 .. 403 405 .. 406 411 .. 412 413 .. 417 418 .. 420 423 .. 425 427 .. 429 431 .. 433 437 . 439 " 441 . 447 451 . 456 458 . 469 461 463 466 467 467 478 492 SPECIAL ILLUSTRATIONS. :(i! I PAGE Her Majesty Queen Victoria (Frontispiece) " Your Majesty," June 20th, 1837 opp. 17 Her Majesty Queen Victoria at age of 20 years The Manjuis of Salisbury Her Majesty Queen Victoria — An early picture Her Majesty Queen Victoria, ISOo H. R. H. Prince Consoi't A Royal Group , 136 344 204 408 88 472 AGK 17 136 344 '264 408 88 47-2 YOl'R MA.IHSTN"— J l'"ii liiilcly iipiiii lluMlciilli of W INK L'dril. I.S.H7 yiiKlmin wcnl ( (> K( KiiKlaiid. Tl ciKlilccii K'.v :uTi\ cd lit II siiiKldii I'aliic.' In ii illiiiiii IV.. III,. .\ivlil>isli,,|M.f ( i:miii' IViiiii liM-apiirlinciil \<' o'cldcU in llic Ml iliiiiii llic |>|-i IM<'SS Vic-llPl-iil |||.,| .;} iiiilci'liiir.v .'iiiil l.oril (■ H'Mppc (I ill .-1 (|r(..i>.i >i'iniiK. Mill! Ilic .xoiiMi;- Prill, II' Wiis (,iiicni 111 ^l II^KlUVM. II' Uil> III, I VICTORIA SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN -»- > ♦ < ' CHAPTER I. The Princess Victoria. liiitli of the P'ulure Queen— Early Trainini,' of llio Young Princess— Declaration of Her Legal Majority — Death of King William IV. »??^«i>tf73 EORGE THE THIRD was King of the United Kingdom of Groat Britain and Ireland, with the Prince of Wales as Regent, when, iftc^^-^jy at Kensington Palace, on the 24th of May, 1819, a young daughter y^f^J was born to His Royal Highness Edward, Duke of Kent, fourth son ^^^'^ of the reigning monarch, and his wife, Victoria Mary Louisa. There were at the moment so many probable successors to the British throne, that few outside of the Royal circle gave much thought to the idea that the young Princess then born might one day rule as Queen of the realm. Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, daughter of King George IV., was in the line of direct succession as Queen. In 1816 she married Prince Leopold George Frederick of Saxe-Cobourg, afterwards King of the Belgians ; but to the grief of the nation she died in childbirth the following year. The Duke of York, a childless man, then became heir-presumptive to the throne. Next in succession stood the Duke of Clarence, third son of George III. In 1813 the Duke of Clarence married Her Serene Highness Princess Adelaide, eldest daughter of the late reigning Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. The following year his wife brought him a little daughter, who, had she lived, would have been our Queen, In 1830 the Duke became King under the title of William IV. His wife. Queen Adelaide, having no surviving children, — the two Princesses born to the Royal couple having died — people generally at once began to look upon the little daughter of the Duke of Kent as the future Queen. B 18 VICTORIA, Hor own iinmodiate family had, of course, this prohahility always in view ; and the young AiiEXANDiiiNA Victoria, as the yoinig PrincesH was nainod, was rearod as hocanie the future ruler of a fjroat empire. It need hardly he said that there whs the usual pomp and ceremony at the christening of the young Princess, just one month after her hirth. The Arch- bishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Charles Manners Sutton, ofKeiated, the magnificent gold font, used generally at Royal christenings, being brought from the Tower for the occasion. The Prince Regent and Alexander I., the Emperor of Russia — the latter being represented by one of the Royal Dukes, as proxy — were the godfathers. The name Alexanduina was bestowed on the young Princess in honor of the Russian Emperor, and the name Victoria was added, as being her mother's name. But our Queen's love for her mother was such that she afterwards decided that her mother's name should be second to none. So it is more by her own wish, than for State reasons, that she is known simply as VicToiUA. The future Queen's father, the Duke of Kent, while popular with the masses, was sometimes unj)opular in other circles. M. Oilier tolls us he was remarkable as a generous supporter of popular government— even to an extreme bordering on democratic ideas — at a time when the Court and the ruling clas.ses were fanatic- ally enthusiastic on the Tory side. Tall and striking in aspect, trained to mili- tary service, irreproachable in private life, and exact in all his busine.ss liabits, the Duke of Kent niherited the manly and .sedate qualities of his father, George III., while superadding to them a breadth of intellect to which the King himself could advance no claim. As a commander in the British array, His Royal High- ness incurred some temporary disfavour by his strictness as a disciplinarian ; but this was afterwards removed by the liberal character of his political views. At a banquet, during which he replied to the toast of " The Junior Members of the Royal Family," he said : — " I am a friend of civil and religious liberty, all the world over. I am an enemy to all religious tests. I am a supporter of a general system of education. All men are my brethren; and I hold that power is dele- gated only for the benefit of the people. These are the principles of myself, and of my beloved brother, the Duke of Sussex. They are not popular principles just now ; that is, they do not conduct to place or office. All the members of the Royal Family do not hold the same principles. For this I do not blame them ; but we claim for ourselves the right of thinking and acting as we think best." SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 19 The Duko of Kent married in 1818, beiu;,' then in his Hfty-first year. Dining the unusually severe winter of 1819 tho Duke and Duchess visited Devonshire. At Salisbury Cathedral, to which he nia.v«,-.< ;:# / Kensington Palace, wliert: the Queen was born. ever ready to listen to all appeals, he left his wife and daughter totally unpro- vided for. We are told that in speaking on this subject afterwards to Lord Mel- bourne, the Queen said that she considered it a sacred duty to pay her father's debts, and that she was not satisfied until this had been done. Soon after the Duke's death, Prince Leopold, a brother of the Duchess, accompanied the be- reaved widow and the infant Princess to London, where addresses of condolence were voted by both Houses of Parliament. Victoria Mary Louisa, the Queen's mother, was a daughter of His Serene High- ness Francis, Duke of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfeld. In 1802 she had married Charles 20 VICTORIA, Louis, the then reigning Prince of Leiningen, by whom she had two children — the Princess Feodora and the Prince of Leiningen. Her husband died in 1814. In 1818, the Princess, then in her thirty-first year, married the Duke of Kent, and was again left a widow after a short, but happy period — not quite two years — of married life. The Princess had been made the guardian of her young children on the death of her first husband, and the ruler of their territory till they came of age. These duties she had performed in a manner the most exemplary. She afterwards showed equal good sense when, as the Duchess of Kent, she undertook the over- sight of ohe education of her daughter, the Princess Victoria. The child from her earliest years was taught to i*ely on exercise and temperance as the best promoters of health ; to devote a reasonable amount of time to riding and sail- ing; to be economical, yet charitable ; and, while observing a courteous demean- our tov/ards her inferiors, to keep aloof from the evil influences of parasites. In early years, it was rather the moral than the mental nature of the Princess that was cultivated. The Dowager-Duchess of Cobourg wisely wrote to the Duchess in 1823, that it would be better not to force book-knowiedge too soon on one so young, and this advice appears to have been followed. There are many anecdotes of the Princess Victoria in her younger days. Emi- nent people who were privileged to call upon the Duchess of Kent have left their impressions of the young Princess. William VV'lberforce, the statesman and philanthropist, then in his sixty-second year, writing in 1820 to Hannah More, of a visit he had paid to the Duchess of Kent, said : " She received me with iier fine, animated child on the floor by her side, busy with its playthings, of which I soon became one." Surely here was a sight worth going far to see ! Miss Jane Porter, the authoress of that perennially popular story " The Scottish Chiefs," who frequently attended the same church as the young Princess, tells us that she was a beautiful child, with a cherubic form of features, clustered round by glossy fair ringlets ; her complexion was remarkably transoarent, with a soft but often heightening tinge of the sweet blush-rose upon her cheeks, that imparted a peculiar brilliancy to her clear blue eyes. Whenever she met any strangers on her usual paths, she always seemed by the quickness of her glance to inquire who and what they were. The intelligence of her countenance was extraordinary at her very early age, but might easily be accounted for on perceiving the extra- ordinary intelligence of her mind. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 21 , their and More, 1 iier /hich ottish ells us round a soft arted on her ; who ry at extra- The Earl of Albermarle, writing in 1826, records that of a morning he fre- quently watched the movements of a bright, pretty little girl, seven years of age. She was in the habit of watering the plants under the window. " It was amus- ing," continues the Earl, " to see how impartially she divided the contents of the watering-pot between the flowers and her own little feet." That young lady was the Princess Victoria. Sir Walter Scott's diary of May 19, 1828, has this entry :— " Dined with the Duchess of Kent. Was very kindly received by Prince Leopold, and presented to the little Princess Victoria, the heir-apparent to the Crown, as things now stand. . . . This little lady is educating with much care, and watched so closely that no busy maid has a moment to whisper, 'You are heir of England.' I suspect if we could dissect the little heart we should find some pigeon or other bird of the air had carried the matter," Yet, as we shall see later, the great novelist was mistaken on this point. The readiness to admit a fault was amusingly shown by a little incident which occurred during a visit to the seat of Earl Fitzwilliam. The royal party were walking in the grounds, when the Princess ran on in advance. One of the under- gardeners pointed out that, owing to recent heavy rains, a certain walk was very slippery, or, as he expressed it, using a local term, " very slape." " Slape ! slape ! " exclaimed the Princess, in the style of quick reiteration which characterized the utterance of her grandfather, George III.; "And pray what is slape?" The requisite information was given, but the little lady proceeded down the path despite all warning, and speedily fell to the ground. Seeing what had happened Earl Fitzwilliam called out, " Now your Royal Highness has an explanation of the term ' slape,' both theoreticall}' and practically." " Yes, my lord," she replied, " I think I have. I shall never forget the word ' slape,' " Another time she persisted in playing with a dog against which .she had been cautioned. The animal made a snap at her band, and when her cautioner expressed his fears that she hnd been bitten, she replied, " Oh, thank you ! thank you ! You're right, and I am wrong ; but he didn't bite me — he only warned me. I shall be care- ful in future." It was a rule of the Princess' young days that she should never buy anything on credit. One day, when she was but eight years old, she had emptied her purse of its last sixpence in making purchases at the Tunbridge Wells bazaar. There was, however, still one particular doll she would fain carry off. The salesman, of 22 VICTORIA, ! ' i1 course, was only too willing to send it with the other purchases, and have it p&id for later on. But the Baroness Lehzen said, " No ; the Princess never buys any- thing without paying for it at the time." The doll was thereupon reserved until the Princess had the money to call and pay for it. In a few days the little Princess, having received a fresh allowance of pocket money, returned to the bazaar and secured her much-coveted toy. As she was about to leave the shop door a poor, miserable looking object of a man met her eye. He was stand- ing but a couple of feet away, and seemed as though he were going to jpeak to her, attracted doubtless by the innocent kindliness of her expression, and the tenderness of her blue eyes. But, though his lips moved, no sound came from them. He stood aside to let her pass — a mute, agonized appeal in his sunken cheeks and quivering chin. " Did you wish to speak to me ? " asked the little lady, staying her steps. Encouraged by her winning voice, the poor tramp — for such he was — said in trembling accents : " I am very hungry. I would not ask for help if I were not ready '^o sink with hunger." He looked famine from his eyes. " I am ao sorry ; I have no mone}^ or else " His lips trembled forth a humble " Thank you, lady," then he shuffled on his way, hunger impersonate. " Stay ! " murmured the little ov ner of the new doll. There was ,\ quiver in her childish voice, and a moisture in her eyes as she spoke. " Wait a minute, please." Re-entering the shop, she astonished the salesman by asking him to keep the doll a few days longer and return the money to her. This of course was done, and the little lady, hurrying out of the shop, placed the whole of the money in the hands of the starving man. He was like one thunderstruck. Was it any wonder that he murmured in a low tone, though loud enough to reach her ear : " If the Almighty made you a queen, it would not be more than your goodness deserves." As the years advanced the young Princess was placed in charge of experienced instructors and was well grounded in languages, music, and other polite accom- plishments. The future Queen developed at an early age a great love for music — a love for that noble art which has distinguished her through life. Parliament made sritable provision for her maintenance in a manner befitting her exalted station. An additional grant of .£6,000 a year was made to the Duchess of Kent, which was supplemented a few years later by a further grant of £10,000 a^year. In the meantime events had transpired which vitally afiected the young SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 23 Princess. The Prince of Wales had ascended the throne as George IV. At his death, in 1830, he was succeeded by the Duke of Clarence, under the title of William IV. The death of the Duke of York on the 5th of January, 1827, and H.R.H. PRINCE EDWARD. (The Queen's Father) At the Age of 29. Lieut.-Gcneral Commanding at Halifax, N.S., Nov. 17!).i. the accession of the Duke of Clarence to the throne as William IV., on the 26th of June, 1830, placed the Princess Victoria in the direct line of succession to the British Crown. It then became evident that Parliament must provide against 24 VICTORIA, Ih i\.\ w possible contingencies, and accordingly a Regency Bill was passed. That Bill provided that Queen Adelaide, the spouse of King William IV., i, the event of hor giving birth to a posthumous child, should be guardian of such child during its minority, and also Regent of the realm. If such an event did not occur the Duchess of Kent was to be Regent during the minority of her daughter, the young Princess Victoria, who was not to marry while a minor without the consent of the King, or, if he died, without the consent of both Houses of Parliament. In order to escape the excitements of the Court, which would certainly have severely tried the strength of one so young, the Princess Victoria was kept quite sequestered. She was thus enabled to pursue her studies with much better effect. Another reason assigned for keeping the Princess in comparative seclusion was that the Court of William IV., though better than that of his brother, was not well suited to a young girl whose mother considered her purity more than anything else. It is said that previous to this time the futui'e queen had not been allowed to hear of the exalted position she might one day occupy. But it was now desir- able that she should be made aware of the fact. A little device was resorted to in order that this might be done quietly, yet effectually. A genealogical table was placed in a historical book which .she was reading. Wlicn she discovered it, she exclaimed, " I never saw that before." " It was not thought necessary that you should. Princess," was the reply of the governess. The Princess examined it carefully, and then said — somewhat timidly and thoughtfully, we may well imagine — " I see that I am nearer the throne than I thought." "It is so, Madam," was the reply. And then with quaint earnestness the Princess uttered her thoughts aloud : " Now many a child would boast, not knowing the difficulty. There is much splendour, but there is more responsi- bility." " And then with charming seriousness, her j'^oung heart quite full," the Baroness Lehzen continues, " the Princess having lifted up the forefinger of her light hand while she .spoke, gave me that little hand, saying, ' I will be good, I understand now why you urged me so much to learn, even Latin. My aunts Augusta and Mary never did ; but you told me Latin is the foundation of English Grammar, and of all the elegant expressions, and I learned it as you wished it ; but I undei-stand all better now." And the Princess gave me her hand, repeating, 'I will be good.'" "I then said," continues her governess, "but your Aunt j SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 25 Adelaide is still young and may have children, and of course they would ascend the throne atter their father, William IV., and not you, Princess." The Princess answered : " And if it were so, I should never feel disappointed, for I know by the love Aunt Adelaide bears me how fond she is of children." In 1834, while sojourning at Tunbridge Wells, she heard that the husband of an actress employed at the town theatre had died in great poverty, with his wife Princess Victoria nt the Aye of Two Years, ami lier Motlier, the Duchess of Kent. on the eve of her confinement. Sympathising with the poor wife in her distress, the Princess obtained £10 from her mother, added an equal sum from her own losources, and personally carried the amount to the sufferer. After the accession of her Majesty to the throne she conferred on the actress an annuity of £40 for the remainder of her life. In 1832, a tour of England was undertaken by the Duchess of Kent, accom- panied by the Princess Victoria. During this tour the royal party visited the 26 VICTORIA, cotton mills of the Messrs. Strutt, at Belper, in Derbyshire. By means of a moat ingenious model, Mr. James Strutt explained to the Princess the various pro- cesses of cotton-spinning, and a great impression was produced by this exposition of a most important manufacture. In commemoration, no doubt, of that visit, the Queen, iu 185G, conferred the dignity of a peerage, with the title of Baron Belper, on Edward, the son of Mr. James Strutt, who had conducted her over their great cotton mills four-and-twenty years previously. In 1883, while the Duchess of Kent and the Princess were cruising in the Channel on board their yacht, the Emerald, the Princess had a narrow escape from a seriou;, accident — perhaps from sudden death. The Royal yacht collided with the Active hulk, the collision being so violent that the top-mast of the Royal yacht was hurled to the very spot on the deck on which the Princess was at the time standing. Mr. Saunders, the pilot, who had been watching the Princess, saw her danger. Without an instant's hesitation he sprang towards her, and lifted her to one side just as the mast fell with a crash on the very spot on which she had been standing a moment before. The rescuer was, of course, overwhelmed with thanks, and, at a later date, he was called to Court to pay his respects to the Queen, and to be rewarded by being promoted to the rank of master. George Augustus Sala records a pleiising instance of the Queen's favour. In the early years of the Queen's reign, Mr. Sala's mother gave concerts in London. Every year, prior to the performance, a programme printed on white satin and edged with Brussels lace, used to be sent to the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The offering was invariably acknowledged by a cheque for ten guineas. The young Princess would appear to have early developed a predilection for home-manufactured goods, as it is said that on her appearance at Court on the occasion of the celebration of the birthday of Queen Adelaide, on the 24th of February, 1831, her dress was made entirely of articles manufactured in the United Kingdom. Even in those early days her Majesty was evidently opposed to the " Made in Germany " fad, which has had such a run in the United King- dom for too long a period. Nathaniel Parker Willis, the United States author, who at the time was foreign editor and correspondent of the New York Mirror, gives us the following picture of the Princess Victoria, as he saw her at the celebrated Ascot races in 1835 : '* In one of the intervals I walked under the King's stand, and saw Her SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 27 Majesty the Queen and the young Princess Victoria very distinct ly. They were leaning over the railing, listening to a ballad singer, and seeming as much inter- ested and amused as any simple country folk could be. The Queen is undoubtedly the plainest woman in her dominions ; but the Princess is much better looking than any picture of her in the shops, and, for the heir to such a crown as that of England, unnecessarily pretty and interesting. She will be sold, poor thing I yvn Princess Victoria and her Mother breakfasting in the Garden. . . ' bartered away by those great dealers in royal hearts whose grand calculations will not be much consolation to her if she happens to have a taste of her own." Poor Willis ! Could he have lived to see the numbers of his rich country- women who in recent years have given their millions in exchange for a British or other foreign title, he would have regretted this most uncalled-for reference to ! 28 VICTORIA. ill 111 the love affairs of a British Princess. He would have seen also that this Brit- ish Princess developed a taste of her own in her love affairs, as well as in other matters. Instead of being " sold," as he offensively puts it, he would have seen her married to the man of her own choosing. This incident furnishes an excel- lent illustration of the mistaken prejudices of even broad-minded Americans when writing of Royalties and their doings. On August 30tb, 1835, the Princess was confirmed by the Most Rev. William Howley, Archbi.shop of Canterbury, assisted by the Right Rev. Charles J. Blom- field, Bishop of London, the solemn ceremony taking place in the Chapel Royal, St. James'. Oil the 24th of May, 1837, the Princess completed her eighteenth year, and in accordance with the provisions of an Act of Parliament, she was thereupon de- clared of age. This step was taken so that in case of the King's death no Regency would be required. There were great rejoicings everywhere. The day was kept as a public holiday throughout the Kingdom. Kensington was especially festive, when for the first time the Princess took precedence of her mother, and occupied the central chair of State. The King was unwell, so neither he nor the Queen were present on the occasion. The King, however, as an expression of his goO' vill, sent her, as a present, a magnificent grand pianoforte. All London was in holiday attire. Everybody had a holiday, from the boys at school to the members of the Houses of Par- liament. The bells throughout the city were ringing, flags were flying, and all the public buildings and many of the private mansions were illuminated. Congratulatory addresses came from many quarters. In reply to one from the London civic authorities, the Duchess of Kent, after referring to the sad loss she had sustained in the death of her husband, and to the way in which she had educated her daughter, went on to say : " I have in times of great diflficulty avoided all connection with any party in the State ; but if I have done so, I have never ceased to impress on my daughter her duties, so as to gain by her conduct the respect and aftection of the people. This I have taught her should be her first earthly duty as a constitutional Sovereign. The Pi'incess has ariived at that age which now justifies my expressing my confident expectation that she will be found competent to execute the sacred trust which may be reposed in her ; for communicating as she does with all classes of society, she cannot but perceive that the greater the diffusion of religious knowledge and the love of m ^ iiij SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 29 freedom in a country, the more orderly, industrious, and wealthy is its popula- tion, and that with the desire to preserve the constitutional prerogatives of the Crown ought to be co-ordinate the protection of the liberties of the people." An address was also presented to the Princess, who returned thanks by simply saying, " I am very thankful for your kindness, and my mother has expressed all my feelings." In less than a month from that day King William IV. was dead, and the Princess Victoria was called upon to assume the duties and responsibilities of Queen of the realm. THE GREAT SEAL OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, •1 i CHAPTER n. Queen Victoria. Proclamation of the Queen— Her First Appearance in Public after Her Accession— Congratulations from Prince Albert — The Coronation at Westminster Abbey — The Queen's first P.,rliainent. jILLIAM IV., the "good old sailor King," had gained a place in the hearts of the people. Sometimes weak, sometimes obstinate, defi- cient in penetration and judgment, he was, nevertheless, manly, sincere, honest and straightforward. Of political dexterity and artifice he was totally inapable. His virtues predominated over his talents. If wo judge him, not by the reign that came after him but by the reigns that went before him, we must admit that, on the whole, he was better than his education, his early opportunities, and his early promise. What the Queen said of him many years later was undoubtedly true : " What- ever his faults may have been, it was well known that lie was not only zealous but most conscientious in the discharge of his duties as King. He had a truly kind heart, and was most anxious to do what was right. This was the char- acter given of him to the Queen by Lord Melbourne, and by others who served him; and of his kindness to herself, and his wish that she should be duly prepared for the duties to which she was so early called, the Queen can only speak in terms of affectionate gratitude." Immediately upon the death of the King, the Marquis of Conyngham, Lord Chamberlain, accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Howley, posted away to call Victoria to the throne of her ancestors. At five o'clock on the morning of June 20th they reached Kensington Palace. Reading Miss Wynn's " Diary of a Lady of Quality," we can almost see what took place. It was two hours after midnight when they started, and they did not reach Kensington till five o'clock in the morning. " They knocked, they rang, they thumped for a considerable time before they could rouse the porter at the gate ; they were again kept vif^aiting in the court- yard ; then turned into one of the lower rooms, where they seemed to be forgot- ten by everybody. They rang the bell and desired that the attendant of the Princess Victoria might be sent to inform her Royal Highness that they re- (30) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 31 QUKEN VICTORIA AND THE PKEL MINISTRY OF 1841. w^ 32 VICTORIA, I quested an audience on business of importance. After another delay and another ringing to inquire the cause, the atten(hint was summoned, who stated that the Princess was in such a sweet sleep that she could not venture to disturb her. Then they said, ' We are come on business of State to the Qiveen, and even her sleep must give way to that.' It did ; and to prove that she did not ke^p them waiting, in a few minutes ahe came into the room in a loose white night-gown and shawl, her night-cap thrown off and her hair falling upon her shoulders, her feet in slippers, tears in her eyes, but perfectly collected and dignified." It has been b.-ld that the piquant account by Miss Wynn should hardly be accepted as historically true. It is, however, interesting, and, no doubt true, so far as the main facts are concerned. In his clever, bilious memoirs Greville says : " Conyngham, in a few words, told her their errand, and as soon as he uttered the words ' Your Majesty,' she instantly put out her hand to him, intimating that he was to kiss hands before he proceeded. He dropped on one knee, kissed her hand and then went on to tell her of the late King's death. She presented her hand to the Archbishop, who likewise kissed it, and, when he had done so, addressed to her a sort of pas- toral charge, which she received graciously and then retired." The Prime Minister, Lord Mell> uirne, was sent for, and a meeting of the Privy Council summoned for eleven o'clock. The first act of her Majesty, after the announcement of her accession, was to write to her aunt. Queen Adelaide, a letter of condolence, begging her to remain at Windsor as long as she pleased. She addressed it " To Her Majesty the Queen " at Windsor Castle. She was told that she ought to write " To Her Majest}' the Queen-Dowager ; " but she answered, " I am aware of that, but I will not be the first to remind her of her altered position." At the appointed hour the Queen held her first Privy Council, conducting her- self with such imperial maiden grace as to excite even Greville's admiration. "Never," he writes, "was anything like the first impression she produced, or the chorus of praise which is raised about her manner and behaviour, and cer- tainly not without justice. It was very extraordinary, and something far be3'ond what was looked for. Her extreme youth and inexperience, and the ignorance of the world concerning her, naturally excited intense curiosity to see how she would act on this trying occasion, and there was a considerable assemblage ai, the Palace notwithstanding the short notice that was given. The first thing to be done waa SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. S3 to teach hor her lesson, which for this purpose Melbourne had hiinsolf to loam. I gave him the Council papers, and explained all that waa to be done, and he went, and explained all this to her. He asked her if she wouhl enter the room accompanied by the j,'ruat olHcers of State, but she said sh(3 would come in alone. When the lords were assembled, the Lord President (Lord Lansdowno) informed them of the King's death, and suggested, as they were so numerous, that a few should repair to the presence ol" the Queen and inform her of the event, and that their lordships were assembled in consequence; and accordingly the two Royal Dukes (the Duke of Cumberland, by the death of William IV., King of Hanover) and the Duke of Sussex (the Duke of Cambridge was absent in Hanover), and the two Archbishops, were deputed; the Chancellor and Melbourne went with them. The Queen received them in an adjoining room alone. Win ■ they re- turned the proclamation was read : — "Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His mercy our late S reign Lord, K'mrt William IV., of blessed and glorious memory, by whose deccu^o the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdt)m of Great Britain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Princess Alexandrina Victoria, saving the rights of any issue of liis late Majesty Kinj William the Fourth, which may bo born of his lato Majesty's consort. We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this realm beinj^ hei-e assembled with those of his late Majesty's Privy Council, with numbers of others, principal gentlemen of quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of London, do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim, that the high and mighty Princess Alexandrina Victoria is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lady, Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith (saving as aforesaid), to whom (saving as aforesaid) we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience, with all humble and hearty affec- tion, beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless the royal PrinC'?3s Victoria with long and happy years to reign over us. Given at the Court of Kensington this 20th day of June, 1837. God save the Queen." This proclamation having been signed by the Lords of the Privy Council, the doors were thrown open and the Queen entered, dressed in mourning. Her two uncles, the Duke of Cumberland, now King of Hanover, and the Duke of Sussex conducted her to the extemporised throne. She bowed to the lords as she took I . 34 VICTORIA, lier seat, and at once began to read, in a clear and distinct voice, without any trace of embarrassment, the following speech : — " The severe and afflicting loss which the nation has sustained by the death of His Majesty, my beloved uncle, has devolved upon me the duty of administering the government of this empire. Thisrwful responsibility is imposed on me so suddenly, and at so early a period of my life, that I should feel myself utterly oppressed by the buiden were I not sustained by the hope that Divine Provi- dence, which has called me to this work, will give me strength for the perform- ance of it, and that I shall find, in the purity of my intentions and in my zeal for the public welfare, that support and those resources which usually belong to a more mature age and to long experience. " I place mj' firm leliance upon the wisdom of Parliament and upon the loyalty and aft'ection of my people. I esteem it also a peculiar advantage that I succeed to a Sovereign whose constant regard for the rights and liberties of his subjects, und whose desire to promote the amelioration of the laws and institutions of the country, have remlered his name the object of gentral attachment and veneration. " Educated in England, under the tender and affectionate care of a most affec- tionate mother, 1 havis learrod from my infancy to respect and love the constitu- tion of my native country. It will be my unceasing study to maintain the reformed religion as by law established, securing, at the same time, to all, the full •enjoyment of religious liberty ; and I shall steadily protect the rights, and pro- imote to tlie utmost of my power the happiness and welfare of all clas.ses of my isubjects." Lord Beaconsfield writes; "The prelates and chief men of her realm then advanced to the throne, and kneeling before her pl(>dgeil their troth, and took the sacred oatl. of allegiance and supremacy — allegiance to one who rules over the land that the great Macedonian could not conquer; and over a continent of which even Columbus never dreamed ; to tiie queen of every sea, and of nations of every zone. Fair and serene, she has the blood and beauty of the Saxon. Will it be her proud destiny at length to bear relief to suffering millions, and with that s,oit band which might inspire troubadour and guerdon knights, to break the last link in Saxon thraldom ? " After she had read her speech, and taken and signed the oath for the security of the Church of Scotland, administered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Privy Councilors were sworn, the two Royal Dukes first, by themselves ; and as SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 35 oai any Jeath of listering ti me so utterly le Provi- perform- r zeal for Dng to a e loyalty I succeed subjects, ns of the sueration. lOst affec- constitu- itain the , the full and pro- es of my aim then land took ules over Itinent of f nations le Saxon, lions, and lights, to security Dury, the ; and as these two old men, her uncles, knelt before her, swearing allegiance and kissing her hand, " I saw her," says Greville, " blush up to the eyes, as if she felt the contrast between their civil and their natural relations, and this was the only sign of emotion which she evinced. Her manner to theni was very graceful and engaging ; she kissed them both, and rose from her chair, and moved towards the Duke of Sussex, who was farthest from her, and too infirm to reach hei'. " She seamed rather bewildered at the multitude of men who were sworn, and wlin came one after another to kiss her hand, but she did not speak to anybody, * 'jfci^-^^i WESTMINSTKR AliDKV. , nor did she make the slightest difference in her manner, or show any in her countenance, to any individual of rank, station, or party. " I particularly watched her when Melbourne and the Ministers and the Duke of Wellington and Peel approached her. "She went through the whole ceremony -occasionally looking at Melbourne for instruction when she had any doubt what to do, which hardly ever occurred —with perfect calmness and self-possession, but at the same time with a grace- ful modesty and propriety particularly interesting and ingratiating." is. a I i 36 VICTORIA, ; After the Council the Cabinet Ministers rendered ip to the Queen the seals of their oflSces, which her Majesty graciously returned, and they kissed hands on their reappointment. Throughout the whole of the 20th the great bells of St. Paul's tolled out the solemn news that the King was dead. Everywhere the flags were at half-mast high. Many of the shops were shut. Citizens met and in grave groups discussed the news, and paid tributes of respect to the character of the dead monarch. On the 21st the new Sovereign was proclaimed under the title of " Alexandrina Victoria." The first name, however, has not been officially used since. The appearance of the Queen at one of the windows of St. James' Palace was greeted with immense enthusiasm by a vast crowd of people who had assembled to hear the Proclamation read, but who did not anticipate that the Sovereign would pre- sent herself. At ten o'clock the guns in the Park fired a salute, and immedi- ately afterwards her Majesty stood consp cuously before her subjects. Dresied very simply in deep mourning, her fair ha.r and clear complexion came out the more effectively for their black surroundings. With her face bathed in tears, she listened to the reading of the Proclamation, supported by Lord Melbourne on the one side and by Lord Lansdowne on the other, both dressed in Court costume ; while close at hand was the Duchess of Kent. The court yard of the palace was filled with a brilliant assemblage of high functionaries, consisting of Garter King-at-Arms, heralds and pursuivants, officers-of-arms on horseback, sergeants-at-arms, the sergeant-trumpeter, the Knights-Marshal and their men, the Duke of Norfolk as Earl-Marshal of England, and others — all clad in the splendid and picturesque dresses and insignia of their offices. At the conclusion of the Proclamation, the Queen, throwing herself into the arms of her mother, gave free vent to her feelings, while the band played the Natio lal Anthem, the Park and Tower guns discharged their salvos, and the spectators burst into repeated acclamations. Among the letters of congratulation was one prized above all by her Majesty. It cane from Prince Albert, then a student at Bonn. " Now," he wrote, " you are Queen of the mightiest land of Europe ; in your hand lies the happiness of millions. May Heaven assist you and strengthen you with its strength in that high but difficult task. I hope that your reign may be long, happy, and glorious, and that your eflSbrts may be rewarded by the thank- fulness and love of your subjects." That hope has been fulfilled. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 37 Mr. Greville gives us the best description of the conduct of the young Queen immediately after her accession. She occupied at once in Kensington Palace a separate range of apartments from her mother — whose influence had been, in some degree, foolishly dreaded by the nation^ — and naturally the Duchess, who must long have looked forward to occupying the place of the Queen-Mother of Britain, was disappointed, and perhaps a little embittered ; but her Majesty's behaviour in all private respects was most tender, affectionate, and filial. In- deed, in all that occurred at this time those who knew the secret springs of the Queen's actions only found cause for approval and admiration. The only person constantly with the Queen, Mr. Greville tells iis, was the Bar- oness Lehzen ; but she always retired by one door as Ministers entered by tha other, and was not present when State business was dispatched. The Queen never decided on any subject without taking time for reflection. At first it wa-s thought that she refused an immediate answer because she con- sulted Lord Melbourne about everything; but this was a mistake. When he also proposed anything she used to answer that she would think it over, and tell him what her opinion was the next day. Her Majesty surprised him by her thoughtfulness for others. When she was going to Windsor to visit the Queen-Dowager, the Premier was astonished to hear her direct that the flag on Windsor Castle, which was half-mast high from respect to the late King's memory, should not be drawn up on her arrival, and that orders must be sent to that effect. Melbourne had never thought of the flag ; but the Queen divined by instinct what her " Aunt Adelaide's " feelings would be, and carefully spared them. The interview between the Queens was affectionate ; both were much afi^ected. The young Queen readily acceded to the widowed Queen's wishes to provide for the personal attendants of the late monarch ; she also provided generously for the family of the Sailor King. Queen Victoria and her mother left Kensington on the 13th of July, and pro- ceeded to Buckingham Palace, a residence which George IV. had favoured, and which William IV. detested and forsook. A levee was held shortly after her Majesty's arrival. On this occasion the Queen presented a striking appearance, her head glittering with diamonds, and her breast covered with the insignia of the Garter and her other Orders. More important business, however, was approaching. On the 17th of the month the Queen went "in State to the House 38 VICTORIA, I r of Lords to dissolve Parliament. Addressing both Houses, her Majesty said : — " I have been anxious to seize the first opportunity of meeting you, in order that I might repeat in person my cordial thanks for your condolence upon the death of his late Majesty, and for the expression of attachment and affection with which you congratulated me upon my accession to the throne. I am very desir- ous of renewing the assurances of my determination to maintain the Protestant religion as established by law ; to secure to all the free exercise of the rights of conscience ; to protect the liberties, and to promote the welfare, of all classes of the community I rejoice that, in ascending the throne, I find the country in amity with all foreign Powers ; and, while I faithfully perform the engagements of the Crown, and carefully watch over the interests of my subjects, it will be the constant object of my solicitude to maintain the blessings of peace." After alluding to the chief events of the session, the Queen concluded by observing : — " I ascend the throne with a deep .sense of the responsibility which is imposed upon me ; but I am supported by the consciousness of my own right intentions, and by ray dependence upon the protection of Almight}' God. Tt will be my care to strengthen our institutions, civil and ecclesiastical, by di.screet improve- ment, wherever improvement is required, and to do all in my power to compose and allay animosity and discord. Acting upon these principles, I shall on all occasions look with confidence to the wisdom of Parliament and the affection of my people, which form the true support of the dignity of the Crown and ensure the stability of the Constitution." Fanny Kemble, the accomplished actress, thus describes the scene : "The Queen was not handsome, but very pretty, and the singularity of her great position lent a sentimental and poetical charm to her youthful face and figure. The serene, serious sweetness of her candid brow and clear, soft eyes gave dignity to the girl- ish countenanca, while the want of height only added to the effect of extreme youth, of the round but slender person, and gracefully- moulded hands and arms. The Queen's voice was exquisite, nor have I ever heard any spoken words more musical in their gentle distinctness than ' My Lords and gentlemen,' which broke the breathless silence of the illustriou.s assembly, whose gaze was riveted on that fair flower of royalty. The enunciation was as perfect as the intonation was melodious, and I think it is impossible to hear a more excellent utterance than that of the Queen's English by the English Queen." In August the Queen went to Windsor. While here her Majesty for the first SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 39 time reviewed lier troops, charming them by her good horsemanship and by the compliment of a[)pearing in semi-military dress. About this time the young Queen was first called on to exercise her power of life or death. The Duke of Wellington brought to her Majesty a court-martial death-warrant for signature. " She shrank from the dreadful task," says Miss Greenwood, " and with tears in her eyes asked, ' Have you nothing to say on be- half of this man ? ' The Queen as she appeared at the Review of Troops, at Windsor, Sept. 28th, I8:J7. •"Nothing; he has deserted three times,' replied the Iron Duke. " ' Oh, your Grace, think again ! ' Well, your Majesty, he certainly is a bad soldier, but there was somebody who spoke as to his good character. He may be a good fellow in private life.' " ' Oh, thank you ! ' exclaimed the Queen, as she dashed off the word ' Pardon- ed' on the awful parch nent, and wrote beneath it her beautiful signature." To relieve her from this painful duty in the future, Parliament enacted that death-warrants should be signed'by royal commission. iT-pi^- .■;H 40 VICTORIA, ■A III . 1 11 On the 9th of November, the Queen delighted London l)y ^oiiig to a banquet in the City. Although the day was wet and dreary the .street^^ and the windows were crowded by her Majesty's subjects, all eager to gaze on their youthful Sovereign. At Temple Bar the Lord Mayor delivered the keys of the City to her Majesty, who at once returned them. In the open space before St. Paul's Cathedral hust- ings had been erected on which were stationed the Liverymen of the Ci*^j Com- panies and the scholars of Christ's Hospital. One of the boys presented an ad- dress to the Queen, and all then sang the National Anthem. A magnificent banquet in the Guildhall followed. At night the city was illuminated. Among the honors conferred was one which was received with particular favor — the knighthood given to Sheriff Montefiore, the first Jew who ever re- ceived such an honor from a British sovereign. Mrs. Newton Crosland, the novelist and poet, writes in regard to this re- ception : " I well remember seeing the young Queen on her way to dine with the Lord Mayor, on the 9th of November, 1837, the year of her accession. The crowd was so great that there were constant stoppages, and, luckily for me, one of them occ'irred just under the window of a house in the Strand, where I was a spectator. I shall never forget the appearance of the maiden Sovereign. Youth- ful as she was, she looked every inch a queen. Seated with their backs to the horses were a lady and gentleman in full Court-dress — the Duchess of Suther- land, Mistress of the Robes, and the Earl of Albemarle, Master of the Horse), and in the centre of the opposite seat, a little raised, was the Queen. All I saw of her dress was a mass of pink, satin and swansdown. I think .she wore a large cape or wrap of these materials. The swansdown encircled her throat, from which arose the fair young face — the blue eyes beaming with goodness and intelligence — the ro.se-bloom of girlhood on her cheeks, and her soft, light-brown hair, on which gleamed a circlet of diamonds, braided as it is seen in the early portraits. Her small white -gloved hands were reposing easily in her lap." On the 20th of November the Queen went in State, through streets even more crowded than on her first visit to the City, to open the fir-st Parliament of her reign. That session the Queen's income was fixed at three hundred and eighty- five thousand pouu'ls a year. Thirty thousand pounds a year was also settled on the Duchess of Kent. The coronation of the young Queen had been looked forward to with eager- ness by the whole country. The City of London, especially, was in a state of SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 41 enthusiastic expectancy. Thousands had flocked in from all parts of the world. The population was more than doubled. The confusion, the crowds, the noise were indescribable. Not a mob here and there, but the town all mob, thronging, bustling, gaping and gfvzing at everything, at anything, at nothing. The Park was one vast encampment, with banners floating on the tops of the tents, and still the roads were covered, the railroads loaded with arriving multi- tudes. Never was seen before in England such a scene as the streets presented on that 28th of June, 1838. Every place along the line, from Hyde Park Corner to the Abbey, was filled with galleries or scaffolding ; every window, roof, and balcony banked with seats and thronged. The day was ushered in by salvos of artillery from the Tower. From an early hour the streets were thronged with people, all in holiday attire, while the roads were soon almost blocked with streams of carriages pouring in from the surrounding country districts. Sharp at ten o'clock the raising of the Royal Standard over the Marble Arch, simultaneously with a salute from the Park guns, announced that the Queen had entered her carriage at the Palace. The proces- sion then moved forward, being greeted at every point of vantage with lusty cheers from mighty crowds of loyal subjects. The official programme of the Coronation Procession is reproduced on the following pages. A perusal of this programme will give an excellent idea of the length and brilliancy of the proces- sion. The dre.sses of many in the procession were superb ; the varied aid pictur- esque costumes of the Foreign Ambassadors and their suites being particularly noticeable. Even the Turkish Ambassador, accustomed to the wondrous spectacle of Oriental court life, was dazzled and bewildered at the scene, both in and out of the Abbey. It is estimated that not less than half a million people lined the route of the procession — a vast number for those days. The Earl of Malmesbury has an in- teresting reference to the event in his " Memoirs : " — " The coronation took place to-day. The Government, or rather Lord John Russell, had given no orders to the police to make carriages keep the line, and there was in consequence a good deal of confusion. But the day was so very fine that we were in no hurry to arrive. The crowd was in perfect good humor, and behaved very quietly. We reached the Board of Trade at ten, and about eleven the procession appeared in sight. It was a magnificent show, though we have to thank the foreign Ambas- sadors for a great part of its splendor, as without them the proce.ssion would have i '■J ■ \ i .r. 1 j i 1 { 1 42 VICTORIA, CORONATION. State Procession from the Queens Palace to Westminster Abbey, WITH THK NAMKS OF THE PAUTIKS IN EACH CARRIAGE. Truinjieters. A squailroii of Life Guards, under the direttion of one of llie Queen's Equerries and two Assistants. Carriages of the Foreicn Resident Ambassadors ami Ministers, in the following order : 1. Tlie Charge (f Affairs of Mexico M. de Yturbide. 2. The Charge d'Affairs of Portugal Chev. de Ciirvalho. .'i. The Charge d'Affairs of Sweden Count Bjornstjerna. 4. Tlie Saxon Minister M. de (iersdorff. 5 The Hanoverian Minister Baron Munchausen. 6. The Greek Minister . Prince Soutzo. 7. The Sardinian Minister Count de PoUon. 8. The Spanish Minister Don Manuel M. de Aguilar. 9. The Minister of the United Stites A. Stephenson, Ks(|. 10. The Minister of the Netherlands M. Dedel. 11. The Brazilian Minister M. Galvao. 12. The Bavarian Minister Baron de Setto. 1.3. The Danish Minister IJaron Blonie. 14. The Belgian Minister M. Van de VVeyer. 1.*!. Tlie Wurteniburg Minister Count de Mamlelsloh. 16. The Prussian Minister Baron Bidow, The Carriages of the Auibassadors Extraordinary. 1. The Turkish Ambassador Ahmed Fettij Pasha. 2. The French Ambassador Duke de Dalmatie. 3. The Portuguese Ambassador Duke de Palniella. 4. The Swedish Ambassador The Count Lowenhjeim. 5. The Sardinian Ambassador Marquess Brignole Sale. (i. The Hanoverian Ambassador Count Allen. 7. The Prussian Ambassador Prince Putbus. S. The Spanisli Ambassador Marquess MiraHores. 0. The Netherlanils Ambassador Baron de Capellan. 10. Tlie Austrian Ambassador Prince Schwartzenberg. 1 1 . The Russian Ambassador Count Strogonoff. 12. The Belgian Ambassador Prince de Ligne, 1,3. The Sicilian Ambassador Count Luy Six litiys, contains Two Bedchamber Women Lady Harriet Clive. Lady Caroline Harrington. Two (Irooms in Waiting Honourable William Cooper. Sir Frederick Stoven. Fifth Carriage drawn by Six Bay.f , contains Two Maids of Honour Honourable Miss Rice. Hon. Miss Murroy. Oroom of the Robes Captain Francis Seymour. Clerk Marshall. Hon. Colonel Cavendish Sixth Carriage drawn by Six Bays, contains Two Maids of Honour Hon. Miss Lister, Hon. Miss Paget. Keeper of the Privy Purse. . . Sir Henry Wheatley. Vice Chamberlain .... Earl of Belfast. Seventh Carriage drawr by Six Bays, contains Two Maids of Honour Hon. Miss Cavendish. Hon, Miss Cocks. The Treasuiei' of the Household . . . The Earl of Surrey. Comptroller of the Household Rt. Hon. George Byng. Eighth Carriage drawnlby Six Bays, contains Two Maids of Honour Hon. Miss Dillon. Hon. Miss Pitt. Two Lords in \\'aiting ,.. Lord Gardner. Lord Lilford. Ninth Carriage , . . drawTi by Six Greys, contains Two Ladies of the Bedchamber . . . Lady Portman. Lady Barham. Two Lords in Waiting. . . .Lord Byron. Viscount Falkland. Tenth Carriage drawn by Six Bays, contains Two Ladies of the Bedchamber . .Lady Lyttletou. Countess M nigra ve. Two Lords in Waiting. . , . Viscount Torrington. Earl of Uxbridge. Eleventh Carriage drawn by Six Bays, contains Two Ladies of the Bedchamber . Countess of Charlemont. Marchioness of Tavistock. Two Lords in Waiting . . The Earl of Fingal. The Marijuess of Headfort. Twelfth Carriage drawn by Six Blacks, contains The principal Lady of the Bedchamber The MarclilonoK« of Lansdownc. The Lord Chamberlain The Marquess of C'onyngham. The Lord Steward — The I June of Argyle. Sciuadron of Life (Juanls. Moinited Hand of Household Brigade. Military .Staff and AideH-de-Camp on horseback, three and three attended by one Groom each, and on eitlier side, by the Equerry of the I'rown Stable, Sir George Quinton and the Queen's Gentleman Uider. Deputy AdiutJint General. Deputy Qiiarter Master General. Dcpiity Adiutant General of the Hoyal Artillery Military Secretary to the Coniniaiidcr in ■ in Chief. Adjutant General. Korrestei-s. Quarter Master General. Hoyal Huntsmen. Yeomen Hrickers Six of Her Ma'esty's Horses with rich Trappings each led by two Grooms. The Knight Marshal on Horseback. MarsTialmcn in ranks of four. The thi'cc junior Kxons of the Yeomen of the Guard on Horseback. One hundred Yeomen of the Guai"d in ranks of four. The Senior Kxon Knsign on Horseback Lieutenant of the Yeomen. Yeomen of the guards at each Wheel, and Two Footmen at eacli door, The Gold Stick. Lord Conibermere, Two Grooms THE STATE CARRIAGE The QUEEN. The Mistress of the Robes Duchess of Sutherland, and Master of the Horse, Earl of Albemarle. The Captain General of the Royal Archers. The Duke of Bucclengh, attended by two Grooms Squadron of Life Guarfls. Printed and Sold Wholesale by (ieorge Dupree, 22, Bucklersbury, and at 15, Lowther Arcade, Yeomen of the Guards at each Wheel and two Footmen at each door. The Captain of the Yeonien of the Guards, The Earl of Illchester Two Grooms Copied from an Original Copy of the Progrannne of Qiieen Victoria's Coronation Procession- by Uobert Townsend, a native of Toronto, now living in Newport, Ken- tucky, to the Public Library of Toronto-isa*. 1837-Pre9entcd ft; 11 44 VICTORIA, been little more brilliant than when the Queen goes down to the House of Lords to open Parliauiont. The only people cheered besides the Queen were the Duch- ess of Kent, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Mar- shal Soult. The latter was quite overcome by his reception, which was entirely unexpected by him, and be said it was a most noble trait in the English charac- ter to receive an old enemy so enthusiastically, for the cheering proceeded from all classes." Other accounts add that the Duke of Wellington was also enthusi- astically welcomed by the multitudes. Marshal Soult was one of the Ambassa- dors Extraordinary sent by France. He was very proud at his enthusiastic re- ception by the countrymen of his old antagonist the Iron Duke. Mr. Raikes tells us that Soult was so much cheered, both in and out of the Abbey, that he was completely overcome. Speaking to his Aide, he said, " This is the greatest day of my life. It proves that the English believe that I have always made v.ar as an honourable man." The cheering continuing, he was quite overpowered, and ex- claimed, with the dramatic fervor of a true Frenchman, " Ah ! vraiment, c'est un brave peuple." — (Truly, they are a fine people.) On the procession reaching Westminster Abbey, the Queen was received at the door of that historic edifice by the great Ministers of State, the noblemen bear- ing the regalia and the Bishops carrying the patina, the chalice, and the Bible. The interior of the Abbey presented a scene of surpassing splendor. Galleries had been erected for the Members of Parliament, the Ambassadors, Corporation, and others who attended. The floor of the transepts was covered with benches for the Peers and Peeresses, the space behind being for spectators who were ticket-holders. Below the galleries were ranged lines of Foot Guards. The ceremony beg:-n with the " Recognition." The Archbishop of Canterbury, with the great officers of State — the Lord Chancellor, the L ■ i Chamberlain, and the Earl Marshal of England — advanced and presented her Majesty first to the people on the east, saying, " Sirs, I here present you Queen Victoria, the undoubt- ed Queen of this realm ; wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage, are you willing to do the same ? " The answer came in a solemn cry, " God save the Queen ! " The Archbishop and the Sovereign in like manner turned to the north, south and west, the Primate repeating each time the same formula, and answered always by the same crj', " God save the Queen ! " The Bishops, carrying the Bible, patina, and chalice, then advanced and placed them on the altar, while the Archbishops who read the Litany put on their copes. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 45 Then tho Queen, attended by the Bishops of Durham, and Beth and Wells, and the Dean of Westminster, advanced to tho altar and made her first offering — a pall or altar-cloth of gold, which was delivered by an otKcer of the Wardrobe to the Lord Chamberlain, and by him to the Queen, who presented it to the Arch- bishop. It was laid by him on the altar. With the same ceremony an ingot of gold of one pound weight was offered by Her Majesty, and placed by the Arch- bishop in the oblation basin. Then the regalia was laid on the altar, and the Litany was read. This was followed by the Communion service and a sermon from the Bishop of London. The Queen then took her coronation oaths on the Gospels and signed them, kneeling afterwards at the altar while the " Veni Crea- tor Spiritus " was sung. Then followed the solemn Anointing and the priestly blessing. The Queen sat in King Edward's chair; four Knights of the Garter held a rich cloth of gold over her head; the Dean of Westminster took the ampulla from the altar, and poured some of the oil it contained into the anoint- ing spoon ; then the Archbishop anointed the head and hands of the Queen, marking them with the sign of the cross, and pronounced the words, " Be thou anointed with holy oil as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed ; and as Solomon was anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, so be thou anointed, blessed, and consecrated Queen over this people, whom the Lord your God hath given you to rule and govern. In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Her Majesty then received the other insignia of royalty — the spurs being pre- sented by the Lord Chamberlain, and the Sword of State by Lord Melbourne and the Archbishop, the latter saying, as he put it into her right hand, " Receive this kingly sword, brought now from the altar of God, and delivered to you by the hands of us, the servants and bishops of God, though unworthy. With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the holy Church of God, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and con- firm what is in good order ; that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue, and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life that you may reign for ever with Him in the life which is to come. Amen." Her Majes.,y was then invested with the royal robe and the orb. The royal sceptre was given her as the ensign of kingly power and justice; the rod with the dove as the " rod of equity and mercy." The placing of the crown upon the •■1 I 1 Z\K Coroiuaion 3Da\?. From "The Sun," London, J line JSth, ISJS. fj\ LL Imil, (i)iii'cii Victiniii ! all jiiiil to tliiM duy, XHL i^" tt't'iiiing «itli pi'oiiiisu — we wekoiiio it hero ! As the hiigiit Htrunin "f glory pur»\kub itH bright way, And tiu! )>U'MNiiig of thoiisiiiiils a- bless Victoria ! and long may she live. SjpitapiMPit^ii'i'*:*^^ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 47 m .11 1^ COKONATIOX OF QUKKX VICTORIA. 48 VICTORIA, Sovereign's head was the striking cuhnination of this part of the proceedings. A new crown to be worn by her Majesty had been specially made. It was more tasteful than that worn by George IV. and William IV., which had been broken up. The old crown weighed more than seven pounds, and the new, which was smaller, only about three pounds. It was co- posed of hoop.^ of silver, enclosing a cap of deep blue velvet ; the hoops were completely covered with precious " stones, surmounted by a ball covered with small diamonds, and having a Maltese cross of brilliants on the top of it. The cross had in its centre a splendid sap- phire ; the rim of the crown was clustered with brilliants, and ornamented with fleur-de-lis and Maltese crosses equally rich. In the front of the large Maltese cross was the enormous heart-shaped ruby which had been worn by Edward the Black Prince, and which afterwards figured in the helmet of Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt. Beneath this, in the circular rim, was a large oblong sap- phire. Tho jewels on the crown were estimated to be worth more th.^n half a million dollars. Lady Clemer.tina Davies, in her " Recollections of Society in France and Eng- land," says thft as the Queen knelt and the crown was placed on her brow a ray of sunlight fell on her face, and, being reflected from the diamonds, made a kind of halo round her head. The moment of coronation was the signal for the sound- ing of trumpets and the beating of drums, and for guns to be fired from the Tower and the Park, from Windsor and Woolwich and other places, while from the throngs within and without went up an enthusiastic cry of " God save the Queen ! " The Bible was then presented to the Queen, who returned it to the Archbishop, and by the Dean it was laid again on the altar. While the Te Deura was sung the Queen went between the Bishops to her first seat. She was then enthronec', or lifted on the throne or chair of homage on the platform, by the Archbishops and Bishops. The Archbishop of Canterbury was the first to kneel and do homage for the Lords Spiritual, who each in turn then kis-sed the Queen's hand. The Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge, removing thf,^.- coronets, did homage thus: — " I do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you to live or die, against all manner of folk. So help me God ! " Having touched the crown on the Queen's head, each in turn then kis.sed her left cheek and retired. The other peers then performed their homage kneeling, the senior of each rank pronouncing the words. It was at this part of the day's pro- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 49 ceedings that an awkward incident occurred — an incident, however, which served "o bring out an amiable trait in the Sovereign's character. As Lord lloUe, then upwards of eighty, was ascending the steps to the throne, he stinnbled and fell. The Queen, forgetting all the ceremonious pomp of the occasion, startedJ forward as if to save him, held out her hand for him to kiss, and expressed a hope- t'uat his Lordship was not hurt. Some rather obvious puns were made on the correspondence of the noble Lord's involuntary action with the title which he bore ; and even his daughter was heard to lemark, after it had been ascertained that no damage was done, " Oh, it's nothing ! It's only part of his tenure to play the roll at the Coronation." While the Loi-ds were doing homage, the Earl of Surrey, Treasurer of the Household, threw silver medals about the choir and lower galicries, which led to a good deal of rather unseemly scrambling. The choir then sang an anthom. Next, divesting herself of her crown, the Queen knelt at the altar, and, after two. of the Bishops had read the Gospel and Epistle of the Communion Service, made further offerings to the Church. She then received the Sacrament ; the final blessing was given ; and the choir sang the anthem, " Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent rcigneth." Quitting the throne, and passing into the chapel of Edward the Confessor, while the organ played a solemn yet triumphant strain. Her Majesty was relieved of her Imperial Robe of State and arrayed in one of purple velvet. Thus adorned, with the crown upon her head, the sceptre with the cross in the right hand and the orb in the left, the Queen presented herself at the west door of the Abbey, and, delivering the regalia to gentlen)en who attended from the Jewel Office, re-enteied the State carriage on her return to the Palace. It was by this time nearly four o'clock, but the streets were still crowded with sightseers. State dinners, balls, fireworks, illuminations, feasts to the poor, and a fair in Hyde Park, lasting four days, which was visited by the •self, followed the splendid ceremony of which Westminster Abbey ueeu Q had been the theatre. D CHAPTER m. Marriage of the Queen. I ) Betrothal of the Queen and Prince All)ei-t — Formal Announcement of the Coming Marriage — The Ceremony at St. James'— The Prince Consort— The Royal Cliildren. J'^^j^O Queen was ever more happily married than Victoria. In her cousin, y / Prince Albert of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha, she found a true mate. The s^pis^i Prince was nearly her own age, the Queen being the elder by three months. He was descended from a long line of princely Saxons, among whom is to be counted the great Elector, Frederick the Wise, of Saxony, the protector of Martin Luther. The idea of the future union of the two cousins had taken root from a very early period. The Piince used to relate that when he was a child of three years old his nurse always told him that he should marry tne Queen, and that when he fiist thought of marrying at all he always thought of her. As the children grew up this idea was warmly encouraged by the King of the Belgians, uncle to both. In 1838 Lord Palmerston did not think that marriage had yet entered the Queen'.i head. He thought, perhans, some of her visitors would inspire her with the idea. " But," he says, " being used to agreeable and well-informed Eng- lish'-ien, I feai' she will not easily find a foreign Prince to her liking." But Palmerston was mistaken. There were already many suitors for the hand of the Koyal maiden. Prince Alexandei', of the Netlierlands ; Prince Adelbert, of Prussia ; Prince George, of Cambridge, were among those whose names were mentioned as suitors. .At length, the Duchess of Kent, in spite of obstacles raised by the King, who favored Prince Alexander, invited her brother, the Duke of Saxe-Cobourg, with his two sons, to pay her a visit in the spring of 183G. Her Majesty thus records her impressions of the visit which followed the ac- ceptance of this invitation : — " The Prince was, at that time, much shorter than his brother ; already very handsome, but very stout, which he entirely grew out of afterward. He was (50) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 51 most amiable, natural, unaffected and meriy — full of interest in everything— playing on the piano with the Princess, his cousin, drawing; in short, constantly- occupied. He always paid the greatest attention to all he saw, and the Queen remembers well how intently he listened to the sermon preached in St. Paul's when he and his father and brother accompanied the Duchess of Kent and the Princess there on the occasion of the service attended by the children of the dif- ferent charity schools. It is indeed rare to see a Prince, not yet seventeen years of age, bestowing such earnest attention on a sermon." The visit lasted a month ; then the cousins parted. Almost simultaneously the King of the Belgians made the Princess aware of his w'shes on the subject, and Her Royal Highness acknowledged her affection for het cousin in a letter to her uncle, dated June 7th, 1836 : — " I have only now to beg you, my dearest uncle," it concludes, " to take care of the health cf one now so dear to me, and to take him under your special protec- tion. 1 hope and trust that all will go on prosperously and v;ell on this subject, now of so much importance to me.' In March, 1838, the King of the T-- Igians, of course with the sanction of Her Majiisly, talked of the marriage to the I'rince. He told the Prince that the Queen desired to postpone the marriage for a few years. Prince Albert leather naturally objected to any arrangement so indefinite. " I am ready," he said, " to submit to this delay, if I have only some certain assurance to go upon. But if, after wait- ing perhaps three years, I should find that the Queen no longer desired the mar- riage, it would place me in a very ridiculous position, and would to a certain extent ruin all the prospects of my future life." Commenting on this the Queen wrote to the effect that she never entertained any idea of breaking the engagement. She afterwards repeatedly informed the Princu that she would never have married anyone else. Later on, the Prince told her that he came over in 1839 with the intention of telling her that, if she could not make up her mind, she must understand that he could not then wait for a decision, as he had done at a former period, when their marriage was first talked about. In October, 1839, the Prince, accompanied by his brother, paid the decisive visit to England. Arrived at Windsor Castle they were received by the Queen. Prince Albert was a young man to win the heart of any girl. He was singularly handsome, graceful and gifted. Had he been born in the lowest station he must 52 VICTORIA, •T have been admired for his exceeding personal attracUons. The next day her Majesty wrote to King Leopold, her anxious uncle : " Albert's beauty is most striking, and he is most amiable and unaffected — in short, very fascinating. The young men are very amiable, delightful companions, and I am happy to have them here." After four days of happy intercourse, the Queen resolved upon the marriage. She communicated her resolve to the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, who expressed the greatest satisfaction at the arrangement, ndaing his conviction that it would not only make the Queen's position more comfortable, but would be well received by the country, the people being anxious to see her happily married. On the 15th of October, with the full approval of every one, the two became engaged. The Queen wrote to Baron Stockmar : " I do feel so guiltj-^ I know not how to begin my letter, but I think the news it contains will be sutKcient to ensure your forgiveness. Albert has completely won my heart, and all wa:^ settled between us this morning. I feel certain he will make me very happy. I wish I could feel as certain of my making him happy, but I shall do my best." The Prince, on the other hand, writes thus to his grandmother at Gotha : — " The Queen sent for me alone to her room the other day, and declared to me, in a genuine outburst of affection, that I had gained her whole heart, and would make her intensely happy if I would make her the sacrifice of sharing her life with her, for she said she looked on it as a saciitjce ; the only thing that troubled her was that she did not think she was worthy of me. The joyous opeiaiess with which she told me this enchanted me, and I was quite carried away by it." Again the Queen writes in her journal : — ' How I will strive to make Albert feel as little as possible the great sacrifice he has made ! I told him it ivas a safrifiee on his part; ^\:t he would not allow it." After a delightful month the two young princes took their departure. On the 30th November the Queen considered with Lord Melbourne the declaration to be made to the Privy Council. Her Majesty relates that she had much convei-sation with the Premier on the various arrangements to be made and the steps to be taken with regard to the marriage. Fifty thousand pounds was the amount of annuity it was proposed to settle on the Prince ; and in this Lord Melbourne said (most erroneously as it turned out) that the Cabinet anticipated no difficulty whatever. timik SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 63 gUKKN VKTOKIA, ISSO. 64 VICTORIA, Lord Melbournp also told the Queen of a " stupid attempt to make it out that the Prince was a Roman Catholic ! " Absurd as such a report was, the Premier said he was afraid to say anything about the Prince's religion, and that the sub- ject would not, therefore, be alluded to in the proposed declaration. This omis- sion was afterwards severely commented upon in the House of Lords. The Privy Council met on the 23rd inst., upwards of eighty members being^ present. It was a trying scene for the young Queen ; but she says : " A glance at the Prince's picture, which I wore in a bracelet, seemed to give me courage." She thus describes the scene : — " Precisely at two I went in. The room was full, but I hardly knew who was there. Lord Melbourne I saw looking kindly at rae with tears in his eyes, but he was not near me. I then read my short de- claration. I felt my hands shook, but I did not make one mistake. I felt most happy and thankful when it was over. Lord Lansdowne then rose, and in the name of the Privy Council asked that this most gracious and most welcome com- munication might be printed. I then left the room, the whole thing not lasting above two or three minutes. The Duke of Cambridge came into the small lib- rary wheie I was standing and wished me joy." This is the declaration made by Her Majesty : " I have caused you to be summoned at the present time in order that I may acquaint you with my resolution in a matter which deeply concerns the welfare of my people and the happiness of my future life. It is my intention to ally myself in marriage with the Prince Albert of Saxe-Cobourg and Gotha. Deeply impressed with the solemnity of the engagement which I am about to contract, I have not come to this decision without mature consideration, nor without feel- ings of strong assurance tha', with the blessing of Almighty God, it will at once secure my domestic felicity and serve the interests of my country. I have thought it fit to make known this resolution to you at the earliest period, in order that you may be apprised of a matter so highly important to rae and to my kingdom, and which I persuade myself will be most acceptable to all my loving subjects." The formal announcement of the approaching marriage was made to Parliament in January, and was well received. Many things, however, had to be considered. The naturalisation of the Prince ; his annuity ; the matter of precedence. Each of these questions afforded much opportunity for discussion. Eventually the naturalisation bill passed. The SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 65 'tUfl H. K. H. I'KINCK AI>HKH'l'. 56 VICTORIA, [III annuity, through the efforts of Colonel Sibthorp, a Tory of the old school, with the aid of economical Whigs and Radicals, was cut down from fifty to thirty thousand pounds. The matter of precedence was not settled. It was felt that the common sense of the country would, in time, give him his due place by the side of his wife, without special legislation. But this apparent neglect was felt on the continent, where the Prince Consort held only the rank of a younger son of Saxe-Cobourg. In spite of all the talk, the misunderstandings and vexations the wedding-day was approaching. Lord Torrington and Colonel Grey were sent to Gotha to escort the bridegroom to England. The Prince returned to Enghuul, accompanied by his father and brother. He brought with him only the Swiss valet who had attended on him from the time he was seven years old, and his favorite greyhound, Eo.s. London gave the young Prince an enthusiastic welcome. At Buckingham Palace he was received by the Queen and the Duchess of Kent. Shortly after his arrival, the oath of naturalisation was administered to him by the Lord Chancellor, The 10th of February, 1840, was a great day not only for the Queen but for every one of her subjects. Ever ready to give pleasure to her people, the Queen arranged to be married at noon instead of in the evening, as was usual with royal marriages. The wedding took place in the C'hapel Royal of St. James'. The day was wet and chilly, but the weather did not keep the people from thronging the streets, nor chill the enthusiasm of Her Majesty's loyal subjects. Every standing-place along the route by which the bridal procession passed was filled long before the tardy sun of February arose. On the arrival of the procession at St. Jamos' Palace preparations were at once made for proceeding with the ceremony. At twenty-five minutes to one o':'lock the Queen and her bridesmaids entered the chapel. The Queen proceeded to her chair and knelt in silent prayer. A few minutes afterwards the betrothed pair stood side by side before the altar. The marriage ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishop of London. The Duke of Sussex gave the bride away. As the ring was placed on the Queen's finger Jie Tower and Park guns were fired, at a preconcerted signal, announcing that the Queen was married. The Duke of SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 67 'v'^W '. THK QUEKxV IX 11 KR BRIDAL DRESS. 58 VICTORIA; Sussex kissed his niece heattily when tlie service ended, and the Queen went across to Queen A li'laide and kissed her atlectionately. Tiie brido and bride- groom then walked to^othor in the proceHsif>n, and the register was signed in the throne-room. After the ceremony the happy couple drove to Windsor, where they remained one day. On that day the Queen found tiun! to write these words to Baron Stockiiiar : " There cannot exist a dearer, purer, nobler l)eing in the worlil than the Prince." Next day the Duchess of Ken ,, with the Duke of Cobourg and the hereditary Prince, 'ittended by the whole Court, followed to Windsor. There was dancing that night ond the next, and on the 14th the Court retuined to Loudon. Addresses were received from both Houses of Parliament and fiom other bodies. State visits were paid to many of the theatres. On the 19th the Queen held a levee, at which the Prince, who led her in, to)k the place at Her Majesty's left hand, which he ever afterwards occupied on similar occasions. Soon after the marriage a bill was passed naming Prince Albert n'gent in the pos.sible event of the death of the Queen leaving issue. This gave the Prince a status which he had not before. In truth the Prince was for many years, if not unappreciated, yet not thoroughly appreciated. The chief count against him was that he was not an Englishman. This was perfectly true. Again, where he saw room for imjirovcment he not unfrequently suggested improvement. This was very annoying. He was ditttdent and somewhat nervous in public. This was taken for coldness and hauteur. Idleness, extravagance and waste in the Royal Household were abhorrent to him. The Royal menials sneered at his parsimony. He disliked too much icd tape. For example, a window in the Royal dining-room is broken ; what is to be done ? What is the good old way ? A requisition must be made out by the under secretary of the Lord Steward, examined and countersigned by the Chief Secretary, endorsed by the Lord Stew- fvrd, iHirchased and sent home. Now, a nice que.^tion arises. W^ho shall put the window in ? Much hangs on this. The duty of the Lord Chamberlain is to see that the inside of the palace windows are cleaned. The duty of the Comnds- sioner of Woods and Forests is to see that the outside of the palace windows are cleaned Both these great Officers of State must be consulted. Vested rights must not be infringed upon. In the meanwhile — a meanwhilo that may stretch out for months — the t '.' '1 I MARRIACK OK THE QUEKN AND I'KINCE ALBERT. 60 VICTORIA, enough to desire a change. No wonder ho was unpopuhir. He knew it ; it dis- iressed him ; but he accepted it as inovitahle. With regard to puhlic affairs the principle on which he invariably acted was that ^et forth in liis reply when oft'ored — some years later — the conunand of the Army. That principle was " to sink his own individual existence in that of his wife — to aim at no power bj' hiT.self or for himself; to shun all ostentation ; to assume no .separate responsibility before the public; to make his position entirely a part of hers ; to fill up every gap which as a woman she would naturally leave in the exercise of her regal tunctions ; continually and anxiously to watch every part of the public business, in order to bo able to advise and assist her at any moment in any of the multifarious and difficult (piestions brought before her — political, social, r>'. personal." At home, however, in the domestic circle, the Prince gently but firmly asserted his authority, supported in this as in all things by the Queen's lovin;; common sense. To those who argued that, after all, the Prince was her subject, she would reply " that she had solonmly engaged at the altar to ' obey ' as well as to love and honor," and this sacred obligation she could consent neither to limit nor to refine away. On Nov. 21st, 1840, at Buckingham* Palace, the Princess Royal was born. Writing to his father on the 23rJ, the Prince said : " Victoria is as well as if nothing had happened. She sleeps well, has a good appetite, and is extremely quiet and cheerful. The little one is very well and very merry. I should cer- tainly have liked it better if she had been a son, as would Victoria also, but, at the same time, we must be equally satisfied and thankful as it is. . . . The rejoicing in public is universal." During the time the Queen was laid up, " his care and devotion," the Queen i-ecords, " were quite beyond expression." He was always at hand to sit by her, read to her, or write for her. " No one but himself ever lifted her from her bed to her sofa, and he always her bed or sofa to the next room. In short, his < ar« mother, nor could there be a kinder, wiser, oi The baptism of the Princess Royal took ] .■ on i anniversary of the marriage. • On the 9th of Nov., 1S41, the Prince of Wales was born. Shortly after his birth the Queen created him, by Letters Patent, Princo of Wales and E; of Chester. Great were the rejoicings all the land over. , heel her on ke that of a nu lOti., 1S4.1, the first SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. Gl The christening of tho Prince of Wales was a domestic event of some import- ance. Hitherto royal baptisms had been celebrated in the Palace, but the Queen preferred that her son should be christened in n consecrated building. It took place, therefore, on January 2.'>th, 184'2, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Tho ceremony was performed with all befiting state and splendor by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Here we may set down the names of the other children of the Queen : Princess Alice Maud Mary, born April 25th, 1843 ; Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of P^dinburgh, born August 0th, 1844; Princess Helena, born May 2')th, 1840; Prin- cess Louise, born March 18th, 1848 ; Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, born May 1st, ISoO; Prince Leopold, late Duke of Albany, born April 7th, 1853; Prin- cess Beatrice, born April 14tb, 1857, M M i^" CHAPTER IV. Troubles at Home and Abroad. Tliu Cliaitist Idiots— Fruo Tiiide 1111(1 the Corn Laws —Relations with Fraiicu and the Uniteil States — Tile AsliliurtDii Treaty— The (Jiegon Boundary t,>uestion — The ' Trent ' Affair — The 'Ala')tima' Claims. I AT a frel;j^lit of hopes the youn;^ Queen bore with her as she as- cended the throne ! Her youth secured sympathy ; her sex inspired chiviih'ous devotion ; her conduct won for her the nation's esteem. To the general joy Hanover — its ciown being restricted to heirs male — was separated from Britain. No vestige of it remained but the cream colored horses in the Royal mews. It was not long, however, before the sky began to cloud. First came the outbreak in Canada, referred to in a later chapter. Then there rose the difficulty in Jamaica, the outcome of the liberation of the slaves. The Im- perial Government was eager to protect the negroes in their newly-granted rights. Their former masters found it hard to recognize their ancient chattels as their equals before the law. The Melbourne Administration brought in a Bill to sus- pend the Constitution of the island. The measure was opposed not only b}' Peel and the Conservatives, but by many of the Radicals. The Glovernment was sus- tained by a majority of only five. This practically meant defeat, and the Minis- try resigned. Called upon to form a ministiy, Sir Robert Peel made it a condition of his taking office that a change .should be made in the ladies composing the Queen's Household. He desired to replace those wlio were of the rank of ladies of the bedchamber and above that rank — only three or four in number — with ladies who woukl be in sympathy with the policy of his party. Thus arose what is known in history as the " Difficulty of the Ladies," as the Whigs [lolitely desig- nated it, or the " Bedchamlier Plot," as the more plain-spoken of the Tories called it. The Queen objected to Peel's proposal. She was perfectly satisfied : why should a change be desired on such a purely personal question ? Peel remained firm in his demand. The Queen was equally determined to maintain her rights. Peel thereupon declined to form a ministry, and Melbourne returned (02) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 63 to oJHce atnid general contempt. The question, though trivial in itself, was the cause of heated discussions both in and out of Parliament. Soon after it was laid down as a rule that the chief officers of the Royal Household should change with the change of ministry — thus vindicating Peel in the position he had taken. The Duke of Somerset, many years later, said that Melbourne's Premier- shio was fortunate for the Queen and good for the country; but his conduct and advice to the Queen, as to rejecting Sir Robert Peel because of the Court ladies, was a ]iolitical error. THK HOUSKS OF I'AltMAMKXT, u,\Ii()X. Her Majesty had many other dilKculties to contend with. The High Church Clergy nursed the notion that the young Queen thought far too well of the Whigs and that she needed some frank admonition from their lips. Mr. Hook, (afterwards Dean of Chichester) was one of those who did not lack the courage to express his views, though good taste might, perhaps, have dictated another place in which to express them. Preaching one day before the Queen he said, speaking sternly and looking fixedly at her Majesty, " The Church would endure, let what would happen to the Throne." The day was hot and the I 64 VICTORIA, chapel was crowded to excess. On returning to Buckingham Pahice, Lord Nor- man by asked the Queen, " Did not your Majesty find it very hot ? " " Ye^," replied the Queen, " and the sermon was very hot, too 1 " The Reform Bill of 1832 had done much to make Parliament more thoroughly representative of the people. It admitted the middle-class to a share in the law- making power. But it left the working-classes almost altogether out of the franchise. Nor was there any sign that the Liberals intended to push reform fur- ther. The disappointment and discontent of the working-el'sscs was intense. Naturally they turned to the Englishman's panacea for a.l wrongs — ]iublic meev-ings and speeches. The Royal Speech on the opening of Parliament in February, 1839, contained this paragraph : " I have observed with pain the persevering etlorts which have been made in some parts of the country to excite my subjects to disobedience and resistance to the law, and to reconmiend dangerous and illegal practices.' This referred to what is known as the Chartist agitation. The " dangerous and illegal practices" alluded to were contained in a document called "The People's Char- ter." That Charter con;,ained six points : First — Universal sufl'rage, exchnling, however, wor" n. Tliis has since been virtually granted. Second — Election of annual parliaments. This proposition has not yet been granted, nor should it be. It would make public life insufferable to those ac- tively engaged in it, as well as deranging the business of the country yearly. Third — Vote by ballot. This was conceded by the Ballot Act of 1872. Fourth — Abolition of property qualification for members of Parliament. This was enacted in 1858. Fifth — Payment of members. This, though the rule in Canada, is still re- garded with disfavor in Britain. Sixth — Division of the Kingdom into equal electoral districts. This plan ha.s been found to work well in Canaen Prince Albert had to beg her Majesty if^ moderate the warmth of her expression of .sympathy for the dethroned mon- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. G9 arch. In Britain it was feared that these courtly demonstrations i>f compassion indicated a design of taking up arms against the French Republic. The fear whs groundless. " We do everything we can for the poor family," the Queen wrote to King Leopold, "who are indeed sorely to be pitied. But you will naturally understand that we cannot make common cause with them, and cannot take a hostile position to the new state of tilings in France." Louis deserved his fate. He had a large and loyal army at his back, but lack- ed courage to use it. He fled, and his flight made of a riot a revolution. In 1842, what Ash burton, o r treaty was ne- Ashburton, for- Jiaring, of the firm of Baring sent by Sir Ro- hal" of the Brit- with full power north-eastern other disputes States. The putewas settled, satisfaction of States than of boon freely al- A s h burton supported by a from Canada. THE KlftTFT TTOX. .JOHN I'.RTCHT. is known as the Washington gotiated. Loid merly Alexander great banking Brothers, was bert Peel, on be- ish Government, to settle the boundary aiul with the United boundary dis but more to the Hie United Canada. It has leged that Lord .should have been commissi one r Maine and Ma.s- Surely it was a fatal sachusett.s each sent commissioners to wati'h their a'uh oversight not to have had commissioners from Canada to support Lord Ashbui-- ton. As ii result of the settlement made, as Mr. Bourinot says, " The State of Maine now presses like a huge wedge into the Provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec, and a C.madian railway is obliged to ])ass over American territory which many Canadians still believe ought to be a part of the Canadian Dominion." The United States Government was apjmrently much pleased with the proposed treaty. The treaty was promptly ratified by the Senate by more than a three- fourths vote, and was formally signed August 9th, 1842, 70 VICTORIA, Since 1818 wliat is known as the Orej^on, or western-boundary di-pute has been a source of friction between the United States and Great Britain. In the settlement of this, as in the Ashburton treaty, the British came out second best. In 18M) the British Government rejected a proposition from the United States to make the line of 49" the frontier between the United States and Canada. The Americans, carrying one of the technical terms of their national ^^^me into their national politics, next tried a game of blutf, in which they were eminently successful. They made a claim to the line of o-i' 40", as the boundary line. In 1844 the election cry of the Democrats was " Fifty-four- forty or Fight." Polk was elected on that platform. At the risk of having to tight, Groat Britain refused to listen to the proposal for the acceptance of such a line. The Americans then offered to compromise on the line of ¥.)'. Jn 184G Great Britain actuall3Migreed to the line of 49^ — a proposition which she had rejected a few years before. British diplomats should leain how to meet a bluff if they wish to hold their own when pitted against their United States confreres. In December, 18G1, a deadlock suddenly arose between Britain and the United States over the Trent affair, and war .seemed imminent. Hostilities had broken out between the Northern and Southern States in the previous July, and the opinion of Britain was sharply divided on the merits of the struggle. The Southern States took a high hand against the P^ederal Govei-nment. They seceded from the Union, and announced their independence to the world at large, under the style and title of the Confederate States of America. Flushed by the opening victory which followed the first appeal to the sword, the Confederate Government determined to send envoys to Europe. Messrs. Mason ,nd Slidell embarked at Havana, at the beginning of November, on board the British mail- packet boat Trent, as representatives to the British and French Governments, respectively. On the 8th instant the Trent was sto|)ped on her voyage by the American man-of-war, San Jacinto, and Captain Wilkes, her commander, de- manded that the Confelerate envoys and their .secretaries should be handed over to his charge. The captain of the Trent mr de a vigorous protest against this sort of armed intervention, but he had no alternative except to yield, and Messrs. IVxason and Slidell, with their secretaries, were cirried back to America and lodged in Fort Warren, then a recej)tacle for political prisoners. The Trent arrived at Southampton on November 27th, and when her captain told his stoiy ia lignation knew no bounds. The law of nations had been set at defiance, and SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 71 the right of asylum under the British flag had been violated. The cliunor of the press and of the streets grew suddenly fierce and strong, and the universal feeling of the moment found ex|)ression in the phrase " Bear this, bear all." Lord John Russell at once addressed a vijjorous remonstrance to the American Ooverinuent through the British Ambassador at Washington, on an "act of violence which was an aflfront to the British flag, nnd a violation of international law." He SIR ROIJKKT I'KKI.. Roni ITSS— Died IS.JO. made it plain that her Majesty's ministers were not prepaied to allow such an insult to pass without full reparation ; but, at the same time, he refused to believe that it could be the deliberate intention of the Government of the United States to force upon them so grave a question. He therefore expressed the hope that the United States of its own accord would at once offer to the British Gov- ernment such redress as alone could satisfy the British nation. He added that ' III liiii 72 VICTORIA, this must take the form of liberation of the envoys and their secretaries, in order that they miglit again be plaried under British protection, and that such an act must be accompanied by a suitable apology. In the United States, Captain WilKes was hailed as a hero. The Secretary of the Navy so far forgot his position as to publicly applaud him. The House of Representatives did the same. But that astute politician, Mr. W. H. Seward, the Secretary of State, saw that a grave breach of international law had been ■ committed. President Lincoln agreed with him. The United States gave way, and acceded to the demands of the British Government. This decision was, |)er- haps, hastened by the war pveparii lions in Britain — another instance of the wis- dom of a firm policy on Britain's part. Protests from Franco, Austria, Prussia, Russia and Italy, against so wanton an outrage, may also have had their effect in hastening the United States Government to decide that it had better retreat while it could do so with honor. From 1882 to 1871 the Alahaiaa claims engaged a large share of public attention. In 18G2 the Alabama was built in England, for the Confederate Government. The British Government was urged by the United States to pre- vent her departure. Delays jccurred. Under the guise of a trial trip, the Ala- bama escaped. Subsequently she caused great loss to United States vessels and commerce, until she was sunk after an action with the U. S. steamer Kearsage in June, 1804. In January, 18Go, the Shenandoah arrived in Hobson's Bay, Victoria, on the pretence of procuring coals and provisions. The Consul of the United States urged the Governor of Victoria to seize her as a piratical vessel. The Consul's athdavits were not considered strons: enouffh to warrant the seizure, and the vessel was allowed to depart. She afterwards caused considerable loss to the United States. The United States demanded damages for the acts of these two vessels and others, and for indirect losses, alleging negligence on the part of the British Government. The United States claimed some .^45,000,000 damages. The dispute was settled by arbitration. By the Treaty of Washington (8th May, 1871), it was agreed that the arbitra- tors should consist of five, nominated — one by Her Britannic Majesty, one by the President of the United States, one by the King of Italy, one by the President of the Swiss Confederation, and one by the Emperor of Brazil. Sir Alexander Cockburn, Lord Chief Justice of England, was arbitrator for Great Britain. Mr Charles Francis Adams, who had been Ambassador for the United States in Eng- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 73 land throui^h the whole time of the trouble, and knew every turn of the negotia- tions, represented his country. The Kin<^ of Italy nominated Count Sclopis ; the President of Switzerland nominated M. Jacques Staempfl ; and the Emperor of Brazil, Viscount d'ltajuba. Count Sclopis was elected President of the Tribunal. The Conference, which met first on the 15th of December, 1871, at Geneva, sat for the last time on the 14th September, 1872. Tho "decision and award" was published in the supplement to the London Oazette of Friilay, the 2()th of Sept- ember. The j^feneral decision was in favor of the United States, and the award was S1-'),')00,000 in gold, with interest — about one-third of the amount originally claimed by the United States. The decision in the Alahnnia case was by a majority of four voices to one. But in iho Shen'indoah case the ultimate decision was only three to two. It was provided that the money sliould be paid within twelve months after the date of the award. The award was dated l+th Septem- ber, 1872. The receipt of Sl'),5i)8,120 was acknowledged by the United States 9th September, 1873. On the 31st March, lb95, it was announced that of the sum awarded, S9, 500,000 remained undistributed: no accepted claimants. It is supposed, however, that out of this surplus, the United States paid the S'S, 500,000 awarded by the Halifax commission, alluded to in Chapter VI. The L nited States Government further proceeded to distribute what was left of the award. All vessels belonging to loyal Americans that had sufi'ered from Confederate cruisers on the high seas were permitted to come in and pi-ove damages. What was left after their claims were settled was distributed on a i-atio of 33 cents to the dollar among those American ship-owners who had paid what was called " war premiums," or enhanced rates of insurance, caused by the depredations oF the Alabama and kindred vessels. ! Ill CHAPTER V. I The Queen at Home. AttL-iii|)t8 lit AHxiissiniitiDn — I'liiicf Alliurt and Popular Fiicliiig — Koynl Visits ut Ilimic ami AIudikI. OME is the nursery of the infinite. For the development of character there must he some retreat whero " hearts are of each other sure," v^ some slielterc'l spot which the hlowing winds cannot ruttle. Wlier- over a true woman is, there is such a spot, a home. Amid the countless trials of exalted station, amid the agitated movements of political lite, such u refuge of perfect trantpiillity did the Queen, under the influence of her devoted consort, obtain. In the midst of the most brilliant Court in Europe, there grew up a domestic family life, so perfect in its ])urity and charm that it might well serve for a bright example to every home in the land. With a wisdom, wliich time has justified, the Queen has allowed her .subjects to read and judge tor themselves whether life at Court must necessarily impair the sincerity of character or the purity of faith. In her Journals, in the Mem- oirs of the Prince Consort, and of the Princess Alice, .she has allowed us to be present in imagination with the members of the Royal Family in their domestic joys, and in the tribulations that came to them, as they come to all. Lady Bloomfield, in her Reminiscences, gives us charming glimpses of the life at Court. In 1839 she writes : "On our return to London I was presented to the Queen, and was often invited to the small dances at Buckingham Palace, which were very select and pleasant. One lovely summer's morning we had danced till dawn, and the quadrangle being then open to the east, her Majesty went out on the roof of the portico to see the sun rise, which was one of the most beautiful sights I ever remember."' And she thus describes the ordinary occupations of the ordinary day : " The Prince and Queen breakfasted at nine, and took a walk every morning afterward. Then came the usual amount of business ; besides which, they drew and etched a great deal together, which was a source of great amusement, hav- ing the plates ' bit ' in the house. Luncheon followed at the usual hour of two (74) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 76 o'clock. Lord Molljounie — or the Prime Minister for the time Iteinj; — came to the Queen in the afternoon, and between tive and six the Prince usually drove her out in tlie pony phii'ton. If the Prince diil not drive the Queen, ho rode, in which case she tooii a drive with the Duchess of Kent or the ladies. The Prince also read aloud most days to the Queen. The dinner was at eight o'clock, and always with the company. In the evening the Prince frecjuently played at double cheKs, a game of which he was very fond, and whicli he played remark- LONDOX liKIIXJK. ably well." The hours were never late of an evening, and it was very seldom that the party had not broken up by eleven o'clock. Two State balls and two State concerts are given every year at Buckingham Palace. At these Her Majesty, since the death of the Prince Consort, is repre- sented by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Queen limits the expense of the State balls to §10,000 each, and the expen.se of the concerts to S15,000 each. Periotlical receptions at Buckingham Palace, known as " Drawing Rooms," are held to allow persons to be " presented " to the Queen. When the Court is at Windsor, the Queen's guests, on arriving at the visitors' ( V 76 VICTORIA, entraiice of the Castle, are received by the pages of the chamber, who always have a list of the expected arrivals. The company assemble in the corn . To the people generally the fact that Tas a foreigne.. as sufficient to create a prejudice against Prince Albert. V iie livod he was misunderstood by all but a few. At times he was raisrej;i anted. It was long before he became in any degree popular ; it iray be doubted whether he was ever generally popular. False accusations against him, which affected his popularity, gave much pain to the Prince, and still more pain to his wife, the Queen. And yet, in time, the excellence of his character became a commonplace, almost a by-word, among his adopted countrymen. Greville was much impressed with the Prince while on a visit to Balmoral. He writes : " I never before was in company with the Prince, nor had any conversation with him. On Thui-sday morning, John Russell and I were sitting together after breakfast, when he came in and sat down with us, and we conversed for about three-quarters of an hour. I was greatly struck with him. I saw at once (what I had always heard) that he is very intelligent and highly cultivated, and, more- over, that he has a thoughtful mind, and thinks of subjects worth thinking about. He seemed very much at his ease, very ga}^, pleasant, and without the least stiffness or air of dignity." The period of the Great E.\hibition of 1851, entailing upon him arduous and constant labor, was probably the climax of the Prince's career. He established his title to the practical authorship of a no small design, when, on ouly 30th, 1849, twenty-one months before the opening, the Prince pro- poundrid at Buckingham Palace his conception of the Great Exhibi^^ion, as it I- I Ill 82 VICTORIA, might be, to four members of the Society of Arts. In it were comprised powerful agencies tending to promote the great fourfold benefit of progress in the industrial arts, of increased abundance or diminished stint Oi" the means of living among men, of pacific relations between countries founded on common pursuits, and of what may be termed free interchange of general culture. Tiie Exhibition was a great work of peace on earth : not of that merely diplomatic peace which is honeycombed with suspicion, which bristles with the api aratus and establishments of war on a scale far beyond what was formerly required for actual belligerence, and which is potentially war, though still on the tiptoe of expectation for an actual outbreak. It was a more stable peace, founded on social and mental unison, which the Exhibition of 1851 truly, if circuitously, tended to consolidate. And if, in the quarter of a century which has since elapsed, counter influences have proved too strong for the more bene- ficial agencies, let us recollect that man}' of the wars which have since occurred have been in truth constructive wars, and have given to Europe the hope of a more firmly knit political organization. Even if this had not been so, the influences of theory and practice associated with the Great Exhibition would still have earned their title to stand along with most other good influences in the world, among things valuable but not sufticient. During the lust decade, however, of his years, from 1852 to 1861, wars, as well as rumors of wars, became the engrossing topic of life and thought to many a mind which, if governed by its own prom])tings, by the true direction and demand of its nature, would have battened only on the pastures of national union and concord. The Crimean War, with its fore and after-shadows, began early in 1858, and closed in 185G; it was followed by the Indian Mutiny, and this by the French war panic of 185S-GO, which, more than any other cause, encouraged as it was by no small authorities, altered the disposition of the British people in a sense favorable to, and even exigent of, enlarged military and naval establish- ments. This, no doubt, was a great misfortune to the Prince, in regard both to the mental movement which required a congenial atmosphere and exercise, and to the eventual greatness which was its natural result. He had no liking for war or rumours of war. He was, properly and essentially, a man of peace. The natural attitude of his mind v/as not that of polemical action, but of tranquil, patient, and deliberate thought. It was as a social philo- ;'f(yrr!»i'?j:w. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. «* sopher and hero that he was qualified to excel, rather than as a political or mili- tary athlete. The Prince's life from day to day was not a life fashioned by haphazard, but one deterniined by conscientious premeditation. Though a short, it was a very full and systematic life. 80 regarding it, it may be said that his marital rela- tion to the Sovereign found a development outwards in three principal respects. First, that of assis' ce to the Queen in her publio or political duties. Secondly, in the government of the Court and household. Thirdly, in a social activity ad- HOLVKOOl) PALACK, KDINBURCH. dressed to the discovery of the wants of the community, and reaching far beyond the scope of Parliamentary interference, as well as to making provision for those wants, by the force of lofty and intelligent example, and of moral authority. The Prince's contemplation and study of the living and working Britain were alike assiduous and fruitful ; and this man, who never sat upon our Throne, and who ceased at the early age of forty-two to stand beside it, did more than any of our Sovereigns, except very, very lew to brighten its lustre and strengthen its foundations. He di Ua fe % %^ '/# A c^. c"i Ci- a^ ///, 1.0 iMilM 115 IIM IIIII2.2 I.I m ao 12.0 1.8 1.25 1-4 III 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation m iV w^ ^\^ ^> <^ % V 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ 6^ k i' Sk 6^ 11 ! 5 I il ! 'I i 88 VICTORIA, received her with a true Irish welcome. " Cork," her Majesty writes, " is not at all like an English town, and looks rather foreign. The crowd is a noisy, excit- able, but very good-humored one. The beauty of the women is very remark- able, and '-.truck us much ; such beautiful dark eyes and hair, and such fine teeth ; almost every third woman was pretty, and some remarkably so." From Cork they sailed to Waterford, and from thence to Dublin Bay. They found the magnificent harbor of Kingstown full of ships of every kind. The Queen tells us : — "The wharfs, where the landing-place was prepared, were dense- ly crowded ; altogether it was a noble and stirring spectacle. The setting sun lit up the country, the fine buildings, and the whole scene with a glowing lights which was truly beautiful." Next morning the railway conveyed the royal party to Dublin. In open car- riages they proceeded to the Viceregal Lodge, followed by a brilliant staff, and escorted by the 17th Lancers and the Cftrabii.iers. " It was," the Queen writes, " a wonderful and striking scene, such masses of human beings, so enthusiastic, so excited, yet such perfect order maintained ; then the number of troops, the different bands stationed at certain distances, the waving of hats and handker- chiefs, the bursts of welcome that rent the air — all made it a never-to-be-forgot- ten scene, when one refiected how lately the country had been in open revolt, and under martial law." Next day ^^ey visited the Bank, the old Parliament House, the Model School, where Jiey were received by the Archbishop of Dublin and the Roman Catholic Archbishop Murray; the Infant School, Trinity College, then "home again, where I wrote and read, and heard our children say some lessons." The following day a levde was held, " everything here as at St. James's. The Castle staircase and throne-room quite like a palace. Two thousand people were presented." A review of the troops followed in Phtenix Park — six thousand one hundred and sixty men, including the Constabulary. Then came a Drawing-Room : " I .should think between two and three thousand people passed us, and one thou- sand six hundred ladies were presented." Next day Carton, the Duke of Leinster's seat, was visited. " After luncheon we walked out and saw some of the country people dance jigs, which was very amusing. It is quite different from the Scotch reel ; not so animated, and the steps different, but very droll. There were three old and tattered pipers playing. ^m^ i II.IMI. TlIK l>HI\("K CONSORT. i «;;: it ^ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 89 The Irish pipe is very different to the Scotch ; it is very weak, and they don't blow into it, but merely have small bellows, which they move with the arm." They left for Dublin in a jaunting-car, " the people riding, running, and driv- ing with us, but extremely well-behaved." The enthusiasm was kept up to the very moment of their departure. " We stood on the paddle-box as we slowly steamed out of Kingstown, amid the cheers of thousands and thousands, and the salutes of all the ships, and I waved my handkerchief as a parting acknowledgment of their loyalty." Belfast was the next place visited. The town was beautifully decorated with flower.-., hangings, and very fine triumphal arches, the galleries full of people, and the reception very hearty. " The favorite motto, written up everywhere, was ' Cead mille failthe.' whicl. mean's ',?, hundred thousand welcomes' in Irish, which is very like Gaelic." At sea, on her way to Scotland, her Mrtjesty writes : " i intend to create Bertie— (the Prince of Wales)— Earl of Dublin, as a compliment to the town and country ; he has no Irish title, though he is horn, with several Scotch ones (which we have inherited from James VI. of Scotland and I. of England) ; and this was one of my father's titles." Mr. W. O'Connor Morris witnessed the triumphant progress through the chief town of Ireland of the Queen and her late lamented Consort. " I took no part," he says in his Memoirs, " in the Castle festivities — a Court dress was far beyond my means ; but I beheld and observed scenes that strongly impressed my mind. Famine had ravaged the land, and brought death and pestilence -, there had been a show of a rebellious outbreak ; the Government had been savagely decried ; and the few mob leaders, who still plied their trade, endeavored to make a display of sedition. Yet all bitter memories and feelings disappeared in the enthusiastic and passionate acclaim which everywhere greeted the royal visitors, whether in the wealthy or in the poorest parts of the city. Black flags were hung out at a few spots, but they were instantly torn down by the indignant populace ; the streets swarmed with delighted crowds expressing their loyalty in resounding cheei-s ; and Dublin, decked mt in many-hued colors, revelled in % holiday of unfeigned joyfulness. The sight of the review in Phoenix Park, and of ihe dtvi^rture of the Royal Squadron from Kingstown, was one of universal goodwill and sympathy. Ireland gave from her heart ' her thousand welcomes,' and she looked forward as it were to an auspicious future. This promise of hope has not been fulfilled ; 90 VICTORIA, n and except at distant intervals, and for a very few days, the presence of the sove- reign has not been seen in Ireland. This has been a great, perhaps an irrepar- able, mistake ; opportunities of inestimable worth have been lost for gaining the afTection of a warm-hearted race. When will Englishmen learn that the Celt is to be won, not by 'nstitutions, laws and abstractions, but by the magic of per- sonal rule and kindness ? " It was in her Highland home, inder'r' that the Queen delighted most. There she could lay aside the trappings of Soate and be for a while what she loved best to be — the happy wife and mother. Even now — though he is gone who was the riches of the place — no spot on earth is dearer to the Queen than Balmoral. Leased in 1848, purchasec* in 1852, the little white-washed castle was soon trans- figured by the architectural skill of the Prince into fullest harmony with the lovely mountain solitudes. Writing at Balmoral, Friday, September 8th, 1848, the Queen says: " We arrived at Balmoral at a quarter to three. It is a pretty little castle in the old Scottish style. There is a picturesque tower, and garden in front, with a high wooded hill; at the back there is a wood down to the Dee, and the hills rise aU around. ... At half-past four we walked out and went up to the top of the wooded Iiiii opposite our windows, where there is a cairn, and up which there i." a pretty winding path. The view from here looking down upon the house is charming. To the left you look towards the beautiful hills .sur- rounding Lochnagar, and to the I'ight towards Ballater, to the glen (or valley) along which the D»c winds with beautiful wooded hills, which reminded us very much of the Thiiringerwald. It was so calm and so solitary, it did one good as one gazed around ; and the puie mountain air was most refreshing. All seemed to breathe freedom and ]>eace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils. " The scenerj' is wild and yet not desolate, and everything looks much more prosperous and cultivatt/i than at Laggan. Then the soil is delightfully dry. We walked beside the Dee, a beautiful rapid stream, which is close behind the house. The view of the hills towards Invercauld is exceedingly fine." Even the cynical Greviile can hardly refrain frotn a sigh of envy as he wit- nessed the simple happiness of Balmoral. On September 1.5th, 1849, he writes : " Much as I dislike Courts and all that appertains to them, I am glad to have tnade this expedition and to have .seen the Queen and the Prince in their High- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 91 land retreat, where tliey certainly appear to great advantage. The pkce is very pretty, the i)ouse very small. They live there without any state whatever ; they live not merely like private gentlefolks, but like very small gentlefolk.s — [the present Castle was not then built] ; small house, small rooms, small establishment. There s -i no soldiers, and the whole guard of the Sovereign and the whole Royal Famil}' is a single policeman, who walks about the grounds to keep off impertinent intruders, or improper characters. . . They live with the greatest simplicity and ease. The Prince shoots every morning, returns to luncheon, and then they walk and drive. The Queen is running in and out of the house all day long, { nd of^en goes about alone, walks into the cottages, sits down and chats with ihi old woroen." BALMORAL CASTLE, SCOTLAND. I 1 I I II CHAPTER VI. Britain and Her Colonies. The Canadian Confoilc'iation—1 he Rebellion of 1837— Tlie "Caroline" Aflfair— The Fenian Raids — The Act of Union— The British Empire in India— Th<; Indian Mutiny — The Queen Proclaimed Empress of India, HE vast Coloninl possessions of Grreat Britain nre the pride of every British subject and the wonder of the world. The British Empire in India extends over a territory larger than the Continent of Europe without Russia. The Dominion of Canada includes the whole of British North America except, Newfoundland and Labrador — a territory nearly as large as the Continent of Europe. Canada is the largest oF all the British possessions, being over 30 per cent, of the area of the British Emt "re. The Continent of Australia, with Tasmania and New Zealand added, is the next largest. The combined area of Canada and Austialia, including British New Guiana, comprises nearly 70 per cent, of the British Empire. The Dominion of Canada has an area of about 3,450,383 square miles, of which 3,315,647 are land suuace and 140,736 water surface. It is about 3,500 miles from east to west and 1,400 miles from north to south. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west by the Territory of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean, en the east by the G'-:lf of St. Lawrence and Labrador, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and the United States of America. The length of the southe ''. frontiev line from ocean to OL..a,c is 3,000 geographical miles, 1,400 miles being a water-lino by river, lake and sea, and 1,000 miles a boundary by land. In addition to this boundary between Canada and the United States there is the boundary between Canada and Alaska (belonging to the United States by purchase from Russia in 1867). The line is in process of delimitation by joint commission. To the average reader figures will convey but a faint idea of the vastness of Canada. A better idea will be had bj'^ comparison with other countries. Eng- land, Scotland and Wales together form an area of 88,000 square miles. Forty such areas could be cut out of Canada. New South Wales contains 309,175 (92) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 93 square miles, and is larger by 163 square miles than France, Italy and Sicily. Canada would make eleven countries the size of New South Wales. In extent there are three British Indies in Canada and still enough left over to make a Queensknd and a Vict^ ria. The German Empire could be carved out of Canada and fifteen more countries of the same size, with still room enough to fill in cor- ners with Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Servia and Switzerland. Ireland could then be accommodated and yet a patch left large enough for Delaware and Con- necticut. WILLIAM LYON MACKKNZTE. The inland water surface of Canada is much larger than the area of Great Britain and Ireland. The five great lakes of Canada contain more than half the fresh water of the globe. These five inland lakes of Canada, in conjunction with a magnificent canal system, form a complete system of navigation from the head of Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean, thence to Liverpool, a distance of some 4,600 miles. 94 VICTORIA, I ^^i Canada has vast stretches of timber lands ; fisheries, the moat extensive in the world, and minerals of incalculable value. Realizing the vastness and the wonderful natural resources of this country, it is more than surprising to find that only thirty years ago an influential, though fortunately not a numerous class of politicians in Great Britain promulgated the doctrine that the colonial dominions of the Empire were not merely useless but detrimental to the mother country. Sir Henry Taylor, the poet, who was for many years connected with the Colonial Office, and exercised much influence there, thought it was highly de- sirable that the colonies should be separated from Great Britain. In his esti- mation the worst consequence of the late dispute with the United States (in 18G4) v/as that the mother country and its North American cclonies wore involved in closer relations and a common cause. In 1874 the Rb. Hon. W. E. Forster visited Canada, and at a dinner in Mont- real he spoke strongly of his earnest desire to maintain the union between Canada and the mother country. At Ottawa he had not a little talk with Lord Duflferin, the Governor-General, on the future of Canada in its relation to the Empire. He was specially pleased to find that the " very strong words " which he had spoken in Montreal on that subject had been "a I'eal help" to the Governor-General, who had been somewhat discouraged by the tone of one or two prominent public men in England, who seemed not only willing, but posi- tively wishful to let Canada go. Happily, a great revolution has taken place in Great Britain within recent years about the real value to her of her colonies. The Et. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, recently announced that the Premiers of the self-governing colonies had been invited to become the guests of the Imperial Government on the occasion of the celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. In referring to the welcome of these " constitutional heads of the communities which, by their free choice, b.ave selected them to preside over, the destinies of those provinces of the Great Empire," he concluded his remarks in his own inimitable way by saying : " But, after all, this is the great motive which influences the Government — we want to show to these gentlemen, we want to show to the Colonies that they worthily represent that the days of app/hy and indiflference have long ago passed away. We want to prove to them that we are as proud of them as we believe SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 95 that they are proud of us. We want to show them that we have confidence in their future, and that we have hope in their closer union with ourselve-.;, so that in the future, the British Empire, founded upon freedom, buttressed by the affec- tion of its several members, fortified by mutual interest, shall stand impregnable and unassailable ' four-square to all the winds that blow.' " The late Sir John A. Macdonald, Mr. George R. Parkin, and others, did good work in arousing public opinion on this point. That fascinating orator, and yet most practical statesman. Lord DufFerin, had also much to do with changing public opinion in the motlier lard For many years he exerci.sed a great and commanding influence throu 'liout t.he Empire. His speeches in Canada while Governor-General were bril lant, yet practical. He had seen the country, he had mingled with the people, he knew the feelings of loyalty to Queen and Empire that filled the breasts of young and old Spt-tok- ing in Toronto in 1877 — just twenty years ago — he made this memorable prophecy : " Canada dreams her dream and forebodes her destiny — a dream of ever broad- ening harvests, multiplying towns and villages, and expanding pastures, of con- stitutional self-government, and a confederated empire ; of page after page of honorable history, added as her contribution to the annals of the mother coun- try and to the glories of the British race ; of a perpetuation for all time upon this continent of that temperate and well-balanced sytstem of government, which combines in one mighty whole, as the eternal possession of all Englishmen the brilliant history and traditions of the past, with the freest and most untram- melled liberty of action in the future." That prophecy is being fulfilled. Canada has continually broadening harvests; her towns and villages are multiplying. She has true constitutional self-govern- ment ; and she dreams yet of a confederated empire. Sho has addea page after page of honorable history to the annals of the mother country. She has not only met troubles within her own borders, but has stretched forth a helping hand to the mother country in time of need. The Canadian Rebellion of 1837 was brought about through a combination of various forces. Its most prominent leaders were Louis J. Papineau in Lower Canada, and William Lyon Mackenzie in Upper Canada. Both piofessed to be animated only by a desire to free the country from the burdens imposed upon it by the ruling classes. The malcontents had certainly much cause for dissatis- 96 VICTORIA, faction. But the majority of the people were not prepared to go to the extreme of resorting to arras, as the leaders found to their cost; the people believed that constitutional agitation would have securei' the ends sought for. The rebellion in Lower Canada was speedily crushed, and Papineau fled across the border. In Upper Canada the insurgents threatened Toronto, but were easily routed ; thouL'h several lives on both sides were sacrificed. The leaders fled to the border. Mackenzie here rallied his scattered forces, and associating with himself many others of lawless character from Canada, and the States of New York, Maine and Vermont, made actual war on Canada, and took possession of Navy Island, belonging to England, in the Niagara River. The steamboat Caroline was employed by thejn to transjjort from the United States men, ammunitions and stores to Navy Island, to be used in the attack on the British Provinces. In December, 1837, the British organized an expedition ^o capture the Caroline, expecting to find her at Navy Island • but when the commanding oflicer came round the point of the island in the night, he found that she was moored to the American shore. The circumstance, however, did not prevent him from making the capture. In the fray, a citizen of the United States, by the name of Durfree, lost his life; the .British authorities said by a chance shot from one of his own party ; the Americans, by a shot fron. the British party. Mr. Forsyth, United States Secretary of State, made the matter a subject of com- munication to Mr. Fox, the British Ambassador at Washington, who avowed it as an act done by order of the British authorities, and juatified it as a proper and necessary means of self-defence. After this, the subject was suffered to lie and grow cold. In Canadp the authorities adopted stern measures to effectually end the disturbances. On all sides the insurgents were crushed, jails were filled with their leaders, and 18') were sentenced to be hanged. Some of them were executed and some were banished to Van Dieman's Land, while others were par- doned on account of their youth. But there was a great revulsion of feeling in Britain, and, after a few years, pardons wer extended to almost all. Even Papineau and Mackenzie, the leaders of the rebellion, were allowed to come back, and both were elected to seats in the Canadian Assembly. They, however, confined themselves for the future to constitutional agitation. In November, 1840, the Caroline question Wu,s re-opened by an important and exciting occurrence. Alexander McLeod, one of the persons said to be concerned in the capture of the Caroline, was in the State of Now York, whose people SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 97 were much irritated over the ati'air, and rather foolishly boasted of the part taken by him in that attack. He was arrested by the State authorities on the charge of the murder of Durfiee, and cotniiiitted to prison. Mr. Fox made an instant demand for his release, alleging the destruction of the Caroline as a public act of ])erson8 obeying the orders of their superiors, and for which they -were not responsible. Mr. Forsyth replied in a note of December 20, 1840, /.- LORD PALMERSTON. Born 1784— Died 1865. 'ner " seems to think that he has stood out long enough ; certainly it has been longer than our idea of long enough," Does that indicate that il Canada had not been represented, or represented by a weaker man, the claims of Canada would have received less attention, or been the more easily set aside ? Article XVI II. of the Treaty provided that United States fishermen should, in common with British subjects, have certain liberties on Canadian coasts and shores. The amount to be paid for these liberties was to be settled by arbitra- tion. After prolonged investigation and argument at Halifax, on November 22, 1877, the arbitration commissioners awarded $5 500,000 compensation. The award was signed by His Excellency Maurice Delfosse, Belgian Minister at Washington, nominated by the Emperor of Austria, and by Sir A. T. Gait, the British Commissioner. The Hon. E. Tl. Kellog, the United States Commissioner, dissented. The award was paid over to the Imperial authorities by the United States in December, 1878, and by them apportioned: To Canada, S4,490,882; to Newfoundland, $1,009,118. The money became the basis upon which the bounty to fishermen of $150,000 was given in 1882, and increased to $100,000 in 1891. Sala, in his " Recollections," gives an excellent pen-picture of the inimitable Thomas D'Arcy McGee. Writing in 1864, Mr. Sala says: "Animated debates were going on in the Legislature at Quebec on the subject of the Federation of all the British North American Colonies. One of the most animated speakers on the subject of the proposed union was the late D'Arcy McGee, a singularly gifted, accomplished, and amiable native of the Sister Isle. Good-looking, elo- w 108 VICTORIA, quent of speech, and a ready writer, he had been in his early days, when he was green of judgment, a Youi,^' Trehmder; but, emigrating to Canada, had become a staunch Loyalist, and when I knew liiin ho was Minister of Agriculture. It was his mournful fate, ultimately, to be murdered by a Fenian. D'Arcy McGee and I were great cronies ; and I am indebted to him for one of the drollest election- eering stories that ever I heard. It was at Montreal, at the height of some elec- toral contest for the representation of the city, that one of the candidates had convened a meeting of the negro electors, who, in the early stages of the meet- ing, seemed far from favourable to him. He went on speaking, however, and dwelt over and over again on the then burning tariff question, telling his hearers that what they chiefly needed was a carefully-adjusted system of ad valorem, duties. Now it chanced that there had just entered the hall a young 'nigger' waiter from an adjacent restaurant, who held under one arm another waiter, but a dumb one — a ja|)anned tin tray, in fai^t. The negroes are very fond of rhythm ; they like sound without troubling themselves much concerning sense, and some- how or another the words ad valorem tickled the ears of the young darkey from the restaurant. 'Ad valorum ! ad valorum ! ad valorum !' he repeated in rapid cres- cendo, rapping meanwhile the japanned tin tray with a door-key. It was as though he had sounded the loud timbrel over Egypt's Dark Sea. 'Ad valorum ! ad valorum!' the whole audience began to shout, to scream, and to yell, clapping meanwhile their hands, and stamping their feet on the ground. Then there arose an aged negro of great influence in political circles at Montreal, who thus addressed his hcurers : ' My brudders, we must all vote for old Ad Valorum ; bully for you. Ad Valorum ! ' The candidate was returned by a thumping majority, and was ever after known as 'good old Ad Valorum.' ' Canada enjoys the unique distinction of having had a ruler of a Province who held the reigns of office longer than any other Premier in English history. Sir Oliver Mowat became Attorney -General and Premier of the Province of Ontario in 1872, and held office continuously until his resignation in 1896 to assume the office of Minister of Justice in the Laurier Administration at Ottawa. Hon. Wilfrid Laurier, the present Premier of the Dominion, is the first French- Canadian to hold that office. The honorable gentleman is a pleasing public speaker ; has a fine, commanding presence ; and is popular with all classes. A few other important events in Canadian history during the Victorian era may be mentioned. The first railway in Canada was opened in July, 1886. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 109 The Earl of Durham was appointed Governor-General of Canada in January, 1838. He had a disagreement with the Home authorities over his treatment of those who participated in the rebellion of 1838. He issued an ordinaiico pro- hibiting the return of banished rebels under pain of death. For this he was cen- sured by the Home Government. The ordinance was annulled in October. In the SIR OLIVER MOW AT, K.C.M.O. Minister of Justice, Canada. «ame month he wrote justifying his conduct, and resigning his position. He was succeeded by Sir John Colbome. In r 841 Upper and Lower Canada were re-united. Canada had been divided into Upper and Lower Canada in 1791 In 1850 there was a serious riot in Montreal. A bill had been introduced by 3. new Reform government to compensate those who had suffered loss through !" i' P iSi ■■ '|i|i .! ,! i !'l 110 VICTORIA, tho rebellion of 1838. It was said that some of those who made claiins for compensation had been enjjaged on the side of the rebels. This enraged the Tories beyond endurance. On the afternoon of April 25, the Governor, Lord Elgin, after agreeing to the Rebellion Losses Bill, was assaulted as he was leav- ing the As.sembly. The vice-regal carriage got away, however, before serious injury was done to anybody. That same evening tho crowd surged up to the parliament buildings, loading the names of Lord Elgin and the ministry with blasphemous and obscene epithets. The windows were attacked with stones, after which some hundreds of the mob rushed into the building. The Assembly was sitting in committee when the visitors burst through the doors. The mem- bers fled in dismay, some taking refuge in the lobbies, and others behind the Speaker's chair. Then the rioters passed on to their work. Some wrecked fur- niture, others wrenched the legs off chairs, tables and desks, while some demol- ished chandeliers, lam|)s and globes. In the midst of the riot and destruction there was a cry of " Fire!" Flames were then found in the balcony; and almost simultaneou.sly the legislative council chamber was ablaze. The party left the building, which in a few minutes was doomed. There was little time to save any of the contents, and out of 20,000 volumes not more than 200 were saved. Among the other evils planted in the Constitutional Act of 1791, were the pro- visions for granting a seventh of the Crown lands in the provlncet of Canada for the support of " the Protestant clergy," and theestablisLnient of rectories in every township or parish, "according to the establishment ■ f the Church of England." The heads of other Protestant denominations met to protest against the injus- tice. The words " a Protestant clergy " excluded the Dissenters, whom all im- perial statutes ignored; but the Presbyterians maintained they came within the meaning of the words. The law officer.^ of the Crown, on pondering the ques- tion, said the Presbyterians were correct in their view. In 1836, Sir John Col- borne was recalled to England, but before his departure endowed forty-four rec- tories. To each such rectory was alloted about three hundred and eighty-six acres of land. The discontent at this action soon reached such a head that a complete secularization of the reserves was demanded by the Reform party. The question was discussed on tho hustings and in the legislature with much passion. Mr. Henry Price, a Congregationalist, described the reserves as " one of the greatest curses that could have been inflicted upon the land." But the Tories showed no inclination to disturb the arrangement. On the contrary, to 'l:H: SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. Ill for them, like to the frartiers of the act of 1791, establishment was one of the dear- est features of our government. When the Reformers came into office in 1848 the championH of accularization were tilled with hope ; but it was not till 1853 that the reserves were abolished by Imperial statute. In 1854 a treaty between the United Kingdom and United States, as to the fisheries and commerce of Ncth America, was .successfully negotiated. In May, the Governor, Lord Elgin, Mr. Francis Hincks and se^-eral others went to Washington to conclude tiie terms. At first their mission threatened to turn out a failure. They wore assured that the Democrats, who had a majority in the Senate, were opposed to the proposed Treaty. Nothing daunted, ad ilr. Laurence Oliphant, who was private secretary to Lord Elgin, tells us, "Lord Elgin and his staff approached the re|)resentatives of the American nption with all the legitimate wiles of accomplished and astute diplomacy. Lord Elgin became exceedingly popular. In the course of ten days he was able to inform the United States President that if the T'-eaty was introduced it woidd now pass the Senate. The Treat}' was introduced and passed. On the 5th of June the Treaty was signed by Lord Elgin on behalf of Great Britain, and W. L. Marcy, Secretary ot State for the United States, on behalf of the Republic. Lord Tlgin's enemies afterwards described the Treaty as " Hoated through on champagne." " Without altogether admitting this, there can be no doubt," Oliphant drily observes, " that, in the hands of a skilful diplomatist, liquor is not without its value." By the provisions of the Treaty, citizens of the United States were permitted to take fish of any kind except shell-fish on the sea-coasts and shores, and in the bays, harbors, and creeks of British provinces in North America, at any distance from the shore ; and to land upon the shores to dry their nets and cure their fish. In return for these privileges British subjects were allowed the same concessions in all the waters and upon the land of the eastern sea-coasts and shores of the United States, north of the 36th parallel of north latitude. The navigation of the St. Lawrence and the Canadian canals was permitted to American citizens on the same conditions as to British subjects ; and the latter were given similar rights on Lake Michigan. No export duty was to be levied on any lumber cut in districts in Maine watered by tributaries of the St. John River, and floated down the latter to the bay of Fundy for shipment to the United States. Cer- tain goods were also admitted reciprocally free of duty — grain, flour, breadstuff's, animals, meats, poultry, fish, lumber, hides, hemp, ores of metals, manufactured II 1 1 ^^^hH ^ 1 1 ■■l 1 ^^Hw^^ffi J * ^^B^^^H ' t. ^^^^^^^^H 1 5 » 1 "1 ^^^^^^B ' l| ^■H 1 1 ^' f ' ' ■■ MI' ^1 M , i ^^^H JH' 1 1 Mill ^H^ ' ii I ■ i Bm ' i , * ^^m ■ 1^ H ' ^ 1^^ ^^H i i K ■ fit 1 '^ B„ It 112 VICTORIA, tobacco, and other articles — the unmanufactured produce of the farm (mcluaing animals), the forest, the fisheries and the mine. The Treaty seems to havj been popular for the first few years following its adoption. Mr, Goldwin Smith thinks it fell a victim to the anger which the be- haviour of a party in England had excited in America. If this be true, it reflects little credit on the politicians at Washington. It savours too much of Col. O'Neill's tactics — striking a blow at a party in England through Canada. Public opinion in England was quite sharply divided between the North and South at the time of the rebellion. Mr. Smith is probably mistaken. From 1860 to the time of its abrogation, the Treaty was the subject of frequent controversy at Washington between the friends and opponents of the reciprocity policy. Discussions, more or less exhaustive, took place in 1860, 1862, 1864, and 1865. Finally, on Janu- ary 18th, 1865, the President agreed to a resolution from the Senate of the United States calling for an unconditional abrogation of the Treaty, as, in the words of the resolution, " it is no longer for the interests of the United States to continue the same in force." Canada was still willing to cultivate friendly relations with the United States. Four delegates from the British provinces arrived at Washington January 24th, 1866, to endeavor to efiect an arrangement for the continuance of the Treaty. Several days were spent in negotiations, without, however, any success, and the delegates left Washington on the 6th of February. By formal notice from the President of the United States, the Treaty terminated on the I'/th of March, 1866. This is an historical fact worth remembering. In December, 1861, en account of the complications likely to arise over the " Trent " affair, the British Government sent three thousand troops to Canada. Happily, their services were not needed. In November, 1871, the last battalion of British troops, except the garrison at Halifax, left Canada. On the 8th of November, 1885, the first throjgh train over the Canadian Pacific Railway was run from Montreal in Eastern Canada to Vancouver, on the Pacific Coast, a distance of about 2,900 miles. Not yet is it possible to measure the whole magnituf^e of Britain's service to India. Before this can be done geneiations must* elapse. When the hour does come it wrill be seen that the Anglo-Saxon has never been wiser or greater on the Thames or the St. Lawrence than on the Ganges and the Indus. It is a Frenchman — Saint Hilaire Barthelemy — wilh his memories of the failure of SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 113 France in India, who writes of England's rule in India : " Neither in the Vedic times, nor under the great Azoka, nor under the Mohammedan conquest, nor under the Moguls, all-powerful as they were for a while, has India ever obeyed an authority so sweet, so intelligent, and so liberal." Looking at the India of to-day and comparing it with what it was, we may say with confidence that Britain has been a blessing to the helpless continent. She conquered, but she saved. Biitain's rule has united India, It is the purest fiction that there were ancient dynasties which the British broke up. The land was one great tangled skein of races, languages and new governments. For centuries, through the two narrow mountain gateways, at the north-east and the north-west, daring armies, merciless, poured down upon the plains of India, sweeping away thrones, laws, cities ; ruling for a while, only to be in tuin displaced and destroyed, Britain's strong hand was the first to close up the northern gateways and stay the tide of invading murder. Britain swept from the seas the pirates who pressed up the rivers or plied along the shores, levying ransom or dealing desolation and death. For Britain's task was not merely to conquer, but to hold and set in «iotion the forces for a homogeneous Indian nation. The work was in rapid progress when the mutiny of 1857 broke out. That was the last disintegrating spasm. From that time to the present every step has been toward a united people. The old causes for internal separation are constantly disappearing. The Indian is beginning to feel that he is the member not of a tribe, but of a race ; that he is not the slave of a rajah, but the citizen of a nation. British rule has decreased crime. The will of the ruler used to decide life and death. The laws were instruments of the strong against the weak. Reliffion aanctified robbery and rapine. A hundred robber castes preyed on the land. The Pindarries swarmed in hordes of twenty thousand horsemen, pillaging with- out pity. The Thugs were professional murderers. For twenty centuries, under the protection of their goddess Kali, they had plied with holy zeal their strang- ler's craft. Dakoity, gang-robbery, flourished as late as 1879 in the Deccan. Sati — Hindu widows burning themselves on the funeral-pyres of their husbands — was popularly esteemed a simple duty. Under British rule the robber clans were broken, Dakoity suppressed. The last Tliug was exhibited a few years ago as an interesting relic of the past. Even in the native states Sati is but a memory. H ■ i i ^1 • 'ill i Si i ■' ' 1 1^ '\ 1' j ' U 'i I'i il "' ■ 1 II III 1 : 1 .1 1 ' ' lit I ,..^ 114 VICTORIA, Female infanticide was once an open everyday incident ; now the law pun- ishes it as murder. Ghild-marriaije, with its corollary child-widowhood and all its implications, still survives. Yet, under British influence, the native mind it* raising its protest against this domestic curse. In due time it, too, will pass. In India, with a population constantly increasing, the number of criminals is constantly decreasing. Even the native princes are watched. Britain is careful to see that her feudatories bear sway subject to the same righteous i-egulations which govern the territoi'y directly under British rule. British rule has brought to the millions of India health, comfort and length of days. Wholesome w^ater has been supplied to the great cities. Immense sums have been expended on sanitary works. Diseases that decimated the people have been grappled with, prevented, or mitigated. True, sacred wells still offer to the devout as corrupt a duid as ihe idolatry or the ingenuity of man could compound. But the time will come when faith in filthy water shall fade into innocuous desuetude. In India British rule has fostered existing industries and introduced new. India is to-day a cotton-producing and a cotton-spinning country. In V 1 . » ■• T 1' ^ - «c ' Mifit \ fM V ^B'^B — * " ' a ■}r^^ ■ •• t '^••■r 4 - ^-f^- % 1 ^ 7 i4«,!^' i if rii S • 1 ^m wMP- ^ ' S/ "^^tPF 'Vi Pl .' k\^. ' JM fw ^ ^^H^MM^' ' ' ^V' *~'*''^HP- i ■'>-i|l ^M'r^ SMfeLi^ HK - F v'Ji ^ i s\ '^ i ^^PK^ ^^'M Fr \ iM y ^^Li^ B ■ l KikCi "^•"- •»■• V -s^t, ■^" wpr-^^JMl < 1 Y** ^^ M'^ '^^^^Hl ^^^ J 1 ab «-r - ■/■" GROUP OF NATIVE INDIAN SOLDIERS. 116 VICTORIA, 1 ! £; - i 4s> I people except within a limited area. It would have been impossible, had the mutiny elicited the support of the great masses of the population, for the handf: 1 of Englishmen scattered over the vast area of India to have held their ground. Circumstances singularly favored a revolt. The British were unsuspectingly relying upon the fidelity of the Sepoys. Never had the European regiments been so few in proportion to the native regiments. Veteran battalions had been with- drawn to serve in the Crimea. The small remaining force had been still further weakened by the despatch of troops to the seat of war in China. The feeble battalions remaining in India were distributed over wide stretches of country without regard to strategical considerations or probabilities of internal commo- tion. The disasters which so seriously involved the allied armies in the Crimea had been exaggerated in the bazaars of India, and had led the Sepoy to look upon the military power of England as e, thing of the past. Anson, the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, had little experience except upon the turf. Most of the general officers wei'e indolent through age ; all were blind to the signs of the coming storm. The single fact that our chief arsenal at Delhi, with its vast store of munitions of war, was practically unprotected by British troops throws a scorching light on the military administration of the day. The men who made the reconquest of India possible were either subalterns or civilians. While the British watchmen were slumbering in security the natives were aflame with eager hopes. Wild rumors were abroad of the decay of the power of Britain. The year 1857-8 was the year predestined to be fatal to the rule of "John Company." In the native chronology it was the centenary of the victory of Plassy. Then astrologers had declared that the rule of the Company should endure but for a century. The century was up. The Company must go. Under Dalhousie, the last Governor-General, the natives imagined they had cause to tremble for the security of their religious rights. In the railways, telegraphs, steamships, schools, introduced by him they saw only attacks more or less open upon their religious faith and their social customs. This, of course, was pure fiction. " John Company " and the Home Government had ev3r been careful to respect the religious beliefs of the natives. The only time any dispute arose with the Government about caste was when some Sepoy troops were ordered to embark for Burmah. They declined to sail upon the sea, because on board ship they might not be able to keep up the ablu- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 117 tions and other ceremonies required by their relip[ion. Still, it is certain the new innovations were looked upon with great disfavor by the natives. The greased cartridge of the new musket was the last outrage upon their susceptibilities. All these powerful incitements to revolt came together. The alarm of the native princes ; the weakness of the British military establishment ; the insulted fanaticism of the people ; and the assurance of success based upon the ancient prediction of the astrologers, combined to make rebellion epidemic. The triangle presented on the map by the peninsula of Hindoostan is well known. The southern part of that peninsula is the Presidency of Madras, the western side the Presidency of Bombay, while the Presidency of Bengal may be loosely said to occupy the centre and northeast of the peninsula. Through it flow the Ganges and the Jumna ; it includes what were once the dominions of the Great Mogul. Its chief city is Calcutta, but the great cities of Delhi, Benares, and Agra are in it, too; there, also, is Cawnpore, so famous in the mutiny. The mutiny was confined to Bengal and to the recently-annexed kingdom of Oudh, on the left bank of the Ganges. Happily it was not joined by the recently-acquired provinces of the Punjaub, conquered by the British barely ten years before. All the chiefs of the Punjaub remained faithful to the British, and nearly all the Sikh Sepoys. The best help the British had in their extrem- ity wfis from regiments raised in the Punjaub, in which their former gallant foes, the Sikhs, fought on their side. It is held by men whose competency to judge can hardly be disputed that the men who corrupted the Indian Sepoys and led them into rebellion, were the agents of some of the old princely houses which we had destroyed, or reduced to poverty and shame, such as the representative of the Great Mogul at Delhi, the ex-King of Oudh, and the ever-infamous Nana Sahib. The Great Mogul at Delhi was grandson of a man rescued by the British from a revolted Vizier. He, however, turned against his benefactors, and joined the Mahrattas, was taken prisoner by Scindia, a gallant native chief, and had his eyes gouged out by one of his jailors, in a fit of passion. When the British took Delhi from Scindia this blind unfortunate was restored to his throne. " His palace at Delhi is second only," says Bishop Heber, " to Windsor Castle." He was given an annuity of more than half-a.-million of dollars by the Indian Government. He died at the age of eighty-six, and his son succeeded him. R ' 1^ I iHl IP H^' -1 If ill 118 VICTORIA, Delhi is a very sacred city. The Great Mogul considered himself a very king of kings. The predecessor of the King of Delhi, in 1857, was once excessively insulted by a British Governor-General of India taking a seat in his presence. Towards the close of 1856 the military authorities determined to arm the Indian troops with new rifles. The arms were sent out from England. The new car- tridges being wrapped in tougher paper than former cartridges, had their paper greased. The end of each cartridge had to be bitten oflf before putting it into the gun. In January, 1857, at Dum-Dum, a station near Calcutta, the first mut- terings of mutiny were heard. There a low caste Lascar, having asked a Brah- man of high caste for a draught of water, and having been refused roughly, shouted in his anger : " You will soon lose your caste ! You will have to bite cartridges covered with the fat of pigs and cows !" The Brahman related this story to his comrades. With the won'lerful rapid- ity which marks the secret dissemination of news in India, it spread from station to station until every Sepoy in Bengal was familiar with it. It excited great horror and indignation. Only those familiar with the native character can un- derstand this feeling. Overt proof of the strength of passion aroused was soon afforded at Barrackpore, a military station only six miles from Calcutta, where, night after night, the sky reddened with incendiary flames. At Berhampore a native regiment mutinied ; but, by a prompt display of energy, was sui-iraarily reduced to obedience. From point to point flowed the wave of insubordination, until the extent of the area it covered alarmed the Government. An inquiry into its causes was ordered to be instituted. Official inquiries, however, generally drag along slowly. The continued evi- dences of a growing mutinous spirit should have alarmed those in authority. But such was not the case. On the contrary, the authorities deliberately shut their eyes to the danger. Loyal natives warned them to prepare. Civilian ofli- cials warned them that mutiny was in the air. But all was in vain. No pi'eparations were made to meet the coming storm. A few native regiments were disbandeil ; the military authorities thought this would end the trouble. So certain were they on this point that on the 1st of May the Bombay Oazttte had confidently asserted •' India is quiet throughout." A terrible awakening was in store for them. A mutiny broke out at Meerut, near Delhi. The outbreak was ostensibly over the greased cartridges. The mutiny was suppressed. Eighty of the mutineers SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 119 were tried and condemned. This sentence was read to the whole force, May 9th, 1857. The prisoners, stripped of their uniforms, were fettered, and marched from the parade ground to the common jail, which contained about two thousand malefactors. Still, the authorities shut their eyes to any possibility of further trouble. No especial precautions were taken for the safety of the .station. The next day was Sunday. The Euiopean troops attended morning service, and then had their dinners as usual. A little later the officers and the ladies were preparing to go to evening service. The chaplain was driving there in his buggy. All was as it had been every Sunday, in every station in India^ for years past, when suddenly there opened the first act of the terrible tragedy of the Great Mutiny. The men of the Third Light Native Cavalry broke into sudden, but evidently not unpremeditated, revolt. They rushed from their tents and mounted their horses. A party galloped to the jail, overpowered the guard, and liberated the prisoners. Then, calling on all the other Sepoys to join them, they commenced an indiscriminate attack on the Europeans. Officers, women and children were butchered and mutilated, and their houses set on fire. The officer in command of the British troops in the cantonments became panic-stricken. The mutinous natives were allowed to continue their work of murder and rapine during the whole of the following night without interruption from the British troops. This inexplicable, this criminal inactivity must be regarded as the parent of most of the disasters which fill so dark a page in the history of our Anglo-Indian empire. When the Sepoys and the wretches released from jail had finished their work they marched off to Delhi. Early on the morning of the 12th the rebels arrived at Delhi, where, gathering tumultuously beneath the old King's palace-windows, they loudly demanded admission, and called upon him to help them, proclaiming that they had killed the British at Meerut, and had come to fight for " the faith." The Sepoy regi- ments of the ancient city at once adopted their cause and their cry. The mutin- eers were allowed to enter through the principal gate of the city. Fraternizing with the mutineers within the city, and, falling upon the undefended Europeans, they revelled in an orgie of blood and rapine. So furious was their temper that the King fell into a panic of alarm for his own safety. With reeking swords in their hands the murderers rushed from place to place, boasting of their hellish deeds, and calling upon others to follow their example. The terrible incidents of this opening act of the great mutiny have been 'ft' I'eM 1 4*t. •M i! is ;>i .5! 120 VICTORIA, told by a Imndred writers. Mr. Fraser, tho British Resident, was among the first of those lassions by which the mutinous soldiery, and those who are leagued with them, have been instigated to faithlessness; rebellion, and crimes at which the heart sickens, it is certain they have found encourage- ment in the delusive belief that India was weakly guarded by England, andthab before the Government could gather its strength again.st them their endt' ^vo.dd be gained. They are now undeceived. Before a single soldier of the many thousands who are hastening from England to uphold the supremacy of the SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 196 BiitiHli ])owor has sot foot on tho.so HhorcH, tho rebel foioe, whero it was stronj^fest and most united, ami where it hwl coniinand of unltouiidod military applituicoH, has been destroyed, or scattered, by an army colloctod within tho limits of the North-Western Provinces and the Punjimb alone. The work has been done bol'oro the support of those battalions wliich have been collected in Hen<,'al, from tho forces of tho Queen in China, and in her Majesty's eastern colonies, could reach Major-Ooneral Wilson's army, and it is by the courage and endurance of that gallant army alone — by the skill, sound judgment, and steady resolution of its brave commander — and by the aid of some native chiefs, true to their allegiance, that, under the blessing of God, the head of rebellion has been crushed, and tho cause of loyalty, huiiumity, and rightful authority vindicated." But tho crushing of tho rebellion at Delhi did not by any moans signify that the mutiny was at an end. Far from it. The rebellious spirit had spread i ofast and too far. At Agra, prompt measures saved tho Euroi)oana from massacre. Agra is, /t«r Delhi, the most important city in the Bengal Presidency. At Agra liveti am Lieutenant-Governor and his staff. The city also contained many missionary establishments — a Roman Catholic bishop, a convent of nuns, several Presbyterian missionaries, and a Government College largely devoted to the education of half- castes, or Eurasians. The people at Agra seemed utterly unprepared for tho mutiny. " Like a thunderclap," says Mr. Farquhar, one of the Company's officers, " the news of the mutiny at Meerut on the 10th of May fell on the Agra community, and turned the whole current of men's thoughts to preparations for the coming struggle. At that time three native and one English regiment were at Agra, with a battery of six guns manned by Europeans. The English force, indeed, was abouii 600 in all. On Saturday night. May 30, news arrived that some com- panies of one of the Agra regiments had mutinied at a station thirty-five miles off, and had fired on their English officers. The Agra regiments, notwithstanding their protestations of fidelity to their salt, could no longer be trusted. The authorities resolved to disarm them the next day and send the men to their homes. The next step was to gather together all the Christians, European and Eurasian, in places appointed beforehand as a refuge in case of danger. " The Sabbath sun rose that morning on a strange scene in the usually well- ordered station of Agra. Instead of early morning church, the troops, native and 126 VICTORIA, ■I 'I 'y.'U ii English, were assembled on pai'ade, and then the natives, to their great astonish- ment, found themselves drawn up opposite the European regiment and gun'-, and were ordered to lay down their arms. The great mass of men obeyed, as they had no time to make any arrangements, and, piling their arms, saw them carted away to the magazine. Mr. Fullarton (an American missionary), with his wife and family, were ordered to a dilapidated bungalow, pitched on the top of an old limekiln, which, from age, was covered with sheltering trees and grass. About ten in the evening I visited them, and there, outside the house, lay groups of gentlemen under the trees, talking quietly over the events of the day, but with loaded double-barrelled guns, and plenty of ammunition at their sides. In the verandahs ladies and native ayahs lay pretty closely packed, while the floors of the rooms inside were strewed with about as many babies and young children as they could readily hold. I saw Mr. Fullanon and some other gentlemen sittiner below under one of the trees. The tuii moon shone through the leaves, and I remember well Mr. Fullarton 's face turned up to speak to me, with a look and word of thankfulness for the mercies of the day. At his side, tco, lay a double- barrelled gun wliich some gentleman had given him, knowing well that he would use it in defence of women and children." Subsequently the six hundred European soldiers were marched out of Agra to meet five thousand mutineers. By mismanagement on the part of their com- mander, they were forced to retreat back into the Fort without cutting the rebels to pieces, though they scared them off to Delhi. AH the Christian popu- lation of Agra was then ordered into the Fort, as the lower and dangerous classes in the city were setting fire to bungalows, and committing other excesses. But the lives of the civilians and native Christians, with a few painful excep- tions, were saved. " In this respect," says Mr. Farquahar, " we were immeasurably better oiT than the people of Cawnpore, Futtehpur, Delhi and other stations. Distressing news from these places harrowed the hearts of the Agra people, whose friends and re- lations were the sufferers. But Mr Fullarton and the other American mission- aries were most moved by the new.s from Futtehpur, where there was a flourish- ing colony of industrious native Christians under charge of American Presby- terian missionaries. " The English at Futtehpur took refuge in the Fort. There, as death from starvation threatened them, 't was resolved to embark upon the Ganges in some .!©! II iii SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 127 om me boats stealthily with their women and children, and drop down the river to Cawnpore. They were tired on from the banks when they nearly reached that place, and every one was slaughtered. Then the Sepoy.s and the mob at Futt- uhpur set on the Christian viilatje, wrecked it, and slew every Christian they could lay their hands on." Early in 1857, disaffection had begun to manifest itself in Oudh. The recent annexation of Oudh (in 185G) had alarmed the native princes. Oudh had been loyal to the British, yet Oudh hiid been annexed ; for no reason that could justify the action to the mind of an Oriental. The King of Oudh by his cruel exactions had made life not worth living to the five millions who writhed under his be- sotted tyianny. His loyalty had proved no cover for his crimes. In his fate the native princes beheld their own, unless they combined to drive the British into the sea. In March, 1857, when the mutiny was just ripening elsewhere, Sir Henry Lawrence was made Governor of Oudh, and went to Lucknow. Sir Henry's first endeavor was to conciliate the old Mohammedan aristocracy. In this he succeeded remarkably in six weeks ; but he was not slow to detect the rising feeling of mistrust. He saw, and confidential agents told him the same, that it was evei-ywbere believed that the British Government v/as bent on de- stroying the caa*3 of Hindoo Sepoys. He knew that to maintain caste inviolate the Hindoo would risk his life, his property, his household, all he most valued in the world. He wrote to Lord Canning, the Governor-General : " I held a conversation with a Jemadar of the Oudh artillery for more than an hour to-day, and was startled by the dogged persistence of the man (a Brahuian, of about forty years of age, of excellent character) in the belief that for ten years past Government had been engaged in measures for the forcible, or rather the fraudulent, conversion of the natives." Fully conscious of the spirit of disaffection among the na'-'ves, and warned by telegraph of the mutiny at Meerutand Delhi, Lawrence adopted energetic meas- ures for the defence of the British Residency at Lucknow. He laid in plentiful supplies of provisions and ammunition. When the trouble came the little garri- son was amply supplied with provisions, ammunition, and resources of every kind. Lucknow lies along the banks of the river Gumti, about fifty miles from Cawnpore. On the 30th May, the native troops stationed around Lucknow mutinied. 128 VICTORIA, 1. .i .. Ill' Evei'ywhere it was the same story, the European officers of native troops believing in their men to the last moment ; the men turning upon them suddenly and killing them. In some instances they were merely ordered off and suffered to gallop back to Lucknow. Sometimes for a while, in particular instances, the Sepoys showed extraordinary fidelity ; but their lo^'alty rarely stood the contact with other regiments that were in full revolt. Tlie ^-ebels poured into the city. Sir Henry Lawrence and the Europeans were soon shut up in the Residency, surrounded by a howling savage multitude, raging like the sea, and fearfully dangerous, because largely composed of disciplined soldiers. The revolt became general throughout the Province. Dreadful stories of massacres of Europeans were carried to Lucknow. The sole survivor of one party tells his story : " We were on our way to Arangabad, when suddenly a halt was sounded, and a trooper told us to go on our way where we liked. There were three ladies with us, crammed into one buggy; the remainder lay prone on bag- gage-carts. We went on for some distance, when we saw a party coming along. They soon joined us and followed the buggy, which we were pushing along with all our might. When we were half-a-raile from Arangabad, a Sepoy sprang for- ward, snatched Ray's gun from him, and shot down poor old Shiels, who was riding my horse. Then the most infernal struggle ever witnessed by men began. We all collected under a tree close by, and put the ladies down from the buggy. Shots wei'e firing in all directions, amid the most fearful yells. In about ten minutes they had completed their hellish work. They killed the wounded and the children, butchering them in the most cruel ways. All were killed but my- self. When we started there were one civilian, three captains, six lieutenants, three ensigns, one sergeant, a bandmaster, eight ladies and five children." Lawrence, with his stores of provisions and ammunition, was able to hold his own at LncVnow. But he was sore at heart when he thought of those at Cawnpore. Cawnpore, fifty miles away, but on the other side of the river, had been in- vested by the rebels. Sir Hugh Wheeler, who was in command, was one of those who trusted too well and too long in Sepoy loyalty. It was only on the most urgent representations that Wheeler consented to take steps to protect the Europeans under his charge. He telegraphed to Licknowfor aid. Unfortunate- ly, at the same time, he invited the assistance of the Maharaja ^f Bithoor, better SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 129 kid at iii- iose lost the late- Itter known as the Nana Sahib — his real name was Sirik Dhoondopunt — whose hatred of the British Government and enormous ambition had induced him to favor secretly the designs of the Sepoys, intending to turn them to his own advantage. The Nana was a Mahratta cliief, claiming to be the adopted son of the last sovereign of the Mahrattas. When that personage had yielded his do- minions to the British, he had been granted a pension of £90,000 a year for himself and for his heirs. He died without issue, but had adopted a short time before his death Dhoondopunt, or Nana Sahib. Lord Dalhousie assorted that the Nana had no claim to the reversion of the pension. The Nana naturally thought he had. Yet, with inconsistency on the part of the Briti.sh Government, he was allowed to retain his adopted father's title of Peishwar, and to surround himself with troops and guns. The Nana, unfortunately for the British, accepted Wheeler's invitation. Wheeler built a mud wall four feet high round the buildings which composed the old Military Hospital. While the works were in prpgress, Azimoolah, the Nana's confidential and unscrupulous agent and emissary, inquired of a British officer: " What do you call that place you are making in the plain ?" "I am sure I don't kno\y," said the officer. " It should be called," Azimoolah sarcasti- cally remarked, " The Fort of Despair." " No, no," exclaimed the officer, " we will call it the Fort of Victory" — a proposal received by Azimoolah with an air of incredulous assent. At length the rising took place. On the 4th of June the native regiments mutinied. The Nana threw aside the mask of friendship. He placed himself at the head of the rebels, who saluted him as their Raja. The rebels proceeded to invest the feeble asylum in which the Europeans of Cawnpore, soldiers and ci>'ilians, were prepared to sell their lives dearly. They were accompanied by some natives who had remained true to their Hag. In all, about one thousand souls were sheltered in the two single-stor-ied barracks surrounded by Sir Hugh Wheeler's mud wall. Of these 4G0 were men; their wives and grown-up daugh- ters nunabered about 280, and their children nearly as many. The mutineers were well supplied with arms and heavy cannon. A letter from Sir Hugh Wheeler to Lawrence at Lucknow pathetically describes the horrors of the siege : " Since the last details, we have had a bombardment in this miserable position three or four times daily ; now nineteen days exposed to two twenty-four, and I J i^^^SB 130 VICTORIA, eight, other guns of smaller calibre, and three mortars. To reply with three nines is, you know, out of the question; neither would our ammunition permit it. All our gun-carriages are more or less disabled ; ammunition short. British spirit alone remains ; but it cannot last forever. Yesterday morning they attempted their most formidable assault, but dared not come on. A.nd after above three hours in the trenches, cheering on the men, I returned to the Fort to find my favorite darling son killed by a nine-pounder in the room with his mother and sisters. He was not able to accompany me, having been fearfully crippled by a severe contusion. The cannonade was tremendous. I venture to assert such a position, so defended, has no example ; but cruel has been the evil. We have no instruments, no medicine ; provision for ten days at farthest, and no possibility of getting any, as communication with the town is cut off Ruilway men and merchants have swollen our ranks to what they are (we had but two hundred and twenty soldiers to begin with), and the casualties have been numerous. The railroad men have done excellent service, but neither they nor I can last forever. We have lost everything belonging to us, and have not even a change of linen. Surely we are not to die like rats in a cage." Lawrence replied, urging Wheeler to hold out ; Europeans and Sikhs were coming to his relief. Above all things, he warned him not to accept terms. " Do not accept terms from the enemy, as I fear treachery. You cannot rely on the Nana's promises." In French, he added, " He has killed many prisoners." But, alas! before the letter reached Wheeler the capitulation had taken place. The earrison had suffered tlie horrors of a siege and a bombardment for three weeks. No reinforcements arrived ; no tidings were heard of approaching relief. Their provisions were exhausted, and famine seemed to claim them as its vic- tims ; their guns were rapidly becoming unserviceable ; their supplies of ammu- nition had dangerously decreased ; their numbers were so reduced that they could scarcely find men to guaixl the weak defences. What was to be done ? No one spoke of surrender; yet what other alternative presented itself, unless they could blow up their asylum and perish in its ruins, or plunge into the midst of the besieging hosts, and fall, figh*^in<; ? At this juncture came a mes- sage from the Nana offering terms. An armistice was arranged, and negotiations with the Nana were then opened. It was agreed that the British should surrender their fortified position, guns and treasure on condition that they were allowed to march out with their arms and I SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 131 'y i J? ss he 1 !S- i d. ul id sixty rounds of ammunition for each man ; and that the Nana should escort them safely to the river-side, and furnish boats to carry them down the Ganges to Allahabad. On the morning of the 27th of June, the British took their departure, the able-bodied marching first, and the wounded being carried in palanquins, while the women and children rode on the backs of elephants or in rough bullock-car- riages. Through crowded streets they made their way to the place of embarka- tion. There the boats were ready, and our people hastened to embark, exulting, probably, in what seemed the near prospect of peace and security. None were [)repaved for, none expected, the black deed of murderous treachery which has handed down the name and memory of the Nana to perpetual execration. By his direction the Sepoy soldiery had been massed on the banks of the Ganges. As soon as our people were on board the boats a bugle rang out its shrill orders, and a murderous fire of grapeshot and musketry opened upon the fugi- tives. Four men only, after a series of hair-breadth escapes, contrived to reach the territory of a friendly Raja, who sheltered and supported them. They alone lived to tell the tale of the Nana's treachery, and of the evil doings at Cawnpore. As for the rest of the garrison — every man was killed, with many of the women and children. Those spared were reserved for a still more cruel death. The Nana enjoyed his hour of triumph. The hated British had been swept away. But before long the unwelcome tidings spread through the palace, and through the barracks of the troops, that a British army, thirsting for revenge, and terrible in its just wrath, was marching against Cawnpore. Yes, Havelock was marching at the head of a column to the relief of Cawnpore and Luck now. Havelock fought his way bravely against heavy odds. Futtehpur, which had been one of the centres of disaffection, was won after a sharp conflict. Have- lock's general order to the troops after the battle is worth recording : " General Havelock thanks his soldiers for their arduous exertions of yesterday, which produced, in four hours, the strange result of a rebel army driven from a strong position, eleven guns captured, and their whole force scattered to the winds without the loss of a single British soldier. To what is this astounding effect to be attributed ? To the fire of British artillery, exceeding in rapidity and precision all that the brigadier has ever witnessed in his not short career ; to the power of the Enfield rifle in British hands ; to British pluck, that great qual- 132 VICTORIA, ity which has survived the vicissitudes of the hour, and gained intensity from the crisis ; and to the blessing of Almighty God on a most righteous cause, the cause of justice, humanity, truth, and good government in India." On tlie 16th of July Havelock fought a final battle before Cawnpore. The Nana and his troops were routed and fled. Next morning Havelock entered the town — too late to save. He had already been apprised of the mournful fact that the captive women aud children whom he had hoped to rescue had perished at the hands of their merciless enemies. The Nana, whether in mad rage, brutal fear, or from sheer lust of blood, had committed a deed which will cause his name to be forever execrated. On the 15th of July the prisoners in his hands, including those from Futtehpur, were massacred. Five male prisoners were dragged forth and shot. Then a party of Sepoys were ordered to ^oot the women and children — two hundred and seven in all — in the prison I "mc. But even the bloodthirsty Sepoys hesitated at such butchery. They fired, but not a woman or child was hit. But the Nana was not to be baulked of his prey by soft-hearted soldiers. Next morning at five o'clock, five men — two Hindoo peasants, two Mohammedan butchers and a Mohammedan soldier — armed with swords or long sharp knives were seen to enter the building. Shrieks upon shrieks were soon heard by those without; but God alone knows what passed in those dreadful shambles. Twice the Mohammedan soldier came out and exchanged his reeking, broken sword for a keenei one ; then all sounds ceased, the five men left the place at half-past ten at night, the door was closed. When it was opened in the morning, a few were found still living. All were hastily dragged forth — the dead and those not quite dead — and thrown into a well. When Havelock's men entered Cawnpore a rush was made for the building where the massacre took place. The pavement was found to be still slippery with blood ; fragments of ladies' and children's dresses lay soaking in it, with bonnets, collars, combs and children's frocks and frills. On the pillai's and window-sills were deep sword-cuts, from which, in several places, hung tresses of fair hair. Proceeding in their search, the soldiers found human limbs bristling from a well in the garden. The dead, who had been thrown into it, filled it to the brim. It tooK Havelock's men four days to bury the victims of the Nana's ferocity. During those four days, those strong men, who were little used to tears, wept bitterly. What wonder that they nursed a mad revenge, which boded evil for the Nana and his followers ? Punishment was soon meted out to some. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 133 J Some of the prisoners captured from the Nana were taken into the prison where the great massacre had taken place. The blood still lay thick and clotted on the floor. The whole floor was marked off" into squares. Then the captured Sepoys were made to clean it all up. They were afterwards tied to the muzzles of the cannons and shot into fragments. When the news of this method of deal- ing with the Sepoy murderers spread abroad among the native population, it created the utmost consternation. Perhaps no one thing which took jilace during the mutiny produced a profounder impression on the native mind than this. The touch of Christian blood was a bieakinsf of all caste, and to the Hindoo mind a sending to immediate perdition every one who had done it. The desolate grounds of 1357 are now converted into beautiful gardens. Shrubbery and flowers combine to form a scene of surpassing loveliness. The eye can see nothing but tropical luxuriance. Winding paths, clumps oi' rare flowers, and surprising combinations of foliage and colors, make a scene of varied and harmonious loveliness. Through the opening in the shrubbery one can see, in the distance, the now peaceful Ganges, hurrying on towards the sea, its sacred waters still cool from their cradle in the glaciers of the Himalayas. The most notable object in these delightful gardens is a little octagonal Gothic structure, which crowns a mound of earth. In the centre of the building is the marble figure of an angel, by Marochetti. The arms are folded across the breast, and in each hand a palm is held. This edifice, with its beautiful angel, stands directly over the well into which the bodies of the .slaughtered British had been cast, as their only possible grave, by the hands of their cruel enemies. Over the arch are these words : " These are they which came out of great tribulation." Inside, over the entrance, is this inscription: "Erected by the British Govern- ment, MDCCCLXIII." Then comes the story of the massacre : " Sacred to the perpetual memory of » great company of Christian people, chiefly women and children, who, near this spot, were cruelly massacred by tlie followers of Dhoondo- punt, of Bithoor, and cast, the dying with the dead, into the well below, on the XVr. day of July, MDCCCLVII." The Prince of Wales visited this memorial on his tour of India in 187G, and was deeply affected on reading the inscription. Not far from this memorial structure with its angel is a little cemetery. Flowers and shrubs abound everywhere. Among them are the tombstones to many of those beloved ones who were butchered, or died from disease, during the mutiny. The Memorial Church is a large and beautiful structure. All around it are mf 134 VICTORIA, ;ii I tili tablets in memory of the ilead who fell in the massacre. Fo;* tributes to the departotl, it is more a toinb than a church. An American, llev. Dr. Hurst, relates a pathetic incident . " When I entered it, to examine it closely, I saw a group of young English ladies enga;^ed in twining wreaths and making boui^uets, to hang about the tombs, or lay on the slabs, as tributes to the dead. I observed one young lady in particular. She was working industriously, with piles of ever- green and flowers about her. I was attracted to her because of the peculiarly serious expression on her face. Who is she ? What disturbs her ? I soon learn. There was one grave for which she designed her wreaths and flowers. It was that of General Wheeler, whose encampment had been on the very spot where this church stood, and who met his death by Sepoy hands. His tomb is one of the most prominent in the church. This young lady, with sad face and busy fingers, now making Christian wreaths and bouquets for the aged hero's grave, was none other than the hero's own grandaugliter." But a short time before the Nana and his followers had committed another massacre. On the 18th June the 10th infantry mutinied, and set fire to the can- tonments at Futtehpur; the -ilst, from the opposite shore of the Ganges, joined them : the treasure was seized, and the otticers menaced. The river by that date had fallen so low that flight by boat was deemed unsafe, and the Europeans resolved to defend a post which they selected as the most tenable which they could make available. One hundred persons took up this position ; thirty were European gentlemen ; the rest women and children. They defended this place until the fourth of July, when several military oflicers of rank having fallen, and most of the rest being wounded, longer defence became impossible. They took to their boats under a terrible fire from their enemies. The boats were pursued with a persistent thirst for blood. Some of the ladies jumped overboard to avoid capture. Some were shot in their boats. One of the boats stranded ; those on board leapt into the water. Some were shot down, some diowned, others swam to land, and were captured and mutilated. A few found shelter from compassion- ate persons while wandering along the shore. One boat only reached Bithoor; Nana Sahib murdered nearly all on board. The Nana was never captured. No one ever knew what became of him. Utterly routed, he galloped, on a wounded and exliausted horse, through Cawn- pore, and made his way to his own palace at Bithoor. He there paused long enough to order the murder of a fugitive Englishwoman who had fallen into the I ) • SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 135 THE MEMOKIAL WKLL, CAWNPORE. WM 136 VICTORIA, t IW hands of his people, ami then ho took flij^lit in the direction of Nepaul. Never was he again heard of. Havelock built an entrenched camp at Cawnpore, in which he left a British garrison. With the rest of his forcj — oidy 1,500 men — he pushed on to the relief of Lucknow. The garrison at Lucknow weie in desperate straits. Sir Henry Lawrence had died on the 4th of July. General Inglis succeeded to the command. The Resi- dency in which the British were besieged was commanded from the tops of sev- eral mosques and many religious edifices, whence sharpshooters fired down into the enclosure. Lawrence had been anxious to spare holy places as well as pri- vate property, and these buildings had not been destroyed. From them pro- ceeded a brisk fire of musketry. This rendered every part of the Residency un- safe. The Sepoys also brought up cannon, and regularly bombarded the Resi- dency. " I feel," says General Inglis, " that any words of mine would fail to convey any idea of what our fatigue and labors have been — labors in which all ranks and all classes (civilians, otticers and .soldiers) have all borne an equally noble part. All have together descended into the mines ; all have together handled the shovel for the interment of the putrid bullocks, and all, accoutred with musket and bayonet, have relieved each other on sentry, without regard to the distinc- tions of rank, civil or military; and the enemy, notwithstanding their over- whelming numbers and their incessant fire, could never succeed in gaining one inch of ground within the bounds of the Residency, which was so feebly fortified that had they once obtained a footing in any of the outposts the whole place must inevitably have fallen. During the early part of these vicissitudes we were left without any information of the posture of affairs without. On the twentieth day of the siege, however, a pensioner named Asgad brought in a letter from General Havelock's camp, informing us they were advancing with sufficient force to bear down all opposition, and would be with us in five or six days. A messen- ger was immediately despatched, requesting that on their arrival on the outskirt of the city two rockets might be sent up, in order that m e might take the neces- sary'- measures for assisting them to force their way in. The sixth day, however, expired, and they came not ; but for many evenings after officers and men watch- ed for the ascension of the expected rockets with hopes such as make the heart sick. We knew not then — nor did we learn till August 29th, thirty-five days I r. ■ • I id I'ce irt iirt IIKII MA.IKSTV QUKKN VICTOHIA, A»1K1) _'(). 4111 II SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. i;»7 I later — that the relieving force, after leaving Cawnporo, fought most nobly to effect our deliveranco, l)ut had been obliged to fall back for reinforcements; and this was our. last coininunicHtion before the arrival of help on the 25th of Sep- tember." Ilavclock, with his 1,500 men, left Cawnpore, crossed the Ganges, and headed for Lucknow. But ho found himself confronted by hordes of Sepoys. He severely punished the Sepoys in every battle and skirmish. But hemmed in by numbers, he was compelled to own that his force was too inadequate, numerieully, for the work it had to do. Finally, ho fell back on Cawnpore. There he awaited the roiiifurcements which were on the way. In September the reinforcements arrived. With them came Major-General Sir James Outram, sometimes called " the Bayard of the Indian Army." Ho had been ai)pointed as .senior oiticer to the command ; but in a spirit of true chivalry he allowed Havelock to conchule the enterprise he hud prosecuted with so much energy and to carry the British colors victorious into Lucknow. " The Major-General," — so Outram's proclamation to the troops ran — " in grati- tude for and admiration of the brilliant deeds in arms achieved by General Have- lock and 1 is gallant troops, will cheerfully waive his rank on the occasion ; and will acc< 'any the force to Lucknow in his civil capacity as Chief Commis- sioner of t 1h, tende/ing his military services to General Havelock as a volun- teer. On the relief of Lucknow, the Major-General will resume his position at the head of the force." This generous action was highly praised everywhere. It was spoken of by Lord Canning in an official paper. It was depicted in the centre of a silver shield presented by the inhabitants of Bombay to Sir James Outram, as being the crowning glory of a noble life of service and honor. The united Biitish forces now pushed forward rapidly, scattering the Sepoys before them. Frushed with hope and strong in endurance they carne in sight of Lucknow on the 23rd. Dividing into two columns they delivered a vehement attack — fighting their way into the heart of the city, through streets and lanes swept by incessant discharges of grape-shot and musket-balls — where every house had been converted into a fortaiice, and compelling the masses of rebel troops and hostile townsfolk to yield before them. At length the relieving force gained the Residency ; the British flag continued to float over Lucknow. Outram now assumed command. He found himself in a difficult position. He ■p era I 138 VICTORIA, i i had no means of tiunsport to convey away the women and children, the sick and the wounded. Even if he had the means, his force was not strong enough to convoy them through hosts of e"emies. He was therefore compelled to await the arrival of Sir Colin Camphell (afterwards Lord Clyde), who, at the head of a well equipped army, was advancing to his relief. Sir Colin arrived at Cawnpore on the 3rd of November. Six days later he was encamped at the Alunibagh, only three miles from Lucknow. Here he remained a week, communicating with the Residency garrison and concerting measures for their rescue. The scene in Sir Colin's camp was striking in the extreme. As the little army was drawn up in the midst o'' an immense plain, it seemed a mere handful. The guns and battalions that had come down from Delhi looked blackened and ser- vice-worn ; but the horses were in good condition ; the harness in perfect repaii , the men swarthy, and evidently in good fighting trim. The Ninth Lancers, with their blue uniforms and white turbans twisted round their forage caps, their flag less lances, lean but hardy horses, and gallant bearing, looked the perfection of a cavalry regiment on active service. Wild and bold was the carriage of the Sikh cavalry, riding" untamet' -looking steeds, clad in loose fawn-colored robes, with long boots, blue or red turbans and sashes, and armed with carbine and sabre. Next to them were the wasted remains of the Eighth aud Seventy-fifth, clad entirely in slate-colored cloth. With a wearied air they stood grouped around their standards — war, stripped of its display, in all its nakedness. Then the Sec- ond and Fourth Punjaub Infantry, tall of stature, with eagle eyes, overhung by large twisted turbans, clad in short and sand-colored tunics, men swift to u arch and forward in the fight, ambitious both of glory and of loot. Last stood, many in numbers, in tall and serried ranks, the Ninety-third Highlanders. A waving sea of plumes and tartans they looked, as with loud and rapturous cheers they wel omed their commander. One sa,w at once that under him they would go anywhere, do anything. Every inch of Sir Colin's advance was disputed. The struggle was desperate. Finally the intrepid courage of the British overcame the opposition of the infuri- ated Sepoys. Th i-elieving British force fought its way to the Residency. The whole garrison — men, women and children — passed safely from the Residency to Sir Colin's camp. Sir Colin Campbell, however, like Sir James Outram, found he was not strong enough to hold the city. He therefore quitted Lucknow — the rebels offering but m SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 139 a feeble opposition — on the 23rd, leaving behind him the remains of the gallant Havelock, who, on the preceding day, had died of dysentery. Bad news had reached Sir Colin from Cawnpore. The British force at Cawn- pore had been attacked by the troops of Nana Sahib, reinforced by the Gwalior contingent, and was in tlie utmost peril, together with the bridge of boats by which alone Sir Colin's army could recross the Ganges. On the 28th of November, the British force in Cawnpore had fought all day desperately, but hopelessly. At night it was compelled to fall back into intrench- ments wholly inadequate to give it shelter. Relief, however, was at hand. Suddenly the clatter of a few horsemen was heard passing over the bridge, and ascending to the Fort at a rapid pace. As they came close under the ramparts, an old man with grej hair was seen riding at their head. One of the soldiers recognized Sir Colin Campbell. The news spread like wildfire. The men crowding upon the parapet sent forth cheer after cheer. The Sepoys, surprised at the commotion, for a few minutes ceased their fire. The old man rode in through the gate. All felt then that the crisis was over. On the advance of Sir Colin's force the mUv,inous Sepoys evacuated Cawnpore. Sir Colin then turned his attention to the recapture of Lucknow and the recon- quest of Oudh. In a short time, with a force such as India had never before seen under a British general, Sir Colin marched into Oudh und advanced on Lucknow. " Having marched the last day through miles of barren and uninteresting country," writes an officer of Fusileers, " we came in sight of the camp of the little army of Sir James Outram at Alumbaugh, which Sir Colin had left behind when he marched away with his convoy from Lucknow. Tliere, within those few tents, were the gailant men who had held thousands of OiiJh rebels and the Sepoys in check so long ; yet who could fancy it was an army encamped before a large city occupied by a numerous enemy ? " Lucknow had been strongly fortified by the rebels. Sir Colin began the siege of Lucknow on the 8th of March, 1858. A vigorous bombardment was main- tained by the British, followed by a series of assaults. By the 19th instant the city was fully in possession of the British troops. The rebels were efiectually defeated. This story was repeated all over the disallected districts. In a few months the revolt was at an end. The suppression of the revolt was followed by the dissolution of the East 140 VICTORIA, K'-, India Company. On the 1st of September, 185S, the government of the East India Company ceased. The government of India was transferred to the Crown. The Queen was formally proclaimed Sovereign and the Governor -General her Viceroy. On the 1st of January, 1877, her Majesty Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India in the old imperial capital at Delhi. The proclamation was made at a Durbar of unparalleled magnificence held in the old Delhi cantonment behind the historic Ridge — the ridge from which in 1857 the British had re-con- quered the revolted Mogul capital. The visit of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh to India in 18G9, and the subsequent visit of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in 1870, had prepared the way for a closer association of the princes and people of India with the British Crown. The celebration of an Imperial assemblage at Delhi for the proclamation of the Empress will prove to ail future ages an epoch in the annals of British India. It swept aside the memory of the Sepoy revolt of 1857, and associated Delhi with the might and majesty of the sovereign of the British Empire. At the same time it brought all the princes and chiefs of India into personal intercourse in the same camp under the shadow of the British sover- eignty. Old feuds were forgotten ; new friendships were formed ; and for the first time in history the Queen of the British Isles was publicly and formally in- stalled in the presence of the Indian princes and people as the Empress of India. There were those who scoffed at the assumption of the title as a meaningless expression. It was not meaningless. It was a name, now for the first time pro- nounced and adopted which correctly expressed and explained the position and authority which the Queen actually held and exercised throughout India. Those who planned the proclamation were wiser than those who scoffed at it. The Eastern mind seeks for a visible chief on whom to bestow its allegiance, and cannot rest on the idea of power latent in a code or a constitution. " Who is my lord and my master ?" not " by what rules an 1 laws am I to be governed ? " is the question that is asked. In modern European life the significance of pageants has become faint and feeble, or has vanished altogether except as a historical commemoration. It requires an effort of the imagination to realize that — like the act of homage done in publii" to the liego lord in the feudal ages of Europe — the regulated splendours and ceremonies of an Indian Durbar still constitute a recognition, a symibol and a picture of existing facts and an indication of the SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 141 source and degree of authority, which have a practical effect and influence on the minds of those who witness them. "The event of the Prince's coining," writes Lord Napier of Magdala, in 1876, " is a great one for our prestige in India. It is a want that has been unfulfilled since the time of the best Moguls. The shadow of it rests in the mind of the old Zemindar, who holds with pride the family sunnud given by Akbar." In India there must be two classes of Governors-General : those who sympa- thise with the natives in their aspirations for a measure of self-government, and those who favour the Anglo-British sentiment of keeping a firm hand on the natives, and giving the largest measure of power to the central British rule. Which class is the best ? Sir Fitzjames Stephen, the eminent jurist, always regarded the British rule in India as the greatest achievement of the British race. He held it to be the one thoroughly satisfactory bit of work that the nation was now doing. A letter which strikingly illustrates his enthusiasm was written in prospect of the great Durbar at Delhi wLen the Queen was proclaimed Empress of India. " I am no poet," he wrote to his brother, " but Delhi made my soul burn within me, and I never heard ' God Save the Queen,' or saw the Union Jack flying in the heart of India without feeling the tear? in my eyes, which are not much used to tears." But Sir Fitzjames was no believer in granting self-government to those unfit to exercise its funcf/ions. His whole theory was based upon the view that force, order and justice require a firm basis of " coercion," and that, while we must be strictly just, accoi'ding to our own views of justice, we must not allow our hands to be tied by hollow fictions about the rights of races really unfit for exer- cise of the corresponding duties. This is exactly the same theory that many people have with legard to the South American rcjpublics — those lands of oft-recurring revolutions. A gentleman well versed in South American affairs, writes that it would have been a blessing to the world had Great Britain a hundred years ago been able to take hold of the weaker countries of South America. They would have been ruled then with a strong and just hand. " Self-government here," he writes, " is a snare and a de- lusion ; the natives are degraded and utterly unfit to exercise their rights. Force is the only right they recognize ; their leaders know it and use the fact to their own advantage." ^^m CHAPTER VIL iff Britain and Her Colonics (Continued). Greater Britain in Auslialiisia — Federation of tlie Australian Colonies — The New Zealanil War — British Colonies in Soutli Africa — The Boers ami the Transvaal —The Kafir and Zulu Wars — South African Confederation — The British South African Company — Tlie Indian and Colonial Exhibition — The Imf)erial Institute. HEATER BRITAIN in Australasia! Once the land of convict settle- ments ; of shameful immorality ; of horrors unspeakable. Now a land of peace and plenty, the home of nearly five millions of intelli- gent, law-abiding people, who respect the conventionalities of civil- ized life. Australasia, or Southern Asia, comprises the great island- continent of Australia, the Islands of New Zealand and Tasmania, and a vast number of smaller islands, chiefiy in the Southern Hemisphere, between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with a portion of the Islands of Papua or New Guinea. This great area is estimated to contain over three and a quarter millions of square miles. New South Wales was the first port'on to be occupied by the British. In 1783 New South Wales was suggested to the Home Govern- ment as a home for those imfortunate Amer4can loyalists who had lost their all through the successful revolt of the Americans against the authority of the British sovereign. But the suggestion met with scant attention. Bj-itish Forth xVmerica offered, it was said, an asylum for the American loyalists. It ♦happened, too. that at the moment the British Government had a new difiieulty on its hands through the United States declaring their independence. Formerly the English convicts had been transported to Virginia. This could no longer be done, and in a sViort time the jads of Britain were crowded with felons. .New South Wales was thereupon selected as a penal settlement, the first fleet from England with convicts reaching Port Jackson (Sydney) in January, 1788. For } ears no one at home gave a thought to the new settlement, unless in vague horror and compassion for the poor wretches who lived there in exile and starva- tion. But as years went by, the deportation of convicts from the old land grad- ually ceased. Free emigrants poured into the country. Sheep- raising became its leading industry. The discovery of valuable gold mine in 1851 gave a still (142) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 143 further impetus to the country. The faiae of the gold deposits soon spread, and thousands hastened to the scene. When the news reached Britain, crowds of emigrants soon hurried to the new gold fields. The inhabitants of other Ei'ro- pean countries joined in the rush. Americans were not long in following. Stalwart Californians left their own goM-yielding rocks and placiers to try their fortunes in the Southern Eldorado. Last of all, swarms of Chinese joined in the general scramble for wealth. In 1837 the site of a new capital, in a new district, was laid out, and was called Melbourne, in honor of the Prime Minister at home. JiUCKINliHAM P.VLACE. The new colony, of which Melbourne is the capital, was called Victoria, after her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen. As the country became more settled new provinces were formed. Australasia now comprises the following self-governing provinces : "'ew South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania — each having a Governor ajipointed by the Crown. Fiji, British New Guinea, and the scattered islands known under the generic title of Western Pacific, are still under direct Imperial control. 144 VICTORIA, The Australian colonies have proved a veritable gold mine, rich in results for lecturers and stars in operatic and tlioati-ical circles. Throughout the colonies a population of an excellent type has swallowed up, not only the convict element, but also the unstable and thriftless elements shipped out by friends in Britain. There is a cheerfulness among the people, running sometimes into fickleness and frivolity, which at once strikes the observant visitor. In 1885 Mr. Sala, while lecturing in Melbourne, was struck with two very curious circumstances : What was intended to be a glowing eulogium on Mr. Gladstone was received in dead silence, while every allusion made to Lord Beaconsfield was responded to witji a thunderous storm of hand-clapping and cheering. His Royal Highness the Duke of Eilinburgh visited Australia in 1868. The visit to Sydney was unhappily marked by a dastardly assault on the Duke. He received a magnificent welcome ; triumphal arches of costly and artistic struc- ture, brilliant displays of fireworks, houses aflame with flags were only in har- mony with the exuberant loyalty of the people everywhere in proclaiming the landing of the Queen's son upon Australian shores as a memorable event. On Maich 12th the Prince attended a picnic at Clontarf. On leaving the luncheon table his lloval Highness gave Mr. William Manning a donation towards the erection of a Sailors' Home, and was standing, in conversation on the subject, when a per- son who had recently arrived in Sydney, named H. F. O'Farrell, walked delib- erately to within two yards of him and fired a shot from a revolver, which struck the unsuspecting Prince a little to the right of the spine, and traversed the course of the ribs to the abdomen. The bullet was eventuallj'' extracted, and his Royal Highness recovered. O'Farrell was hanged to vindicate the out- raged law. " But the dastardly attack upon the Duke of Edinburgh's life," says Sir Henry Parkes, " produced a strange, lurid glare in the political atmos- phere, and engendered feelings not simply acrimonious and bitter, but almost deadly in the depth and color of their hatred. Holding the office of Colonial Secretary, and having in my hands the administration of the police, I naturally came in for a little more than my share of the adverse criticisms on the rumors and transactions which followed the attempted murder. The criminal O'Farrell was seriously maltreated by the infuriated crowd at Clontarf, and if he had not been protected by the police and speedily got away from the .'jcene, it is not im- probable that he might have been lynched on the spot. All kinds of secret conspiracies were conjured into instant existence. Panic seized the imagina- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 146 THE HON. CiKORGE HOUSTON REII), Premier of New South Wales. tions of sensible and sober-minded men. Even the Premier (the late Chief Justice, Sir James Martin), who was by no means a timid man, went about armed, and had his private residence guarded at night by armed men. Nothing is easier than to smile at all this from a comfortable dis- tance of time or space. But the mingled feelings of indignation, uneasiness and alarm were all but universal, and were contagious to a high degree, and spread widely amongst those who woke up afterwards to affectedly condemn the proceedings. In proof of tl is state of excited feeling I need only cite the facts that on March 18th Mr. Martin moved in the Legislative Assembly : ' That the Standing Orders be suspended with a view to the passing through all its stages in one day of a Bill for the better security of the Crown and Government of the United Kingdom, and for the better suppression and punishment of seditious practices and attempts;' that this motion was carried by forty-four to two votes ; that the Bill was passed through all its stages, sent to the Legislative Council, passed in the same rapid manner by that body, and returned without amendment to the Legislative Assembly before eleven -o'clock at night." When the Treason Felony Act reached England it was pro- nounced repugnant to British law. Mean- while in the colony it was the occasion for much mutual abuse, and Orange and Roman Catholic Guilds increased and multiplied with an amazing rapidity. J \ THE HON. SIR GEORGE TURNER, K.C.M.G. - Premier of Victoria. ii: 146 VICTORIA, The Australian colonies have given practical proof of their loyalty to the Empire. The events which culminated in the death of General Gordon and the capture of Khartoum in 1885 were watched with the keenest interest by the people of the Australian colonies. The widespread .sympathy which was felt for the mother country, as the troubles multiplied and the prospect became more threatening, found expression in the offer of Mr. William Bede Dalley, the Attorney-General and acting Premier of New South Wales, to send within a month, to the aid of the British arms in the Soudan, a fully-equipped force, eight hundred strong. Although many in the colony opposed the idea, Mr. Dalley 's action won, generally, po})ular approval. The British Government accepted what it called the "splendM offer," and for a time the voices of malcontents were drowned in the busy hum of preparation for the despatch of the contingent. Two large steamers were chartered as transports, and all arrangements were made with a lavish profusion, which clearly indicated the excitement which had taken possession of the people. Private citizens vied with one another in making presents of stores and other requisites. A patriotic fund was started for the relief of the widows and orphans of those who might fall ;. nearly .^250,000 was subscribed. Men from all parts of the colony hastened to volunteer their services, and had it been desired, a force twice or three times as large could easily have been enrolled. Within three weeks of the acceptance of Mr. Dalley 's offer all arrangements had been completed, and on the 3rd of March, 1885, amidst the greatest enthusiasm, the soldiers embarked before a crowd of close upon a quarter of a million people. The significance of this event was un- questionably very great. The other colonies would gladly have joined New South Wales in its enterprise. At the same time it showed the world that Great Britain had a latent power which had hitherto never been suspected or admitted. The whole business — offer, acceptance, and despatch of the soldiers — was so hur- ried and carried through on such a remarkable wave of popular emotion that the calmer heads in the community prophesied a violent reaction. It so happened that the New South Wales contingent had but little opportunity of real service. Its achievements and casualties were alike insignificant. Nevertheless, the reception of the troops on their return was almost as great as the demonstration at their departure. The prodigality displayed in equipping the force had pro- vided scoffers with a text, whilst the huge patriotic fund had but few claimants upon it and remained a monument of what appeared to ipany in more sober SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 147 service. ess, the istration ad pro- aimants re sober THE HON. SIR HU(iH MUIR NELSON, K.C.M.G., Premier oi Queensland. moments unnecessary liberality. But none the less the majority of the colon- ists were glad that they had done what they had; indeed, were Britain on a future occasion to appear in imminent peril, it is quite certain that Australians would again be found ready to aid her with their fortunes and their lives. In its early days New Zealand was blessed, or cursed, with one of those great Companies which has brought so much trouble to the Home Government. In 1832 the New Zealand Company was es- tablished. Not long after some dispute arose between the natives and the Com- pany about land, which, according to the Company's own representations, led only to a trifling violation of the law on the part of the Maeries. The dispute even- tually paralyzed the affairs of the Com- pany, and created a profound sensation throughout the whole of New Zealand. The natives gathered to resist the de- mands of the (Company. The Company sent a force to compel the submission of the natives. A conflict followed, in which the natives were victorious. Two or three of the Company's force, by conceal- ing themselves in the long fern, were the only survivors who returned to narrate the dismal story of this disaster. This victory over the colonists had a THE HON. CHARLES CAMERON KINGSTON, Q.C., Premier of Smith Australia. U8 VICTORIA, most prejudicial effect on the minds of the natives. Since the country had be- come a British colony peace liad prevailed, and an acknowledged supremacy in authority, as well as superiority in race, had been maintained on our part. A quarrel had now unfortunately iirisen, and a fight had ensued in which the British had been defeated. Wo had therefore not only lost our prestige us a superior race, but the natives had lost faith in our magnanimity, and a general want of confidence prevailed which fell little short o2 a panic. It was afterwards clearly demonstrated that the Company were in the wrong. Three successive Governor.; could not take the same view as the Company of the circumstances which led to this disaster. Sir George Grey, although he did not say so in so many words, evidently thought the Company was in the wrong. He bought the land in dispute from the natives, and the amount paid then was act- ually charged against the Company subsequently by the Government, in the settlement of accounts. Thus it happened that in New Zealand the Maori natives for many years proved a veritable thorn in the flesh to the white settlers. The white settlers wanted the Maoris' land ; the natives persistently refused to be dispossessed of their land. This was obstinacy on the part of the natives ; something must be done. Mild means were first tried ; these failed. Sterner measures were resorted to. From iSS'i to 1871 there were wars and rumors of wars between the natives and the Government. In 18G3 and 1864 a force of 20,000 Imperial and Colonial troops invaded the Maori district, and effectually dispersed the natives after many severe and bloody skirmishes. But even then they were not subdued. Since 1871, however, there have been no open disturbances. Great efforts were made to conciliate the leading native chiefs. Pardons were freely offered to the natives by the Colonial authorities. Those were trying days for Colonial Governors and their families. Occasionally the Government House party would have to enter- tain one or more native chiefs, now dressed in European costume, who were formerly noted for the bloody orgies in which they indulged after a victory over some native chief and his followers. In their wars with the Imperial and Colonial troops, however, the Maoris generally proved themselves to be brave and generous foes. They were remark- able fighters, and were, moreover, led by men with wonderful strategical capacity and military instinct. A Maori chief, known as Johnny Heke, was a recognized leader in many a m^ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 149 THE HON. am E. N. C. BR ADDON, K.C.M.G., I'reniier of Tasmania. disturbance. Again and again ho cut down tlie tla<:staff at tlie 13av of Islands The Government, determined to maintain its prestige, built a blockhouse on the top of the hill on which tlio flagstaff was erected. It was garrisoned with a de- tachment consisting of one sergeant and twenty men of the Ninety-Sixth Regi- ment, under the command of Ensign Campbell, with orders to hold tho place and protect the flag at all hazards. Johnny Heke, however, by means of a cunningly contrived strategy, once again cut down the Hagstaff. He had observed that Ensign Campbell and his men, when they saw the Maories advancing towards the town on the shore below, left the blockhouse and proceeJad to the brow of the hill overlooking the town, in order to observe what was going on. Heke prepared his plans according- ly. He ordered some fifteen of his stout and daring native warriors to hide near the blockhouse. He planted this party in ambush during the nisrht. On the following morning, March 11th, 1845, he advanced in force towards the town, .and fired a few volleys, in order to attract the attention of the military in the block- house. The Ensign, on hearing the re- port of musketry, hastily left his post with his men, and proceeded to the brow of the hill, leaving the blockhouse and flag unprotected. The Maories, in ambu.sh, who were watching all his proceedings, THE HON. SIR JOHN FORREST, K.C.M.G., Premier of Western Aiislralia. 150 VICTORIA, i'iii and only waiting for this opportunity, leaped from their cover in the fern, and bounding liko deer towards the blockhouHe, were iminodiatoly in possoMsion of it, including all the anus aiif its pro- visions were particularly objectionable. One pro no 'm .should be capable of exercising the elective franchise wli ')uld w .oad iuid write the English language. There was not a native who could do ' lis, although most of them could read and write their own language fluently. Another clause provided that all unoccupied lands should be forfeited to tl Crown. There was great dissatisfaction in New Zealand at these clauses. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. l&l Bishop Selwyn forwarded the following spirited protest to Sir George Grey, the Governor of New Zeahmd : " May it please Your Excellency, — I, George Augustus, by Divine permission. Bishop of New Zealand, on my own behalf, and on behalf of the clergymen of this diocese, employed by Captain Hobson to interpret and explain the Treaty of Waitangi to the native chiefs of New Zealand, do hereby record my deliberate and formal protest against the principles expressed in a letter of instructions ad- dressed by the Right Hon. the Earl Grey to your Excellency, bearing date Downing Street, December 23, IS^jG, to the effect that 'The savage inhabitants of New Zealand have no right of property in land which they do not occupy, and which has remained unsubdued to the purposes of man.' ' Against this doctrine I feel myself called upon to protest at the head of the missionary body, by whose inHuence and representations the native chiefs were induced to sign the Treaty of Wait&ngi, not one of whom would have consented to act as an agent of the British Government if the assurances given to them by Captain Hobson had not been directly contrary to the principles now avowed by the Right Hon. the Earl Grey. It is my duty also to inform your Excellency, that I am resolved, God being my helper, to use all legal and constitutional measures befitting my station, to inform the natives of New Zealand of their rights and privileges as British subjects, and to assist them in asserting and maintaining them, whether by petition to the Imperial Parliament, or other loyal or peaceful methods, but that in so doing I shall not forget the respect which I owe to your Excellency, nor do anything which can be considered likely to add to the difficulties of the colony. " I have further to request that this communication may be forwarded to the Right Hon. the Earl Grey, Secretary of State for the Colonies, with whom I am privileged to communicate through your Excellency. I have, &c. " G. A. New Zealand." Sir George Grey also vigorously protested against the attempt to intentionally disfranchise, oppress, and reduce the natives to a condition of serfdom, after they had ceded the sovereignty of their country to the Queen upon the express stipula- tion that they were to be entitled to all the rights of British subjects. In the end Earl Grey suspended the introduction of the Charter. But the old fighting days are now over, it is hoped, forever. White-winged peace hovers over the two races, who are intermingling and living harmoniously ? I 'ii- •lil 152 VICTORIA, side by side. The Maories are, moreover, meeting the fate of all savage people who come in contact with a higher civilization, and are rapidly vanishing from the land of their fathers. This is certainly different to the state of affairs in what may be called Black America. The white people of the United States would be only too glad to see the blacks rapidly vanishing from the land of their adoption. But the blacks are not vanishing. Instead of doing so, they are increasing at a rate which is likely to cause serious trouble to the Government of the United States before many years. The social life of a ne',7 colony, such as New Zealand in its early days, pre- sented many amusing contrasts. On the occasion of a party at Government House, in the winter .season, it frequently happened that the guests would get as far as the gate, but to get through the mud farther was impossible without ren- dering them unpresentable at an evening party. The services of some Maories would then be secured ; and the guests would be carried over the slough of mud to the verandah of Government House on the backs of the Maories. It was well that in those day.s the colonists were mostly )''oung and all high in spirits, and that such words as trouble and difficulty were practically not to be found in their vocabulary. Mr. George Higinbotham, late Chief Justice of Victoria, and a leading Aus- tralian politician, was oppose 1 to the idea of Imperial Federation, fancying that it would lead back to rule by Downing Street .ind " government by despatches."^ He had fought too much and too bravely against this to see any advantage in schemes of closer connection. And yet every scheme of Imperial or Britannic Confederation implies complete self-government of each part as to its own affairs. " The future can take care of itself," was Higinbotham's answer, when pressed as to what would be the state of affairs when the colonies had a popula- tion equal or nearly equal to that of Great Britain. Australian Federation he supported, but not so warmly as many. He saw no necessity for hurry in the matter of Federation, and would consent to any postponement rather than see Responsible Government in the British sen.se weakened in the least by its adop- tion. On this point he was as Conservative as the most true-blue Constitution- ali.?t could desire. The question of the Federation of the Australian Colonies has been discu.s-sed for many years. Among the proposals made when the scheme for granting Responsible Government to Austialia was originally discussed, about the year 1852, was one for the establishment of a General Assembly to make laws in rela- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 103 la- he tlie see lop- ion- tion to international questions. The proi)osition, however, sank out of sight for some time, until, in various ways, especially in regard to postal matter and defence, the benefits of united action became more apparent. Some years ago, as the result of an Intercolonial Conference, the matter came before the Imperial Parliament, and a measure was passed permitting the fornation of a Federal Council, to which any colony could send delegates. Tho first meeting of the Federal Council was held at Hobart, in January, 1886. Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and Fiji were represented. South Australia sent representatives to a subsequent meeting. The Federal Council has met five times in all and discussed matters of intercolonial interest ; but as it is purely a deliberate body, without authority to legislate, it has failed to satisfy the advo- cates of Federation as an active political principle. In Februar)-, 1890, a more important Conference, consisting of representatives of each of the seven colonies of Australia, was held in Melbourne. An address to the Queen was adopted, containing resolutions affirming the desirableness of union under the Crown of the Australian Colonies. It was also recommended that steps should be taken towards the appointment of delegates from each of the colonies to a National Australian Convention, empowered to consider and report upon an adequate scheme for a Federal constitution. On March 2nd, 1891, the National Australian Convention met at Sydney, New South Wales, and was attended by forty-five representatives — seven from each colony, except New Zealand, which only sent three. Sir Henry Parkes was unanimously elected President of the Convention, and Sir Samuel Griffiths, Vice-President. A series of resolutiorts, moved by Sir Henry Parkes, occupied the attention of the Convention. These resolutions set forth the principles upon which Federal Government should be established, and went on to approve of a Federal Constitution, with a Federal Parliament, to con- sist of a Senate and a House of Representatives, a Federal Judiciary and a Fed- eral Executive. These i-esolutions were discussed at great length, and eventually were adopted. The public were admitted to the debates, and an official record of the proceedings was published. A draft Bill, to constitute the " Common- wealth of Australia," was adopted by the Convention, and it was agreed that the Bill should be presented to each of the Australian Parliaments for approval and adoption. This Bill was introduced into the Parliaments of most of the colonies of the group, and in Victoria it passed the Lower House with some amendments. In January, 1895, a conference of the Premiers of the five Australian colonics 164 VICTORIA, was opened at Hobarfc, by Viscount Gorrnanston, Governor of Tasmania. A series of resolutions was adopted urging tlie importance of Federation and requiring that a convention of representatives, chosen directly by the electors of each colony, should draft a Constitution to be submitted to the electors directly, and that if such a Constitution should be accepted, that the necessary steps be taken to secure its adoption. There are two leading groups of British Colonies in Africa : the West African colonies situated upon the tropical, fever-stricken coast to the north of the Equa- tor; and the South African colonies which occupy the southern extren ity of the continent, and generally healthy and well adapted for European settlements. Besides these colonies there are other large portions of the continent now under British protection. The story of the occupation of British Africa is replete with thrilling adven- tures ; of contests with the native tribes ; of diplomatic skirmishes with Ger- many and other European powers. The Cape Colony is first in wealth and importance of British possessions in Africa. On the 19th January, 1806, after a century and a half of Dutch rule, the Cape of Good Hope, or the Cape Colony, became a British colony. The Dutch and British settlers lived in peace together for years. Then differences gradu- ally arose. The Dutch settlers upheld slavery. The British desired to emanci- pate the slaves. In 1834 a law was passed emancipating all slaves through- out the colony. Large numbers of the Dutch, or Boers as they are called, migrated and founded a colony at Natal. In ISiS Natal became part of the British dominions in Africa. The Boers a^ain migrated or " trekked," to use a South African term, and fouaded the Orange Free State. Some of the more restless spirits among the Boers "trekked" once again into the Transvaal. By 1877 there were the three British colonies of Cape Town, Natal and Griqua- land, with two independent Dutch llepublies — the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. Lord Carnarvon, Colonial Secretary of State, thought to found a South African Confederation, somewhat on the plan of the Canadian Confedera- tion. Sir Bartle Frere was sent out to South Africa as High Commissioner to effect the Confederation. Frere was a man of great ability — sincere and upright. But the colonies were not yet ready for Confederation. Difficulties confronted Frere at every step. He found three distinct types of Europeans in the country — the Dutch Boers, the Britishers, and the Germans. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 166 The Dutchman, or Boer, recognizes South Africa as his home ; he wants to live and let live, not make money as fast as he can and then pack up for home. He is a good citizen if let alone. Many thousands of them are loyal British subjects. The Britisher, on the other hand, is hoping every day to be off home again. > AN INCIDKNT IN THK ZULU WAR. He is after diamonds or gold, or else he is a trader. He may buy a farm, if he thinks he can sell it at a bargain to-morrow ; if he is an old settler who has had a free grant he wisely sticks to it ; but if he can't get it free he leaves the land severely alone, and tries shopkeeping. m 1^ ! \iWR 1 ■«H h: r li PI 166 VICTORIA, The German is a trader, if a Jew; but on the eastern border he is a soldier- settler of the old German legion, or descended from one. As settlers they are worth more than half-a-dozen of any other white men. They are the most ' w- abiding people, though if called out for service they soon show that they have lost none of their military instincts. Besides the people of European blood, there are the Kafirs, the Zulus, and other native tribes. Frere found that the natives were utterly incapable of self- government. There was constant fighting between the various tribes, or between the natives and the whites. The Kafir and the Zulu wars are matters of history. There is nothing more piteous to see than the result of a Kafir outbreak. Farms in the early days were large, say from one thousand to four thousand acres. They were occupied by pioneer farmers, discharged soldiers of the old German Legion, and other military settlers, who with their families lived far apart. It is only by their known good marksmanship, and the respect inspired by a white face, that the whites hold their own among hundreds of black men. A Kafir war means ruin to the settler. Here is an instance : On January 4th, 1878, a large body of Kafirs swept a settler's farm completely ; they burned his house and outbuildings, and carried ofi* twelve thousand sheep, with many cattle and horses. From afiluence he was reduced in an hour to destitution. He had grown gray with long toil, and was too old to begin life fresh. Even the Abor- igines Protection Society would not be surprised to hear that the motto of such men was, " Slay, and spare not." The natives also suffered severely at the hands of freebooters and lawless whites. It was to protect the natives, and secure safety for the whites, that Frere was so persistent in reiterating the demands of his predecessors, that G-reat Britain should take the native districts under its protection. ' , The British troops sent against the natives labored under a serious disad- vantage. The oflUcial instiuctions for outpost duty were almost word for word those authorized for the Peninsular war. The}' may be very excellent against civilized troops, but 'iiculous against the savage who can wriggle like a snake almost noiselessly through the grass, and whose delight is to display a stained assegai to his own du.sky maiden to show he has washed his spear in some sentry's blood. The troops indeed soon found that the Kafir's ways were like those of the Red Indians. Loyal natives had eventually to be employed, while the soldiers had to alter their tactics entirely. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 157 The Kafirs generally were splendid men physically. They were brave, too. One day in a skirmish a young Kafir, whose arm-ring showed him to be a chief, was shot and his men began to retreat, except one tall gray-headed old fellow, who threw all his assegais, then his knobkerrie, and finally heavy stones and dirt at the white men. Their officer ordered them not to shoot him, and an in- terpreter told him that if he would surrender he would not be hurt. His reply was worthy of any race : " This morning I left the great place with my young chief ; you have killed him. I, a councillor, cannot return to his father without him ; I will follow him," and he continued advancing and throwing, till some man, who got a crack on the head, put up his rifle and shot him. The Kafir outbreak of 1877 was successfully quelled, but it roused t^e natives throughout South Africa. They thought the time had come to exterminate the white men. The Zulus, especially, became very insolent ; Cety wayo, their chief, was determined that his warriors should wash their spears in the blood of the white man. The Transvaal Boers, harsh and arbitrary in their treatment of natives, had involved themselves in war with a native potentate, and had also got into disputes with Cetywayo. Many years before it was pointed out to the Home authorities that the undisputed authority of a single paramount civilized power, capable of enforcing fair treatment of the natives, was essential to peace and tnmquillity, and to the progress and civilization of the country. In 1858 a proposal for the union was made, but the then Colonial Secretary decided against it, and a golden opportunity was lost. The Boers and the lawless element ever on the confines of white settlements continued to cruelly harrass and maltreat the native tribes. The British were endeavoring to keep on friendly terms with both the Trans- vaal Boers and with Cetywayo. The Transvaal Boers wei'e clamoring for their " rights," as they put it ; while the Zulus had long looked on the British as friends. At this critical moment the Transvaal was declared annexed to the British Crown. Complications ensued which resulted in the Zulu war of 1879. Alarmed at the threatening attitude of the Zulus, who were reported to have thirty or forty thousand warriors ready for the warpath, Frere wrote to the Colonial Office urging that reinforcements be sent promptly. But the Home Colenso. Lord Chelmsford, who commanded at Ulundi was proceeding to Maritzburg. Moly- neaux was travelling ahead, and as he started for the last thirty- two miles lap I hi i1 160 VICTORIA, he found one of his fellow-travellers was Bishop Colenso. " Now the Bishop had all along held the view that the British and not the Zulus had been the wrong- doers irom the first, and not being one whit afraid of his opinions, he had lost no opportunity of airing them in the newspapers. This view had not been gener- ally popular in Natal, and at that particular time his lordship was not very much honored in his own country. When we were thi-ee miles from Maritzburg a strong party of men rushed at us, took the horses out of the omnibus, cheered like maniacs, and began to drag us towards the town. The Bishop knew the General was following later, saw at once the mistake, and could not bear the notion of being mixed up in any way with a demonstration in favor of the vic- tor of Ulundi. 'I am not the General,' he shouted. We were bowling along at a fine rate ; the horses had been turned adrift, and had galloped off down the road ; if the men found out their mistake we should be left stranded on the veldt. I tried, therefore, to pacify his lordship, but in vain; he would not listen to rea- son as a mathematician should. ' I am the Bishop ; I am not the General,' he yelled again. ' By jingo, it is the old bloke of a Bishop,' said one of the crowd ; and at once, as I had foreseen, we were left ignominiously to cool our heels on the road. A quarter of an hour later the post-cart vafch the General and his party galloped past." Soon after the disaster at Isandhlwana the Transvaal Boers again set up their claim to independence. The disaffected Boers continued the agitation, tex-rorizing those in the territory who were content to remain under British rule. In March, 1879, Frere visited the Transvaal. He told the Boers that his instruc- tions were to say that the British Government would not give up th" Trans- vaal, but that they might look to having complete freedom and ultimately local self-government under the British Crown, such as was enjoyed by the Cape Colony. Three Secretaries of State, three High Commissioners, and two Houses of Commons had said that the Transvaal should not be given back. Yet the Transvaal was given back. Later in the year, Frere was replaced in the Transvaal by Sir Garnet Wolseley. Sir Garnet made speeches in every place he visited, declaring the Act of Annexa- tion to be irrevocable. He afterwards published a proclamation to that effect. At Standerton, which is on the Vaal River, he told the people that the Vaal would flow backward before the British would be withdrawn from the Trans- vaal territory. But the Boers would not be satisfied. Knowing that the Mr. bM 'M'- SIXTY YEARS A QUEHV. 161 Glad'jtone, who, in his Mid-Lothian speeches, had denounced their annexation as unjust, was the Queen's Prime Minister, they naturally concluded he would give them back their independence, not understanding that party speeches made before a general election are not always intended to be taken literally. As time passed, and they found that the new Ministry took no steps towards giving them LORD VVOLSELEY. their independence, the agitation broke out afresh. Finally they openly rebelled. Then came the disastrous defeat of the British forces by the Boers at Majuba Hill in 1881. -- ^-^ — —----—— Instead of putting forth all its resources and stamping out the rebellion, the British Government actually began to treat with rebels in arms. It thus K 162 VICTORIA, ,:■; J 11- 'M gradually became known throughout the Transvaal that the plighted vord of the British Crown over and over again pled^'ed to retain the Transvaal, on the faitli of which hundreds of Europeans had settled in the country and staked their all, and on which seven hundred thousand natives relied for protection, was to be deliberately repudiated and broken. That plighted word was broken. The Transvaal State was recognized, sub- ject to suzerainty of the Queen. The Boers viewed this pusillanimous conduct on the part of the British Government with the contempt it deserved. At a banquet held shortly after at Pretoria, at which the British representative was present, the Queen's health was drunk with ironical cheers last of all the poli- ticid toasts. If the integrity of the British Empire is to be maintained some British states- men will l)ave to remember the words of Macaulay : " That honesty is the best policy is a maxim which we firmly believe to be generally correct, even with respect to the temporal interests of individuals ; but with respect to societies the rule is subject to still fewer exceptions, and for this reason, that the life of cieties is longer than the life of individuals. It is pos- sible to mention those who have owed great worldly prosperity to breaches of private faith ; but we doubt whether it be possible to mention a state which has on the whole been a gainer by a breach of public faith ; the entire history of British India is an illustration of the great truth that it is not prudent to opi ose perfidy to perfidy, and the most efficient weapon with which men can encounter falsehood is truth. During a long course of years the English rulers in India, sur- rounded by allies and enemies whom no engagement could bind, have generally acted with sincerity and uprightness, and the event has proved that sincerity and uprightness are wisdom. English valour and English intelligence have done less to extend and to preserve our Oriental Empire than English veracity. All that we could have gained by imitating the doubtings, the evasions, the perjuries which have been employed against us is as nothing when compared with what we have gained by being the one power in India on whose word reliance could be placed. No oath which superstition can devise, no hostage however precious inspires a hundredth part of the confidence which is produced by the 'yea, yea,' and ' nay, nay ' of a British envoy." Moreover, if the British Government thought that its breach of faith with the whites and natives in the Transvaal would end its troubles, it soon found it was SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 163 f the faith ir all, to be , sub- induct At a '6 was a poU- states- }, to be lis ; but for this t is pos- ^ches of ich has toiy of ^counter ia, sur- enerally ncerity ive done ty. All perjuries th what ice could precious ea, yea,' with the nd it was wofuUy mistaken. The Boers were utterly unable to protect the natives living on their frontiers. After the defeat of the Zulus, Cetewayo was sent away to England. Contrary to the petitions of the conquered Zulus themselves, contrary to the earnest advice of many leading colonists, Sir Garnet Wolseley, instead of placing the Zulu country under British protection, parcelled out the Zulu country among thirteen i)etty chiefs. Sir Garnet Wolseley has ever proved himself a genius in military campaigns. He was not so successful as an administrator. In a little while Cetewayo was sent back to his country. But that did not restore Zululand to Cetewayo. It only made confusion worse confounded. His sudden death did not improve matters. There were constant bloody fights be- tween the petty chiefs. In the end the domains of these petty chiefs proved so many temi>ting baits for the filibusterinn; CECIL RHODES. feat of the British troops at Majuba Hill. The natives of Africa, like those of India, require a strong hand to rule them. After their defeat the Zulus should have been placed under Brit- ish protection in- .stead of leavinof them to become the prey of the Boers or to fight among themselves. Event- ually,in 1887, what Boers after the de- was left of Zululand was annexed as a British possession. This of itself furnishes an excellent illustration of the short-sighted policy of 187i;. Lord Randolph Churchill visited the Transvaal in 1891. He returned home with a veiy poor opinion of the Boers, as a governing people. He regretted that the Transvaal had ever ceased to be a British possession. " Had Johannesburg, with its present population, its present possessions, and its present prospects, existed at the time of the Transvaal War, it never would have been suffered to pass away from the dominion of the British Government. 164 VICTORIA, ii : Viewing tho Transvaal as it is, and calculating what it might be if its possessors and rulers were English, one cannot but lament that so splendid a territory should have censed to be British." In the Transvaal no native may travel from one place to another unless he is provided with a pass. In tho towns no native may be out at night, unless he is similarly protected. Neither can any native in the Transvaal ictpiire a title tc land. On the other hand, throughout tho Transvaal the native enjoys the valu- able privilege of being able to purchase and consume in any quantity the most poisonous alcoholic compounds. Lord Randolph rejoiced, after all that he saw in the Transvaal, that the country and the people of the Matabele and the Mashona had been rescued in the nick of time, owing to the genius of Mr. Rhodes and the tardy vigor of the British Government, from the withering grasp of the Boer. In 1880 Frere opened negotiations for the construction of a railway from the Transvaal, through Portuguese territory, to Delagoa Bay. The necessary pre- liminaries for this were ably accomplished by his old friend, Sir Robert Morier, then Minister at Lisbon, who having acquired a special knowledge of and inter- est in this coast in connection with the suppression of the slave-trade, had by the most strenuous efforts succeeded in overcoming Portuguese prejudice and securing the consent of the Portuguese Government to a treaty which promised great advantage to the South African Colonies, and especially to the Transvaal — as the Boers well knew — in giving direct communication with the nearest sea- port, and opening the port on ec^ual terms to British and Portuguese ships. But the matter was delayed in Britain till the Portuguese Ministry favorable to the treaty had left office, and the opportunity was lost. Great Britain, Ger- many and Portugal have since compromised their disputes as to their various spheres of influence in Africa. In 1882, Rev. John Mackenzie, a South African missionary, visited England to arouse interest in South African affairs, especially as regarded Bechuanaland. He visited Mr. A., a large manufacturer and local magnate. Mr. A. thought it a great mistake that Sir Bartle Frere had not been recalled at once. " In fact," he said, " we are of opinion that Frere should have been tried and hanged." Mr. Mackenzie replied by giving a sketch of the work which Sir Bartle Frere had had before him, its fatal element of haste, but its calamitous failures in no way chargeable to him. " In short," concluded Mr. Mackenzie, " but for the grave SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 166 blunders of others, you would have canonised Sir Bartle Frere instead of speak- ing of him as you do. Ho is the ablest man you ever sent to South Africa. As to his personal character, I do not know a finer, manlier Christian." Most of the mistakes in the government of South Africa have been caused by the fatal tendency to try and govern it from Downing Street. In Africa, as elsewhere, the British Government has too often failed to place due confidence in its own representative. It has listened to one-sided evidence and doctrinaire views, and has over-ruled or recalled Governors and High Commissioner , men of its own choice, who had every qualification for forming a Just judgment on the .scene of action, whore alone a just judgment could be formed. Other portions of Southern Africa under British influence include the great districts of Jiechuanaland and Matabelelund. In 1S78, the Bechuanas invaded Griijualand West. They were repulsed by British volunteers. These in turn seized part of Bechuanaland. Colonel Lanyon wrote to the High Commissioner that the natives in Bechu- analand had been subdued. From personal observation, he was strongly of the opinion that the British should continue to occupy the territory. " To withdraw now," he wrote, " would be regarded as weakness on our part. The chiefs, weak as they were before, would now be powerless for good, and the result would be that a. state of anarchy would prevail which would be fatal to civilization, and dangerous to the interests of surrounding territories. One thing is, I think, quite certain, that the country will never be left again to the state of anarchy which prevailed there before." Sir Bartle Frere wrote : " By refusing to accept the position of a Protecting Power, habitually acting as arbiter in inter-tribal disputes, we escape nothing save the name of responsibility. Its realties are already incurred, and when at length we unwillingly undertake the burden of dominion, we shall find it greatly aggravated by delay and neglect." But the cry in England was " No further territory in South Africa — no more interference with the natives." In 1879, the Secretary of State, Sir M. Hicks-Beach, addressed Sir Bartle Frere in these temporising terms: "The adoption of Colonel Lan3'on's proposals would appear to involve the assumption of such increased responsibilities as to be open to very serious objection in present circumstances." Captain Harrel was specially appointed by the High Commissioner to "1 (i; , 1 s >1! i 1 tl -if 166 VICTORIA, visit the b^ely disturbed districts and to report. Captain Barrel's report con- tained this warninp; : " If left to themselves and to the sinister influence of those whose profit and policj' it is to promote strife among them, it needs no prophet to predict that ere long tlie territory would become a kind of Alsatia for lawless adventurers, land speculators, and discontented subjects from the adjoining British provinces, and that belore long, probably, through sonie untoward act, blood would be spilt, and hjr Majesty's Government might find itself involved in the necessity of fittinc out an expedition as unsatisfactory in its results as it woald be burdensome in expense." Notwithstanding these opinions and warnings from its own officers on the spot, the British Government actually withdrew its force from the district. The expected result followed. Freebooters, discontented Boers and others overran the district. The troubles at length became .so acute that in 1884 the British Government was compelled to despatch the Bechuanaland field force, under Sir Charles Warren, to restore order to the district. Sir Charles Warren was appointed Special Commissioner in the district; an unfortunate mistake was made in placing him under Sir Hercules Robinson, the High Commissioner at Capetown. This led to serious complications. The filibustering Boers were encouraged in their evil course; the natives were cruelly disappointed. The High Commissioner had. at that time, never been in the district, and, therefore, had no personal knowledge of it. Unfortunately, he generally adopted a policy of opposition in regard to the Special Commissioner's efi^bris towards settling afiairs in the district. Bechuanaland bord'^rs on the Transvaal Ropubhc. President Kruger desired to annex Bech'janaland to the Transvaal. President Kruger, from what he had seen, L^J come to believe that, so long as he provided for its ti'ade interests in South Africa, the Br'ti.sh Govei:nment would not be too particular about tiie love of justice, the honor of England, oi the interests of the weaker and ore dependent races. Acting on this principle, the Transvaal flag was hoisted over a British Protectorate, near Bechuanaland, in Ootober, 1884. Kruger's agent, in hoisting the flag, made a glowing speech. " Youthful is our atate," he said, " but L'oorns grow." With characteristic sagacity. President Kruger had the cool impertinence to cable direct to her Majesty s Secretary of State in London, askicg sanction of this proceeding. Kruger purposely ignored the High Commissioner in South Afrira, The Minister in London would be more pliable, espe^'ially when he would SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 167 read Kruger's assurance, " Wish to assure you have acted only to maintain [jeace. No intention against Queen's interest and trade route. Wish to co-operate with her Majesty." President Kruger's idea of co-operation with her Majesty was to try and add part of her Majesty's territory to his Rerublic. la time he was forced to har. :l it back. President Kruger soon gave a further ])roof of his /(stuttness as a politician. The differences between Sir Charles Warren and Sir Hercules Robinson gradu- ally rebelled an acute st.ige. Sir Charles Warren was doing good work in Bechu- analand — far too good to suit President Kruger. If Warren was allowed to have his way, Bechuanaland would never become part of the Transvaal. President Kruger had heard of the breach between Sir Charles and Sir Hercules. If the breach could only be widened, Sir Charles might be recalled. Happy thought ! At once the President telegraphed Sir Hercules Robinson as follows : " With re- gard to Sir Charles Warren, his actions were not likely to promote peace and a good understanding in S^uth Africa. In the interest of the whole of South Africa, I think another policy in Bechuanaland very much wanted. This Gov- ernment remains always very anxious to co-operate with her Majesty's Govern- ment in restoring peace in South Africa." Ins*"ead of Sir Hercules treating with the contempt it des'jrved this telegram from a ruler who was a source of constant trouble to the British, Sir Hercules actually wrote President Kruger that his views should beat onco forwarded to her Majesty's Government. Sir Hercules also had the bad taste to .send President Kruger's telegram on to Sir Charles. Sir Charles was not at all disconcerted. He re|)lied that President Kruger should commence to restore peace within his own territories. " He is at present," wrote Sir Charles, " allowing filibusterers to congregate in parties danger- ously near to the border-line. Nicholas Gey is at present acting in a hostile manner to 'jti Majesty's Governmenc from within the Transvaal." Sir Charles Warren was more than able to iiold his own against President Kruger. In August, 1885, Judge Shippard was nominated administrator. Sir Charles Warren, after meeting with greai success in his mi.ssion as special administrator, was recalled. In October, 188), Bechuanaland was proclaimed British territory. In 189.5 this territory was annexed to Cape Colony. President Kruger, however, has not ceased his eiforts 'o extend the domains of the Transvaal. Recent ..>" i^B^ 4jK i^^?^/;"''^^* J^^- ■ ■ '.^jla JIBKS^K^: ^^'TM^^^^^I B||M|g5\jJsjf 0/\.. JKSkfL iifff^sKmff^'' .™ H^fK^PW: ^» .^H^ffiP^sln^^^ - " .' ^,"' ' 'i^f '■^^l^*'"^''* 'jJMbImHIIWBm^' ' r- ''' ■'•'of><''-^ ' ' ^P*^'^-'' ' -r^'-v'^?! JjHl^nHKhfES^^^&i^^ix f'' ' v.-s-jsj'k ■ a ^»^:-f^,/t:-:,\ ' iinniiiaff^ ^pT^r'' .\\^ ^'''^^fifiHsHBi ^K|s.;'.-':;iL '-■ •>,' '^ ■^ "■■3 "'•'" ■■■ "V, I ' ■ ::C- ^M ^1«W^ m' > II. H.ll. TIIK I'KIXCK OF WALKS 1 1 ■ V r I ■ i. I I I i I I i ill f : T:;t 170 VI^-TORIA, B., or Illicit Diamond Bii3'ers. Tlie " compound system " is now employed. Each compxny hag a large yard or compound, one side of which is enclosed by build- ings, the other by sheet-iron walls ten feet high. This compound has an opening into the mine. In it tlie native workers sleep, eat, bathe, and receive medical attendance, should they be sick. And during the time they engage to serve — that is, two cr three months — they are never allowed to go out of it. Of course on their departure they are rigorously searched ; so, too, each day, as they come from the mine, when each man undergoes, naked, a searching of mouth, ears, nose, hair, and armpits. So rigorously is the search made that it is almost im- possible to conceal a diamond. In 1873 the Ashantees, a tribe of warlike negroes of West .Africa, revived an old quarrel with the British authorities. An expedition under the leadership of Sir Garnet Wolseley was organized in Britain. The expedition started from Portsmouth in September. It was back again a*^. the same port in March, 1874, with its work well accomplished. It was not the Ashantees — fierce warriors as they were — that were to be dreaded, but the climate. All had to be accomplished in the cooler months. " The success of the campaign was a question of days, almost of hours, and the victory was snatched out of the very jaws of approaching sun and fever." Sir Garnet Wolseley main- taining his reputation as a wonderful organizer and leader, timed himself almo.st to a day. He pushed on rapidly to Coomassie, burnt it, and began his return to the coast. The maiii street of Coomassie was found to lead to the death-grove, or place of execution, which, in all accounts of the Ashantee Kingdom, occupie.3 so conspicu- ous a position. There the British .soldiers stood aghast at the terrible spectacle of thirty or forty decapitated bodies in the last stages of corruption, and countless skulls, lying piled in hea js and scattered over a wide area. M. Bonat, who was for some years a prisoner in Coomassie, tells us that he has seen some two or thi-ee hundred slaves slain at one time, as customary after the death of the King's sister; and as many as a dozen slaves dragged to the grove, and executed in a most baibarous manner, on an}' ordinary occasion. If it be true that about a thousand iSmViS, offenders, rebels and others are put to death annually, we may form a tolerably accurate conjecture of the number of victims who have helped to swell the terrible death-roll of the Coomassie Golgotha since the time of Sy Tutu, the founder of the present dynasty, in the middle of the eighteenth century. It SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 171 II. it. H. THK I'RIXCESS OF WALKS. i 1 ' ■' 1 » 1 ^ i:-! 172 VICTORIA, ^Mij: may safely be computed that the san()[uinary ' customs ' of the Ashantee Kingdom has cost the lives of between 130,000 and 140,000 victims. Wolseley had not got far on his return to the coast when envoys from the king met him, proposing terms of peace. One part of the treaty made by Sir Garnet Wolseley with King Coffee provided for the abolishment of human sacrifices. There are supposed to be vast gold mines in the Ashantee country, but they are under the protection of local demons, and, therefore, not much worked. It is said that the only good or glory Britain got out of the Ashantee war was a sense of the admirable management with which it wns conducted. The empire of King Cotiee was broken up after the war ; his prestige and power were gone. The nation split up into little clans or kingdoms ; the king at Coomassie having, however, power to call out the chiefs as his feudatories in case of war. Kinij Coffee died not lone: after, and those who came after him seem to have had neither his power, his prestige, nor his capacity. On the return of the Ashantee expedition, the tioops were reviewed by the Queen at Windsor. The expedition cost the British taxpa3'-er about five million dollars. Africa is rapidly securing the benefits of advanced civilization. There are two lines of steamers running from England to all ports from Sieri'a Leone to St. Paul de Loanda ; there are .steamboats on the Congo, on the Niger, on Lake Tangan- yika, and on Lake Nj'asa. They have plied, with occasional interruptions, upon Lake Albert and the Victoria Nyanza. There are Protestant missionaries and missions scattered all over Congo Free State, to say nothing of East Africa, be- sides Cardinal Lavigerie's White Fathers — and yet, alas ! rum, whisk}', gin, and brandy have been litei-ally poured into Africa, and tribes where Christianity had seemed to be making progress now have their head-men drunkards. Mr. Johnston, a man who has, probably, been more closely brought face to face with the subject than any other official in Africa, says that it is evident, from the foundations of old villages, and fragments of pottery buried several feet under the soil, that Central Africa was once peopled by races very superior to those now inhabiting the land. The slave-trade became prevalent when the Arabs first established their infiuence upon the coast, and it obtained an enormous de- velopment when the Portuguese succeeded the Arabs in power, and introduced guns and gunpowder. Then it was that native races were taught to hunt down and to destioy each other. The constant hunting of man by man kept the whole HlWIS4«Ci)HF SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 177 derinff. The question is constantly propounded, " What can be actually done, what real, tangible work can be undertaken that shall secure the substantial re alization of this great idea ? " There are men with cut-and-dried federal sys- tems ; there are men with extensions and adaptations of the existing Parlia- mentary system ; there are men with complete and men with incomplete consti- tutions for one wide Empire. But, to the practical mind, the process by which the Empire has grown appears to be the process by which it will be consolidated; the history of the mother country in the past contains the only reliable indica- tions of the history in the future of that mother country and its numerous Col- onial offspring. That history is the tale of successive developments, of a series of growths and changes usually of such slight comparative importance as almost to escape notice. British history affords no example of sudden new reforms, no magnificent paper constitutions, no brand-new codes and institutions — it is only a record of perpetual growth. The Imperial Institute is destined to do much towards consolidating the vari- ous parts of the Empire. But to do its work properly it must be judiciously managed. It must not be allowed to become simply a social centre. It must be maintained in living touch with the Colonies by means of representatives on the governing body who are themselves in active co-operation with those Colonies. The Imperial Institute must embody the Imperial idea, hoidmg the balance justly between all localities, interests, and influences ; seeking to provide full know- ledge in support of the zealous pri-^e in their Empire now so widely instilled into the nation ; affording convincing reason to all Imperialists for the faith that is in them ; spreading broadcast all information regarding that commerce and in- dustry on which the Empire is base ■^ M t^ ^ <5> ^ t> ffifH i I I-''' M i i- ii Ik III CHAPTER Vin. The Royal Family. Death of the Prince Consort — The Queen's Sorrow — The Albert Memorial — The Prince of Wales' Visits to Canada and India — His Serious Illness — Thanksgiving over his recovery — The Death of the P ■ 'oess Alice— The Queen as an Author. ^, URINGr one of the Prince's rare, brief absences, the Queen wrote in her Journal : " I feel very lonely without ray dear master, and though ^^ I know other people are separated, I feel that I could never get ac- customed to it. . . Without him everything loses its interest. It will cause a terrible pang for me to be separated from him even for two days, and I pray God not to let me survive him." But the separation came. Death stepped in between them, and, bearing him away, left her alone to bear the burden of life, heavier by the added burden of unavailing grief. Too late she knew that the Prince's malady had been mis- understood, made light of, inadequately treated. How bitter to look back on the past and see how much was left undone that might have been done to save the life dear to he as her own. The " Reminiscenceii " of Count Vitzthuni give us the first authentic informa- tion as to the real nature of the Prince's \iiness. "The illness," writes Co'.mt '.'Itzthum, "which snatched away the Prince so suddenly in his forty-second year, was at first nothing but a gastric fever, as his private secretary, Mr. Ruland.had informed me by letter on the day before I left for Lisbon. This so-called Windsor fever, so frequently recurrent at that season in the badly-drained town, soon, however, became typhoid. The Prince did not seem to be really ill, though as early as the 23rd or 24th of November his mind strangely wandered. His faithful valet, Lohlein, was the only member of the Royal household who seems to have given advice that would have saved the Prince's life had it been acted on. ' Living here will kill your Royal Highness,' he frequently repeated. ' You must leave Windsor nvd go to Germany fc" a time to rest and recover strength.' These well-meant warnings passed unheeded by the patient, who showed the listlessness so foreign to his nat ure, but so char- acteristic of this disea.se. The most serious sign was sleeplessness and a total (178) !■! ma SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 179 want of appetite. All the symptoms show that. I had the same illness myself last year. My own experience, therefore, makes me convinced that the sick man, from the indiflference he showed for everything, especially for the preservation of his own life, had no idea of the danger he was in. This is the peculiarity of typhoid fever, which so completely shatters the nervous system. It requires, after timely diagnosis, complete rest and gentle treatment. " Above all things the Prince seems to have had no doctor attending him who was capable of recognizing the gravity of the disease in *i"^o Unfortunately, ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL, WINDSOR. his physician, Dr. Bayly, had been killed in a railway accident the year before. Sir James Clark had virtually retired from practice, and probably had but a limited knowledge of the advance made by modern science in the treatment of typhoid. As physician to her Majesty liis position had been for the last twenty years a sinecure. Her Majesty does not know what it is to be ill. Hence to the last moment she clung to vain hopes in regard to the condition of her husband, which Sir James very possibly confirmed. In consequence of the urgent repre- sentations of Minister.", Dr. Watson and Sir Henry Holland were summoned in i i nil!! 1 ■-I j t !■ 1 r] VjHK ' i60 VICTORIA, WSl addition to Dr. Jenner. Sir Henry Holland is said to have been the first to have had the courage, when it was too late, to tell the Queen the truth. " The news of the death of King Dom Pedro, whom the Prince had loved as a son, had deeply affected him .... As he himself confessed, he hardly closed his eyes from the time he received the news till the fever actually set in. The troubles with America also embittered Lis last hours. He was so tired that at times he nodded off to sleep when standing. He felt always cold, and ate scarcely anything. Already in the autumn at Balmoral he had a presentiment of his death. So strong was this feeling ten days before he died that he enjoined Prin- cess Alice, having ascertained that the Queen was not in the room, to write and tell her sister in Berlin that their father would not recover. The next day he asked the Princess whether she had done so, and she replied that she had not. On the 13th, the day before his death,, he got up and transacted some business with his private secretary, Mr, Ruland. The Queen drove out, and during the drive appeared much easier about her husband's condition. On her return she found him in bed, unconscious, with the extremities ice-cold. Now for the first time they all realized the danger. Princess Alice, on her own responsibility, sent for the Prince of Wales, who was then at Cambridge. Sir Charles Phipps telegraphed during the night for the Duke of Cambridge, who left London by the first train on the 14th, and arrived at Windsor at 8 o'clock in the morning. The alarming symptoms had increased, and the doctors did not conceal that the Prince had only a few hours to live. The Queen alone still deceived herself with hopes, and telegraphed early on the 14th to Berlin, ' Dear Vic, Papa has had a good night's rest, and I hope the danger is over.' She thought her hus- band was a little stronger. ' We are very much frightenf J, ^">ut don't and won't give up hope,' said Dr. Watson, But the breathing was the alarming thing — - it was so rapid. There was v/hat they call a dusky hue about his face and hands which I knew was not good. I made some observation about it to Dr. Jenner, and was alarmed by seeing he seemed to notice it. Albert folded his arms, and began arranging his hair, just as he used to do when well, and he was dressing. These were said to be bad signs. Strange ! as though he were pre- paring for another and groater journey." In the afternoon he was able to say to the Queen " Gutes Frauchen," and to kiss her ; and then she t 'Is he "gave a sort of piteous moan, or rather sigh, not of pain, but as if he felt that he was leaving, and laid his head upon my shoulder, and I iff H SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 181 THE QUEEN AND PRINCE ALBERT. h b- Ui 182 VICTORIA, 1- W: WmKV- I m^ I! ill: ' ' ( put my arm under his. But the feeling passed away again, and he seemed to> wander and to doze, and yet to know all. Sometimes I could not catch what he said. Occasionally he spoke French. Alice came in and kissed him, and he took her hand. Bertie, Helena, Louise, and Arthur came in, one after the other, and took his hand, and Arthur kissed it. But he was dozing, and did not perceive them. Then he opened his dear eyes and asked for Sir Charles Phipps, who came in and kissed his hand ; ^>uL then again his dear eyes were closed. General Grey and Sir Thomas Biddulph each came in and kissed his hand, and wer^> dreadfully overcome. Tt was a terrible moment, but, thank God, I was able to command myself, and to be perfectly calm, and remained sitting at his side." " Es ist kleines Frauchen," ('Tis your own little wife) whispered the Queen later, as she bent over him, and he bowed his head and kissed her. Again, as evening advanced, her Majesty retired to weep in the next room ; but a rapid change set in, and Princess Alice was sent to summon her Majesty- to return. The Queen took the Prince's hand and knelt by his side ; on the other side was Princess Alice ; at the foot of the bed were the Princ r of Wales and Princess Helena. Prince Ernest Lein^ngen, the physicians, the Prince's faithful valet, General the Hon. Robert Bruce, the Dean of Windsor, Sir Charles Phipps, and General Grey were all in the room. The hush was profound. As the great clock of the Castle struck the third quarter after ten, he passed away. Writing of this day and of the Princess Alice, a member of her household said : " The last Sunday that the Prince passed on earth was a very blessed one for Princess Alice to look back upon. He was very ill and weak, and she spent the afternoon with him alone, while the others were in chui-^h. He begged to have his sofa drawn to the window that he might see the sky and the clouds sailing past. He then asked her to play to him, and she went through several of his favorite hymns and chorales. After sh>^ had played some time, she looked round and saw him lying back, his hands folded as if in prayer, and his eyes shut. He lay so long without moving that she thought he had fallen asleep. Presently he looked up and smiled. She said, ' Were you asleep, dear papa ?' ' Oh, no,' he answered, ' only I have such sweet thoughts.' During his illness his hands were often folded in prayer, and when he did speak his serene face showed that the ' happy thoughts ' were with him to the end. i] if i!Si; SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 183 "The Princess Alice's fortitude amazed us all. She saw from the firs: that both her father's and her mother's firmness depended upon her firmness, and she set herself to the duty. He loved to speak openly of his condition, and had many wishes to express. He loved to hear iymns and prayers. He could not speak to the Queen of himself, for she could not bear to listen, and shut her eyes to the danger." "Just as the Queen had failed," writes Count Vitzthum, who obtained his in- formation from the Duke of Cambridge, " to recognize the danger till the last THE ALBP:RT memorial chapel, WINDSOR. moment, so also she appears not to have realised, for the first few days after all was over, the full extent of her loss. Her composure was almost unnatural, and it v/as not till her return to Osborne that she awoke to the full consciousness of this unexpected blow. ' Her Majesty is unnaturally quiet,' was the remark of an eye-witness two days after the event. The Duchess of Cambridge was the first member of the Royal Family who ventured to write to the Queen. She described the answer of the Princess Alice as 'heartrending.' Her Majesty sat all day in. Ill ■i 4i n M 184 VICTORIA, dumb despair, staring vacantly round her, and it was only with the utmost diffi- culty that the Royal sign manual could be obtained for the most urgent business. It was the happiness of Princess Alice to be able to intervene for a while between her mother's grief and the demands of the business of the nation." How the nation mourned for him we know. Count Vitzthum writes : " Mr. Disraeli spoke to me with deep and heartfelt sorrow of the irreparable loss that England had sustained. ' With Prince Albert,' he said, ' we have buried our Sovereign. This German Prince has governed England for twenty-one years with a wisdom and energy such as none of our kings have ever shown. He was the permanent private secretary, the permanent Prime Minister of the Queen. If he had out-lived some of the ' old stagers,' he would have given us, while re- taining all constitutional guarantees, the blessings of absolute government. Of us younger men who are qualified to enter the Cabinet, there is not one who would not willingly have bow^ed to his experience. We are now in the midst of a change of Government. What to-morrow will bring forth no man can tell. To-day we are sailing in the deepest gloom, with night and darkness all around us.' " It was reserved, however, for Lord Tennyson to voice the truest feeUngs of the people : He is gone : We know him now ; all narrow jealousies Are silent ; and we see him as he moved, How modest, kindly, alV accomplished, wise, With what sublime repression of himself, And in what limits, and how tenderly ; Not swaying to this faction or to that ; Not nio-kiiig his higli place the lawless perch Of wing'd ambitioi.a, uji a vantage ground For pleasure, but thro' all this tract of years Wearing the white flower of a blameless life, ... A Prince indeed. Beyond all titles, and a household name. Hereafter, thro' all times, Albert the Good. '■i Break not, woman's heart, but still endure ; Break not, for thou art Royal, but endure. Remembering all the beauty of that star Which shone so close beside thee, that ye made One light together, but has past and left The Crown a lonely splendor. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 185 May all lovn, His love, unseen but felt, o'ershadow tliee. The love of all thy sons encompass thee, Tlie love of all thy daughters cherisli thee, The love of all thy people comfort tliee, Till God's love set thee at his side u^aiu. The outburst of uuiversal praise which followed quickly on the outburst of national grief was joined in even by the very men who had done their best to make life bitter for the Prince, and beneficent work impossible to him. Journals that used weekly to denounce his treachery to British interests, his slavish obsequiousness to foreign potentates, now praised him for his single-hearted devotion to the land of his adoption. Some, and those the Prince's unwavering friends, feared that the country in its regret for former injustice would oversing his praise, to the impairment of his lasting renown. The fear was groundless. In the " Life of the Prince Consort " her Majesty laid before her people the contemporary evidence of her husband's life and character, from his infancy to his last hour. From the vast bodies of diaries, letters, memoirs, official memoranda and political communications to foreign sovereigns, there has been compiled an authoritative history of "Albert the Good." Thanks to the Queen, Britain and the world now know the man as he was, the brightest example and the finest type of princely worth given to mankind for many a day. Count Vizthum writes : " He was complete master in his own house, and the active centre of an Empire whose power extends to every quarter of the globe. It was a gigantic task for a young German prince to think and act for all these millions of British subjects. All the threads were gathered together in his hands. For twenty-one years not a single despatch was ever sent from the Foreign Office which the Prince had not seen, studied, and, if necessary, altered- Not a single report of any importance from an Ambassador was allowed to be kept from him. The Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Secretary for War, the Home Secretary, the First Lord of the Admiralty — all handed to him every day just as large bundles of papers as did the Foreign Office. Everything was read, commented upon, and discussed. In addition to all this the Prince kept up private correspondence with foreign Sovereigns, with British Ambassadors and Envoys, with the Governor- General of India, and with the Governors of the IT 1 1 h 1 Si I" 1':!)^! ■'■I 186 VICTORIA, various colonies. No appointment in Church or State, in thu Army or Navy, was ever made without his approbation. At Court not the .smallest thing was done without his order. No British Cabinet Minister has evar worked so hard during the Session of Parliament — and that is saying a good deal — as the Prince Consort did for twenty-one years. And the Ministers come and go ; or at any rate, if frequently and long in ofllce, as was the case with Palmerston and Russell, they have four or five months' holiday every year. The Prince had no holidays at all. He was always in harness. " The Continental notion that Royalty in England is a sinecure was signally refuted by the example of Prince Albert. As for the charg'> sometimes alleged against him, that owing to his liberalism he yielded too much to the Ministers — in other word), to Parliament — it is wholly groundless. The influence exercised on the Government by the Crown is a power whio.i makes itself felt, not merely in crises at home and abroad, but continually. This influence, is, however, indirect, and wears a difl'erent garb in Britain to that which it assumes, for example, in Russia and France. Prince Albert's task was all the more difficult, since his decision depended on unknown data, and he had to reckon with the chanjrins factors of a constitution the foundations of which have been underminetl for years by the rising waves of democracy. If, in spite of all this, the Crown's gams, as Prince Metternich expressed it, has been well played, this result is doubly creditable to the late Prince, inasmuch as he could only direct the game — not play it himself. With what tact and skill he did so is proved by the fact that, with the exception of the British Ministers and a few intimate friends, no one had any idea of the actual position of the Prince during his lifetime. Those who knew it were pledged to keep the secret, which now for the first time since his death has been revealed to the nation. " As truth appears to have been the most prominent attribute of the Trince, this necessary game of concealment must have been all the more painful to him. The daily regard for public opinion gave rise to misunderstanding'', to over- come which required an amount of elasticity which was bound gradually to weaken. Sparing as the deceased was of sleep, it is difficult to understand how he found time to grapple '"ith the mass of business. He could never call an hour his own. The continual receptions, notwithstanding the uniformity of an almost cloister-like Court life, no less than the mere physical strain caused by the SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 187 ALBERT MEMORIAL, HYDE PARK, LONDOV. i m it 1 li! ill: 188 VICTORIA, continual chanfje of residence, cut up the day into jjieces and left scarcely any time for rest and reflectiou. The wonde) is how he found it possible, in the midst of these occupations, to attend Huth laboring conscientiousness to the cares of government; to conduct personally the education of nine children; to prosecute his studies in all branches of human knowledge; to astonish men with the results of these studies ; and at the same time to live, as he did, for art, himself a student and constant patron of music, painting and poetry." Mr. Gladstone, between whu.n and the Prince there was not in all points cordial sympathy, says of the biography written by Sir Theodore Martin at the command of her Majesty : " It has a yet higher title to our esteem in its faithful care and solid merit as a biography. From the midst of the hottest glow of earthly splendor, it has drawn forth to public cont' tuplation a genuine piece of solid, sterling, and unworldlj' excellence, a j>ure and holy life, from which every man, and most of all every Christian, may learn many an ennobling lesson, on which he may do well to meditate when he communes with his own heart and in his chamber, and is still." An excellent illustration of the Prince's ceaseless oversight of public atiairs, and of his intense desire to avoid needless international disputes, is afforded in his treatment of the despatch over the " Trent " affair. Lord John Russell's draft despatch to the United States President was very blunt. The excitement in England was intense. The Prince rose from his sleepless bed at dawn on the morning of November 28, to write a draft of a memorandum on the subject, which he thought might be of use. These were the words he wrote, in pain and weakness ; the last he ever penned : " The Queen returns these important drafts, which upon the whole she approves ; but she cannot help feeling that the main draft — that for communica- tion to the American Government — is somewhat meagre. She should have liked to have seen the expression of a hope that the American captain did not act under instructions, or, if he did, he misapprehended them. That the tFnited States Governnsent must be fully aware that the British Government could not allow its flag to be insulted, and the security of its mail communications be put in jeopardy; and her Majesty's Government are unwilling to believe that the United States Government intended wantonly to put an insult upon this country, and to add to their many distressing complications by forcing a question SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 189 of dispute upon us, and that we are glad, therefore, to believe that upon a full consideration of the circumstances of the undoubted breach of international law committed, they would spontaneously offer such redress as alone could satisfy this country ; viz., the restoration of the unfortunate passengers, and a suitable apology." Dec. 23, 1861, the Prince's remains were temporarily deposited in the entrance of the Royal Vault 'n St George's Chapel. On the loth of March, 18fi2, Her Majesty laid the first stone of the magnificent mausoleum at Frogmore. On the 18th of December his remains were transferred to this mausoleum. The sarco- phagus is composed of the largest known block, of granite without flaw. In the autumn her Majesty visited Balmoral. The Rev. Dr. Macleod, one of her private chaplains, records in his diary : "I was summoned to the Queen She was alone. She met me, and with an unutterably sad expression which filled my eyes with tears, at once began to speak about the Prince. She spoke of his excellencies, his love, his cheerfulness, how he was everything to her. She said she never shut her eyes to trials, but liked to look them in the face ; how she would never shrink from duty ; but that all was at present done mechanically ; that he:' highest ideas of purity and love were obtained from him ; and that God would not be displeased with her love. But there was nothing morbid about her grief. I spoke freely to her about all I felt regarding him, the love of the nation and their sympathy, and took every opportunity of bringing before her the re- ality of God's love and sympathy, her noble calling as a Queen, i.ie value of her life to the nation, the blessedness of prayer." During this visit her Majesty begtin the erection, on the summit of Craig Low- rigan, overlooking Balmoral Palace, of the Prince's cairn. It is 35 feet high, and bears the following inscription : " To the Beloved Memory of Albert, the Great and Good Prince Consort. Erect- ed by his broken-het.rted Widow, Victoria R., August 21, 1862." Upon another dressed slab, a few inches below the above, is this quotation : " He being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time ; for his soul pleased the Lord, there- fore hastened He to take him away from the wicked." — Wisdom of Solomon. Towards the end of the year the Queen received " from many English widows" a magnificently bound Bible as a token of sympathy. In her letter of thanks she says : " I am deeply touched by the gift of a Bible ' from many widows,' and by the very kind and aflfectionate address which accompanied it ... . Pray express 190 VICTORIA, to all these kind sistei-widows t'.ie deep and heartfelt gratitude of thel/ widowed Queen, who can never feel grateful enough for the universal sympathy she has received, and continues to receive, from her loyal and devoted subjects. But what she values far more is theii appreciation of her adored and perfect husband. To her, the only sort of consolation she experiences is in the constant sense of his unseen presence, and the blessed thought of the eternal union hereafter, which will make tb'^ bitter anguish of the present appear as naught." But though she mourned, her Majesty was not forgetful of her regal duties. True, she refused to preside at the festivities of the Palace, to hold levies and drawing-rooms, to give Court balls. If these ceremonious observances make the Sovereign's most important work, then Queen Victoria has neglected her public duties to indulge her private grief. Let us listen to a statesman on this. The Duke of Argyll, in a speech at a great gathering in Scotland, said : " I think it a circumstance worthy of observation, and one which ought to be known to all the people of this country, that during all the years of the Queen's affliction, during which she has lived necessarily in comparative retirement, she has omitted no part of that public duty which concerns her as Sovereign of this country ; that on nc occasion during her gri-^" has she neglected work in those public duties which belong to her exalted position ; and I am sure that when the Queen re-appears again on more public occasions the people of this country will regard her only with increased affection from the recollection that during all the time of her care and sorrow she had devoted herself without one day's intermission to those cares of Government which belong to her position as Sovereign of this country." A meeting to arrange for a great national memorial to the memory of the Prince Consort was held at the Mansion House, London, on the 14th of January, 1862. Definite plans were adopted and contributions poured in freely. Three hundred thousand dollars were received in voluntary contributions, which was supplemented by a grant of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from the Imperial Parliament. The nature of the memorial was referred to the Queen her«e!x. In a letter to the Lord Mayor of London, dated February 19th, 18G2, Sir Charles Grey says, on behalf uf her Majesty : " It would be more in accord- ance with her own feelings, and fihe believes with those of the country in general, thitt the monument should be (Uraftly personal to its object. After giving the subject her maturest consideration her Majesty has come to the conclusion that SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 191 192 VICTORIA, nothing would be more appropriate, provided it is on a scale of sufficient grandeur, than an obelisk to be erected in Hyde Park on the site of the Great Exhibition of 1851, or on some spot immediately contiguous to it. Nor would any proposal that could be made be more gratifying to the Queen herself perdonally ; for she can never forget that the Prince himself had highly approved of a memorial of this character being raised on the same spot in remembrance of the Great Exhibi- tion." In a second letter the Queen expressed her intention of personally con- tributing towards erecting the memorial, that " It might be recorded in future ages as raised by the Queen and the people of a grateful country to the memory of its benefactor." Shortly after a committee was appointed to fulfil her Majesty's desire. As a suitable block of granite could not be obtained, the pro- posal for an obelisk was given up, and other suggestions were considered. At length the Queen approved of the design of Mr. Gilbert G. Scott, for a magniii- cent Eleanor Cross, with a spire 150 feet high, accompanied by statues and other appropriate decorations. The memorial was given over to Her Majesty on the Ist July, 1872. A magnificent gilt statue] of the Prince, having been placed in position on the memorial, was uncovered on the 9th of March, 1876. In I860 H. R. H. the Prince of Wales made an extended tour of Canada and the United States. He left England on the 10th of July and returned on the loth of November. On the 10th of July his Royal Highness embarked at Ply- mouth on board H.M.S. Hero, 91, Captain H. Seymour, which ship was accompanied b}'^ the AriadUi. and the Flying Fish. The suite accompanying the Prince com- prised the following : the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State for the Colonies ; the Earl of St. Germains, Lord Steward of her Majesty's household ; Major- General *he Hon. R. Bruce, Governor to the Prince; Major Teesdale, R.A., and Capt. George Gray, Equerries, and Dr. Ackland. On Monday, the 22nd of July, the ships of the Royal squadron arrived at St. John's, Newfoundland. Here the Prince was accorded a royal reception. The people had gathered in thousands. Towards evening it was announced that the Prince would not land till the next morning. If the people could not see the Prince they were determined to see something else. Instead of returning home to bed, there to refresh themselves for the morrow, they hung about the streets and sang songs and fired crackers, and drank healths, and gave themselves up to a general unmitigated " spree." The Colonial buildings were illuminated with numerous lanterns, and from the roof very many fire rockets were discharged. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 193 From the lofty towers of the Catholic Cathedral, on ropes reaching to the ground, descending at an angle of about forty-five degrees, colored lamps were suspended, and a magnificent peal of bells sounded forth the notes of welcome. Halifax was sighted early on the morning of Monday, the 30th. The Hero and accompanying ships were telegraphed from the outposts, and at 7 a.m. the promised signal — the Union Jack flying on the flagstaff, and three guns flred in quick suc- cession from the Citadel — told that the Royal squadron was near the harbor. The appearance of the noble ships as they majestically neared the city, the Hero leading, was very fine. Battery after battery, in regular succession — York Redout, Point Pleasant, Fort Clarence, George's Island, the Lumber Yard and tlie citadel — saluted the Royal Standard of England with Royal salutes of twenty-one guns. The steamers Eastern State and Neptune, the Daring, and a number of yachts, gaily aressed for the occasion, and crowded with ladies and gentlemen, met the ships of the Royal fleet, and accompanied them up the harbor. For several days previous visitors from all parts of the province had been crowding into the city to witness the festivities. These, with the citizens, to the number of many thousands, viewed the animated panorama which the harbor presented, from the glacis of the citadel, from the house tops, and from the numerous wharves, from which enthusiastic cheers went up as the Hero passed by. At a few minutes past 9 a.m. the ships arrived at their moorings under a Royal salute from the flagship Nile, the Valorous, and other ships of the station in port. His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor immediately proceeded on board from the dockyard, and his Excellency Rear-Admiral MUne from the Nile,to pay their respects to the distinguished stranger. At 10 a.m. it was announced, by a signal from the masthead of the Nile, that his Royal Highness would land at 12 noon. Preparations were being made for the proper reception of tlie Prince on landing, and for the procession to escort him to the Government House. The streets through which his Royal Highness was to pass on his way to the Government House, the distance being about a mile and a quarter, were line 1 with the troops, and volunteers, and with the members of the various societies. At one point of the procession a scene presented itself by which his Royal Highness was visibly affected. On the Grand Parade, opposite the head of George Street, a stage was erected on which were seated nearly four thousand children, in such a position that, at a glance, every dne of the four thousand little i' 'i; 194 VICTORLV mn'i M ones could see and be seen by their future Sovereign as he ascended the hill. On his Royal Highness coming in full view of the platform the four thousand children rose simultaneously, and waving a welcome, sang the National Anthem, two verses of which, as given below, were written for the occasion : Welconie ! our Royal Guest ; Welcome ! from every In-east ; From every tongue ; From hearts both warm and true, Hearts that beat high for you. Loudly our welcome due • To thee be sung ! Prince of a lofty line, The virtues all be thine, Which grace our Queen ! To her we pay through tliee. Love, faith and loyalty — Homage which fits the free ; God save tlie Queen ! Quebec was reached on Saturday, the 18th of August. Admiral Milne issued from the Nile a general memorandum respecting the fleet, as follows : " On H. M. S. Hero, with standard of his Royal Highness Prince of Wales, nearing anchor- age, H. M. ships will be dressed, and a Royal salute of 21 guns will be fired ; and before the Hero comes to an anchor, the yards of H. M. ships present will be manned, Lnd his Royal Highness cheered. On Saturday, 18th, H. M. ships will be dressed at eight a.m , and on his Royal Highness leaving the Hero for the shore the yards will be manned, a Royal salute fired, and his Royal Highness cheered. A further Royal salute will be fired on the arrival of his Royal High- ness at the Parliament House, when his Royal Highness' standard will be hoisted there. H. M. ships present will follow the motions of the flagship, commencing in each ease when she fires her second gun." Quebec was not only handsomely decorated but crowded with strangers, who had comv from the east and the west literally by the thousands. The triumphal aiches were not so numerous, but more ma.ssive, than those that were exhibited at H»''''ax, and many of the streets were converted into avenues of spruce. Afti procession the Prince took up his quarters at the Parliament House, whicu was also tenanted by the British ambassador to Washington, Colonel SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 195 H OR cr B o O CR M r i 196 VICTORIA, m ' Uy^; t ::,|,!.!-i Irvine, and Sir Allan McNab, her Majesty's aide-de-camp. The Prince appeared here, as he did on all State occasions, in the full uniform of a colonel in the army, but not as colonel of the 100th or Canadian Regiment, as is generally imagined — wearing the Orders of the Garter and the Bath. Here, as at almost every stopping place throughout the tour, the Priace had to submit to the ordeal of receiving an address and replying to the same. Some people are inclined to scoff at the presentation of addresses to distinguished visitors. For our part we hope that the practice will not be discontinued. The address at Quebec was of special importance, from the number and importance of those in whose presence it was delivered. In the pavilion in which it was delivered were gathered the Mayor of Quebec, attired in silken robes, with his Council in full evening dress; the Cabinet Ministers of Canada in their new uniform ; the Anglican Bishop of Quebec, Right Rev. Dr. Mountain, with his chaplain, secretary, and some of his other clergy, in their gowns ; the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, including the Archbishop (represented by proxy on account of illness), with the Bishops of Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton and other places, all being dressed in episcopal purple soutans and cloaks, and bearing heavy gold crucifixes and other symbols of their oflice. The Address was read as follows: May it please your Royal Highness, — The Mayor, Councillors, and Citizens of Quebec are happy on being the first among the Canadian subjects of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen to present their respectful homage to 3'our Royal Highness. They will long continue to regard as a memorable epoch the day on which they have been permitted to receive within the walls of their city this visit from the eldest son of their beloved Sovereign, the Heir Apparent to the British Crown. When we became aware that her Majesty, finding it inconvenient or impractic- able to proceed to so great a distance from the central seat of government, had deigned to testify the regard which her Majesty entertains towards her Canadian subjects by sending our future Sovereign in her stead, we felt grateful and proud in receiving such a mark of distinction from one whose public and private virtues command the admiration of the whole world. We feel assured that our Most Gracious Queen was desirous to show by that act of condescension that she knows how to appi'eciate and honor, in aa especial manner, the most important of her colonial possessions. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 197 In this Province your Royal Highness will find a free people, faithful and loyal, attached to their Sovereign and their country. In this the most ancient city of Canada your Royal Highness will be in the midst of a population devoted to your interests, testifying by the heartiness of their acclamations and good wishes that though they derive their origin from various races, and may differ in language and religious denominations, yet they have but one voice and one heart in express- ing loyalty to their Sovereign, and in welcoming him who represents her on this 02casion, and who is one day destined, ^cording to the natural order of events, to become her successor. The people of Quebec rejoice in beholding your Royal Highness in the midst of them ; they are happy because they have the opportunity of expressing in a direct manx.er their respect and attachment. Happy, because he who will here- after, in all human probability, wear the crown of this great empire will be enabled during his brief sojourn in Canada, to judge for himself of the loyalty of the whole Canadian people in general, and of the citizens of Quebec in particular. Your Royal Highness will also enjoy the opportunity of forming an adequate opinion of the extent of the country, its productions, its resources, its progress and the great future reserved for it, and will be enabled to perceive that Canada, with a population of three millions of inhabitants, though only an appendage of the United Kingdom, possesses institutions as free, and a territory three times as extensive. In conclusion we entreat your Royal Highness favorably to accept for our most gracious Sovereign and yourself, along with our loyal and respectful homage, the assurance of our sincere attachment, with the most fervent wish that this visit to Canada may pre e as gratifying and agreeable to yourself as it is to the citizens of Quebec. (Signed) Hector L. Langevin, Mayor. Montreal was reached on Saturday, the 25th of August. There was the usual address of welcome, followed by the usual procession. In the Bonaventure Market every foothold had its row of tenants. The street was, nevertheless, well kept by lines of Militia, and the National and other socie- ties, who afterwards doubled in, and formed the procession under the direction of their mounted marshals, All along the many streets through which the Prince passed there were similar crowds, while each of them was roofed in by i i: 1 1 " 198 VICTORIA, flacs, hung from lines stretching across. From some of these ropes two crowns, and huge bouquets were pendant just above the head of his Royal Highness us he passed. There were three arches besides the one under which the landing took place. These— one of Corinthian, one of Elizabethan, and one of nondescript design —assumed the proportions and had the effect of permanent structures. The arches, as well as many houses along the route, were covered with loyal mottoes and words of welcome. At the Place d'Armes and Commissioners' Square fountains were playing, that in the latter forming a beautiful Prince of Wales' plume. Thp Prince formally opened the Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures amid great enthusiasm. At the conclusion of this interesting ceremouy the whole party drove to the Point St. Charles station, to witness the ceremony by his Royal Highness of the inauguration of the great Victoria bridge. The company being assembled on the platform, which was covered with scarlet cloth, the Prince was received by Mr. Hodges, the builder of the bridge, who, as soon as the Royal party were grouped around, handed him a silver trowel wherewith to spread the mortar. His Royal Highness did this in a workmanlike manner, and then the stone, which hung suspended from a derrick, and measured ten-and-a-half feet by two feet, by three feet four inches, was gently lowered to its resting-place ; the Prince then gave it three raps with a mallet, and this part of the ceremony was completa. Looking over the lowered stone the enormous length of the bridge was visible shining in the sunlight, and above it was a richly draped, golden-fringed arch, with the appropriate inscription — " Finis coronat opus." The Prince then descended and took his seat along with a namerous body of officials in a beautiful car built specially for the purpose, open all around, its roof SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 199 supported simply 1-y wooden pillars. The engine screaraeil, and the party were driven to the centre of the two mile tube, where they got, out, and the Piiiice placed the last rivet of the bridge in its place, which was at once hammered in by a chosen body of mechanics. Then they got on board again and went com- pletely through the tube, and returned to luncheon in the great car shed at Point St. Charles. We give a reproduction of the medal struck in honor of this event. At the luncheon it was remarked that the company comprised all ranks and orders of British society, viz. : H. R. H. (the Prince.) Duke (Newcastle.) Marquis (Chandos.) Earl (Mulgrave.) Viscount (Hinchinbrook.) Baron (Lyons.) Baronet (Sir Allan MacNab.) Knight (Sir E. Tach^.) Metropolitan (Dr. Fulford.) Bishop (of Huron.) Admiral (Milne.) Commodore (Seymour.) Captain (Vansittart.) Generals (Williams and Bruce.) Besides divers Colonels, Majoi's, Captains and Esquires. The display in Great St. James street, where the principal banks were, sur- passed anything ever seen on this continent. Some of the visitors said it was even finer than that at Berlin when the Princess Royal went thither after her marriage. The Prince drove into town to see it, incog., but was stopped by a policeman, as no carriages were allowed on the principal streets. General Williams, who accompanied him, had to mention his name before the carriage was allowed to proceed, and the incog., being thus destroyed, a vast concourse of people began to cheer. ^ !. •' m 200 VICTORIA, A very pleasant incident occurred in Montreal, in which his Royal Highness figured. A very fine company of Fusiliers came from Boston to pay their respects to the Prince. They reached Montreal on Thursday night, about ten o'clock, ac- companied by their splendid band, and proceeded to the house of General Wil- liams, where they serenaded the Prince. They played " God Save the Queen " in capital style, ana brought the Prince out to the balcony. He thanked them for their kindness, hoped to meet them again in Boston, complimented them upon their soldier- like appear- ance (compli- ments as well deserved a s ever men re- ceived), a n (1 concluded by asking, as a personal fa- vor, that they would play " Yankee Doodle." Of course they obliged h i s Royal High- ness, and were exceedingly pleased with THE PRINCE OF WALES IN CANADA. The Prince Landing at Montreal. the request. The Fusiliers were so pleased at their recep- tion that they swore they were ready to defend the Prince against all comers, at the risk of tKei" lives. The Canad- ians were much pleased at the compli- menttheFusi- liershavepaid the whole of Canada in visiting Montreal to do honor to the Prince. On the 1st of September H. R. H. laid the first stone of the new Parliament Buildings at Ottawa. Everything being in readiness, the Prince and chief members of the suite ad- vanced to the stone. It was of beautiful white Canadian marble, or crystalized limestone, brought from Portage Du Fort. On it was the simple inscription : " This corner-stone of the building, intended to receive the Legislature of Canada, was laid by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, on the 1st day of September, 1860." SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 201 r K H W C I— 1 c c H H W::. \\ m 202 VICTORIA, It was suspended from the centre of a great crown l>y a pully running round a gilded block ; under it was a similar cube of the white Nepean limestone with which the future building is to be faced, within a cavity in which wns placed a glass bottle. In the bottle was a parchment scroll inscribed thus : " The foun- dation stone of the Houses of Parliament in the Province of Canada was laid on the 1st day of September, in the year of our Lord 18G(), in the 2Uh year of her Majesty's reign, at the city of Ottawa, by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales." Upon the scroll also were inscribed the names of all the members of the Legislative Council, the names of all the members of the Legislative Assembly, the names of all the members '^f the Government of Canada, the names of the architects, contractors, etc. Tho'^i was also placed in the bottle a collection of coins of Great Britain and of Canada, gold, silver and copper. His Royal High- ness gave the finishing touch to the spreading of the mortar with a silver trowel. Then the stone was slowly lowered — the Prince gave it three raps with a mallet, and the Rev. Dr. Adamson read a prayer: " This tjorner-stono we lay in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost ; and may God Al- mighty grant that the building thus begun in His name ma}' be happily carried on to its complete termination without injury or accident; and that, when com- pleted, it may be used for the good of the Province, the glory of our Queen, the happiness of our Prince, and the good government of the people. Amen." Shortly after this ceremony the lloyal party took horse and rode, in plain clothes, to the Chaudiere, where they admired the Suspension Bridge and the beautiful arch of the lumberers, containing no less than 19,000 feet of deal boards, which formed a portal to it. A novel and exciting ex|)erience was now undergone. Dismounting, the whole of the party walked along a boom to a crib which wiis moored at the entrance of the timber slide. A slide, it should be explained, is an incline plane, with several feet of water rushing over it, forming a water-way down which the crib can pass without damage. A crib consists of sticks of timber of any length, forming a small raft twenty-five feet wide ; the longitudinal sticks have pieces across them to tie them, as it were, together. The crib, when fairly launched, goes down the slide with great velocity, the water rushing over the forward part and sometimes dashing over the men upon it. On each side of the slide on this occasion were thousands of people, and the numerous bridges which crossed it were alive with human beings. When the Royal crib got under way and shot down past Pit SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 203 or below them, these pcoj)le cheered and wnved their handkerchiefs, and the most intense excitement prevailed. Although there is really little danger, yet accidents sometimes happen, and in every case the passengers who try this mode of locomotion for the first time have to brace their nerves and clench their lips and stand firm, lest the vibration and the shocks which the crib always receives THE PRINCE OF WALES IN CANADA, The Arch at Ottawa, erected by the Lumberera. should make them lose their footing. When Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, was to undergo this experience, how much greater than usual was the interest taken in the running of the crib. Everything luckily went well, both with the Prince's raft and with that which was carrying the members of the 204 VICTORIA, vM \ i ill press immediately following. The whole of both parties were delighted with the rapid descent ; the cribs floated into the centre of the bay at the foot of the Chaudierej and there they found themselves surrounded b}' a hundred birch canoes, manned by lumberers in scarlet shirts and white trousers. Before leaving Ottawa a meeting of members of Parliament was held, which was numerously attended. The Hon. George Brown was voted into the chair, and Mr. Tass^ acted as secretary. A motion moved by Mr. Donald McDonald and seconded by Mr. Daost, was unanimously carried : " That the thanks of the members of the Legislature be given to the Mayor and Corporation of the City of Ottawa, for their courteous attention during the visit of the Prince of Wales to the future capital of Canada." On the 4th inst. Kingston was reached. Here the first unpleasant incident of the tour occurred. Kingston was an Orange stronghold. It was understood that those in charge of the Prince would not permit him to land if the Orange- men, as a body, were to take part in the reception. The Orangemen refused to give way. The Duke of Newcastle, who had charge of the Prince, was equally firm, and the Prince was not allowed to leave the steamer. On the 5th it was decided to receive the local addresses on board the steamer. The Kingstonians were indignr.nt. Mr. Engleheart tells us : " None, however, had the courage to brave the wrath of tho Orangemen except the magistrates and the Presbyterian Synod." On the 6th inst. the party reached Belleville. Here the Kingston unpleasant- ness was repeated. Orangemen flocked in from surrounding points. The Duke stood by his declaration that the Prince should not land in any place where there were party demonstrationr. . The Mayor then made a proposition to the Duke that the Prince should land on the wharf and receive addresses from such of the citizens as chose to appear there without party decorations. His Worship said he would issue a proclama- tion calling upon all loyal citizens to wait upon his Royal Highness. The cuai- proraise was refused. The disappointment of the people of Belleville was intense. In no place which the Prince had yet visited, of equal size, had decorations been so numerous or in such excellent taste. Ten arches had been erected, all of a very large size, richly ornamented with garlands of flowers and banners, contributed principally by the ladies of the town, who had been working night and day together. There was SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 205 scarcely a house which was not ornamented. There was much disappointment and disgust also on the part of the Prince and of fifty young ladies on horseback who had come prepared to form an Amazonian guard to H. R. H. The seventh day of September, 1860, will long be cherished as the brightest day in the annals of the City of Toronto. The Prince arrived in the harbor, on the Kingston, late in the afternoon of that Jay. As the boat reached the wharf a sailor, dressed in naval style, threw the landing rope, the gangway was THK PRINCE OF WALES IN CANADA. The Procession in McGill Street, Montreal. pushed out, the Prince stepped (juickly ashore, surrounded by his staff, and accompanied by the Mayor. A vast multitude had gathered to greet the Prince. Shouts of applause rang out. These were taken up again and again as the Prince appeared, the ladies waving their handkerchiefs and the geatlemen their hats, in uncontrolled enthusiasm. A procession through many of the principal streets followed. Magnificent arches spanned the streets. The Prince had an excellent opportunity of seeing the extent of the preparations made for his welcome. He had, also, a favorable view of King Street, with its arches, gaslights, transparen- 206 VICTORIA, cies, windows filled with ladies and children, waving handkerchiefs and cheering the Prince, gentlemen vociferating, setting off rockets and Roman candles, and making as great a commotion as their means allowed. Every window was occupied, every foot of standing ground was covered with pedestrians. Men rushed beneath the feet of the horses of the escort to get a glimpse of the Prince. In Toronto the friction over Orangemen and Orange banners quickly re- asserted itself. His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, whether of his own volition or on account of orders from his superiors, had determined that Orangemen and their famous picture of William crossing the Boyne on his fiery white charger, should be tabood. So far as the Duke was concerned he would use his power to the utmost extent to prevent the young Prince from publicly meeting such people or gazing on such a picture. Accordingly the Mayor of Toronto was required to give an assurance that a picture of King William, which the Duke had heard was exposed upon an Orange arch, had been removed. At this distance of time it is quite amusing to read what the private secretary of the Duke wrote : " As we drove to Government House we found the town profusely decorated, and among the numerous arches which spanned the main street there presented itself, in direct violation of the Mayor's promise and assurance, a transparency of William III. crossing the Boyne. The foremost horses of the Prince's carriage were already under the arch before the Duke perceived it" This, of course, would never do. The Duke sent for the Mayor and demanded explanations. The Mayor ultimately apologised. On Saturday a levee was held at Government House, at which a great number of citizens were presented. The formalities of the levee were the same as those generally observed. The Prince stood in the centre of a semicircle formed by the members of his suite, consisting of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle ; Earl St. Germains ; Sir Allan McNab ; his Excellency the Earl of Mulgrave, Governor of Nova Scotia ; Lord Lyons, British Ambassador at Washington ; Commodore Seymour, of the Hero ; General Sir W. Fenwick Williams ; Sir Edmund Head ; the Bishop of Toronto and Bishop Lynch. Before entering, the card was pre- sented to the first equerry, passed by him to the second, who road ^he name to the Chief Steward, who in his turn read it to his Royal Highness. Both Prince and subject then bowed, indulged in a little mutual admiration — and the ordeal SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 207 On Sunday morning the Prince attended the St. James' Cathedral at the eleven o'clock service. But the picture of the long dead and gone King William continued to worry the Royal party. It appears that on the way to church they avoided the main street and the Orange arch which adjoined the church. This enraged some Orange partisans, and during divine service they surrounded King William with more banners. They even flaunted the Union Jack in the Prince's face as he left the Cathedral. There was some sug- THE PRIXCK OF WALKS IX CANADA. The Procession in the Place I)' Amies, Montreal, gcstion, too, of taking the horses out and dragging the carriage under the arch. That, however, ended in talk ; and after considerable crowding the Prince got away. Scandalized by such conduct, the Duke walked down to the arch in the afternoon to see and judge for himself, and incidentally to give the lie to the rumor that he dare not show his face abroad. His Grace the Duke must have left Toronto in anything but the best of spirits, as we are told he was followed by a rabble who were mean enough to hiss and jeer at him. In Toronto, as elsewhere, a grand ball was given in honor of the Prince. 208 VICTORIA, These balls were long remembered in society circles. Fanny Fern, the American authoress, wrote about them in this sarcastic strain: "What an event among crinolinedom — to have danced with the Prince of Wales ! We are afraid he will have much to answer for. Young men who were formerly considered paragons of THE PRINCE OF WALES IN CANADA. The Arcli in Toronto, eiecteil by the Orangemen. perfection by these same young ladies, will doubtless be snubbed incontinently. A hand that has been grasped by a live Prince will not be bestowed on every chance comer, depend upon it. Have a care, girls! Don't carry your heads too high, or at least not so high, that you may not have the pleasure of telling your gfiJteH i'SKTY YEARS A QUEEN. 2U9 E' 1 ^n m ORONHYATEKHA In the Indian costume which he wore wlien presenting the address of the Six Nations Indians to H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, at Brantford, 1860. " 1 } f : 'i -^ i '■ '■ . •■>, i m'.-ii II 210 VICTORIA, children " all about the Prince." In short, don't be so puffed up that one of these days somebody else will exclaim, incredulously, in your hearing " What ! the Prince dance with her! Weil, truly, there is no accounting for tastes!" Not the consolatory "Oh, but she was very pretty once" will take the sting from the re- joinder — " la it possible V The remainder of the tour was a continuous triumph. At Brantford and Sarnia addresses were received from the Indians, some of whom came 400 miles to see the son of their "Great Mother." Oi onhyatekha, so well-known in Canada to-day, was a student at Toronto University, when the Prince of Wales made his visit to Brantford. The chiefs of the Six Nations deputized Oron- hyatekha to deliver an address to the son of the " Great Mother," as they called the Queen. The impression the young Indian made upon the Prince and royal party was so favorable that he was invited to continue his studies at Oxford, England, under the care of Sir Henry Acland, K.C.M.G., Regius Professor of Medicine. Out of this relation of teacher and pupil sprung a friendship that will likely last to the end of life. An amusing incident occurred at Brantford. The hats of the Royal party, which had been deposited in the dressing-room before the luncheon, were found to be minus the bands. The Prince was the first to notice this. When it was found that the white hats wers the only sufferers, the conclusion was at once arrived at that the Prince's enthusiastic admirers among the young ladies determined to possess themselves of some relic of him, and sorely puzzled to know which was the royal hat — four or five being white — had unhanded them all. On the 18th inst. the Prince laid the first stone of Brock's Monument on Queenston Heights. The arrangements being completed. Sir J. B. Robinson read the following address : To the Most High, Puissant and Illustrious Prince Albert Edward, Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Prince of Walec, Duke of Saxony, Prince of Gobourg and Ootha, Great Steward of Scotland, Duke of Cornwall and Rothsay, Earl of Chester, Carrick, and Dublin, Baron of Renfrew, and Lord of the Isles, K. G. May it please your Royal Highness, Some of the few survivors of the Militia Volunteers who assisted in defending Canada against the invading enemy during the last American War, have '^ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 211 assembled from different parts of the Province in the hope that they may be graciously permitted to offer to your Royal Highness the expression of their loyal welcome upon your arrival in this portion of her Majesty's dominions. In the long period that has elapsed very many have gone to rest who have served in higher ranks than ourselves, and took a more conspicuous part in that glorious contest. They would have delighted in the opportunity, which we now enjoy, of beholding in their country a descendant of the just and pious Sovereign in whose cause they and their followers fought, and whom they were from infancy taught to revere for her many public and private virtues. We feel deeply grateful to her Majesty, whose condescension to the wishes of her Canadian subjects has conferred on us the honor of a visit from your Royal Highness ; and we rejoice in the thought that what your Royal Highness has seen and will see, of this prosperous and happy Province, will enable you to judge how valuable a possession was saved to the British Crown by the success- ful resistance made in the trying contest in which it was our fortune to bear a part — and your Royal Highness will then be able to judge how large a debt the Empire owed to the lamented hero Brock, whose gallant and generous heart shrank not in the darkest hour of the conflict from the most discouraging odds, and whose escapes inspired the few with the ability and spirit to do the work of many. We pray God will bless your Royal Highness with many years of health and happiness, and may lead you by His providence to walk in the paths of our revered and beloved Queen, to whom the world looks up as an example of all the virtues that can dignify the highest rank, support worthily the responsi- bilities of the most anxious station, and promote the peace, security and happiness of private life. His Royal Highness made a gracious and very sensible reply. At the conclusion of the reply, his Royal Highness was conducted by Sir John B. Robinson to the monument itself He ascended to the top, and from thence enjoyed the magnificent view which stretches far and wide below — a scene, perhaps, unrivalled in the Province. From thence he proceeded to the foot of the hill to the spot where General Brock fell. Here a square stone pedestal four feet square had been placed upon a grassy bank three feet six inches high. Suspended by ropes and puUies over the pedestal was a stone obelisk, four feet 212 VICTORIA, ! ''I 'Tl Hi lliii three inches high, and weighing about three and a half tons. On one side was the following inscription : " Near this spot Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, K.C.B., Provisional Lieutenant- G)vernor of Upper Canada, fdll on the 13bh of October, 18i2, while advancing to repel the invading enemy." On the opposite were the words : " This stone was laid by His Royal Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, on the 18th September, 1860." Hamilton was reached at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Two private houses beautifully situated in quiet grounds were proft'ered to the Prince and his suite. The Duke's secretary adds, " the most pleasant domicile we had in Canada." Hamilton gave the Prince a right royal welcome. There was the regulation address presented, followed by the procession, with fire works in the evening. The first public act performed by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was to visit the Central School. Twelve hundred children sat awaiting his arrival, all wrought up to the highest pitch of excitement at the prospect of seeing him. The Prince passed through the different class-rooms, in which were assembled tlie children. The boys' department was first visited, and then came the turn of the girls. Sir Edmund Head actually tried to convince the Prince that there was not time to look at the girls ! But Albert Edward, P. (as he signed himself in the visitors' book), could not understand the force of the argument at all. If Sir Edmund was in a hurry, why did he not take the Prince through the girls' department first, and let the boys wait till he paid another visit to Hamilton ? There would have been some sort of sense in such an arrangement, but there was none in the one proposed. So the Prince visited the girls' rooms as well as the boys' rooms. The Prince afterwards visited the E.Khibition, and later in the day was the leading figure in a most important function — the inauguration of the Hamilton Water Works. The point that particularly struck the visitors at the close of the tour was the extraordinary devot on and attachment to the Queen, and for her sake, of enthusi- astic admiration of ;he Prince, which was evinced everywhere throughout his progress. The Prince made a short tour of the United States, visiting the principal cities, nnd receiving everywhere a most enthusiastic reception. When in New York SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 213 the "Royal party attended Trinity Church. During the course of the sermon the minister invoked the blessing of God upon the Queen, the Prince and the Royal Family. The incident was curious on account of what had taken place in the very same church during the revolutionary war. Shortly after New York was occupied by Washington's army, Mr. Inglis, the acting minister, and afterwards Bishop of Nova Scotia, received orders to forbear saying prayers for the King and Queen. Mr. Inglis continued to pray as usual. Then the church was filled with soldiers, but with no better effect on the loyal parson, who was not to bo daunted by the presence of the military. THE PRINCE AT HAMILTON. Great Western Railway Mechanics' Arch. By the 20th of October, the British man-of-war Hero with others of the British fleet had arrived at Portland, Maine, and here the Prince embarked for England. By a strange coincidence the British squadron arrived at Portland on the very day, almost the very hour, on and at which, just 85 years before, a British fleet of six sail entered the harbor with orders to burn, sink and destroy, and did destroy the town, the citizens of which now gave a hearty welcome to the Prince, and who parted from him with enthusiastic cheering as he left their shores on his way to the Hero. ) I !rff^ 214 VICTORIA, i On the 20th of November, 1871, the Prince of Wales was seized with typhoid fever. The national anxiety was intense. The daily bulletins were eagerly scanned. The Princess Alice, who had acquired great technical .skill in the war hospitals, installed herself as nurse-in-chief. The Queen, though suffering from recent 8icknes.s, took her place at her son's bedside, to watch, with a sinking heart, the progress of the malady that had robbed her of her husband. From every portion of her vast Empire prayers ascended for the Prince. As the anni- versary of the Prince Consort's death approached the heart of the nation almost stood still. On the 13th of December the patient was rapidly sinking. The physicians in attendance warned the Queen that the inevitable end was near. On the 14th, the day ten years before fatal to his father, the Prince rallied. A fortnight later official announcement was made that he was out of danger and on the high road to complete recovery. A .sigh of relief and gratitude went up from all hearts. Her Majesty, who had felt deeply the ni^tion's sympathy, caused the following letter to be published ; " The Queen is very anxious to express her deep sense of the touching sym- pathy of the whole nation or. the occasion of the alarming illness of her dear son, the Prince of Wales. The universal feeling shown by her people during these ])ainful, terrible days, and the sympathy evinced by them with herself and her beloved daughter, the Princess of Wales, as well as the general joy at the improve- ment in the Prince of Wales' state, have made a deep and lasting impression on her heart which never can be effaced. It was, indeed, nothing new to her, for the Queen had met with the .same sympathy when, just ten years ago, a similar illness removed from her side the mainstay of her life — the best, wisest and kindest of husbands. The Queen wishes to express, at the same time, on the part of the Princess of Wales, her feelings of heartfelt gratitude, for she has been as deeply touched as the Queen by the great and universal manifestations of loyalty and sympathy. The Queen cannot conclude without expressing her hope that her faithfn.l subjects will continue their praj'ers to God for the complete recovery of her dear son to health and strength," On the 27th of February, 1872, her Majesty proceeded in state to St. Paul's Cathedral to return thanks for her son's recovery. The day was observed as a national festival. The people who had shared her anxiety were as eager to share her joy. The streets were lined with glad spectators. Costly decorations every- where met the eye. The approach of the Royal carriage, bearing the Queen, the SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 215 Prince and the Princess of Wales, was hailed with tempestuous shouts of loyal welcome. The Queen looked supremely happy : the Prince, though pale and wasted, beamed with joy. The Cathedral was crowded ; the service was a special one, appropriate to the occasion ; the sermon, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, from the text, " Mem- bers one of another," was brief and to the point. At ita conclusion, amid thunders from the Tower and Park guns, the Royal procession returned to Buckingham Palace. Two days later the following letter appeared in all the papers : "BucKiNOHAM Palace, February 29, 1872. " The Queen is anxious, as on a previous occasion, to express publicly her ovjn personal very deep sense of the reception she and her dear children met with on Tuesday, February 27th, from millions of her subjects, on her way to and from St. Paul's. Words are too weak for the Queen to say how very deeply touched and gratified she has been by the immense enthusiasm and affection exhibited to- wards her dear son and herself, from the highest down to the lowest, on the long progress through the Capital ; and she would earnestly wish to convey her warm- est and most heartfelt thanks to the whole nation for this demonstration of loyalty. The Queen, as well as her son and her dear daughter-in law, felt that the whole nation joined with them in thanking God for sparing the beloved Prince of Wales' life. The remembrance of this day, and of the remarkable order maintained throughout, will forever be affectionately remembered by the Queen and her family. In 1875 H. R. H. the Prince of Wales visited India. Sir Bartle Frere was chosen as being the man best fitted, for social and political reasons, to undertake the direction and management of the tour. The House of Commons voted sixty thousand pounds for the personal expenses of the Prince and his suite. Frere considered this sum utterly inadequate, on account of the great number of pres- ents which would have to be given in return for those which would have to be received. Very many in England as well as the Indian officials agreed with Frere. Dr. Russell, the Times correspondent, said afterwards that the Indian visit cost the Times more than ten thousand pounds. However, no more money was forth- coming from the House of Commons, and Frere had to do the best he could with the money placed at his disposal. Fortunately, and largely owing to Frere's ex- cellent management, the tour turned out a success in every way. i'L-l I 319 VICTORIA, It was arranged that the newspaper correspondents should always go ahead of the Prince and wait his arrival at the next stopping-place. But this did not suit one enterprising young man, who wished always to be presevit at the departures, as it was certain, he said, that attempts would be made to assassinate the Prince, and these attempts would be made as ho was leaving some place. Lord Mayo's assassination was still fresh in the people's memory, and a good deal of not altogether unreasonable anxiety was expressed as to the Prince's safety. But, happily, he returned safely homo. Great interest was taken throughout the United Kingdom in the proposed tour. Some Sunday observance faddists proposed to indulge in the harmless pastime of worrying the Government with addresses and petitions praying that Sunday might be properly observed on the Prince's tour. But they were assured that this matter had already been carefully considered. The Prince left Dover on the 11th of October, 1875, crossed to Calais, and travelled overland to Brindisi. Here the Prince and his party boarded the troop- ship, Serapis, which left Brindisi on the IGth Inst. Passing through the Suez Canal, the Khedive of Egypt was visited at Cairo, honors were conferred on friendly chiefs at Aden, and Bombay was reached on the 8th of November. Rninbay had beeii selected as the place where the Prince was first to touch In- dian soil. The Viceroy, the Governor, and a great concourse of Europeans and natives were assembled to meet him. The natives, in their different ways and according to their myriad superstitions, looked to his advent, some with hope and affection, most with intense satisfaction, and all with an indescribable amount of awe which fascinates and attracts them in a way only those can realize who have mingled with them. The Prince's tact and kindly, gracious manner, deeply im- pressed the generally unimpressionable native chiefs, and he speedily became a great favorite. The tour was not by any means one of pleasure only for the Prince. He was kept busy from morning till evening, day after day, attending^ durbars, banquets, balls, picnics and other festivities. Ceylon, Madras, Calcutta were each in turn visited. From Calcutta, the Prince and his party went to Ben- ares, Lucknow and Cawnpore ; thence to Delhi, the Imperial City of India, as it is called. Here a camp of exercise had been forme';^ containing a large body of troops, European and native, and manoeuvres or reviews took place daily. "The marks of approbation and regard," wrote Lord Napier of Magdala, " which the Prince of Wales has shown towards the native army, are, politically, of the great-' est value, and have surprised and delighted it." SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 217 .J, 11 ELEPHANT RIDING IN INDIA. The Journey of the Prince of Wales and Suite. WT 218 VICTORIA, ,?< it r!jf On the 12th of January a grand review was held at Delhi. Mr. W. H. Russell says: "As the Prince appeared on. the ground, the Royal Standard was hoisted and a Royal salute given along the line ; the great crowd uttered a shout of wel- come, and the fluttering of white kerchiefs from the dense line of carriages seem- ed like a ripple of surf against the background of the dark multitude. The Prince rode acroas to the right of the first line, and down the front, receiving the usual honors, bands playing, colors lowered, and so on, passing from right to left and left to right till the inspection was complete. That was a pretty sight, sea ely marred by the dusi that would rise to obscure for a moment the bright- ness Oi. he cavalcade in which might be recognized the plumed pickel-haubes of Count Seckendorff and two or three Germans, the simple uniform of three Am- erican officers, the aigrettes of the Nepalese and the jewelled turbans of Native Chiefs, amid the uniforms of the officers of all branches of the two arms of the Crown in India. When his Royal Highness had taken up his place near the flagstaft' in front of the Royal enclosure, the march-past commenced. His Royal Highness was in front, so that he could be seen by all ; liord Napier of Magdala, his arm in a sling, was on his left ; Scindia was at a little distance on his right, somewhat in the rear, with two or three chiefs. The DuLe of Sutherland, Lord Keane (en. bourgeois), Colonel Dillon, Mr. KnoUys, &c., were on horseback in the Royal en- closure, but the military members and officers of yeomanry or militia of the suite were massed at the other side nearly opposite the saluting-point. When the signal was given the first line began to move, and for an hour and a half the stream of horse, foot, and guns flowed before us." From Delhi the party proceeded to Lahore. Before leaving Delhi, rumors were ''.broad that an attempt would be made to wreck the Prince's train as it passed at night. As a precaution, therefore, men with torches were stationed at intervals of fifty yards over the whole distance of three hundred miles to Lahore But no attempt at violence was made, either there or elsewhere. At length the tour was at an end, and the party had returned to Bombay. The Prince left Bombay in the Serapis, on *.he retuin trip, on the 13th of March, 1876, having travelled nearly 7,600 miles by land and 2,300 miles by sea. On the way home the Prince visited Spain and Portugal. Portsmouth was reached on the llth of May. The scene at the landing at Portsmouth was a becoming prelude to the greeting which the whoie country gave the Prince on his return from the visit to India, which will De for g'^nerations a great landmark in the history of the Empire. I i SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 219 I'j was recognized that the tour had been successful beyond all expectation. A public thanksgiving service for the Prince's safe return was held at \Vc9train- ster Abbey, Dean Stanley preaching the sermon. Sir Bartle Frere was warmly congratulated on the important service he had rendered in piloting the expedi- tion. As a reward for his services the Queen bestowed on him a baronetage, and also made him a G. C. B. The following extracts from the native press of India will be read with inter- est. They allow as to estimate the depth of the impression made by the visit of his Royal Highness : From the Vedanta Nirnaya (a Tamil newspaper.) " The steamer Serapis was in sight at the Port of Bombay on the 8th ultimo. Three guns were fired to denote the arrival of the Prince. All the people of the city, who were expecting since a month, rejoiced exceedingly. A salute of twen- ty-one guns was fired solemnly from the men-of-war. The rays of the morning sun appeared on the waters of the sea, and shone like golden beams. In all the ships in the Roads colors and Hags were hoisted. At which time males and females came in dense crowds to the sea-shore, and were quite taken up by the scene, where there was a great clamor of ships borne by the hands of the sea maidens. Then, about half-past 4 o'clock in the afteraoon, Lord Northbrook, the Governor- General of India, and Sir Philip Wodehouse, the Governor of Bombay, together with the chief officials, went up to the Serapis, and visited the Prince with respect ; after which the Prince, attended by the above nobles, landed from the Serapis, and, walking gently, got up in the middle of an embellished building near the beach. There were high seats prepared on each side, so as to contain nearh'- five hundred persons. In the main road were spread superior carpets. Near that buiic"".f' stood the Regiment of European Fusiliers in parade, and paid the due honors, .'he band played ' God save the Queen.' Immediately her Royal son, standing in the midst of the a.ssembly, advanced two feet lor\;ard, when an Address, prepared by the Cominittee of the City Decoration, was read by Dada Bahee Baho-amjee, which was then put into a fine covered case, and was presented into the hands of our Queen's son. To which the Prince replied pro- perly. Again the Shahzadah, i.e., Prince, had interviews with every native King with much pleasure, and, when he was going in liis Royal carriage towards the Government House, Parsee maids, well dressed, met him in the road, and poured 1 I 220 VICTORIA, showers of flowers at his feet, and sprinkled odorous scents. Being struck with astonishment, the Prince halted awhile, stooped his head, and paid them his res- pects. And then, going along in procession through the decorated streets, he was dropped at the Government House. He went, after a few days, to Poonah and Baroda, in the Bocabay Presidency, where also the respective inhabitants wel- comed him, and he had the pleasure of witnessing many sights of wrestling and wild-beast fighting. He was much pleased with one Pilanteen, who played upon a rope, or very cleverly walked upon it, suspended by the power of steam- machine. We are now obliged to stop, as it will take too much space if we want to relate all." From the Jerida-i-Rezgan (a Telugu newspaper published at Madras.) " His Royal Highness the Prince arrived at Madras, and the people, long ex- pecting, now have tho means of representing the plea?ure attending his Royal Highness's joyful arrival. We are unable to write in his praise ; he possessi;s a thousand merits, and we are unable to explain one-tenth of them. The people of this place were in the dark, and by the arrival of the Most Noble the Prince, the light has spread out, and his lustre is shone on them as a rising star throws his light on the earth. Praise be to (Alia) God, who has given us such a joyful day I " For a few days Madras had the pleasure in greeting the joyful arrival in the happy town ; but now our Most Noble Prince has left our shores, we see nothing but dulness and quietress. For this separation we feel very sorry. If it had been in our powei', we would not have allowed him to depart." I 1 i From Veltikodegone (a Tamil newspapei-.) " The precious son of her Majesty the Queen, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, born by the blessing of the Happy One, the transcendant Holy Height, whose beginning, middle and end are incomprehensible, approached the Peram- bore Railway Station at 7 a.m. on Monday last, when the officers of the Railway Company, who awaited to receive him there, poured over the Prince a shower of various sorts of odorous flowers, such as lilies, rose, jessamine, lotus, and the like, sprinkled on him rose-water, attar, and other essences of odor, which were kept filled up in different trays of gold set with precious stones, paid him aM possible respect, and taking hold of him by his hand (vivid as the crimson color cf lotus). SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 221 i! 1 1 i I! 1 1 THE"FRINCE OF WALES AT THE MONKEY TEMPLE, INDIA. ill '•\m 9-7T! VICTORIA, delightfully inducted him into a well-decorated apartment where the floor was covered with carpets of various colors interwoven with gold. Within about half- an-hour, after having visited the workshop and other places and having put on a Royal robe, he got into the train and approached the Roypooram Station at about a quarter-past eight. The ornamental decoration and workmanship at the Rail- way Station were such as to ravish the spectators' sight. His Grace (the Gov- ernor) the Duke of Buckingham, the Chief Justice of the High Court, the Pro- testant Bishop, the Right Rev. Dr. Fennelly, Bishop of the Roman Catholics, the Government Secretaries, and others, as well as the Native Princes and Rajahs of the live different soils, and others, having wished him a long reign, cheerfully welcomed the Prince, who in return paid them respect by raising up his hand of crimson color. By this time the military officers fired the guns. All those and every one of the spectators, who waited with ine.^pressible anxiety the whole ])revious night, with their eyes wide awake, exposing themselves to the fulgent and frigid rays of the moon, as well as the darting rays of the morning sun, fear- less of the dangerous consequences of the deed, no sooner heard the report of the guns than they got up and stood with their hands folded and their mouths closed, in the fashion of Oriental loyalty usually shown to Sovereigns. " However diffident we may feel as to our powers to express the excellent man- ner in which the Thumboo Chetty Street, commencing at the terminus up to the Madras Government House, was decorated, yet we shall try our best endeavors to remove that, as well as the feebleness of our pen, and describe the same as far as practicable. " The diffidence is entirely owing to the extreme degree of our inability to th& task, since the AUdishasha h'mself (the Seven-Hooded dragon subterranean sup- porter and the Divine Commentator of all the Gravamities) has gone down feel- ing rather too shy ; as this grandeur is far above his powers of expression, he is not adequate to the task. In streets on both sides, colored flags were hoisted ; artificial groves of trees, such as coca, palmyra, date and plaintains, were ex- hibited, so thickly that they appeared to touch the ethereal regions. " Heroic military officers and vehicle.", of Hindu Kings moved on in Royal pro- cession. To feast their eyes with the colors (flags) on the Railway building, the people, conscious of their unworthy vision or sight, attempted to perform penance for better eyes than theirs. There was a green canopy set-up within the.bound- ary limit of the Railway Terminus, and it presented a superhuman workman- it SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 223 IN THE BUDDHIST TEMPLE, AT KANDY. The Prince examining the Sacred Tootli of Gotania Buddha. fTT 224 VICTORIA, ship. On the front of each of the pandals there was an inscription of the British national anthem, ' God Save the Queen.' In the pandal there was hung an angelic reliqne which showered on his Royal Highness a profusion of flowers. The Prince, whose face was attractive as the moon, being pleased at this, smiled. Immediately, Ramasaumy Chettiar offered his loyal respects to the Prince, who returned his thanks. From the Fort Esplanade up to the Government House the green pandals were all so excellently beautified, like her Majesty's Windsor Castle, near that water fountain, in England, presenting a view of recreation. Orchards from Wallajah Bridge up to Monroe's statue, there were on both sides raised-up benches prepared for the students of all the schools in Madras, whose numbers defied calculation. A portion of them chanted songs of congratulations to the Prince and praises of the Deity. Then the Prince stopped his Royal vehicle a little, and with pleasure listened to melodious numbers. "His Royal Highness observed the :» c'ulness and watchfulness of the re- spective schoolmasters by the side of tlieir students, and was indescribably satisfied with their devotional attention to their duty. The side benches prepared for the ofiicials and other oflicials were not enough for their number, srores and srores of them standing under the powerful sun, unmindful of the beams of the day-maker, like the blind praying for eyes who have realized their wish ; when it was quarter after nine the Prince entered into the Government House. The multitudes, expressing doubt if there was ever such a scene beheld, returned home. On that evening his Royal Highness went to the Guindy Park Govern- ment House ; the following day, being the day of his late father's anniversary, the Prince kept at home at Guindy." From the ' Oomdatool Akbxr' (Oordoo paper), 20th December. " By the blessing of Almighty, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales arrived at Madras, and the people of this place consider it a very fortunate day in their life. In place of showers of rain, they are pleased with showers of pleasure; the beauties of flowers of the garden and trees are in no w^ay to be compared with the pleasures derived by the arrival of our Noble Prince. We offer our prayer to Almighty God that the Prince may arrive safely at his destination. " After his Royal Highness had witnessed the last General Military Review near the Government House, sitting under the gold, triple-ci'owned umbrella, supported b}' the pillar set by carbuncle, diamond, crystal, cat's eye, emerald, lapis SIXTY YEAP5 A QUEEN. 226 lazuli and blue-gem, he was much transported with joy. He was again over- whelmed in the ocean of delight by the exhibition of fireworks, which laughed to scorn our Indian fireworks. The skilful European workmen, who came from England for the purpose of preparing these powder combinations, were able in the secrets and mysteries of nature to change from minute to minute, for more than three hours, the aspect of the blue sky into crimson-red, emerald-green, saffron. Srores of people were thunderstruck, and imagined that the sidereal heaven itself had been translated into the earth, and srores again uttered cries that the stars were melted and poured down. Srores put forth the opinion that THE QITEEN AND JOHN BROWN (Her Faithful Higliland Servant). the bushy rockets dashed upwards to measure the distance between the celestial and terrestrial orbs. In like manner the fireworks exhibited on the Serapis, and on the Body-Guard ships, were vieing with each other. As these were observed to dive into and emerge from the sea — sight quite novel to people like ourselves — we stood with our eyes wide awake, so as not to wink even." In 1878, on the 17th anniversary of the Prince Consort's death, a new burden of grief was laid upon the Queen, in the death of the Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt. Her husband and five of her children were taken with diphtheria. The Princess' youngest child — her "sunshine," as she evtr called o : II ¥ 226 VICTORIA, >ii ii her — succumbed to the dreadful malady. For a terrible month thd Princess braved the poisonous atmosphere of the sick room. What wonder that, worn with anxiety, grief and physical exertion, she was unable to resist the contagion of the disease ? On December 7th she fell ill, and a week later, with the words, " Dear papa " on her lips, she passed " To wliere beyond these voices there is peace." At one time the Princess had been led away by the free-thinking philosophy current at the Court of the Grand Duke. Affliction, however, led her back to the faith of her childhood. An intimate friend and relation writes : " After her son's death I thought I observed a change in her feelings. Before that time she had often expressed openly her doubts as to the existence of God — had allowed herself to be carried away by the free -thinking, philosophical views of others. After Prince Fritz died she never spoke in that way again. She remained silent while a transformation was quietly going on within, of which I afterwards was made aware, under the influence of some hidden power. It seemed as if she did not then like to own the change that had come over her. Some time afterwards she told me herself, in the most simple and touching manner, how this change had come about. I could not listen to her story with- out tears. The Princess told me she owed it all to her child's death, and to the influence of a Scotch gentleman, a friend of the Grand Duke's and the Grand Duchess', who was residing with his family at Darmstadt. " I owe all to this kind friend," she said, " who exercised such a beneficial influence on my religious views. Yet people say so much that is cruel and unjust of him, and of my acquaintance with him." At another time she said, " The whole edifice of philosophical conclusions which I had built up for myself I find to have no foundation whatever. Nothing of it is left. It has crumbled away like dust. What should we be, what would become of us, if we had no faith — if we did not believe that there is a God that rules the world and each single one of us ? I feel the necessity of prayer. I have to sing hymns with my children ; and we have each our favorite hymn." A few days before the fatal malady disclosed itself she wrote to the Queen, her mother : " . . , So many pangs and pains come, and must yet, for years to come. Still, gratitude for those left is so strong; and, indeed, resignation, entire and iili : SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 227 complete, to a higher will. And so we all feel together and encourage each other. Life is not endless in this world, God be praised ! There is much joy, but, oh, so much trial and pain ; and as the number of those one loves increases in heaven it makes our passage easier, and home is there. Ever your loving child, Alice." The Princess, like her sisters, was British to the heart's core. The day before her death she asked that thh Union Jack might be spread over her coffin, hoping " that no one in the country of her adoption would object to her wish to be borne to her rest with the old English colors above her." On Tuesday the 17th of December, after a solemn service by the English chap- lain, the remains of the beloved Princess were quietly removed from her own palace to the chapel in the Grand Ducal Castle. The next day, amidst the uni- versal grief of high and low, the coffin was placed in the Mausoleum Rosenhohe, Her brothers the Prince of Wales and Prince Leopold, were present. A beautiful recumbent monument by Boohra, representing the Princess holding the Princess May in her arms, is now placed in the Mausoleum over the spot where she rests. In the United Kingdom her death was deeply lamented. The Queen wrote to her people to thank them for the true and tender feeling they had manifested. " It was," she said, " most soothing to the Queen's feelings to see how entirely her grief was shart ^ by her people." Her Majesty has published three works : " A Memoir of the Prince Consort," " Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands," and " More Leaves." The " Memoir of the Prince Consort " was at first printed for, private circulation only. Fear, however, of its being surreptitiously obtained and published, possi- bly in a garbled form; belief that the free and unreserved expression of her feel- ings would win general sympathy; and trust that the volume would tend to a better appreciation of the Prince's great character, induced the Queen to consent to its publication. In this her Majesty was well advised. The Memoir has not only won for the Prince's character the hearty respect of the public, it has done more ; it has deepened in the hearts of all her subjects loyal admiration for the Queen herself. The volumes of extracts from her Majesty's Journals make no pretension to literary finish. They are the unstudied records of the impressions received by the Royal author in the course of her journeys among the wild beauty of the 228 VICTORIA, Highlands, or during her Majesty's progresses in England, Ireland and the Chan- nel Islands. Mr. Helps, under whose editorship the first volume appeared, speaks of the *' picturesque descriptions of scenery in which the work abounds, the simplicity of diction throughout it, and the perfect faithfulness of narration which is one of its chief characteristics." In every page the writer describes what she thinks and feels rather than what she might be expected to think and feel. No such record was ever given to the world before. It is, indeed, no new thing for monarchs to appear as authors ; but none have dared to be so sincere. What delights us most in these extracts from the Queen's Journals is the char- acter revealed — unconsciously revealed ; a character rich in natural gifts, richtr in acquired culture, richest in a heart that responds with instant sympathy to the joys or sorrows of the humblest of her subjects, of her children — for she is the mother of her people. .c )^»U^ I HOLYROOD PALACE, EDINliUR(;H. CHAPTER IX. Some Foreign Wars. The Dake of VVellinj?ton —His Wonderful Career —His Death at VViihner Castle— The AfKhaniativH Cami)ait?nH of 1S4'2 and lS7i)— The Abyssinian Kxpedition uf 1868. HE British Empire has not acquired its present commanding posi- tion without great struggles. British statesmen, British soldiers, .yjj British blue-jackets, have each contributed to ultimate success. British diplomacy has done much to place our country in the front rank of nations. British valor on land and sea has done equally as much. It may be that the arms of Great Britain have mot with occasional reverses ; hut the victories of Nelson, nf Wellington, of the many others who HORSE GUARDS, FROM WHITEHALL. have fought under the " Union Jack of Old England," liave emphasised the fact that if now and then we suffer checks, when our affairs happen to fall into the hands of weak and incapable men, yet as soon as we put able and vigorous leaders at the head of our affairs, the energy of the Anglo-Saxon, and the power of the British Empiie, overbear all resistance and infallibly conduct us to triumph and success. (229) 230 VICTORIA, 1 i '! IJ 1 ii ' 1 ^p ii jj i ' 1 m i If i The wars through which his Grace the Duke of Wellington obtained his fauje were not fought in the reign of Queen Victoria; but TuE Duke, as he was uni- vorsally called, was such a prominent figure in British history >.ntil his death in 1852, that any sketch of the wars of the Victorian era would be incomplete without a reference to him. This greatest Kngllsiunan of his day was the third son of Garret, Second Earl of Mornington, and of Anne, eldest daughter of Arthur Hill, Viscount Dun- gannon. He was born at Dangan Castle, County Meath, Ireland, in 17G9. By the dc.'iih of his father, in 1781, he became dependent at an early age upon the care and the prudence of his mother, a lady of talents not unequal to the task. He was sent to Eton, from whence he was transferred, first to private tuition at Brighton, and subsequently to the military seminary of Angers, in France, where Pignerol, an engineer of high repute, was then the director. At eighteen he was an ensign in the British army. Later on he was sent to India. Here his talents soon placed him in the front rank; promotion quickly followed. Returning to England he was sent to the Peninsula. The story of his Peninsular campaigns is familiar to tne world. Following up his earlier conquests there, in six weeks, with a force of barely 100,000 men, he marched six hundred miles, passed six great rivers, gained the decisive battle of Vittoria, invested two fortresses, and expelled 120,000 men from Spain. Never was a campaign briefer or more brilliant. Wellington was fortunate in having under him brave officers and a rank and file equally as brave. A neat compliment was paid them some years after by the distinguished Frenchman, Marshal Magnan. Several persons, in the pres- ence of the Marshal had expressed a doubt of the efficiency of the British Army. " I was," said Magnan, " in the Peninsula in 1813 and ] 814, and in eleven battles, but I never saw the back of a British soldier." When the dissolution of Napoleon's empire compelled a new organization of France, the Duke of Wellington was promptly despatched to Paris, as the person most competent to advise and instruct the new administration. Four days only elapsed between his departure from his army and his appearance as British ambassador at the Tuilleries. Within a week again of that time he was precipi- tately recalled to Madrid as the only individual who, by his experience, know- ledge and influence could compose the differences between the Spanish people and their Sovereign. Before six months had passed he was on his way to Vienna, as the representative of his country in the great congress of nations which was SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 231 to determine the settleinunt of the world. These practical testimonies to hia renown throw wholly into the shade those incidenf,al honors and decorations by which national acknowledgments are conveyi-d. It is almost superfluous to add that all titles and distinctions at the command of Crowns and Cabinets were jrw^. WfBmhmMm HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. •showered upon the liberator of the Peninsula. In his own country Talavera had made him a Baron and a Viscount ; Ciudad Rodrigo an Earl ; Salamanca a Marquess, and his final triumph a Duke. These honors had all accumulated in his absence. His successive patents were read together in a single day as he [ i?fF; !- I 232 VICTORIA, tooR his jeat for tlie first time, and with the highest rank in the House of Lords,, at London. On the 10th May, 1814, the Prince Regent sent to the House of Commons a. message, recommending a grant to the Duke of such an annuity as might sup- port the high dignity of the titles conferred, and prove a lasting memorial of the nation's gratitude and munificence. On the 12th, the Speaker moved thjah was to be made Ameer. An army was sent into Afghanistan to seat him on the throne. This was a mistake; but from first to last the Governor-General, as if blinded by some adverse destiny, did all that he ought not, and neglected all that he ought to have done. He blun- dered on with a dangerous and dishonorable policy which dealt a fatal blow to the reputation of the British Government for just dealing and scrupulous good faith. Towards the close of November, 1838, " the army of the Indus " had assem- bled at Ferozepore. The total of the forces to be employed was 21,000 effective fighting men. The expedition was accompanied by Mr. Macnaghten, who was to assume office as envoy and minister at Cabul. The expedition reached Cabul, after experien.'ing great hardships. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 237 It did not take long to find out that it would be necessary to keep a large and permanent garrison of British troops in Cabul if Shah Soojah was to be main- tained upon his throne. The moment the British should march away his sub- jects would dethrone him, and restore Dost Mohammed. The British troops ac- cordingly remained. At length Dost Mohammed surrendered, and was sent to Hindostan, Then the British force was greatly reduced. Shortly after, under the leadership of Akbar Khan, a son of Dost Mohammed, the Afghans broke out into open rebellion. They murdered some Europeans, and then proceeded to sack the city of Cabul. General Elphinstons, in charge of the British troops, refused to act. When too late, it was seen that this was a fatal mistake ; for soon the British were practically besieged by the Afghans. Provisions were running short in the British camp. Disagreements among the British Generals made matters worse It was resolved to open negotiations for the capitulation of the army. The Afghans would hear of no terms but unconditional surrender. This was refused. In a few days, however, their case became so de.sperate that a capitulation was agreed upon, more dishonorable than had ever happened to British arms. The British array was to evacuate Afghanistan as speedily as possible by the Khyber Pass, rece ' ving assistance in transportation and provisions. On January 6th, 1842, in the depth of winter (and Cabul stands G,000 feet above the level of the sea), the troops — 700 British, 3,800 Indian soldiers, and 12,000 camp fol- lowers — marched out to begin their retreat. The moment the soldiers left the citadel its guns were turned upon them, slaughtering indiscriminately friend and foe. That night the soldiers pas.sed unsheltered in the snow, unprovided with covering or provisions. The Europeans could withstand the cold to some extent ; but the feeble children of India, unused to so severe a climate, perished like flies. The Sepoys fell on the line of mai'ch ; but, preserving the instincts of discipline, they awaited death in silence. Such was the beginning of the end. To some extent, though necessarily on a smaller scale, the British retreat copied the painful features of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. The line of retreat became a veritable shambles. Benumbed by the cold, the troops and camp followers fell easy victims to the Afghans. The British troops made several gallant stands, but could avail nothing against the fierce Afghans in overwhelming numbers. In the Khyber Pass, five miles in length, the massacre was frightful. I 238 VICTORIA, Akbar, with his chiefs and followers, kept close on the track of the retreating force. Akbar, treacherously pretending friendship, professed that his object was to save the British, but Mackenzie writes that Pottinger said to him : " Macken- zie, remember if I am killed that I heard Akbar Khan shout, ' Slay them ! ' in Pushtoo, although in Persian he called out to stop the firing." As those in the rear of the retreating British went forward they came upon one sight of horror after another. There were children cut in two ; Hindostanee women as well as men — some frozen to death, some literally chopped to pieces, many with their throats cut from ear to ear. Men fell fast in the horrid defile, struck down by the Afghan fire from the heights. The slaughter from the Afghan fire blocked the gorge with dead and dying. The Ghilzai tribesmen, at every turn, blocked the waj'. Then the steep slopes would suddenly swarm with Afghans rushing sword in hand down to the work of butchery. The massacre ceased not while living vic- tims remained. The rear-guard regiment of Sepoys was exterminated, save for two or ihree desperately wounded officers who contrived to reach the advance. At one point the Afghans had constructed a formidable abattis of prickly brush- wood. This stretched athwart the road, and dammed back the fugitives. In this trap were caught our hapless people and the swarm of their native followers. Now the end was very near. From behind the barrier, and around the lip of the great trap, the hillmen fired their hardest into the seething mass of soldiers and followers writhing in the awful Gehenna on which the calm moon shone down. On the edges of this whirlpool of death the Ghilzais were stabbing and hacking with the ferocious industry inspired by thirst for blood and lust for plunder. It is a characteristic of the British race, as of all brave men, to die game, yea, even to thrill with a strange, fierce joy when hope of escape from death has all but passed away and there remains only to sell life dearly. Among our people, face to face with death in that rocky pass, officers and soldiers alike fought with cool, deadly rancor. Here is the end of the first chapter of this sorrowful tale. About noon on the 17th of January, 1842, the British soldiers who kept guard on the ramparts of Jellalabad saw in the distance a solitary horseman slowly and painfully staggering across the open plain. They wondered among themselves who this jaded traveller might be. As he drew nearer, it became evident that the weary animal he rode could scarcely stumble farther on its way, and that he himself was worn and wan, like one who had suffered greatly. A party was sent SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 239 forth to his assistance. His name was soon known and his tale told — the dark, the appalling tale of the destruction of an army ! He was Dr. Brydone, and the sole survivor, one hundred and twenty prisoners and some four or five natives excepted, of the sixteen thousand fighting men and camp followers who, eleven days before, had marched out of Cabul. For many months negotiations were in progress for the release of the British prisoners whom Akbar Khan had taken during the disastrous retreat from Cabul. The bitter experiences of the captives, from that miserable January day on which they passed under the presumably friendly protection of Akbar Khan until their release, are recorded very fully and most interestingly by Lady Sale, by Vincent Eyre, and by Colin Mackenzie. , Akbar Khan, it appears, did not allow them to be wilfully illtreated. On the contrary, the unanimous testimony of the released prisoners was to the effect that Akbar Khan, violent, bloody, and passionate man though he was, behaved to- ward them with kindness and a certain rude chivalry. Nevertheless, they lived under a long strain of anxiety and apprehension, for none of them knew what the morrow might bring forth. At length their jailor cautiously hinted that a reward and a pension might in- duce him to carry his charges into the British camp. A private meeting was arranged between the Afghan commandant and the British officers. The Afghan intimated the receipt of instructions to carry the prisoners further into the in- terior, into what would be but hopeless captivity. On the other hand, a messen- ger had whispered to the Afghan that if he restored the prisoners General Pollok would ensure him a reward of 20,000 rupees, and a life pension of 12,000 rupees a year. The Afghan demanded and received a guarantee from the British officers. The captives bound themselves to make good from their own resources their i-e- demption money. The Afghan proved himself honest. The captives were cap- tives no longer. They were practically free. Then came the welcome tidings that Akbar had been defeated, and had fled no one knew whither, whereupon the self-emancipated partys et out for Cabul. At noon of the 17th of September they met Shakespear and his horsemen, who were on the way to rescue them. On the 21st they entered Cabul. The attention of Lord Ellenborough, the new Governor-General, was necessar- ily directed towards Afghanistan. The prestige of the British arms must be restored. It was essential to the security of our rule in India that we should s ;f i) 7WT- m m W ill: II! Si' -240 VICTORIA, chastise the Afghans for their breach of faith with the retreating British column. An army of retribution was speedily collected. The dreaded IChyber Pass was successfully traversed in the face of desperate resistance from hordes of Afghans. Swiftly and surely the victorious British commander pressed onwards, defeating the Afghans in every encounter. On the 16th of September, 184)2, Sir George Pollock entered Cabul, and soon, amid ringing cheers and the well-known strains of England's national anthem, the British standard was planted on the summit of the citadel. The axiom that history repeats itself finds a striking illustration in the second Afghan war, which, in its cause and many of its incidents, was a repetition of the first. In 1879 the British Consul at Cabul was murdered. This massacre must be avenged. An army was gathered, under the command of Sir Frederick Roberts. Major-General Roberts, in 1879, was already deservedly esteemed one of the most brilliant soldiers of the British army. He had fought with distinction all through the Great Mutiny ; he had served in the Abyssinian expedition of 1868, and been chosen by the Commander to carry home his final despatches; he had worthily shared in the toil, fighting, and honors of other expeditions. In his command in Afghanistan, in the preceding year, he had proved himself a skilful, resolute, and vigorous leader. The Afghan.^ haa come to regai'd him with fear and trembling. The officers and men who served under him believed in I'.J: enthusiastically. His administrative capacity had been proved in the post of Quartermaster-General in India. With much experience of war, Roberts at the age of forty-seven was in the full vigor of manhood, alert in mind, and of tough and enduring physique. Sir Frederick Roberts was hurried forward on Cabul charged with the duty of avenging the perpetration of a foul and treacherous crime. He conducted the campaign in his usual energetic and successful style. He, however, met with bitter opposition from the Afghans. In one action it was estimated that the Afghan strength did not fall short of 40,000 men. So overwhelming was the odds aofainst him that Roberts was re- luctantly compelled to abandon further oflfensive efforts. He stated his reasons with perfect frankness. " Up to this time I had no reason to apprehend that the Afghans were in sufficient force to cope successfully with disciplined troops, but the resolute and determined manner in which the conical hill had been captured, -and the information sent to me by Brigadier-General Macpherson that large illtl: SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 241 masses of the enemy were still atlvancing from the north, south, and west, made it evident that the numbers combined against us were too overwhelming to admit of my comparatively small force meeting them. I therefore determined to with- draw fiom all isolated positions, and to concentrate the whole force at Sherpur, thus securing the safety of our large cantonment, and avoiding what had now become a useless sacrifice of life." On Roberts falling back to Sherpur, the Afghans advanced, more confident than ever. Had they been content to besiege the British, the British would have suffered most severely — perhaps, in the end, have been annihilated. But, impa- tient of delay, the Afghans boldly advanced to the assault. The British had timely warning. The Afghans were repulsed. Becoming panic-stricken, they broke and tied, pursued by the British. Thus ended resistance in that quarter. On the 12th of October, 1879, the British once more triumphantly entered Cabul. Shortly afterwards, a terrible disaster happened to our arms near Candahar, which was garrisoned by a British force under General Primrose. On the 27th of July, 1880, General Burrows, with a force of only 2,500 British and Indian soldiers, attacked the army of Ayoob Khan, about 20,000 strong. This engage- ment is known as the battle of Maiwand. The Afghans were strongly entrenched. The British soon saw they were hopelessly outnumbered ; for that reason they fought the more desperately. The artillerymen and sappers made a gallant stand. They fought the Afghans hand-to-hand with handspikes and rammers, while the guns poured canister into the advancing masses. But the guns finally fell into the enemy's hands. The torrent of Afghans then broke in upon the gallant 66th Regiment and over- whelmed it. The slaughter of the Sepoys at this point was appalling. They scarcely attempted a defence, but allowed themselves without resistance to be dragge'' out of the ranks and killed. The British cavalry having reformed, a charge was ordered in the direction of the captured guns, but it failed and the troopers retired in disorder. The infantry, assailed by hordes of fierce and triumphant ghazees, staggered away, the 66th alone maintaining any show of formation. Then the broken remnants of the Sepoy regiments took to flight, the Oeneral's efforts to rally them proving wholly unavailing. The 66th with some of the sappers and grenadiers, made a gallant stand round its colors. Colonel Galbraith and several of his officers were killed. Finally, after four hours severe fighting, the British were forced to retire. The Afghans pursued the British for ' -5 i <■ ii 242 VICTORIA, llHi • ■ ^':l It *l|i ■ '. ■ ■ ^'h * T , ;#*'^.-^.,. / /j^g H^^p .^ *ja i iiia V a f. .'i ■ . * l^^r^^H mHI^^HiVS H^ii^'K 4 j THE LAST GALLANT STAND OF THE 66th REGIMENT AT THE BATTLE OF MAIWAND, July 2/th, 1880. WW'. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 243 about four mile9, but were checked by a detnchment of rallied cavalry. The British loss was heavy. Over 300 rank and file, with many oHicers, wore killed; while over 700 of the Indian troops were killed or mi.ssing. The survivors made the best of their way to Candahar, fifty miles distant. For some unaccountable reason, Ayoob Khan, satisfied with the victory obtained, J id not follow up the fugitives. • Soon the British in Candahar were besiegeil by the Afghans, now flushed with victory. The tidings of the Aiaiwand disaster reached Cabul two days later by telegram from Simla. It was at once decided that to retrieve this disaster and deliver the small garrison at Candahar was an indispensable necessity. Sir Donald Stewart and his advisers determined on a daring plan, though not un- aware of the dangerous consequences to the British empire in India, which would assuredly supervene upon its failure. With an army of 10,000 men — 2,835 Europeans, the balance being Ghoorkas, and Sikhs — Sir Frederick Roberts suddenly started from Cabul, and undertook a march of three hundred miles through a practically unknown country to Candahar. For three weeks nothing was heard of the bold general and his faithful followers. Then he and they reap- peared upon the scene, victorious. With immense skill and resolution Roberts ha'i accomplished his desperate enterprise, had reached Candahar, had fallen like a thunderbolt upon Ayoob Khan, and crushed him. The honor of Britain was avenged, her prestige saved. The distance of three hundred miles was covered in the remarkably short time of twenty days. It is customary in a long march to allow two rest days in each week, but Roberts granted his force but a single rest day in the twenty days of its strenuous march. The average daily march was a fraction over fifteen miles. As a feat of marching by a regular force of 10,000 men encumbered with bag- gage and followers, this achievement is unique^ It was accomplished only by thorough organization and steady, vigorous energy. " It was not," wrote General Chapman, " with eager desire that the honor of marching to Candahar was sought for, and some commanding officers of experience judged rightly the tem- pers of their men when they represented for the General's consideration the claims of the regiments they commanded to be relieved as soon as possible from field service. The enthusiasm which carried Sir Frederick Roberts' force with exceptional rapidity to Candahar was an after-growth evolved by the enterprise itself, and came as a response to the unfailing spirit which animated the leader himself." m 'i : 1 l-*;!! Mi'' V !1 'ill I in SI Slli 214 VICTORIA, Tile Af{^hans and the 13iitish are now fast friends. In 1885 the Ameer visited Lord D .Terin, the British Viceroy, at Rawul-I'indi. In a grand durbar it was doolared that " England and Afghanistan will stand side by side." Lord Roberts' memorable relief of Candahar made a wonderful impression on the Afghans. While on a visit to the Ameer of Afghanistan itt 1885, Lord Roberts was literally besieged by old soldiers begging that they might be allowed to re- turn to the colors and fight once more. " One native officer, who had been with me in Afghanistan," says Lord Roberts, "came to me ai:J said, ' I am afraid, Sahib, I am too old and infirm to do more work myself, but you must take my two sons with you ; they are ready to die for the Angrese (English).' " Wlien Lord Roberts was in Nepal in 1892 he met General Shamsher, a very red-hot native .soldier. Said this native General to Lady Roberts, " When are the Russians coming ? I wish that they would make haste. We have orty thousand soldiers in Nepal ready for war, and there is no one to fight !" In 1SG5 the attention of the British Parliament was directed to the harsh treatment which cer'.ain British subjects were experiencing at the hands of Theo- dore, the " Negus," ir King of Abyssinia. These men had been seized by Theo- dore while they w ire actually engaged on official business for the British Gov- ernment. The !iational honor was therefore engaged in their deliverance. Yet it was eviden'. that this would be a task of considerable delicacy as well as difli- culty. Tbjre was ever the fear that, on the first appearance of a military move- ment. Theodore, a man of strong barbaric temper, might order the massacre of the prisoners. All attempts at conciliation having failed, an ultimatum was .sent by Lord Stanley, in 1867, demanding their release within three months on pen- alty of war. No reply was mide to this despatch; indeed, it is not certain that it readied Theodore's hands, although that would probably have made no difference. An expedition was accordingly determined upon, the command of which was entrustel to Sir Robert Napier (afterwards created Lord Napier of Magdala), Commander-in-Ohief of the army of Bombay.- On January 7th, 18G8, the British army of 12,000 men, drawn from tl presidency, was landed at Zoulla, on Annesley Bay. ZouUa was in Pro- vince of Tigrd, then in rebellion against Theodore. It was found necessary to make the road to Magdala, the capital, four hundred miles long, across valleya and over mountains, where there were only bridle paths which the sure-footed , SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 245 active little Abyssini .n horses were alone able to travel. The days were hot, the nights extremely cold. Hor-jes and mules died by hundreds from fatigue or want of water. Hail the country through which they passed been well affected to Theodore, a mere handful of men stationed on many a rocky cliff lookin'^ down on many a difficult mountain pass, might have obstructed the whole army. But Kassa, the Prince of Tigrd, was the enemy of Theodore. The British army pay- ing for all supplies, was generally welcomed all along its route. On Good Friday of the year 18G8 the British army reached the plateau of Atfejo, near Magdala, the capital. Here a bloody battle was fought. IMio Abys- sinian warriors poured forth in thousands and advanced on the British tioops. They were met by a portion of the British troops. Instantaneously two quick volleys of musketry were flashed in the faces of the dusky foe, and like a stream of fire volleys ran from side to side without a paus'3, raining such a storm of leaden hail that for a time the enemy halted from sheer astonishment. It was as if they were paralysed at the very moment they intended to launch out their spears, and one could almost fancy that these weapons vibrated in their hands, from the impetus they were about to give them. Slowly they seemed to regain consciousness, and, horrified, they gazed upon the awful result. Strangest sight it was to them, who had ever been victorious in the field of battle, to see their own men tumble by the dozen, by scores, by fifties, into the embrace of death. " Retreat !" cried the chiefs. The enemy did retreat, but not fa.st enough. They broke in a panic, and endeavored to take vantage of boulders to escape the whizzing bullets; but the bullets found them out, searched out each bush and around each rock, and stretched the men behind dead upon the ground. Mr. Stanley says : " Here was one running for dear life for a copse; but sud- denly you saw him leap into the air and fall on his face, clutching the ground savagely. Here was another one, with head bent low, in the vain thought that if his head escaped he would be safe, making all haste to get into a hollow, out of reach of the leaden storm ; but even as the haven dawned upon his frenzied eyes, a whirring pellet caught him, and .sent him rolling down the incline. There was another one, just about to dodge behind a massive boulder, from where hq could take slight revenge, but before he could ensconce himself the unerring ball, went crashing through his brain ; and there was another about to plunge in hot haste down a ravine to the left who had his skull shatt'^red by a rocket, and with a dull sound the body fell down the precipice." mmm 246 VICTORIA, if The whole of the British force now came into action, and the Abyssinians, thongh they behaved with great gallantry, could not withstand the immense pre- ponderance of power which was arrayed against them. The ground was strewn with evidences of slaughter — the ravine was literally choked with the dead and dviug, and the little stream that watered it was crimson with blood. It is known that the Abyssinians lost from 700 to 800 killed, and 1,500 were wounded, most of them severely. Many cf the survivors fled into the mountains, and did not return to Magdala. All night long the Abyssinians could be heard calling to their wounded comrades, and bearing them off the *'cld. The disproportion be- tween the fighting power of the two combatants is emphatically illustrated by the fact that out of the 2,000 British and Indian soldiers actually engaged only thirty-two were put hora de combat. King Theodore, when he beheld the destruction of his army, sank into despair. His power was gone ; nothing remained but submission. He despatched two of his captives, Lieutenant Prideaux and Mr. Flud, next morning to Napier's cimp, expressing his earnest desire to be reconciled to the British. But such reconcilia- tion was impossible. British honor, to be sure, might have been satisfied with the liberation of the prisoners, and due reparation for the indignities they had sustained. But the Abyssinians had warmly welcomed the invaders, had freely supplied and assisted them throughout the campairfn, and it would be impossible to abandon them to the mercies of a pitiless chief such as Theodore had proved himself to be. Moreover, to have come so far, and spent so much money, merely to set the captives free, was no longer enough. More was demanded ; the sur- render and dethronement of Theodore. Theodore refused to yield, although he delivered up the captives. Magdala was taken by storm. Theodore committed suicide. The fortifications of Mag- dala were lazed to the ground, its cannon destroyed, and its buildings given to the flames. On the 18th of April the British force re-cossed the Besliilo, and on the 20th a grand review was held on the Dalanta plateau. Before the month was out the last British soldier had departed from Annesley Bay. Thus ended the Abyosinian Expedition, which, from most points of view, the reader may regard with satisfaction. The cause of quarrel was absolutely just ; the main objects for which the expedition was undertaken were secured, and public opinion was still sufticiently alive to the honor of Britain to approve the addition of a penny to the Income Tax to maintain it. Tae exj)erience acquired, during active SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 247 service, by many young officers was a clear gain to the country ; and, in travers- ing a very interesting and remarkable region, some additional knowledge was collected by those who were specially sent out for the purpose, in several branches of science. By the 2nd July Sir R. Napier and the British, troops had returned to England, and were warmly received by their countrymen. The expedition cost about fifty millions of dollars — quite a large sum for a " little war," as this was callerl. The actual strength of the expeditionary force landed at Anneslej' Bay was : Officers, 520; European troops, 4,250 ; native troops, 9,447; followers, 26,214; civilians, 433; women followers, 140; total, 41,004; with 4,735 camels, 45 ele- phants, over 20,000 mules and other animals for transport purposes, and with over 20,000 sheep and bullocks for the commissariat department. The casualties were 11 officers and 87 men killed. c im'ij^ -;« U M- CHAPTER X. Some Foreign Wars (Gintinoed). The Crimean War — The Egj-ptian Campaigns— Gordon in Egjpt — The Opium War in China — The Northwest Rebellion — The Horrors of War— Neutral States — Settlement by Arbitration. !T is still undecided whether the Crimean war was a just and necessary one ; whether, with greater firmness on the part of our rulers, it [^ "=M/>r. might or might not have been avoided ; whether it was or was not /u^i|^ precipitated by Louis Napoleon to serve a selfish dynastic purpose ; ^ ^ whether, in any degree, it sprang from a misunuerstanding on the part of Russia as to the views and motives of the British Government. The ostensible cause of the war was the rejection by the Sultan of an ultimatum from Prince Menschikoflf, on behalf of the Czar of Russia, demanding that the Sultan should grant to the Czar a certain protectorate over the Greek Christians in Turkey. The Sultan appealed to the British and French Governments. Lord Stratford de Redely tfe, " the great Elchi," as he was familiarly called, was British Ambassador at Constantinople at this time. He was very suc-ftssf ul in checkmating Russian diplomacy. At the same time he was not afraid to speak his mind to the Sultan. Here is an anecdote told by one of his attaches : " I was with him one day in his ten-oared caique upon the Bosphorus when we passed a large garden in which preparations wero being made for building. Lord Stratford told me to land and inquire whose it was. On being told that thp Sultan was about building a new summer palace he ordered the boatmen to row straight to where the Sultan was living. He was announced as desiring an immediate audience. It was just at the opening of the Crimean War, and Abdul Medjid received hira with smiles, thinking he had come to bring important news from the Danubian Provinces. But the great Elchi, who had a quick temper, burst out with, '■ His Majesty has eight palaces already. Ask him would he spend, his money, scarcely sufficient as it ia to buy bread for his troops in the field, in building a ninth palace for the Emperor of Russia to occupy ? — for no assistance can be expected from the allies of Turkey if they see such reckless extravagance going on ! ' " (248) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 249 CRIMKA, 1854, SOUXDIN(; THK ALARM. ••^m^ m im m w rrrnaf ^ wm n vn' t f mnm^ . m ^ v- ' j ■>.; 1 vi - 1 6i ~— - 1 ' - ' ' « I ;. iiH I 1 ' ''3 '' 1 j*.; ;cg-j 1 ■•.JUi gjiiai 250 VICTORIA, ! : In February, 1854, the British and French Governments sent an ultimatum to the Czar. The Czar " did not judge it suitable to give an answer." In March, France and Britain declared war against Russia. The allied powers dispatched expeditions to ths scene of war, Loi'd Raglan being in command of the British forces, and the Marshal St. Arnaud in command of those of France. The war was immensely popular with all classes in the United Kingdom. At a dinner at the Mansion House, London, soon after the declaration of war, Sir George Hamilton Seymour, the late Ambassador to Russia, made a remarkable speech, which was received with great applause. It was a speech that may be read with profit even at this late day. After returning thanks for the honor which they had done him in drinking his health, Sir George proceeded to say that " he might begin by remarking that the confidence which they were pleased to place in him, the confidence they reposed in him, was due in great measure to the system of diplomacy adopted by the British Government. That system was remarkably simple. It consisted in a man keeping his eyes as wide open as he could, and in writing home observations — not such as were most likely to please the British Government, but such as they appeared to be to the man him- self. That was the system universally adopted by British diplomatists. Un- fortunately it was not followed abroad. In particular it was not adopted by the Russian Government. The consequences were what they had all seen. Had the Russian Government followed the same practice he believed that none of the present evils would have come to pass. But, unfortunately, a contrary course was adopted. Nothing could be more inexact, nothing more false, than the notions with regard to Europe in general that were circulated through Russia. What did they write with regard to the provinces of Turkey ? They wrote noth- ing but that the greatest horrors prevailed, that the priests were murdered at the altar, that the Christian temples were burned, that the grossest sacrileges were everywhere committed, things that made his hair stand on end, till he found that he could not trace a single word of truth in the whole relation. What did they write from Constantinople? They wro? that the interesting invalid, the Sultan, got worse and worse ; that his flesii and his appetite were quite gone ; that his obstinacy was such that ho refused to take the prescriptions which the Imperial physician was good enough to send to him. What did they write from London ? They *«^rote that John Bull was a very material fellow ; that he was immersed in the three per cents ; that he was very fond of the creature comforts ; SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 251 that he was most unwilling to interrupt his present flow of prosperity by med- dling with affairs with which he had no direct concern. So much for Britain. Whftt did they write from France ? Why, they represented that country as having hardly escaped from one revolution or political change, and as being only bent upon avoiding another ; that the men of commerce were intent upon realiz- ing large fortunes ; that the Government was Imperial in its sympathies ; and above all, the idea of a close connection between Britain and France was treated as a myth, as a thing to be talked of, but never to be realized. But it might be asked, what was the British Minister about all this time ? The Eng- lish Minister, he might tell them, was a very small man. He did what he could, but his voice was small. It was not what was said to the Emperor of Eussia in the English language that availed anything, but what was said to him in the Russian language. He was persuaded that, if th'jre had been anyone among his advisers of courage or of character sufficient to tell his Majesty the exact truth, his Majesty would never have followed his present unfortunate course. The result was that Britain was now plunged into a war with a country with which we had long been pn the most friendly relations ; a country that had many sympathies with this country — as might be expected when it was con- sidered that half of its produce was not only purchased by Britain, but paid for beforehand, and with a very kindly people, for he could not conceal it, that he had found in Russia many kind hearts among the people. But if they had lost an ancient ally on the one side, the circumstances of the case had had the extra- ordinary effect, with regard to another country, of wiping away the results of centuries of jealousy and hostility, and of producing a state of friendly feeling which, he trusted, would be equally durable. He need not say that he alluded to their ally the French nation. In every language there were words of peculiar fiignificance and importance. Thus, when they said in English that a man behaved himself like a gentleman, they bestowed upon him the highest compli- ment ; they meant that such a man would not only fulfil, but go beyond his engagements. Now, in the French language, the words loyal and loyautd had the same significant meaning. In speaking of the French Cabinet, he must say that, as far as his own powers of observation had gone, those terms were pecu- liarly applicable to the acts of the French Government. As far as he had been able to observe, nothing had been more loyal, nothing more marked by loyautd than the proceedings of the French Government. He did not wish to go into ii 252 VICTORIA, ^ \ II III any personal affairs ; but there was one slight circumstance which occurred to- himself, and which he thought, as regarded the conduct of the French Govern- ment, had not attracted the attention it deserved. Among the arts that were used — dodges, he believed, was the modern term used — to separate the British and the French Governments, the Russian Cabinet meted out a very different, treatment to the British Minister from what was awarded to the French Minister. For instance, he received one fine winter's morning the ajireeable inti- mation that his back was more agreeable to the Government than his face — that his passports were ready — and that it was desirable that he should set out from St. Petersburg as soon as possible. Nothing of the sort was done to tha French Minister. But it happened that this little act was foreseen and dis- countenanced at Paris. It so happened that when the French Minister heard of it, acting upon his instructions, he wrote to the Russian Cabinet, requesting that a similar passport might be made out for him — and so off he went. It was, therefore, possible, and he hoped it was probable, that the long centuries of hostility that have existed between France and Britain may now be succeeded by as many centuries of peace. Before sitting down let him endeavor to point out the difference between the first and the second empires. The one appeared to him to rest upon war and upon a disregard of national rights ; the other rested upon an extreme desire for peace, as long as peace could be preserved upon honorable terms ; and upon the greatest respect for all rights and privi- leges of other nations. There lately resounded through the streets of Paris the cries of " Vive le Reine Victoria !" " Vivent les Anglais !" He believed he wa» .speaking the universal sentiments of his countrymen when he said that English- men would respond to those cries with the shout of ' Vive la Frxnce ! Vive I' Empevear ! Vive la defenseur des droits de I'Earojye ! ' " There was much enthusiasm on the departure of the British troops. The Queen wrote to her Uncle Leopold : " The last battalion of the Guards (Scots Fusiliers) embarked to-day. They passed through the courtyard here at 7 a.m. We were on the balcony to see them pass. The morning was fine, the sun shining over the towers of Westmin- ster Abbey, and an immense crowd collected to see the fine men, and cheering them immensely as with diiiiculty they marched along. They formed in line, presented arms, and then cheered us very heartily, and went off cheering. It was a touching and beautiful sight. Many sorrowing friends were there, and one i i SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 253 saw the shake of many a hand. My best wishes and prayers will be with them Many of the superior officers of the British army went by way of France. The hospitalities shown to them in Paris and other cities of France were of the most courteous and loyal kind. Instead of leavin}i; the conduct of the war in the hands of its Generals in the Cri- mea, the British Ministry adopted the monstrously stupid jiolicy of planning the •campaign in Lon- don. The British ■Government or- ■dered that the al- lied armies should attack Sebastopol. The military authorities at the «eat of war disap- proved of such an idea. Lord Rag- Jan was much op- posed to it, as also were the chief engineer officer of 'the expedition, the British ad- miral, and vice- admiral, and Saint- Arnaud. CZAR NICHOLAS. "I cannot help seeing," wrote the Duke of New- castle, in a letter of reply to one from Lord Raglan, "through the calm and noble tone of your announce- ment of the de- cision to attack Sebastopol, that it has been taken in order to meet the views and i;,;- :!iires of Govern- ment, and not in entire accordance with your own opinions. God grant that success may reward you, and justify us !" On the 20th of September was fought the bloody battle v\' the Alma. Here 57,000 of the allies met 46.000 Russians. The battle was begun at noon. By four o'clock the allies were completely victorious. The Russians, utterly routed, fled, having lost 5,000 men. The allies lost about 3,400 men. The two allied •commanders went alone together early in the morning to a hill, and surveyed the field of action. Prince George of England (the Duke of Cambridge) commanded an English division: Prince Napoleon (son of King Jerome) commanded a French •one. 264 VICIORIA, i tlii Marshal Saint- Arnaud, writing to the Emperor, did full justice to the British : "The antique courage of tho English general was splendid to see." Lord Raglan had indeed, during part of the engagement, sat in his saddle with placid compo- sure under a tremendous fire of artillery and small arms, quietly conversing with Prince Napoleon. On the 25th of October the opposing forces again met at Balaklava. This battle will long be remembei'ed in British army annals. The Russians had made an attack in force on a Turkish force. The Turks retreated to the town, which was guarded by the Ninety-third Highlanders, under their gallant chief. Sir Colin Campbell. The Russian cavalry charged full tilt at the Highlanders, who were drawn up in the usual British formation, a line two deep. " I did not think it worth while," said Sir Colin Campbell, "to form them even four deep!" Against this "thin red streak tipped with a line of steel" the Russian horsemen vainly rode, and, after a brief contest, fell back discomfited, with scores of saddles emptied by the British fire. A little later three hundred troopers of the Heavy Brigade, led by Brigadier Scarlett, dashed up the green hill-side to challenge the broad, deep masses of three thousand Russian horsemen. Eager, firm, and impetuous, they gave a hoarse ch'.er as they crossed swords with the enemy. Shivering the front rank- by dint of hard fighting, they literally cut their way in. More British cavalry then came up, and charged the Russians in fiank with great effect, enabling the Greys, who had been fighting each for his own hand to rally and re-form, while the enemy, giving way on both sides, dashed helter-skelter across the heights. In this remarkable engagement, which is almost without parallel in the annals of war, the Heavy Brigade lost seventy-eight killed or wounded. The loss of the Russians was very much larger ; and such was the moral effect produced upon them by so astonishing a feat of arms that, through- out the rest of the Crimean struggle, their cavalry could not bo induced to face the British horsemen. " It was truly magnificent," said a French general, " and to one who could see the enormous numbers opposed to them, the whole valley being filled with Russian troopers, the victoiy of the Heavy Brigade was the most glorious thing imaginable." " Greys ! gallant Greys ! " exclaimed Sir Colin Campbell, " I'm sixty-one years old, but if I were young again I should be proud to be in your ranks." It was computed that, from the beginning of General Scarlett's charge to the breaking up of the Russian squadrons, the contest lasted only eight minutes. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 255 ..:k. ■ ! ^-J-M.K- J»l 25G VICTORIA, i i Next followed the ever-memomble charge of what Tennyson truly calls the " Noble Six Hundred." Owing to some misconception or misunderstanding of orders, Lord Lucan ordered Lord Cardigan to advance with the Light Brigade and charge the Russians, who had re-formed in vast numbers on their own ground with their cavalry in front. Cardigan saw that the charge meant almost certain death. Nevertheless, he gave the order to charge. Under a tremendous cro.ss fire, which emptied many a saddle and killed or disabled many a horse, his brave horsemen unilauntedly pressed forward, pre- serving the most admirable order, with their conmiander still in front, until they reached the Russian battery. Then it was " every man for himself." A volley from many of the pieces tore great gaps in their ranks ; but the survivors dashed into the smoke-cloud with the mass of horsemen behind it. In a few minutes the enemy recovered from the breathless surprise induced by so daring, so excep- tional a pas,sage of arms, and realizing the fact that a mere handful of British horsemen was in their midst, and that they must ride back through the valley of fire before they could regain their own lines, pushed forward a swarm of lancers to cut off their retreat. Colonel Shewell, who, as senior ottioer present, took the command, immediately drew together th« small knots of Lancers and Hussars within reach, and rode straight at the ...xuscovite spears with a shock that completely broke them up, and scattered them far and wide. When the remnants of the brigade had formed up. Lord Cardigan addressed them : " Men ! it is a mad-brained trick, but it is no fault of mine."' Some of the men an- swered, " Never mind, my lord ! we are ready to go again." Lord Cardigan replied, " No, no, men ! you have done enough." The charge, the combat, and the retreat occupied in all about twenty minutes. Of 070 British horsemen who made the charge, only 198 returned. Well may •we Honour the charge they made; Honour the Light Brigade ; Noble Six Hundred ! The charge of the Light Brigade practically ended the battle of Balaklava. The battle began before dawn, and the allies fought fasting until after dark, when rum and biscuit were served out to them. The Russians retired at niofht, (having gained nothing by their battle. They had intended to surprise the .British, and to force their way between the two parts of the allied army , SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 257 my Crimea, Q W'.i,- ill 268 VICTORIA. The Battle of Inkermann was fou• i.s no enemy to oppose thom. Sebastopol — that is, its southern portion — had been abandoned during the night. The Russians in the Malakoff were completely surprised by the French assault, Tolstoi graphically pictures tlie scene : " The French lines advances! towards the Malakoff vrapped in smoke, drawing nearer and nearer. The fusiladc increased in violence, the smoke belched out at shorter and .shorter intervals, extending rapidly along the line in a long light- i.'t'- lilac colored cloud. All noises mingled together in one continuous roar. It in w 262 VICTORIA, ii'!' Sp|i i an assault,' said an officer, pale with emotion, as he handed his glass to a com- panion. Cossacks and officers on horseback were seen gallo[)ing along the road, preceding the Commander-in-chief in his carriage. All faces expressed painful e;notion. 'It is impcssible they can take the Malakoff"!' cried an officer on horseback. ' God in heaven ! Look now. See the flag ! ' cried the other, taking his eyes from the glass. ' The French flag,' he exclaimed, choked with emotion, ■ is flying from the Malakoff ! ' ' Impossible ! ' exclaimed the other." Yet in truth it was not impo.ssibls. The French assault was successful. The French flag was flying from the Malakoft". With the abandonment of Sebastopol in September the beginning of the end was at hand. It had been the intention of the liussians to blow up the whole city : happily the destruction was less than they had planned. Skirmishing went on all winter. Finally, on the 1st of February, 185G, the Sebastopol docks were destroyed by the British. A peace conference was opened at Paris on the 25th of February. A treaty of peace was concluded at Paris in March. The Crimea was evacuated in the following July. The total British less was about 24.,000 men. Of this number only 3,.n00 wore killed in action or died of wounds. Cholera anlish an institu- tion for the training of nurses and hospital attendants. Madame Jenny Lind- Goldschmidt sang at a concert in Exeter Hall in aid of the fund. In 1857, when tho fund was closed, the subscriptions had amounted to a quarter of a mil- lion dollars. Some years later General Canrobert, who, for some time commanded the French forces in the Crimea, related a fact which redounded to his credit and was at the same time a neat com- j)liment to the valor of the British troops. At a review of the British army in tho Crimea, the Duke of Cambridge who was to have inspected the troops, observing the French Marshal approaching with his sfcafi, reciuosted him tc assist, and to take the right. The Marshal at once actpiiescfd. When they came FLoiiKXCK ni(;htix(;a m-;. to the trooping of the colors, Can- robert's blood th rill- ed in his veins at seeing the names of several of our victories over the French. However, having undertaken the task of review- ing our ti'oops, he accomplished the arduous ami pain- ful duty imposed upon him, and went down the line with- out evincing the slightest emotion. When he related this incident at Compiegne, there were several general otficeis present, some of whom ventuied to expostulate. The Marshal .said: "There is no use in expostulating aivl endea- vorin"' to conceal the fact; buL thos'; victories inscribed upon the colors were won by the British troops against us ! " In connection with this war we must record the gallant defence of Kars by Sir Fenwick Williams. Kars is a c'tv in Asiatic Turkey. In 185.) it was defended 264 VICTORIA, by General Williams with a Turkish garrison of 15,000 men, against the Russian General Monravieff, with an army of 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry. The siege lasted from June to November. The Russians made a grand assault in September, b'lt were repulsed with a loss of G,000 men. Famine alone caused VVilliams to surrender. On accepting Williams' proposal to surrender, the Rus- sian General wrote : " Geneid! Williams, you have made yourself a name in his- tory, and posterity will stand amazed at the endurance, the courage, and the dis- cipline which this siege has called forth in the remains of an army. Let us arrange a capitulation that will satisfy the demands of war, without disgracing humanity." In acknowledgment of his memoral)le defence of Kai-s, General Williams was in ISoG created a Baronet of the British Empire. From 18ol) to 1865 General Sir Fen wick Williams was Commander of the Forces in Canada. In 1SG5 he was made Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia. -5 *■ I' '. > The British Government had for many yeai's been deeply interested in Egypt and its affairs; but it was not till 1882, during the Ministry of Mr. Gladstone which came into power with a sincere determination to interfere as little as ])os- sible in foreign or colonial atiairs, that Great Britain was forced, as it were, to take up arms in Egypt. No Government was more unwilling to intervene in foreign affairs in any way than that of Mr. Gladstone ; and they would noc have interfered at all in Egypt had not events been too strong for it. By 1875, the finances of the Khedive of Egypt had become so embarrassed that he was glad to sell his. shares in the Suez Canal to the British Government for the sum of twenty millions of dollars. The British were glad to purchase them. At first they had believed that the Canal was a fraud and a delusion. By 1875, they looKed upon it as the high road from England to India. The British Government had also guai anteed to foreign bond-holders the pay- ment of the coupons of Egyptian bonds. Investors had purchased them on this guarantee. The British Government had, therefore, practically imposed upon itself the dut}' of seeing that the yearly interest was not withheld. In 1881 a revolution against the authority of the Khedive broke out, under the o«tenKible leadership of Arabi Bey, By the spring of 1882 it had assumed alarming proportions. By treaty the British Government was bound to sup- port the throne of Tewfik, the Kh';dive, nor could it regard with indifference a movement which threatened the safe navigation of the Suez Canal and ^mT wn UKR MA.IKSTV (,)rKKN VICTOKIA All I'arly i)i(ture. m F f i *'h SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 265 Britain's vast commercial interests in the East. The Mediterranean fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour (afterwards created Lord Alcester), was ordered to Alexandria, where Arabi was exhibiting great energy in enlarging and strengthening the fortifications. On the 11th of June a riot broke out. Many British and French subjects were killed. It was with diffi- culty that the British Consul escaped from the fanatical mob. Arabi continued to press forwai'd the defences of Alexandria, until they became a danger and a menace to the British fleet. The Admirn Lhen received orders to piolubit their further extension. This prohibition being disregarded, he was instructed to intimate that unless the forts surrounding the harbor were immediately aban- doned with a view to their dismantling, the guns of the fleet would open upon them. The European residents and visitors meanwhile made haste to quit Alexandria. At nightfall on the 10th of July the British fleet took up a posi- tion suitable for the work it had to do. The bombardment was begun by the Alexandra at 7 o'clock on the morning of the 11th of July, 1882. The French war steamers, with every ship that was not British, sailed or steamed out of the harbor. The bombardment continued until 5.30 p.m. Arabi then ran up a flag of truce. Claining time by this ruse, he with a part of his army abandoned Alexandria and retreated into the interior. The mob took pos- session of Alexandria and committed great excesses, setting fire to the city and massacring Europeans. The British Admiral landed 800 marines who had arrived from Malta. This force was suflicient to restore order for the time. The British Government now acted with energy and decision. Reinforcements were hurried to Alexandria: Sir Grarnet (now Lord) Wolseiey was appointed to the command. It was determined that Arabi and the rebels, as they were called, should be put down. Wolseley drew up a plan of campaign, which he carried out with admirable accuracy, deciding beforehand all its leading details, and arran^incr where and when the final blow should be struck. He arrived at Alexandria in Aug "t. By that time there was a British force of 32,00,0 men of all ranks in Egypt ; with twenty-six ironclads at Alexandria. There were many severe skirmishes between the British and F^gyptian troops. At length, having carefully concerted his measures, Wolseley suddenly -jntered the Suez canal, and carried his transports to a convenient point of disembarkation. From here he led his troops in the silent night to attack Arabi and the Egyptian army, who n A- , ■*r*rtt^rfcdg»g?V»tg 266 VICTORIA, '|H; m V !( ^t S'l lay entrenched at Tel-el-Kebir. That famous night march will long live in mili- tary annals. The advance began at half-past one on the morning of September the 13th. With the utmost perfection of discipline the columns kept touch in the silence and the darkness. At daybreak, they broke unexpectedly upon Arabi s entrenchments like a storm of fire. The surprise of the Egyptians was complete. There was some confused firing, and here and there the resistance was desperate enough ; but nothing could withstand the rush and onset of the British soldiery. With the bayonet they carried the first line of defences, and in half-an-hour had driven the Egyptian army fx'om their position. The battle of Tel-el-Kebir was a death-blow to Arabi and liis army. Arabi himself escaped to Cairo, but he was not given the opportunity to do further mischief. A forced march over desert sands enabled the advance of the British arm}', under Sir Herbert Stewart, to reach Cairo. The garrison, about ten thousand men, on being summoned, laid down their arms. The small ))ody of the British took possession of the city. Arabi, seeing that his cause was lost, surrendered himself a prisoner. The annals of war — nay, the romances of chivalry — relate no more stirring exploit than that desert ride under the hot Egyptian sun, and then the immediate capture of a great and populous city, which yielded with less ado than Jericho to the trumpets of Joshua ! " The sun was setting," said an eye-witness, "as the cavalry diew near Cairo. The men had been in the saddle since daybreak, under a blazing sun, and both men and horses were thoroughly exhausted ; but, suffering as they were from hunger, parched with thirst, and covered with dust, the; yet had strength for the remainder of their task." There was little difficulty in accomplishing it. The city was quiet. The Egyp- tian soldiers surrendered in the most orderly manner. An English civilian who that day entered Cairo with the British troops, wrote thus of what he saw there : " No one will readily forget the impression produced on him by Ihe seething hordes of panic-stricken natives who thronged the streets of that astonished city. They it was, be it remembered, who until the last moment had believed the boasting, vaporing reports of triumphs over the English, daily published on coarse colored posters, issued in profusion by the rebel commander. . . . And now that they found English cavalry in their midst, and Indian troops camped beneath their Wi. Us, they could but pace the streets open-mouthed for days and SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 207 nif/hts together, gazing in amazement at those strange animals, the HighLanders, and those even more fearsome objects, the Indian cavahymen. ' Yoii must be very glad,' I said to a young officer of Highlanders, ' to find yourself in Cairo after the discomforts of the desert.' ' My experience thus far,' he answered, ' of the blessings of civilization, is that 1 have slept in a gutter with my mosquito curtain hitched to a lamp-post.' " On the 15th of September the British troops entered Cairo in triumph, i'or the moment the war was at an end. The British Parliament passed votes of thanks to the Army and Navy. Sir Garnet Wolseley and Admiral Seymour were I'aised to the peerage. The tioops were accorded an enthusiastic welcome on their re- turn home. They were reviewed by the Queen. The Times, in an editorial, said : " Whose heart would not swell with pride at the sight of those bronzed heroes returning home, covered with glory, — or at the tale of their noble exploits, the grand forced march which secured their position, the adroitly held outposts by wliich they covered the movements of other regiments, the perfect discipline which marked the whole campaign and covered the final charge with a glorious victory ? " In reality, this war of 1882 was only the beginning of the troubles of the British Government in Egypt and the Soudan. The British Government insist- ed on a fair trial for Arabi Pasha and the other rebel leaders. This was not according to Egyptian ethics. Riaz Pasha, to whom the task of trying the rebel ringleaders was entrusted, was shocked. Fair play to rebels ! Such an idea was monstrous to him. It was almost like asking him to be accessory to a blasphemy. He gravely assured Lord Dutferin, who had been sent to Egypt as envoy of the British Government, that he knew of their guilt. What object was to be gained by further inquiry ? When he foimd the ambassador still unconvinced, he went away mourriing at the extraordinary f- -owth of theoretical ideas. When Riaz found that the trial was going to be a simple farce, to end in the practical acquit- tal of the rebel prisoners, his indignation knew no bounds. In one stormy inter- view with Lord Duti'erin his little form shook with rage. He left the house, shook the dust off his shoes, and resigned. Arabi was convicted of treason and sentenced to banishment in Ceylon. This leniency was misunderstood by the Egyptians. The result of the interference of the British Government at the trial was that Great Britain lost, in one day, all the prestige she had gained by her victory at Tel-el-Kebir. 268 VICTORIA, From 1882 to 1885 four Jlnglishmeti of note wore employed by the British Government to extricate Egypt from the condition of anarchy into which she had been pluiij,'ed by Ismail's exile and Arabi's rebellion — Lord DutFerin, Lord Northbrook, Cienoral Gordon, aMl Sir Kvelyn Baring. The first three practi- cally failed in their mission. The fourth at first etlectod little. But since 188.5, when ho has been left untrannnelled to pursue his own course in the gov- ernment of Egypt, it has been another thing. To his administration the mar- vellous recovery of a country, not only dead, but apparently given over to corrup- tion, is due. Further troubles were in store for the Home Government. The Mahdi had appeared in the Soudan, a region of Central Africa, partly subjective to the Khe- dive of Egypt. In 1883 the British Government had to send gunboats to defend the Red Sea forts. In 1884 General Gordon was sent by the British Government to the Soudan. Gordon had been in the Soudan before. In 1875, Sir Samuel Baker, shocked by horrors with which he found himself unable to cope, resigned his government of the Eipiatorial Provinces. Nubar Pasha, the great minister of Ismail Pasha, who had met Colonel Gordon, recommended him to the Khedive, as the only man likely at once to bring order out of anarchy in the Soudan. Gordon had acliieved distinction in China, both as a diplomat and as a .soldier. His success there led to his being called "Chinese" Gordon by his countrymen. Gordon governed the vast region under his control in the Soudan until 1879, when he returned to England. In 1884-, as we have mentioned, he was again in the Soudan. But the British Government sadly underestimated the strength of the rebel forces. The British Government had decided to force the Khedive to abandon the Soudan. Gordon was now sent there to govern Khartoum and its vicinity till the country should be evacuated, and the British could bring away in safety the Egy[)tian garrison. Osman Digna, a ruined slave-dealer, and a man of great military capacity, was at the head of a large body of the ]\Iahdi's partisans. The Egyptian Govern- ment sent Col. Valentine Baker at the head of an army to crush Osman. In Feb- ruary, 1884, the opposing forces met at a place called Teb. The Arabs were vic- torious ; the Egyptian army was exterminated. This unhappy event forced the hand of the British Government. Baker Pasha was not, it is true, an officer in its employment, but he was a British officer, and his defeat would be regarded, throughout the Mohammed world, as a triumph of the green banner of Islam SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 2()9 over the arms of Britain. It was an indispensable act of high policy that, in order to |)reserve her prestige in the East, and along with it the vast coniincrcial interests which that jirestige supported, she should overcome Osman Digna. British troops were at once dispatched to the scone. At El-Teb, near where Baker Pasha was defeated, General Gerald Graham with about 4,000 men, includ- ing the 10th and 19th Lancers, the Gordon Highlanders, the Black Watch, and others, engaged the rebels, some 12,000 strong. The rebels made a most desper- (;hxkrai. cordon. ate, nay, heroic resistance. The furious rush of the x\.rabs at one moment threat- ened disa'^t^r even to the stern Highlanders. In the end the British were victorious. The rebels were totally defeated, with the loss of over 2,000 men. Two weeks later the rebels were again severely punished at the battle of Tamanieb. Osman Digna had a force of over 10,000 men. The British were massed in oblong squares. The rebels fought desperately. One of the British 1 I ii ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 "■ i» 2.2 1^ I.I "* 140 12 1.8 1.25 1.4 1 !.6 -^ 6" — ► V] ^ /} e: o /, 7 e Photographic Sciences Corporation 53 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)872-4503 %p. Q, ^ •wr^ 270 VICTORIA, squares was broken into by a violent onslaught of Arabs, The Arabs cut their way in, captured the gatling and other guns ; a desperate hand to hand conflict ensued. Colonel Wood, with 700 cavalry, charged the Arabs in flank, causing them to waver. The British infantry then rallied, the guns were recaptured, the square was reformed, and the enemy Anally completely routed. The British lost 200 men in killed and wounded; the Arabs about 2,000. The Mahdi's influence was now to all appearance greatly broken. The Home Government, therefo) .,■, ordered the British troops to return to Egypt. At the same time it refused a request which General Gordon had made for thw dispatch of two squadrons of cavalry from Suakim to Berber, to receive and protect a convoy of 2,000 women and children from Khartoum. The withdrawal of Brit- tain's victorious army proved to be a grave error. Gordon was soon practically besieged in Khartoum. He wrote to the Home Government urging that reinforcements be hurriedly dispatched. But the policy of the Home Government was to evacuate Lhe Soudan ; the reinforcements were not sent. By April, 1884, the whole country round Khartoum was in the Mahdi's hands. Learning that the Government declined to send reinforcements, Gordon writes to Sir Evelyn Baring : " I shall hold on here as long as I can, and if I can suppress the. rebellion I will do so. If I cannot, I shall retire to the equator." But Gordon was not to be left to his fate without a protest. His posi- tion at Khartoum ceaselessly occupied the attention of the public at home The subject was debated in Parliament. A vote of censure on Mr. Gladstone's Gov- ernment for its " vacillating and inconsistent policy " in Egypt and the Soudan was carried in the Lords by 181 to 81, but rejected in the Commons by 262 votes for, to 311 against the motion. In May another vote of censure was moved, but negatived — 275 for, 303 against the motion. Later news from the Soudan and the clamor of oublic opinion caused the Government to make preparations for Gor- don's rescue by a British expedition, as soon as the cool season in the Soudan would allow military operations to be carried on with safety. British troops for the relief expedition arrived at Wady-Halfa, on the Nile, in August. In Sep- tember came telegrams from Gordon asking fo assistanje. Later on more encouraging news was received from him. It may be said without exaggeration that the British public have never follow- ed any expedition with deeper interest than that which laboriously made its way up the Nile to the rescue of Gordon. There was a strange romance about it i SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. .271 which appealed to the popular imagination— Egypt is a land of so many myster- ies, and of such associations with the past; to the J^ile itself attaches a charm of wliich no one can be unconscious. An expedition up the great river of Egypt must always have appealed to the sensibilities of the people ; but with what special force when its object was the release of one of the noblest Englishmen of his ace — a hero without jjuile — who had obtained an endurin ■ > dace in the national affections ! Universal was the sorrow when it was known that the expedi- tion had failed in its object — that the heroic Gordon was dead — that the Mahdi reiofned in Khar- toum, which had fallen on the 26th of January, 1885 The Brit- ish Government now reaped the reward of its penny-wise, pound-foolish policy. long THE MAHDI. For a time Britain re- fused to believe the news of the death of Gordon. There was ro clear account of his death ; he might have es- caped, he might have gone south in disguise and joined Emin Bey near the equator. Some years later a newspaper cor- respondent pub- lished the narra- tive of a Greek who was in Khar- toum when it It was taken, and who escaped in the disguise of one of the Mahdi's dervishes : " I was at Khartoum the night it was taken. The Nile had gone down so that part of Khartoum was open. That night Faragh Pasha, in whom Gordon had entire confidence, treacherously removed his troops out of the way." " Do you believe," the narrator was asked, " that if the British had arrived three days earlier Khartoum would have fallen ? " The man replied : " If the British, or even a few of them, had arrived one hour before the d,ttack the place would not have been taken, and the troops would have fought to the "■1 ' M s ; ii il I B.i 272 VICTORIA, last. Faragh had sent word to the Madhi : ' Unless you attack to-night all is lost.' In that night all was blood and flame. The city passed over from the command of Gordon to that of the Mahdi. It was a dire — a dreadful night. I shall remember it to my dying day. The air smelt of blood. I had a Mahdi uniform given to me by an Arab friend. I hastened to put it on. Seeing me in the uniform some Arabs rushed in and ordered me to the Government House, where, they said, all the Arab officers of the Mahdi had gone to kill Gordon Pasha. I saw Gordon Pasha smoking a cigarette on the balcony facing the river. We had entered the courtyard from the back. The gate was smashed in. With Gordon was standing the Doctor Giorgio Deraetrio and the Greek consul. Five hundred dervishes, who had been sent by the Mahdi with especial orders to take Gordon Pasha alive, stood at the foot of the staircase. I went up the stairs, being pushed up by the men below who were vociferating, ' Gordon Pasha ! Gordon Pasha ! ' Gordon coolly left the balcony. ' F!y,' said his two friends ; ' fly while there is yet time. Go in at the little door, and take the little boat ! ' ' Shall I fly and leave my post ? ' Gordon replied, indignantly. ' That woulc' indeed be a disgrace. I shall not fly.* He then went into his inner room and put on his full uniform and sword. Then came he forth grandly. He drew himself up to his full height. ' Whom seek ye ? ' he asked, gazing on the sea of fierce angry faces of dervishes he saw below, and hearing the clamor of their angry voices. ' Gor- don Pdsha ! ' they cried aloud. ' You want him — do you ? ' he replied. On his visage was a look of scorn. 'I am he. Come up hitheiV Again Giorgio De- metrio and the Greek consul urged him to fly, but he spurned their advice, cry- ing ' Shame ! Would you have me abandon my post ignominiously ? ' He could easily have escaped at the rear. I have said before that the dervishes were ordered not to kill Gordon, but to stay in the courtyard. In fact, they had been ordered to kill no on-j in the palace. There were five hundred of them. Tliey hoisted their flag over the gate. So it came to pass that those dervishes still remained below while Gordon Pasha stood in a bold attitude at the head of the staircase. Then came up some of the Mahdi's generals, — one Nasr, and another, nephew of a dervish of distinction. The dervishes allowed them to pass, seeing they were men in authority. They ascended the stairs and askod for the Pasha. Gordon met them, saying: 'I am G-ordon Pasha.' He then handed them his sword in military fashion, int'mating that he knew they had taken the place, and that consequently he surrenaorad, according to the rules of war. But Nasr SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 273 snatched hold of his sword ; at the same moment, in a brutal and moat cowardly fashion, he struck Gordon an unexpected blow. The Pasha would have, of course, fought desperately to the last had he not thought he would be treated in an honorable manner. He fell, and rolled down the stairs, and as he rolled another general speared him in the left side. It was a grievous wo\;nd. Thus died Gordon. I was there, a spectator of the ghastly deed. I got out of the way as he rolled down the stairs. Now, when Hadji el Zobeir, the Mahdi's treasurer, saw these things, and what had befallen Gordon, he was sorely vexed, and draw- ing near.cried out: * Wallah ! have they killed thee ? May Allah require thy blood at their hands ! May thy blood be upon their heads ! May Allah punish them ! ' " Some say that Gordon was cut up in little pieces ; others that they embalmed his body, and sent it to the Mahdi. There were bodies cut up, but I am DAVID LIVINGSTONE. inclined to belicA'e they were the bodies of the con- sul and the doctor, notGoi'don's. The blacks fought bravely, but when they saw that all was over they sur- rendered and were made prisoners. The Arabs took one day massacr- ing the Egyptian soldiers, but they spared the regi- ments that let them in." JohnMartineau in his life of Sir Bartle Frere, says that Frere hud followed Gordon's career with keen interest and sympathy, as that of a man who, like Livingstone, was a heaven-born messenger of peace and good-will to uncivilized races. Frere when at the Cape had asked for Gordon's services as a pacificator and civilizer of the natives. Gordon was not sent there then. Later, in 1882, he was appoint- ed Commandant-General of the Colonial forces in South Africa, and thus brought into close relations with the Basutos, with whom hostilities were going on inter- mittently. With his usual success, he was rapidly gaining an extraordinary in- R .1 '!74 VICTORIA, 15! m m fluence over thein ; but before he had held his command many months he was driven to resign it by an act of the Cape Government, which in his view was wanting in good faith towards them. In January, 1884, he was sent to Khartoum, to the scene of his former command from 1875 to 1880, to effect the safe evacua- tion of the Soudan by the Egyptian civilians and soldiers. The story is too re- cent to need repeating. The British Government refused to sanction the measures which he told them were essential to success and to the safety of those whom he had come to rescue, and listened to advice from the Anti-Slavery Society, and from any other source rather than from their own chosen and devoted officer, who alone was competent and in a position to give it. His task was thus made hopeless. Abandoned and cutoff from communication with the world outside, he remained at his post at Khartoum through long, weary months, and in the end laid down his life, a sacrifice to his duty and to the neglect of his country's Government. Apprehensive that the Mahdi's success might encourage him to advance north- ward, and expose Upper Egypt to invasion, the British Ministry sent reinforce- ments in order that, when the hot season waj over, Wolseley might prosecute the necessary measures for the recoveiy of Khartoum and the suppression of the re- bellion. The reiaforcements left England in February. For three months there was much fighting with the rebels. By May most of the British troops had returned home. But to this day the Soudan has continued to be a source of worry and expense to the British Government. A pleasing instance of " blood being thicker than water" is related by Major- General Molyneux, The British fleet was entering the Suez Canal. As the great vessels steamer, ahead, they passed the ships of war of other nations. " It was a stately sight and might have done some of the grumble)^ ai. home good to see. The Frenchmen were mute, and so, of courae, were the 'lurks and Egyp- tians ; but the Italians gave us a cheer, and when we got abreast of the Ameri- cans, blood provod itself thicker than water, and they gave us such ringing rounds of applause that it seemed as if it would not have taken much to make them join us." The fundamental maxim of the Chinese in their intercourse with foreigners has been thus translated : " The barbarians are like beasts, and not to be governed on the same principles as citizens. Were any one to attempt controlling them SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 275 by the great maxims of reason, it would tend to nothing but confusion. The ancient kings well understood this, and accordingly ruled barbarians by misrule. Therefore, to rule barbarians by misrule is the true and best way of ruling them." Not until about IGS-i did the English (barbarians) obtain a footing at Canton. Some J ears later they opened a precarious trade at Ningpo. The whole history of foreign commerce with China, up to 1840, is a melancholy and curious chapter in the course of international events. Instead of treaties and embassies, which usually constitute national dealings with a great people, there were negotiations with petty nanJarins or provincial authorities. On the 2?nd of April, 1834, the tr.adeof the East India Company with China, after having continueo just two hundred years, terminated according to the pro- visions of " the new act." The British Government, deeming the change about to be inaugurated one of great importance, concluded to place the control of af- fairs in the hands of a commission of expeiienced men. The King, therefore, appointed the Right Hon. Lord Napier chief superintendent of British trade. He arrived at Mac o, July loth, 1834. Having been instructed to report him- self by letter at Canton, Lord Napier made an attempt to do so, but the officials declined to receive his communication. Lord Napier was not to be so easily set aside. He issued a letter to the Chinese : " The merchants of Great Britain wish to trade v/ith all China on principles of mutual benefit; they will never relax in ^^.heir exertions till they gain a point of equal importance to both countries, and the Viceroy will find it as easy to stop the current of Canton River as to carry into effect the insane determination of the Hong." His efforts? to open trade with China did not, however, meet with much suc- cess. The Chinese continued to regard the white barbarians with distrust. In March, 1889, complications arose which led to the Opium War. Captain Eliot, the British commander, issued a proclamation in the name and on the behalf of her Britannic Majesty's Government requiring all her Majesty's subjects in Canton forthwith to make a surrender to him for the service of her said Majesty's Government, to be delivered over to the Government of China, all of the opium under their respective control, and to hold the British ships and ves- sels engaged in the opium trade subject to his immediate direction, and to forward him without delay a sealed list of all the British-owned opium in their respective possession. • If I i?' ^^j 276 VICTORIA, The immediate cause of the war was the refusal of the Chinese Government to permit opium to be imported, declaring that it ruined tho health and morals of the Chinese people. Opium cannot be raised in China; it is raised in India, and the Government has the monopoly of the opium factories. Lord Palmerston professed to think that the moral ground taken by the Chinese Government was a pretext for destroying British commerce with China, and in- juring the revenues of the English Government. The next aay 20,283 chests of opium were duly tendered to Eliot, The latter referred to Peking for orders concerning its disposition. He was commanded by the Emperor to destroy the whole in the presence of the civil and military officers, the ir habitants of the coast, and the foreigners., " that they may know and tremble thereat." The destruction was effected in the most thorough manner, by mixing it with lime and salt water in trenches, and then drawing off the mixture into an adjacent creek at low tide. Every precaution was taken to prevent any purloining of the precious drug: one man was summarily executed for at- tempting to carry away a small quantity. Thus perished an amount of property rated at the cost price of nearly eleven million of dollars. The British Government was bound to reimbur.se its own subjects for the loss they had sustained in the destruction of their property. Captain Eliot suggested that the Chinese pii,y ibr it. The Chinese refused the request. They suggested that the British, having destroyed the opium, should pay for it. An appeal to arms was inevitable. At this juncture a new plenipotentiary. Sir Henry Pottinger, with Admiral Sir William Parker, arrived direct from England to assume control of affairs. Conflicts between the British and Chinese followed. At length, on the 29th of August, 1842, a treaty of peace was signed before Nanking, embracing the following articles of stipulation : 1. Lasting peace be- tween the two empires. 2. The Chinese Government to pay twenty-one million dollars, — twelve million being for the expenses of the war, three million for debts due the English merchants, and six million for the opium. 3. The ports of Can- ton, Amoy, Foo-chow, Ningpo, and Shanghai, to be thrown open to British trade and residence, and the trade to be conducted according to a well understood tariff 4. The Island of Hong-kong to be ceded to the Queen. 5. All British prisoners to be unconditionally released. 6. All Chinese in the service of the English to be pardoned and held guiltless. 7. Correspondence hereafter to be SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 277 nls lia, conducted on terms of perfect equality. 8. When the treaty receives the Em- peror's assent, and six million dollars were paid, the English forces were to be withdrawn from the river and the places occupied, but Chu-san and Ku-lang-su were to be occupied until all the provisions of the treaty are executed. The indemnity of twenty-one million dollars was sent to England by the Chinese Government, in due course. This vast sum was paid in silver. When unloaded from the vessel, it filled five wagons. There was considerable curiosity exhibited as the five wagons, each drawn by four horses and escorted by a de- tachment of the Sixtieth Regiment, passed through the streets of London on their way to the Mint. This treaty was signed on board the Cornwallis. Ratification of the treaty, signed by Queen Victoria and^ the Emperor of China, was formally exchanged the 22nd of July, 1843. Three days later Canton was opened to the British. The non-fulfilment of the treaty led gradually to the war of 1856-57. In 185G, a British ship was boarded by Chines'^, its crew made prisoners, and the national ensign taken down. Reprisals followed. There was war for a year and a half. In June, 1858, a treaty o'' peace was signed at T en-tsin. The negotiations of Tien-tsin may justly be regarded as the second or third epochal event in the modern history of China. It was the beginning of a new order rf influences destined to extend over Eastern Asia, and to affect in many ways the most venerable of human institutions. An article allowing the profes- sion of Christianity by the natives of China was introduced into each treaty, al- though the code of the empire had for many years made the acceptance of a new and strange religion a capital off'ence. Various points were discussed and adopted by which new and important advantages were secured to tradei's. These included the opening up for foreign residence and purposes of commerce two new ports on the island of Formosa, with the cities of Swa-tau, Che-foo, Tien-tsin, one city in Manchooria, and three on the Yang-tsz-Kiang. The Chinese with all their subtle art sought to avoid concessions. Lord Elgin exerted a leading influence in the various conferences, and preserved a very determined and authoratitive beari'g. It was said that " a mere hint of proceeding to Pekin was sufficient to take the most doubtful clauses through the perils of diplomacy." The Chinese were ill-prepared to defend their capital, while the British were armed, aggres- sive and confident. The Emperor refused to ratify the Tien-tsin Treaty. Hostilities were re- newed. The British and French forces advanced on Pekin. Rnmnwwwm If! ■5: 278 VICTORIA, i 4 ' 1 ^'1 ' 'i'' i't-> i ' r '' ft h jii*''l 14 I'] Robert Swinhoe, staff inspector to Sir Hope Grant, in liis " Narrative of the North China Campaign," says that in this war " the Tartars undoubtedly fought like brave men, hurling down all kinds of uncouth missiles at the storming party, and when our troops had effected an entrance every inch of the ground inside the fort was disputed." But he is inclined to think that the bravery of the enemy was very much the result of despair; by blocking the assailants out they had pretty effectually blocked themselves in. He further says: "The fear- less conduct, however, of the Cantonese coolies in our lines excited considerable admiration. They seemed to enjoy the fun and shouted with glee at every good shot that carried a murderous mission, no matter whether it committed havoc among the enemy or bowled over our unfortunate fellows ; and those in French employ were conspicuous in the front assisting the troops and standing up to their necks in the ditches holding ladders over their heads to enable the men to cross. All this, it will be argued, shows no lack of pluck in the Chinese char- acter when opportunity is given for its demonstration ; but we must not forget that the people from whom these corps were taken were mostly thieves or pirates hardened to deeds of blood, and depending largely upon such acts for their main- tenance." " Many of the ofHcers," he says, " maintained that if the Chinese were drilled and led they would make excellent soldiers. This I do not attempt to gp.insay, knowing, as all must know, how many of the Asiatics and instinotively cowardly races, as the Bengalese and Turks, have turned out under such treat- ment." On the allies approaching Pekin, the Emperor fled. Pekin was finally reached and invested on the 6th of October, 18G0. On the 12th inst. the city surrendered. In the afternoon of the day of the surrender, seveml prisoners were restoi'ed to the allies in a fearfully emaciated condition. The bodies of a number of other captives who had died in the hands of their enemies were also surrendered, among them being the remains of Mr. Bowlby, the ill-fated correspondent of the London Times. The sad fate of their countrymen, who had doubtless perished from the cruelty and neglect that too often mark the conduct of the Chinese toward their prisoners of war, aroused great indignation in the British camp. Had it not been for the fact that Sir Hope Grant had given his word that Pekin would be spared if the principal gate was immediately surrendered, the conse- quences of this state of feeling, which was shared alike by the men and the chief SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 279 officers of the army, might have been terrible to that city. Lord Elgin deter- mined, as the most that could be accomplished under the circumstances, to level his Majesty's rural retreat to the ground, and to insist on compensation for the bereaved friends of the deceased to the amount of 300,000 taels, or about five hundred thousand dollars. On the 24th of Octobft.' 18G0, Lord Elgin, on behalf of the British Govern- ment, entered the An-ting gate in his green sedan chair, carried by sixteen cool- ies in scarlet livery, his stall" on horseback on either side, He proceeded to the Hall of Ceremonies, attcnded'by a procession of infantry and cavalry, forming altogether a force of eight thousand men. The line of march lay through one of the principal streets of the city. The Chinese had mustered in large num- bers to witness this display of the British army. After marching about one mile the long column halted before a gate over which was written, in conspicu- ous letters, " Board of Ceremoniee." Passing through this gate into a large court- yard, Lord Elgin found Prince Rung and numberless mandarins already in wait- ing in the open hall, standing at the farther end. As his lordship advanced up the avenue inside the gate, between the opened ranks of his troops, they pre- sented arms, and the band saluted him with the national air. Advancing to the seat of honor, he .noUoned the prince to take the lower seat on the right, while Sir Hope Grant assumed a position on his left. From the chair of the commander-in-chief, and ranging behind a row of tables down the hall, sat and stood the inferior English officers : behind similar tables on the right were ranged native princes and mandarins of every button. The attaches and inter- preters of the embassy stood behind his lordship and Sir Hope Grant, at a cen- tral table whereon where placed dispatch-boxes, paper, and other necessary offi- cial apparatus. The prince had standing by him three mandarins of rank. The preliminaries having been arranged, the High Commissioners proceeded to ratify the treaty of Tsen-tsin. Two articles which had not been proposed in that convention were admitted — legalizing coolie emigration and ceding to her Majesty's Government the Peninsula of Kow- loon, opposite Hong-Kong. The allies left Pekin on the 5th of November, 18G0. For the moment there was peace. '♦I i i "I im On Saturday, June 27, 1896, a monument to perpetuate the memory of the officers and men who fell in the North-West Rebellion of 1885 was unveiled at m^.- 280 VICTORIA, Toronto. The North-Weat Field Force, which so quickly suppressed the Rebel- lion, was commanded by Major-Oeneral Sir Fred. Middleton, C. B. The monu- ment is situated at the junction of Grosvenor Street with the Quoen'3 Park. It was erected through the indefatigable energy of a band of some 40 ladies, headed by Mrs. Josephine Fletcher. The volunteers of the city turned out in full force for this historic ceremony. The city regiments paraded at the Armoury. Lieut.-Col. G. T. Denison was in command of the Governrr- MAJOR-GENERAL SIR FRED. MIDDLETON, C. B., Commander-in-Chief, North-West Field Force, '885. General's Body Guard, 250 strong. The troop of Royal Canadian Dragoons was also present. The Queen's Own Rifles, under tne command of Major Delamere> paraded 288 strong. The Royal Grenadiers, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Mason, paraded 251 strong. The 48th Highlanders, under the command of Lieut- Col. Davidson, paraded 222 strong. No. 2 Company Canadian Infantry (regulars) paraded under the command of Lieut. Thacker. Lieut.-Col. Otter, D.A.G., was in command of the brigade, with Lieut.-Col. Buchan as field officer. The veterans of 1885 paraded 110 strong. They each wore their North-West SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 281 medals. Major Harston took command of the parade, and Capt. Curran acted as adjutant. The troops m.arched from the Armoury to the »>ark, the Cavalry leading, fol- lowed by the Queen's Own, the Grenadiers, and the Highlandenj. On arriving at the monument the infantry was massed in quarter column on the west side of the enclosure, the Cavalry and the Canadian Infantry on the east side. The ceremony of unveiling the monument was performed by the Lieut-Gover- nor, Hon. George A. Kirkpatrick. As the folds of the flag that draped the grace- ful figure fell away, a mighty cheer rose from the multitude of people assembled. In handing over the monument to Mayor Fleming for the city, his Honor said : " I am desired by the committee having in charge the work of erecting this monument to hand it over to you, sir, as Chief Magistrate of the city of Toronto, and to request that the city may take and keep it in their charge as a tribute to the bravery of her citizen soldiers, and as a meiaorial to those who gave up their lives for their country." The figure, which surmounts a handsome pedestal of Canadian granite, is cast in bronze, and represents a beautiful woman, clad in a long robe, the shoulders and arms bare. The figure is symbolical of Canada. The right hand, uplifted, holds an olive branch, emblematic of peace. The left hand commands silence, and a heavy sword, encased in a scabbard, is sus»^ended from a large sword-belt looped across the figure. At the feet of the figure is a cluster of maple leaves, drooping over the pedestal. On the pedestal are bronze plates giving the names of those killed in action. On the south side the plate bears the following inscription : KILLED IN ACTION: Royal Canadian Artillery — Gunner De Manolly. Royal Canadian Artillery — Gunner Cook. Royal Canadian Artillery — Gunner Phillips. Infantry School Corps — Bugler Foulkes. Governor-General's Foot Guards — Pte. Os^oode. Governor-General's Foot Guards — Pte. Rogers. 10th Royal Grenadiers — Lieut. Fitch. 10th Royal Grenadiers — Pte. Moore. 90th Battalion Rifles— Ptt. FergncoTi. - ni V- :■!■ 282 ii VICTORIA, 90fch Battalion Rifles — Pte. Hutchinson. 90th Battalion Rifles— Pte. "Wheeler. 90th Battalion Rifles— Pte. Ennis. 90th Battalion Eifles— Pte. Hardisty. 90th Battalion Rifles— Pte. Fraser. Boulton's Scouts — Capt. Brown. French's Scouts — Capt. French. Intelligence Corps — Lieut. Kippen. North-West Mounted Police — Corporal Sleigh. North- West Mounted Police — Constable Cowan. North-West Mounted Police — Constable Gibson. North- West Mounted Police — Constable Elliott. Battleford Rifles— Pte. Dobs. On the north side another plate bears the names of others killed in action, viz. : Prince Albert Volunteers — Capt. John Morton. Prince Albert Volunteers — Corp. "W. Napier. Prince Albert Volunteers— Pte. S. C. Elliott. Prince Albert Volunteers — Pte. D. McPhail. Prince Albert Volunteers — Pte. D. McKenzie. Prince Albert Volunteers — Pte. J. Bakie. Prince Albert Volunteers — Pte. R. Middleton. Prince Albert Volunteers — Pte. J. Anderson. Prince Albert Volunteers — Pte. A. Fisher. On this plate is also a list of those who diod of wounds. It bears these names : Royal Canadian Artillery — Gunner Arnsworth. Royal Canadian Artillery — Gunner Charpentier. Infantry School Corps — Pte. Watson. Boulton's Scouts — Trooper D'Arcy Baker. 90th Battalion Rifles — Lieut. Swinford. 90th Battalior Rifles — Corp. Code. North-WviCu Mounted Police — Corp. Lowry. North-West Mounted Police — Constable Arnold. Morth-West Mounted Police — Constable Garrett. North-West Mounted Police — Constable Burke. { Mxuaatt f\tt iMiiihiA-MaftMMMfciiiNBittiiaiart^^ NORTHWFJST VOLUNTEER MONUMENT, QUEEK'S PARK, TORONTO. ■ i n 284 VICTORIA, On the four angles of the pedestal are piled four cannon balls. On a square tablet on the north-east is inscribed the lecend " Cut Knife CrCiek," on the north- west corner another tablet with " Duck Lake," on the south-west " Fish Creek." The coats-of-arms of the various regiments that took part in the different engage- ments are ranged about the circular top of the pedestal underneath the feet of the statue. The figure faces Grosvenor-street, and on that side of the square part of the plinth is the coat-of-arms of the Dominion. Just above this '•? a war trophy of pistols, tomahawks, arrows and war-clubs. The pistols were modelled from a pair owned by the late Capt. Andrew Maxwell Irving. Just above the trophy is another plate, bearing the inscription : ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN WHO FELL ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF THE NORTH-WEST IN 1885. " Diolce et Decorum est x>ro patria viori." Mr. Walter S. Allvard, a young Toronto artist, was the sculptor. He modelled the figure in clay, the idea of Mr. J. Wilson Gray. In 1895, King Prempeh, of Ashanti, continuing to evade the tf^rms of the treaty of 1874, an ultimatum was sent requiring him to receive a British Resi- dent, pay the money he owed, abolish human sacrifices, and remove hindrances to legitimate trade. The ultimatum was followed by a military expedition. So carefully had everything been prepared that Coomassie was reached and occupied without firing a shot. The King was carried away a prisoner. A Resident was installed. A fort was built. The work begun twenty-two years before by Lord Wolseley was completed. The civilizing sovereignty of Great Britain was established on the ruins of one of the bloodiest and most barbarous of African Kingdoms. On another page we give a photograph of the detachment of Canada's Own Corps, Her Majesty's 100th Royal Canadian Regiment, with the Ashanti Expedition in West Africa. Following are the names of the detachment : Major H. P. Northcote, in command ; Sergeant Hayes, F. Co. ; Corporal Grace, F. Co. ; Corporal Kennedy, F. Co.; Privates Jackson, Neil, and Swift, A. Co.; Private McDonald, B. Co. ; Privates Brown, Courtney, McCabe, Curney, Reilly, Sullivan, ts ts l-fl ^' ..f a tj» C M en y % f^ 1 ^ ? »l^^- 01 ■ .■^■.'■■^' ■ ' ^1^ 'i -\ m Hi •mmmmm n r 286 VICTORIA, ik C. Co. ; Privates Dilaney, Dunne, Walsh, Smith, D. Co. ; Privates Colgan, Mc- Laughlin, Hutchinson, E. Co. ; Privates Ryan, Hill, Kelly, Green, Norman, F. Co. Just as there are two sides to a shield, so there are two sides from which war may be viewed. The poet has said Ah, war ! It is a glorious thing, but a deadly thing as well. One side it wears as bright as light, and one as black as hell. True, too true ! At Gravelotte the cannon-balls did not fly in the air like birds ; they struck, thud after thud, into bleeding flesh; every stroke hit its mark. It was a busy day. In twenty hours, 33,000 men were murdered or mutilated. In the common graves of the last Franco-German war the fallen were laid in five to six layers, only just below the surface. They formed a mile-wide stinking mass of human carcasses, filthy viscous putrefaction, pieces of uniforms, and mess which had to be burnt to prevent its breeding a pestilence. Not . exactly an evidence of noble-minded or refined respect for the memory of fallen heroes ! Artists have done much to depict the horrors of war. But no artist has de- picted such a scene as took place at the stone quarries at Juamont, there, while Bazaine was fighting with the Prussians, Gen. Canrobert smashed with cannon the pillars left to support the excavation over which the unconscious Prussian army had taken up its position. Twenty thousand men, mingled with horses, cannon and weapons, with one fearful yell collapsed into the yawning gulf. There was no time to take out the bodies singly and bury them. The Prussians hired certain Belgians to cover with sand and earth the human pile, whence for four days sols and moans were heard to issue. The shelling of towns results in horrible carnage. In the Franco-German war a town was shelled. It was found the day after the contest that out of 8,000 inhabitants over 2,500 were killed or made prisoners. Is it not known that when explosive projectiles are shot into a town, women and children will be struck ; and is it a mitigating circumstance that artillery is now used, who.se projectiles, if they fall on a school, church, or hospital, will kill the whole crowd of defenceless people? Leave oflT talking about humane war; humane ma.s.sacre ! Say the truth as Napoleon did, when he exclaimed ; " I don't care a fig for a million of men." Imagine, if possible, the awful scenes at the bombardment of Constantinople, SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 287 when for weeks and weeks hundreds of bellowing cannon turned the fortress into a veritable hell. One who was present at the battle of Sadowa, where 30,000 men were left on the field dead or piteously wounded, thus describes the scene : " In my ears sounded continually the thundering roar of thousands of guns, mingling with cries from innumerable human throats. I heard the groans of the wounded, the rattle of the dying ; desperate shrieks of thousands of victims, sunk to the last depths of undeserved misery. I saw in all directions staring eyes, wide open, livid, convulsed, twisted mouths, chests pierced through, smashed skulls, quiver- ing limbs, heaps of corpses, streams of blood. ... I wept with despair, and cursed the man who could commit such an unpardonable crime as to foment a war between two nations." After one of the engagements in the China War, in a cemetery where the car- casses of horses and their lifeless riders were mingled in promiscuous and deadly confusion, a British officer discovered a solitary native who presented a fitting type of the horrors and desolations of war. The unfortunate man, emaciated and quite bereft of sense, no doubt through wounds and starvation, was pluck- ing up the grass by handfuls and eating it. The officer spoke to him, and tried to get him off the place. In reply he returned a vacant stare and shrieked menacingly, and the narrator left him sitting like a spectre among the dead. Do we comprehend what is meant when we read : In such a battle were killed 10.000, 20,000 40,000 men ? Besides the miseries inflicted on those who took part in it, think of the anxiety and strain in all those homes, on both sides ; and, later on, of the affliction in all the bereaved families under the terrible certainty over which they will weep for long years. 'Tis the day after a great battle. Twilight comes and it grows dark. The dead and wounded lie like sheaves upon the plain. Some simple-hearted peasant asks : " But why were all those men killed ? " A deep earnestness demanding an answer underlies this question. For is it not a shame ? The Franco-German War cost, according to moderate estimates, eight billions — eight thousand millions — of dollars. The greatest marvels of industry — the Suez Canal, the Mont Cenis Tunnel, the Pacific Railway, the Panana Railway, the Panama Canal, the Andes Railway — works which have brought continents and kingdoms a thousand miles nearer one another, which have brought bless- ings and prosperity with them — have cost together only 500 millions — half a billion — of dollars. 288 VICTORIA, The contemplation of episodes such as these has filled the breasts of well- intentioned people with indignation and with sorrow. Peace Societies have, therefore, been active for many years. They realize that the dazzling external show of war conceals from many its inner reality. This applies not only to the horrors of the battle-field and tlioir ghastly accompaniments, but to the terrible financial drain which wars entail. In Great Britain, thoy point to the estimated total loss of life, and the expense incurred by the British and Indian Govern- ments in the big and little wars of the Victorian era. Afghanistan Campaigns of 1841-42 Afghanistan Campaigns of 1878-80 Abyssinian Expedition of 1867 Crimean War of 1864-56 Egyptian Campaigns of 1882-85 Maori Wars of 1860-63 Zulu War of 1879 . Ashautee War of 1^73-74 . Other small Wars Eatimattd Eatimatec' Cost in Lives Lost. Millions of Dollars 30,000 100 . 10,000 140 4,000 50 . 750,000 225 10,000 150 . 5,000 30 5,000 26 . 2,000 5 2,000 5 818.000 730 Peace Societies say, with reason, that the legal murder of over three-quarters of a million combatants, of various nationalities, at a cost to one nation alone of 7S0 millions of dollars, is but poor evidence of advancing civilization. Have we not heard, do we not hate, that story of the Russian mother who, in terror for her own life, threw out her little screaming children, one after another, to a howling pack of wolves ? An awful story, truly ! Do you hate war in the same way ? This is a feature of its first law ; only with this difference, that it casts out thousands of men to devouring death. In the beginning of this century, there were in Corsica and other places both blood-feuds — wars between man and man ; armed peace — in many country towns people could only go about in armed companies; and fortifications — that is, private houses with loopholes. People look down upon that sort of thing now ! Why should people not look down on blood-feuds and armed peace between nations ? SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 289 Peace Societies say that war desolates the life of the individual and the life of the community ; therefore, they declare war against war, and blood revenge and plunder between nations. They call on all who have the interests of civilization at heart to assist them to root out the desire for robbery, murder and revenge between nations, just as civilization has succeeded in stigmatizing murder and blood feuds between individuals and social interests. This is a very desirable Utopia ; but it is rather visionary at the present mo- ment. Indeed it will be well to remember tha: some sacrifice is occasionally de- manded in order to prevent a greater catastrophe. Had Gordon been given a few regiments for the Soudan in 1885, much of the subsequent carnage and expense would undoubtedly have been avoided. Ellenborough was massing troops to be in raadiness when a Sikh war should break out in India, when he was suddenly recalled by the Home Government. Hardinge was appointed to succeed him in 1844, with instructions to carry out a policy of peace at almost any price. Ellenborough saw, what the Home Government did n'^t see, that the Asiatic mind never conceives that any motive but fear can prevent an enemy or a luke vvar v, friend from taking an advantage. The peace policy, which succeeded the vigorous measures of Ellenborough, was set down by the Sikhs to dread of their warlike prowess. The Afghans had successfully resisted th«3 British; why not the Sikhs? The result was an outbreak for which the British were totally unprepar^J; and which was only quelled after a frightful sacrifice of life and an enormous ex- penditure of money. At the same time much may be done by arbitration, especially between civil- ized states. Indeed much has already been done. Switzerland has been declared by the Powers to be a neutral state. The permanent neutralization of Belgium has also been confirmed. In 1887 the neutralization of the Suez Canal was con- firmed. That important channel of communication became at all times invio- late. Most of the great powers are looking more and more to arbitration as a likely solution of international disputes. Great Britain has been foremost in this respect, as she is in every movement looking to the advancement of the race. May the good work go on apace. Let us, if possible, have peace. Not peace at any price ; but peace with honor. P; T — i <; ' 11 CHAPTER XI. Royal Visits to the Queen. King Leopold— Frederick William IV.— Louia Philippe— Napoleon III.— Victor Emmanuel— The Sultan— The Shah of Persia— The Czar of Russia— Oi,her Notabilities. 'N the list of Royal and notable visitors to the Queen the name of Leopold, King of the Belgians, is of very frequent occurrence. Uncle to both the Queen and the Prince Consort, Leopold took an almost fatherly interest in his young relatives. To him more than to any other their happy marriage was indirectly due. He was consulted at every turn of their fortunes, from the management of a Prime Minister to the selection of a governess for the Royal infants. His never-failing good temper, prudence, and sagacity rendered him invaluable both as a counsellor and as a friend. His was a remarkable history. Born one of the obscurest of the numberless " German Lairdies," he married, in 1816, the daughter of George IV., heiress of the Crown of Great Britain. That unhappy Princess dying in childbirth, his career seemed to have come to an end. But he was to have the refusal of two crowns. Greece having won its inde- pendence, its sovereignty was offered by the powers to Leopold, and declined. In 1830 a revolution broke out in Brussels ; Belgium was separated from the King- dom of the Netherlands ; Prince Leopold was elected king of the new nation. After careful consideration he accepted the election. In the following year he, who had been the husband of the heiress of Great Britain, married the eldest daughter of the King of the French. Nor did his remarkable family connections end with this. By a double marriage his children were allied to the Imperial House of Hapsburg ; his son, the present king, married the Archduchess Marie ; his daughter married the then heir-apparent to the throne of Austria-Hungary, the ill-fated Prince Rudolph. By other marriages of his children he became allied to the reigning houses of Prussia and Saxony. As a king Leopold was a conspicuous success. Of personal ambition he had little. He was almost ostentatiously indifferent to his position as king. He allowed his people to see that if he reigned it was more in their interest than in his own. More than once he nipped a growing revolution in the bud by calmly (290) SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 291 offering to abdicate, The tact and wisdom which he displayed during hip reign of more than thirty years gave him great influence in Europe. His son Leopold II. has several times visited her Majesty. His visits to London, paid incognito, have been more frequent, though less edifying. In 1842 Frederick William IV., King of Prussia, came to England to act as one of the sponsors at the baptism of the Prince of Wales. Lady Bloomfield thus describes his appearance : " The King of Prussia has just arrived. Several messen. OSBORNE HOUSE, ISLE OF WIGHT. gers, at stated intervals, gave notice of his coming. We were all waiting in the corridor rather more than forty minutes. The Queen came in for a quarter-of-an- hour. As soon as the carriage was in sight the Queen waited on the staircase, and when it arrived her Majesty went to the door, kissed the King twice, and made him two low curtseys. I was close behind, within the doorway, and saw the meeting beautifully. It was very interesting, but soon over. The King (Fred- erick William IV.) is of middle size,' rather fat, with an excellent countenance, i i,i « w 2D2 VICTORIA, Mt'li i :' ■) 1 '^ > ' ■ f ;■ 1 :i i i' 1 j i;;. i; i i- i !■ 1 ;; r; ■ 1 ;; i and a paucity of hair." After the baptism his Majesty was installed Knight of the Garter. " The installation of the Garter took })lace as soon as we returned to the Castle. Only the Mistress of the Robes and the lady-in-waiting were in actual attendance on the Queen ; but we remained in the next room, and as the doors were open we saw the whole ceremony. The oath is very fine, and the King of Prussia seemed much impressed by it, and clasped his hands fervently as if he felt every word. After the Queen had buckled on the Garter and given the Ribbon, his. Majesty shook hands all round with the knights, and then the ceremony concluded. There was a little dance last night for young Prince Leo- pold of Saxe-Coburg's amusement, There were only just enough ladies to make up a quadrille. The Queen danced the first with the King of Prussia. Although he is rather stout he danced very well and gracefully. We finished with a country dance, with every sort of strange figure. I think the Queen must have been studying some old books, and concentrated the figures of several centuries into this one country dance. The Duke of Wellington remarked to me that he saw a great likeness between the King and George I V., and he has the same kind, gracious manner. On the day of the christening, when all was over. Lady Lj-ttleton expressed her hope that the King of Pi issia was not fatigued ; upon which he answered : " Comment done fatigue, depuis man arnvee en Angleterre jen'e'preuveque,joie,joie,joie,ettoujoursjoie,queDieu benisse V enfant!' At tlie Archbishop of Canterbury's he gave us the toast "The Queen pnd the Church, for they can never be separated." Yesterday, when Lord De la Warr (the Lord Chamberlain) and the attendants were backing and bowing in taking his Maje;jty to the carriage, he said : " De grace, ne faites done pas cette ceremonie pour moi, allez-vous-en, allez-vovbs-en." The King of Prussia left England on the 4th of February. " We all feel melan- choly at his departure. We got so accustomed to seeing his Majesty and his suite, and they were all so amiable and enjoyed their visit so much, that it was quite touching to bid them farewell. The Queen breakfasted with his Majesty, and when he went away she accompanied him to the door and kissed his cheek ; after which she made him a low curtsey, and waited till the carriage drove off. I should say from all accounts that the visit has gone off as well as possible. The King has done more in a short time than anyone ever did before. The Prussians were very much struck yesterday at the opening of Parliament, and it was a very interesting sight. I went with Lady Jolliffe, Miss Paget, and Lady SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 293 Fanny Howard. We sat in the gallery immediately opposite the door to the right of the throne, saw the Queen enter, and heard every word of the speech. Her Majesty looked rather pale, but her manner on all these occasions is quite perfect, full of grace and dignity, and her voice was firm and as clear as a silver bell. It is quite remarkable how well the Queen reads. It was so pretty to see her after she had finished, for she stopped after descending from the throne, turned to the King of Prussia, and made him a low curtsey. The House was very full." During his visit the King was introduced to Elizabeth Fry, the famous prison reformer. With his usual bluff courtesy he insisted upon taking an informal lujicheon at her cottage. On this occasion Mrs. Fry presented to him eight daughtei's and daughters-in-law, seven sons and sons-in-law, and twenty-five grandchildren. A typical English family, truly ! Lord Augustus Loftus, in his " Diplomatic Reminiscenses," says : " The visit of the King of Prussia to England, on the invitation of her Majesty the Queen to be godfather to the Prince of Wales, attracted the attention of Europe, and was an event which strongly marked the friendly feelings on the part of the King towards England. But, notwithstanding the jealousies and the groundless suspicions to which it gave rise, it was but natural that on so auspicious an occa- sion the ruler of a great Protestant country should graciously profit of the opportunity of evincing to the world the intimate relations existing between the two great Protestant countries of Europe, and of offering a happy omen of their future continuance. The King was accompanied by a numerous suite of whom Count Stolber and Baron Alexander von Humboldt were the chief personages." King Frederick William IV. was a somewhat belated politician. He lived haunted by the memory of the French Revolution He was anxious to promote the welfare of his people, but in the old-fashioned paternal way. Universal suf- frage spelt for him anarchy. Yet when he discovered that the best and wisest of his subjects desired a constitutional government, he gave way. As a son, a brother, a friend, he was all that could be desired. One of his German critics thus writes of him : " Endowed with brilliant talents, witty, a lover of art, arai- abl", eloquent, full of a noble enthusiasm ; honor flowed naturally from his heart and won the affection of all around him. But he was ' strengkirchlich.' " His' great fault was that he was a strong churchman, a good man among a free think- ing people. Posterity will think none the worse of him for that. He died in 1861 and was succeeded by his brother William, grandfather of the present emperor. 294 VICTORIA, In 1844 Loui-s Philippe, King of the French, visited her Majesty. He was well received everywhere. The English people took a curious interest in a king who had experienced such vicissitudes of fortune ; who had " blacked his own boots" ■while he earned his bread as the teacher of a village school. Before he left, the Queen confeired on him the Order of the Garter. The Cor- poration of the City of London honored him with an address of congratulation. Four years later her Majesty and Loui.s Philippe met again. This time he came as a fu^jitive seeking protection and hospitality fioni the Queen he had de- ceived in the affair of the Spanish marriages. The Queen received hin: most kindly. " Little did I dream," lier Majesty wroLo lo Baron Stockmar, " tliat this would be the way we .should meet again, and see each other all on the most friendly terms; that the Duchess of Montpensier (the Spanish Infanta), about whom we have been quarrelling for ihe last year and a half, should be here as a fugi- tive, and dressed in the clothes I .sent her, and should come to thank me for tny kindness, is a reverse of fortune which no novelist would devise, and upon which one could moralise for ever." But though her Majesty received him kindly, she could not receive him pub- licly, or interfere in any way with the action of a foreign state. The French King had been elected by the people; now they had rejected him, deposed him. The Queen of Britain might pity the ex-King, she might aftbrd liim an a.sylum ; in fact, she gave him Claremoni for a residence ; more she could not do. Louis Philippe, " that Royal Ikey Solomon, that Ikey Basilica," in Carlyle's phrase, was not a great man, not even a great monarch. But he had discern- ment. He knew his France. He knew when it was too hot to hold him. He knew where a safe refuge might be found. " Perfidious Albion," as the French pre- ferred to call England, was the only land in Europe where neither his money nor life would be demanded. Louis Philippe was a keen observer ; some of his say- ings are luminous: " For a Frenchman the best straight- waistcoat is a uniform." " A National Guard is like a tree in a flower-pot ; it looks very pretty till it grows, and then it breaks the pot, i.e., the country, to pieces." "Ireland is an incurable disease, but it is never mortal." The Czar Nicholas, who had visited England, and had been invested with the Order of the Garter in 1827, paid a second visit in 1844. The Queen tells SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 295 us tliat he was greatly taken with Windsor, saying very politely, " It is worthy of you, Madame." He won the Queen's heart by speaking kindly of Prince Albert : " Nowhere will you see a handsomer young man ; he has such an air of nobility and goodness." " Military uniform," he said at one of the Queen's recep- tions, " had become so second nature with him, that without it he felt as if they took off his skin." Uniform was therefore worn at the Court every evening during his stay. The Queen saiil of him : " He is a very striking man ; he gives Albert and myself the impression of a man who is not happy, and on whom the burden of his immense power and position bears heavily and painfully. He seldom smiles, and when he does the expression is not a happy one." The Czar made himself popular in England by founding a racing prize at Ascot of £500. While in England he talked as if he had no higher ambition than to maintain the friendly alliance cemented during the wars with Napoleon. When he wished to convey his impression of personal loyalty and honor he always spoke of " the word of an English gentleman." His ideal hero was the Duke of Wellington. He it was who first compared Turkey to a " sick man." His proposals as to the dispisition of the " sick man's " property would seem about to be accepted now. Had the British statesmen of the day trusted him the Crimean war miglit have been averted, the Indian mutiny might never have broken out, and the attitude of Britain and Russia towards the Turkish Empire, now seen to be the right one, might have been assumed fifty years ago. In April, 1855, Napoleon III., Emperor of the French, accompanied by his beautiful wife, Eugdnie, visited her Majesty. Prince Albert met the Imperial guests at Dover. London poured out to cheer them on their way to the Castle. At Windsor the excitement was intense. The Queen writes : " I cannot say what indescribable emotions seized me, how much all seemed like a wonderful dream." In the afternoon there was a review of the Household Troops ; at night there was a ball in the Waterloo Room. Her Majesty remarks : " To think that I, the granddaughter of George III., should dance with the Emperor Napoleon, nephew of England's greatest enemy, now my nearest and most intimate ally, in the Waterloo Room, and this ally only six years ago living in this country in exile, poor and unthought of." During his stay at Windsor his Imperial Highness was invested with the insignia of the Order of the Garter. On his departure the Queen wrote in her J 296 VICTORIA, Diary : " I am glad to have known this extraordinary man, whom it is certainly impossible not to like when you live with him, and not even to a considerable extent to admire. ... I believe him to be capable of kindness, affection, friend- ship and gratitude." When Napolepn the Great died he left a son by Marie Louise, the Due de Reichstadt, heir to the hopes of his dynasty. In 1832 the Due de Reichstadt died, leaving Louis Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon I., legal representative of the house of Napoleon. Louis Napoleon looked upon the French throne as his pro- perty. The acquisition of it grew into a fixed idea. His ambition strengthened into a monomania. The Imperiiil crown became the dream of his life, the star of his destiny, the god of his worship. The successive removals from his path of his elder brother and of the Due de Reichstadt invited him to advance with a high heart along the road to Solely sovereign sway ami iniisterdoni. The corruption of the government of Louis Philippe encouraged him to make the unsuccessful Strasbourg attempt. The revolution of KS-iS brought him to France. Step by step he climbed the ascent to power. He was elected member of the French National Assembly. He was elected President of the Republic. Amid the shouts of the people he entered at last the Tuileries as Emperor. His airy vision had become at last a reality. When he visited England it was as her ^lajesty's faithful ally against Russia. After the Crimern War he rose still higher in European influence. He humbled Austria, freed Italy, levelled the Great Wall of China, ventured to set up an empire in Mexico. For twenty years he filled the eyes of the world. The whole earth listened to his every word. For good or evil his name was potent in every corner of the globe. Then the growing giant, Prussia, began to rise between him and the sun. He marched to dictate to a conipiered people at iJerlin. Then came Sedan, when Napoleon III. surrendered his sword to the son of that Frederick William III., over whom the First Napoleon had brandished it with merciless insolence. Forty years of obscurity, of exile, of imprisonment ; twenty years of supreme masterdom ; then the disgrace of Sedan ; then a few months of oblivion at Chisel- hurst ; then an unmarked death, made up his life's strange story. As we have seen, her Majesty was greatly taken with the grave, heavy- lidded Emperor, the inscrutable Man of Destiny. Prince Albert read him differently j SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 297 perhaps less wisely. His estimate of him was the popular estimate : a charlatan, always posing, always to be taken with a grain of salt. British feeling was, at bottom, against him. It credited him with the determi- nation to avenge Waterloo. Nothing was farther from his thoughts. Though Emperor of the French he was a lover of Britain. It had sheltered him in exile, welcomed him in the hour of his triumph. Its common-sense was respected by him. If^he could have been what he desired to be, he would ? ave been the firm friend of Britain. Had he been stronger, less self-indulgent, less amiable. ,«Jpt^' .■JMli?H¥ ^^^ mm' . " '"^^'MfaWirf WINDSOR CASTLE. he might have kept France in that friendly union with Britain which would have ensured peace and progress for all Europe. But behind him was his native obscurity; before him the phantom that dazzled France — Glory. He must pursue it or abdicate. He pursued it — to Sedan ! Soon after Napoleon and Eugenie, there came to the British Court a guest whose arrival was hailed with singular enthusiasm, Victor Emmanuel, King of Sardinia. Inspired by the counsels of one of the master-spirits of modern poli- ! '■ ::fi if 298 VICTORIA, tics, Count Cavour, Sardinia had struck in on tlie side of Britain and France in the Crimean War. That act laid the foundation of the Kingdom of Italy, and of the warm and close alliance between Italy and Britain. This alliance, which still continues, is perhaps the only one in which sentiment is more powerful than interest. In 1867 Abdul Aziz, Sultan of Turkey, visited her Majesty ; the first Com- mander of the Faithful to set foot on English ground. He was the lion of London that year. mu ■: ' 1 ' .ir; '1 i .; 1:: ■ :! : ; '<]''' \':li j lit'". oplendid balls were given in his honor. At these he appear- ed with a melan- choly gravity that endeared him to a people "accustom- ed to take their pleasure sadly. " His enjoyment of the suppers that followed was so un- feigned that the wariest financiers were unable to re- fuse him their con- fidence. He was entertained by the Lord Mayor and Yet hope of his Ottoman Majesty's reformation was high British institutions, with their attendant peace, concord and prosperity ; the ravishing strains of the opera ; the pastoral symphonies of the Agricultural Hall ; the dazzling magnificence of the Crystal Palace ; the solid dinners at the Guild- hall — all these powerful aids to reflection must produce an ameliorating efiect on his character and his policy. For a time Britain cherished for the Grand Turk the aame hope which Burns SULTAN ABDUL AZIZ. the Corporation of London ; he went instate to the opera, and to the Crystal Palace; he saw a review of the Fleet ; he was invested by her Majesty with the Order of the Garter. In a word^ the national .seal was set to British belief in his good faith and his sol- vency. True, Crete was being harried by his troops ; and for Crete, England's heart was bleeding. The sight of free SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 29d expressed for another Prince : " Aiblins he'll tak a thocht an' mend." The poet we know was disappointed. So was Britain. With comparative indifference, therefore, Britain heard, in 1870, that Abdul Aziz had been dethroned and mur- dered. His nephew Murad was made Sultan, only to be deposed as insane three months later, when the present Sultan, Abdul Hamid, was proclaimed. Of him, in 1878, Lord Beaconsfield asserted, " He is not a tyrant ; he is not dissolute ; he is not a bigot ; he is not corrupt." Leave out the " nots " and what an admirable description we have of the present Commander of the Faithful. In 1873 the Queen received a visit from the Shah of Persia, who came to Eng- land on her invitation. Rumors of his vast wealth, his wonderful diamonds, his emerald epaulettes, had laid in the public breast a solid foundation for an enthus- iastic welcome. Nassr-ed-Deen landed at Dover. The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Arthur niCt him at the pier. London went mad about him. To do him honor her Ma- jesty tore herself away from Balmoral. She received him at Windsor with cor- diality. He was magnificently entertained by the Lora Mayor. He reviewed the Artillery at Woolwich, the Fleet at Spithead. He went in state to the Ital- ian Opera ; to the International Exhibition, and to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The Queen conferred on him the Order o* the Garter, presenting him with the badge and collar set in diamonds. His departure was accompanied by every circumstance of honor. In 1889 he again visited England and was received with, if possible, increased heartiness. His friendly policy towards Great Britain has been continued by his son, Muzaffer-ed-Deen, who ascended the throne in 1896. In May, 1874, Alexander II., Emperor of Russia, arrived in England on a visit to his daughter, the Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrowna, wife of the Duke of Edinburgh. He was received with the utmost cordiality by the Queen at Wind- sor. London hailed him as " The Liberator of the Serfs." The poor of the city had reason to remember his visit with gratitude ; he left in the hands of the Bishop and the Lord Mayor £1,000 for their relief. No foreign ruler ever suc- ceeded so well in winning the esteem of all classes of the British people as this huge, burly, narrow-minded man, sterling to the core, a strict observer of his marriage vow, a devoted father. His assassination in 1881 sent a thrill of horror through Great Britain. II w 300 VICTORIA, In the autumn of 1874 the Empress of Russia, accompanied by the Czarevitch, father of the present Emperor, visited England to be present at the baptisru of the infant son of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Among the many notabilities who paid visits to the Queen we may name, and only name, the Sultan of Zanzibar (1875), the King of Greece (1880), Ex-Queen Isabella (1890), the Prince of Naples (1891). Leaving for the moment the world of royalty we shall chronicle two other visits, one from the realm of Art, the other from the realm of the Grotesque — Mendelssohn and General Tom Thumb. The great composer's visit recalls us to the early days of her Majesty's happy married lite. The year is 1842 ; the place, Buckingham Palace. Mendelssohn is writing to his mother : " Prince Albert had asked me to go to him on Saturday at two o'clock, so that I might try his organ before I left England. I found him alone, and as we were talking away, the Queen came in, also alone, in a simple morning dress. She said she was obliged to leave for Claremont in an hour, and then, suddenly in- terrupting her-self, exclaimed, 'But, goodness, what a confusion!' for the wind had littered the whole room, and even the pedals of the organ (which, by the way, made a very pretty picture in the room) with leaves of music from a large portfolio that lay open. "As she spoke she knelt down and oegan picking up the music , Prince Albert helped, and I too was not idle. Then Prince Albert proceeded to explain the stops to me, and she said that she meanwhile would put things straight. I begged that the Prince would first play me something, so that, as I said. I might boast about it in Germany. He played a chorale by heart, with the pedals, so charm- ingly, and clearly, and correctly, that it would have done credit to any profes- sional ; and the Queen, having finished her work, came and sat by him, and lis- tened, and seemed pleased. Then it was my turn, and I began my chorus from St. Pflul, ' How lovely are the messengers.' Before I got to the end of the first verse they both joined in the chorus, and all the time Prince Albert managed the stops for me, so cleverly ; first a flute ; at the forte the great organ ; at the D major, part of the whole register ; then he made a lovtly diminuendo with the stops, and so on to the end of the piece, and all by heart, that I was really SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 301 quitr enchanted. Then the young Prince of Gotha came in, and there was more chatting, and the Queen asked if I had written any new songs, and said she was very fond of singing my published ones. ' You should sing one to him,' said Prince Albert, and after a little begging she said she would try the ' Fruhling- shed ' in B flat. ' If it is still here,' she said, ' for my music is packed up for Claremont.' Prince Albert went to look for it, but came back saying it was already packed. ' But one might perhaps unpack it,' said I. ' We must send TRAFALGAR SyUARK, ;sHUVVlN(i NELSUiS'fcJ MUiN L M KM . for Lady she said. I did not_ catch the name. So the bell was rung, and the servants were sent after it, but without success; and at last the Queen went herself, and while she was gone Prince Albert said to me, ' She begs you will keep this present as a remembrance,' and gave me a little case with a beautiful ring, on which is engraved ' Y. R. 1842.' Then the Queen came back, and said, ' Lady is gone, and has taken all my things with her ; it really is very annoying.' You can't think ,how that amused me. I then begged that I might < — "r-mr- Hi 302 VICTORIA, not be made to suffer for the accident, and hoped she would sing another song. After some consultation with her husband, he said, ' She will sing you something of Gluck's.' " Meantime the Princess of Gotha had come in, and we five proceeded through various corridors and rooms to the Queen's sitting-room. The Duchess of Kent came in too, and while they were all talking I rummaged about among the music, and soon discovered my first set ot songs ; so of course I begged her rather to sing one of those than the Gluck, to which she very kindly consented ; and which did she choose ? ' SchOner und SchOner Schimmkt sich,' sang it quite charmingly, in strict time and tune, and vith very good execution. Only in the line, ' Der prora lasten und Muh,' where it goes down to the D and then comes up again chromatically, she sang D sharp each time ; and as I gave her the note both times, the last time she sang D, a- d then it ought to have been D sharp. But with the exception of this little mistake it was really charming ; and the last long G I have never heard better or purer or more natural from an amateur. . . . Then she sang the ' Pilgerspruch, Lass dich nur,' really quite faultlessly and with charming feeling and expression. I thought to myself, one must not pay too many compliments, so I only thanked her a great many times, upon which she said, ' Oh ! if only I had not been so frightened ; generally T have such long breath.' Then I praised her immediately, and with the best conscience in the world, for just that part with the long G at the end she had done so well, taking the three following and connecting notes in the same breath, as one sel- dom hears it done ; and therefore it amused me doubly that she her.'self should have begun about it. After this Prince Albert sang the Aerndte-lied ' Er ist ein Schnitter ;' and then he said I must play him something before I went, and gave me as themes the chorale which he had played on the organ and the song he had just sung. . . . Just as if I was to keep nothing but the pleasantest, most charming recollection of it, I never improvised better. I was in the best mood for it, and played a long time, and enjoyed it myself." In 1844 General Tom Thumb visited her Majesty at Buckingham Palace. Mr. Barnum in his " Struggles and Triumphs " gives the following account : " We were received in what is called the ' Yellow Drawing Room,' a magnifi- cent apartment, surpassing in splendor and gorgeousness anything of the kind I had ever seen. It is on the north side of the gallery, and is entered from that SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 303 apartment. It was hung with drapery of rich yellow satin damask, the couches, sofas, and chairs being covered with the same material. The vases, urns and ornaments were all of modern patterns and the most exquisite workmanship. The room was panelled in gold, and the heavy cornices beautifully carved and gilt. The tables, pianos, &c., were mounted with gold inlaid with pearl of vari- ous hues, and of the most elegant designs. " We were ushered into this gorgeous drawing-room before the Queen and royal circle had left the dining-room ; and as they approached the General bowed respectfully, and remarked to her Majesty that ' he had seen her before ;' add- ing : ' I think this is a prettier room than the picture gallery ; that chandelier is very fine.' " The Queen took him by the hand, and said she hoped he was well. " ' Yes, madam,' he replied ; ' I am first-rate.' " ' General,' continued the Queen, ' this is the Prince of Wales.' " ' How are you. Prince V said the General, shaking him by the hand ; and then, standing beside the Prince, ho remarked : ' The Prince is taller than I am ; but 1 feel as big as anybody ;' upon which he strutted up and down the room as proud as a peacock, amidst shouts of laughter from all present. " The Queen then introduced the Princess Royal, and the General immediately led her to his elegant little sofa, which we took with us, and with much polite- ness sat himself down beside her. Then, rising from his seat, he went through his various performances, and the Queen handed him an elegant and costly sou- venir, which had been expressly made for him by her order, for which he told her ' he was very much obliged, and would keep it as long as he lived.' The Queen of the Belgians (daughter of King Louis Philippe) was present on this occasion. The souvenir was of mother-of-pearl set with rubies, bearing a crown and the royal initials ' V.R.' " In July, 1891, Kaiser William II., accompanied by the Empress of Germany, paid a State visit to the Queen. The first three days were Spent at Windsor and had all the characteristics of a family gathering. Her Majesty had set her heart on doing full honor to her illustrious grandson. A solemn banquet in the historic castle gave occasion for the display of all the magnificence that the British mon- archy could exhibit ; while a Royal marriage in St. George's Chapel — the high con- tracting parties being Princess Louise, daughter of Prince and Princess Christian, 1' -f-t 304 VICTORIA, and Prince Aribert of Anhalt — furnished a scene no less splendid of another kind. During the followinpf days the Emperor received addresses from various socie- ties. In replying to an address from the Anti-Slavery Society, the Emperor re- ferred to the inhumanity of the Arab dealers, and to the sufferings of their victims. He specially inquired whether Dr. Livingstone had, or had not, over- estimated the number of deaths among slaves when he said that for every one that reacheJ the coast alive ten died on the way. The Rev. Horace Waller, who had travelled through the interior of Africa, assured the Kaiser that this com- putation was no exaggeration, and that the greatest offender was Tippoo Tib. The Emperor replied that something must certainly be done to put an end to such a state of things. In the course ot his formal answer to the address his Majesty observed that he had been much impressed by the accounts of the deso- lation caused by the slave-traders which were given him by Major Wissmann whom he had seen before leaving for England. The Major had told him that the inhabitants of South African districts, through which he had passed, and in which he had found densely populous and prosperous villages, had entirely dis- appeared when he returned through that country two years later, the slave- hunters not having left a man alive. His Majesty rejoiced to feel that the united fleets of Germany and Britain were acting in concert, and had already been successful in checking the export of slaves. At the same time, iie feared that in the interior it was probable that the slave trade would not be .suppressed without some farther severe struggles with the slave raiders. The great event of the Emperors visit was his State entry into the City of London. The route was lined with soldiers, and in the Strand and in the city there was a showy display of flags and other decorations. Crowds assembled in the streets and windows. Platforms erected for the occasion, were filled with spectators. It was amid a genuine welcome that the Emperor and Empress and their suite drove to Guildhall. The Emperor, who looked pale and somewhat tired, wore a white tunic with silver epaulettes and white gauntlets, and a plumed helmet. The Empress, in cream-color and mauve, with a gold em- bellished bonnet, seemed in high spirits. At the Guildhall a procession was made to the library, where an address from the Corporation was presented, in reply to which his Majesty said : " I thank you with many thanks for this address. I hope that the Lord Mayor SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 305 a id X H a > 5 yj X H o i< c c or 306 VICTORIA, riti hi and Corporation will always enjoy all the progress they can have under the glor- ious and peaceful reign of her Majesty the Queen, my beloved grandmother." Then followed the lUjeuner in the hall, which was filled with distinguished guests. After the toasts of " The Queen " and " The Emjjeror and Empress " had been proposed by Lord Mayor Savory, and duly honored, his Majesty made, amid loud acclamation, the following speech: " My Lord — Receive niy most heartfelt thanks ior the warm welcome from the citizens of this ancient and noble metropolis. I beg that your lordship will kindly transmit the expression of my feelings to those whose names you have spoken. I have always felt at home in this lovely country, being the grandson of a Queen whose name will ever be remembered as the most noble character, and a lady great in the wisdom of her counsels, and whose reign has conferred lasting bless- ins^s on Britain. Moreover, the same blood runs in English and German veins. Following the examples of my grandfather, and of mj' ever-lamented father, I shall always, as far as it is in my power, maintain the historical friendship be- tween these two great nations, which, as your lordship mentioned, have so often been seen side by side in defence of liberty and justice. I feel encouraged in my task when I see that wise and capable men, such as are gathered here, do justice to the earnestness and honesty of my intentions. Vy aim is above all the MAINTENANCE OF PEACE, for peace alone can give the confidence which is neces- sary to the healthy development of science, art and trade. Only as long as peace reigns are we at liberty to bestow earnest thoughts upon the great problems, the solution of which in fairness and equity I consider the most prominent duty of our times. You may rest assured, therefore, that I shall continue to do my best to maintain and constantly to increase the good relations between Germany and the other nations, and that I shall always be found ready to unite with you and them in a common labor for peaceful progress, friendly intercourse, and the ad- vancement of civilization. I beg to propose the health of the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London." The return journey to Buckingham Palace was made via Queen Victoria Street and the Embankment, amid similar crowds. In the evening the Emperor dined in State with the Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of Cambridge. Among the guests, who were officers of high rank, and were all in full uniform, it was noticeable that there were Colonel the Marquis of Salisbury and Colonel the Marquis of Hartington. The day's proceedings were wound up with a State ball at Buckingham Palace, SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 307 On Sunday, after attending divine service at St. Paul's Cathedral, the Emperor and Empress proceeded to Hatfield House, on a visit to the Marquis of Salisbur}'. This fine old house was at one time a Fo'/ul palace. It was from it that both Edward VI. and Elizabeth were conducted to London to take possession of the throne. The Cromwell Room, in which the Emperor slept, is so called because of a tradition that Oliver Cromwell used it. The adjoining room is still called the Queen's Room, in remembrance of her Majesty's visit in comjmny with the Prince Consort. In the same gallery is the room in which James I. slept, and the huge, gorgeous bedstead, with its faded canopy and cloth of gold, and rich carvings, is sacredly preserved. On Monday morning Lord Cranborne, the eldest son of Lord Salisbury, was his Majesty's guide through the woods. They first rode down the Royal avenue, and, breaking into a gallop, made for Queen Elizabeth's oak, where they drew rein. The Emperor was then told the inter- esting history of the ancient tree — namely, that it indicated the limit of Princess Elizabeth's walk when a prisoner at Hatfield, whilst beneath its spreading branches (which have long since fallen away) she heard that she was Queen of England. A further ride, followed by a smart gallop home, prepared both horse- men for breakfast, which was served at ten o'clock. The morning meal over, the Emperor, as is his wont, devoted himself to State business with Count Hatzfeldt and the chief of the German Foreign Office, both of whom were staying at Hatfield. in the afternoon the Emperor, in the uniform of a British Admiral, left Hat- field, with the Empress, for Windsor, to take leave of the Queen. From thence the Empress went to Felixstowe to join her children ; the Emperor journeying north to Leith, where his yacht awaited him. During the visit the assiduous attention of the Prince of Wales to his Imperial nephew could not be exceeded. la •or In 1893, a British Mission under Sir Mortimer Durand was cordially received at Cabul. The Ameer of Afghanistan made a most friendly speech at a grand Durbar held in November. In 1894, the Ameer received an invitation to visit England, as the guest of Queen Victoria. The Ameer himself could not come, but to show his good-will he sent his second son, the Shahzada Nasrullah Khan. From the moment of his arrival in England the Prince was in the midst of festiv- i flM !i 308 VICTORIA, ities and ceremonials. A lon^' proj^franiine was prepared for his entertainment. Landinj^ at Portsmouth on tlie (^)iieon's Birthday, 18()o, ho was taken to tlio an- nual parade of troops. Tho Shah/ada was driven on to the parade-ground in an open carriage, in which were also seated Colonel Talbot, representing the Indian Government, and Sir Gerald Fit/gerald, who had been deputed by tho In- dian Office to wait upon the young Prince. Tho Prince, who had a hearty re- ception from the assembled crowd of sightseers, took grekt interest in the review, and when the Naval Brigade came by, amid tho cheers of tho spectators, he seemed to sympathize with the enthusiasm. Later in tho afternoon tho Shahzatla left Portsmouth for London. The train arrived at Victoria Station at five o'clock. The Secretary of State for India and other officials were here presented to the Prince. On Saturday, the Shahzada witnessed the trooping of the colors in honor of her Majesty's birthday. That brilliant ceremojiy was rendered yet more attractive by the attendance of the Afghan Piince. Greater than ever seemed the gather- ing throng, while behind the sentries on the parade-ground — beyond the bound- aries of tho official ticket — the patient sightseers waited and waited until tho Headquarters Staff, with the Piinces and the Shahzada, should ride by. Lord Falmouth and the Guardsmen were rai.ged in wonted Guards' solidity and im- posing smartness in the great square below, with the bands of the cavalry and infantry, more gorgeous far than Nasrullah Khan, and brighter with their bur- nished instruments of music than their brethren with tho weapons of war. Over the lieads of the cheering folk, and between and beneath the green trees of the Mall, appeared the plumes and uniforms of the Headfjuarters Staff". Between the Prince anil the Duke of Cambridge, who wore the Grenadier Guards uniform, rode the Shahzida. Their arrival on the parade-ground was proclaimed afar by the crash of the ban Is into the opening bars of " God Save the Queen." It was a very grand spectacle which was presented to the eyes of tho Afghan Prince, as he rode along the ranks of the Household troops, and then returned to the salut- ing- base to witness the quaint ceremonial of trooping the colors. As the scion of a fighting line, our visitor must have been marvellously impressed with the marching, in slow and (|uick time, of the Coldstreams, Scots, and Gienadiers, with the splendid steadiness and martial grandeur of the Life Guards and Blues. The Prince of Wales, as Colonel-in- Chief, marched past at the head of the Blues. Then, the troops being reformed, a general salute was given, and the pageant was over. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN, 309 NASRULLAH KHAN RESPONDING TO THE TOAST OF "THE AMEER.' '"I II IB ■ ! 310 VICTORIA, The Shahzada was not always inclined to fall in with otticial arrangements. On Sunday he preferred to rest quietly at Dorchester House, which had been as- signed him as a residence, instead of going to the Zoo, much to the disappoint- ment of the waiting public. On Monday, the 27th of May, the Shahzada was received in State at Windsor by the Queen. On the 6tli of June, the Shahzada visited the Giildhall to receive an address of welcome from the Lord Mayor on behalf of the City of London. Although there were not many decorations along the route till Cheapside was reached, the streets were crowded, and the inhabitants of the city cheered heartily as the profession came by. There were four State carriages escorted by a Horse Guard troop, and the usual bodyguard of Afghan cavalry surrounding the first carriage with its four bays and postillions, where t'le Shahzada sat in his gold-embroider- ed frock coat and Astrakhiin cap, with its s|)len>lid diamond aigrette. At the Guildhall the Prince was conducted to the library, where the Lord Mayor and a large gathering had assembled. Taking his seat by the Lord Mayor on the dais the Shahzada listened gravely to the address of welcome read by the Town Clerk, and interpreted by Colonel Talbot. The address was subsequently enclosed in a beautiful gold casket of Persian design. The Shahzada replied in low, measured tones, with Colonel Talbot for his interpreter. The party then adjourned to the Guildhall for lunch. Here there was more speechmaking. Nasrullah Khan took the opportunity to remark that the friendship of Biitain and Afghanistan was on the best possible I joting. The following day he went down the Thames by steamer to inspect the docks and the P. and 0. liner Cakdonia. The shipping greatly surprised the Prince, who was quite fascinated by the Tower Bridge, " the most wonderful thing he had seen in England," so he declared. A few days later the Shahzada started on a provincial tour. At Birmingham he inspected several of the leading manufactories. The bent of the Shahzada's mind was shown in his visit to the Small Arms Works at Small Heath. He refused to be hurried through in the allotted half-hour, but remained fully two hours, e.:araining rifles and studying the processes of manufacture. Manchester and its great cotton mills were next visited. Here the Shahzada was so interested in the various stages of cotton spinning and manufacture, that he could hardly be induced to quit the mills for luncheon. A trip on the Man- chester Ship Canal was much enjoyed. At Liverpool the Shahzada received an 1 1 SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 311 elaborate welcome from a body of English and Oriental Mahomedans, headed by an English convert, Mr. Quilliara, who has been made the " Sheik-ul-Islam of the British Isles." Glasgow, with its wonderful dockyards, was next visited. The Prince had a very strong opinion on what he cared and did not care to see, while his indif- ference as to time altogether upset the British idea of punctuality. The in- spection of arms and ammunition factoiies and of war ships half completed in the dockyards had far more interest for him than the cut and dried speeches at formal luncheons. The Shahzada took formal farewell of the Queen at Windsor on the 20th of July, having evidently enjoyed his three months' visit. There can be no doubt that the visit of Nasrullah Khan to Britain proved a most successful stroke of policy in our relations with Afghanistan. Though the orthodox Oriental impassibility prevented him from much outward display of feeling, the Shahzada was keenly delighted with his reception, and found Brit- ain even a more wonderful place than he had anticipated. Perhaps in appreci- ation of the warm reception accorded to his son, the Ameer, in the same month of July, ratified an agreement as io the Indo-Afghan frontier, which had been signed by the British and Afghan representatives three months before. I? 5 ' I ill l!l CHAPTER XIL Home Politics. Some Notable Ministries— The Queen's Prime Ministers— The Queen's Diplomacy— Her Attention to Public Business. ILLIAM LAMB, Viscount Melbourne, was Prime Minister of the Brit- ish Empire from 1835 to 1841. He was therefore Prime Minister when Queen Victoria ascended the Throne. It was admitted, even by his opponents, that his services to the young Queen were of in- estimable value. At his def<.tli the Queen wrote : " Truly and sincerely do I deplore the loss of one who was a most kind and disinterested friend ot mine, and most sincerely attached to me. He was indet.d for the first two years and a half of my reign almost the only friend I had, except Stockmar arid Leh- zen, and I used to see him constantly — daily. I thought much of him and talked much of him all day." Wellington said that the noble Viscount had rendered the greatest possible service to her Majesty ; making her acquainted with the mode and policy of the government of the country, initiating her into the laws and spirit of the Con- stitution, independently of the performance of his duty as the servant of her Majesty ; teaching her, in short, to preside over the destinies of this great country. The oft-quoted Greville wrote : " The Queen is upon terms of the greatest cor- diality with Lord Melbourne, and very naturally. Everything is now and ie- lightful to her. She is surrounded with the most exciting and interesting enjoy- ments; her occupations, her business, her Court, all present an unceasing round of gratifications. With all her prudence and discretion she has great animal spirits, ard enters into the magnificent novelties of her position with the zest and curiosity of a child. No man is more formed to ingratiate himself w'th her than Melbourne. He treats her with unbounded consideration and respect, he consults her taste and her wishes, and he puts her at her ease by his frank and natural manners, while he amuses her by the qiaint, ((ueer, and epigrannnatic turn of his mind, and his varied knowledge upon ail subjects." (312) I SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 313 Lord Cowper thought that the charm of Lord Melbourne's manner was the one great thing that remained impressed upon the mind of all those who had com- munication with him. Sparkling originality, keen insight into character, a rich store of information on every subject always at hand to strengthen and illustrate conversation, exuberant vitality, and, above all, the most transparent simplicity of nature — these were his principal characteristics. The charms of his manner and conversation were set forth to the utmost advantage by a beautiful voice and a prepossessing parsonal appearance. He was tall, strong, and of vigorous con- stitution ; brilliantly handsome even in old age. A more recent writer, Mr. Brett, writing in a highly eulogistic strain, says that Lord Melbourne's life had been chequered by curious experiences. In the sphere of politics he had found himself on pleasant lines; but in private his lot had been cast with that of a woman versed in all the wearing secrets of romantic passion. To turn from the memory of his wife's wild excess'3s in thought and language to the pure-hearted and simple girl whom the Fates had given him as a Queen and a daughter must have touched him to the quick. Is this an attemot to hide a great man's weakness behind a woman's skirts ? If what another writer says is true, the wife may have had trials which the world knew little of. Mrs. Latimer says that one of Lord Melbourne's most striking peculiarities was a fault acquired in the society in which his lot w.\s cast in earl}' manhood — a habit of accompinying every sentence of his speech with a " big, big D." On one occasion Sydney Smith said to him, " Now, suppose we consider everything and everybody duly d — d, and go on to the subject." Melbourne made mistakes occasionally. Who does not ? On the whole, how- ever, his career was summed up tersely, yet trul}', by the " Quarterly," a review devoted to the interests of his political enemies : " Lord Melbourne had merit enough to throw any co-existing demerit into the shade ; merit enough to give him prominent rank as a high-bred, high-minded, and highly cultivated, thor- oughly English statesman, of whom the contemporary and every succeeding generation of Englishmen may be proud." Melbourne was born in 1779; became M. P. for Westminster in 1812; Secre- tary for Ireland in 1827 ; succeeded his father as Viscount Melbourne in 1828 ; was Hrst Lord of the Treasury under William IV. from July to November, 1834; returned to office in April, 1835, and retired in 18-tI. He was thus in his sixty- third year when he finally retired from political life. He diel in 1848. in 314 VICTORIA, On the retirement of Lord Melbourne in 1841, the Queen consulted with the Duke of Wellington. The Duke declined to accept office. He advised the Queen to send for Sir Robert Peel. The Ministry formed by Peel was composed of very strong men. Some of its junior members have since been among Britain's most distinguished statesmen. The Queen had a personal prejudice against Sir Robert Peel, owing to his attitude on the Bedchamber question. That prejudice soon yielded to the high regard and esteem Peel early acquired from the Prince Con- sort. There was soon the utmost harmony between the Court and the Cabinet : the pleasant relations continued up to the time of Sir Robert's resignation in 184(J. Peel was in his fiftieth year when he assumed office. Almost thirty years of parliamentary and official life had prepared him for this new position. A.n interesting anecdote of Peel's youthful days is contained in f statement quoted from the letters of Lord Byron, who was a schoolfellow of Peol at Harrow : " Peel, the orator and statesman — that was, or is, or is to be — was my form fellow, and we were both at the top of our remove. We were oa good terms, but his brother was my intimate friend. There were always great hopes of Peel among us all, masters and scholars, and he -has not disappointed them. As a scholar he was greatly my superior ; as a declaimer and actor I was reckoned at least his equal ; as a sclioolboy out of school, I was always in scrapes, and he never ; and in school he always knew his lessons, and I rarely ; but when I knew it well, I knew it nearly as well ; and in general information, history, etc., I think I was his superior." After taking a degree at Oxford without any special academical distinction, Peel entered Parliament in 1809 as member for Cashel; a year later he was selected to second the Address. In the second year of his parliamentary career he was appointed Under-Secretary for the Colonies. In 1812, when he was only a few months over twenty -four years old, he was Chief Secretary for Ireland in Lord Liverpool's Administration. Since that time he had been one of the most conspicuous figures in the House of Commons. His tenure of office as Chief Secretary for Ireland lasted six years. It is pro- bable that during those years he first became doubtful as to the policy of opposing Roman Catholic Emancipation. At that time, however, O'Connell's partisans dubbed him "Orange Peel," on account of his open hostility to Roman Catholic Emancipation. In 1818, Peel was elected member for the University of Oxford, as the chief champion of the Church in the House oi Commons. In 1828, however. Peel iltiJi'' 111 , SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 315 wrote to the Duke of Wellington that he had made up his mind there must be a settlement of the Roman Catholic question, and that the settlement should be, if possible, a complete one. He had not changed his views as to the danger of Roman Catholic Emancipation — he still disliked and dreaded it ; but the time had come when a choice had to be made between one danger and another. The danger of resisting Roman Catholic Emancipation seemed to him now far greater than the danger of conceding it. In March, 182!), the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel carried the Roman Catholic Emancipation Bill through the House of Commons and the Lords. The indignation against Peel was intense. His voluntary resignation of his seat for the University of Oxford did not remove the impression that Peel had played his party false. Peel, however, faced the storm bravely. He remained in office till 18.30, though he exchanged his seat for the University of Oxford for that of Westbury. When Sir Robert Peel's Ministry came into office in 1841 it inherited many difficulties. Abroad, the Ministry was confronted with serious troubles in Afghanistan and in India, while there had been sharp diplomatic skirmishes with Russia and France. At home the most pressing question was a demand for modifications of the Corn Laws. Peel's accession to office was hailed by the landed interest, which in those days formed the backbone of the Tory party, as proof that the cause of Protection was for the time being secure against attack. The calculation proved fallacious. Peel, the leader of the Tory Ministry, came boldly forward in January, 1846, with a measure for Corn Law repeal, which may be said to have taken away the breath of his friends in Parliament and in the country. After prolonged discussion the bill passed the House of Commons on the 16th of May, and the House of Lords on the 25th of June. The indig- nation against Peel was marvellous. It was worse than the excitement seven- teen years before, when he abandoned what was then called the " Protestant " cause, in favor of Roman Catholic Emancipation. In the House of Commons the feeling was especially bitter. In a few weeks his enemies had their revenge. They coalesced with the Irish members (who had supported Peel's Corn Law bill) on the Irish Coercion bill. On the 25th of June, Peel was defeated on the Coercion bill. He resigned on the 29th inst. The passing of the bill for the repeal of the Corn Laws was received with great joy by the mass of the people. Tens of thousands of pounds had been spent by 316 VICTORIA, the Anti-Corn Law League in feeing lecturers, in printing pamphlets, and in other ways conducting an active propaganda. Richard Cobden, the father of the movement, was rewarded by a national subscription of nearly 400,000 dollars. Cobden reaped the harvest of the seed that had been sown. Peel was relegated to the cold shades of Opposition for his woi'k in the matter. Well might Peel exclaim : Blow, blow thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man's ingratitude. Peel's resignation was keenly regretted by the Queen. " Yesterday," she wrote to King Leopold, " was a very hard day for me. I had to part with Sir Robert Peel and Lord Aberdeen, who are irreparable losses to us and to the country. They were both so much overcome that it quite upset me, and we have in them two devoted friends. We felt so safe with them. Never during the five years that they were with me did they ever recommend a person or a thing that was not for my or the country's best, and never for the party's advantage only." Four years later, in 1850, Peel was thrown from his horse and killed. The Prince Consort wrote a feeling eulogy : " The constitution of Sir Robert Peel's mind was peculiarly that of a states- man, and of an English statesman ; he was Liberal from feeling, but Conserva- tive upon principle. While his impulses drove him to foster progiess, his saga- cious mind and great experience showed him how easily the whole machinery of a State and of society is deranged ; and how important, but how difficult also, it is to direct its further development in accordance with its fundamental principles, like organic growth in nature. It was peculiar to him that in great things, as in small, all the difficulties and objections occurred to him; first he would anxiously consider them, pause, and warn against rash resolutions ; but having convinced himself, after a long and careful investigation, that a step was not only right to be taken, but of the practical mode also of safely taking it, it became a necessity and a duty to him to take it ; all his caution and apparent timidity changed into courage and power of action, and at the same time readiness cheerfully to make any personal sacrifice which its execution might demand." On July 9th, the day of the funeral, the Prince Consort wrofie again : " The feeling in the country is absolutely not to be described. We have lost our truest and trusted counsellor." The Queen wrote the same day to her uncle : "The SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 317 sorrow and grief at his death are most touching. Every one seems to have lost a personal friend." The Duke of Wellington, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Disraeli, and others, spoke in the House of Commons. Mr. Disraeli disputed the claim made that Peel might be styled the greatest minister, or the greatest leader of parties, or the greatest orator. Disraeli concluded : " But what he really was, and what posterity will acknowledge him to have been, is the greatest Member of Parliament that ever lived. Peace to his ashes ! His name will be often appealed to in that scene which he loved so well and never without homage even by his opponents." On Peel's retir'>ment, her Majesty as a mark of her appreciation and confidence, had otfex'ed him the Garter. It was refused on grounds characteristic of him. His heart was not set on titles of honor or social distinctions ; he sprang from the people and was essentially of the people ; in his case such honor would be mis- applied ; the only distinction he coveted at her hands was that the Queen should say to him, " You have been a faithful servant, and have done your duty to your country and to myself." Peel left a will enjoining his family to let his funeral be of the simplest kind. He was buried, therefore, in his parish church, beside his father and mother. His coffin was borne to the grave by workmen from his factories. Lord John Russell, who succeeded Peel as Prime Minister, in July, 1S4G, flour- ished at a time when government by great families was still more than a phrase. Lord John was born in 1792, and was elected M.P. for Tavistock in 1813, when in his twenty-second year. It was only in 1846, thirty- three years after his first entry into Parliament, that Lord John, notwithstanding his great parliamentary ability, his indomitable activity, and his influential political connections, became Prime Minister. The six years during which he was at the head of affairs were marked by a succession of panics which heightened immeasurably the difficulties of his position. One was purely commercial, but it threw gloom over the coun- tiy and brought stagnation to trade. Political discontent followed in its train. This in turn reacted on the prospects of the Government. The Irish famine and the rebellion which followed in its wake taxed the resources of the Cabinet to the utmost. The Chartist movement, the agitation over the Papal claims, and the fear of invasion, are landmarks in the turbulent history of the time. Lord John, like the average politician, made many political blunders. The >5 . h < H i 'X' t4 m 318 VICTORIA, 1 famous Durham letter was conspicuous. The Durham letter was so called because it was addressed to Lord John's old friend, the Bishop of Durham. The worst sentences in it were directed against the Tractarian clergymen — men whom Russell regarded as unworthy .sons of the Church of England. But the Romanists were incensed at its denial of the Pope's supremacy. The manifesto was regarded, especially in Ireland, not merely as a protest against the politics of the Vatican, but as a sweeping censure on the creed of Rome. On both sides, common sense and common fairness were forgotten. Lord John, who had long been identified with the principles of religious liberty, who had for one of his closest friends the Roman Catholic poet Thomas Moore, came to be regarded by Roman Catholics as the enemy of their creed and their rights of worship. On the other hand, he was bitterly assailed by the Protest- ants. " Croker, " wrote John Gibson Lockhart, " was in Ireland when Queen Victoria was there, and has little doubt everything is arranged for something like a formal establishment of Popery in that country. If so, there is an end of J. R. L Co. for the season, or I am no prophet. This will be to him and his at least as costly as Corn Law was to Peel." Lord John's opponents were delighted. Disraeli wrote : " I think John Russell is in a scrape. I understand that his party are furious with him. The Irish are frantic. If he goes on with the Protestant movement he will be thrown over by the Papists ; if he shuffles with the Protestants, their blood is too high to be silent now, and they will come to us. I think Johnny is checkmated." Lord Russell's biographer thinks that the Durham letter and its impassioned protest have been justified by the logic of events. For the moment it is certain that the ignominious collapse of Lord John's Anti- Pcpery escapade discredited his administration as well as himself. Lord Palmer- ston seized the opportunity, in his own characteristic language, of " giving tit for tat " to the Premier who had turned him out of the Foreign Office the year before, by carrying an amendment to Lord John's Militia Bill. Lord John's treatment of the Irish question was complicated by the distressing famine of 1846-47. The union of Ireland with England and Scotland in 1800 had not had the expected result. For many years, Daniel O'Connell, the great liberator, was the acknowledged agitator and leader of the Irish party. O'Connell declared openly for Repeal. In 1821, when George IV. visited Ireland, a tempor- ary recon '.iliation was proclaimed between Roman Catholics and Protestants. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. LOlil) JOHN RUSSELL. ■f- »* .r. ? * INI. W 320 VICTORIA, ii 1m w1 O'Connell was offered a hij^^h law position under the Crown. When the King departed he knelt and presented him a laurel crown. In time O'Connell was returned to Parliament and took his seat. He proved himself a great debater. Some of his eloquent speeches were full of pathos. On one occasion Charles Dickens, then a reporter, laid down his pen, saying ho was too much moved by the speaker's words to write more of his speech. O'Connell gave up a large professional income to attend to his duties in Parlia- ment. He was supported by what was called the " Rent." Pimch caricatured him ten years after as " The Great Beggarman." He spoke brilliantly in the House of Commons in favor of the Reform Bill. He trusted that the Whig Ministry would in return do something in favor of Repeal. Lord Stanley foolishly replied to the effect that " Ireland had to be taucht to fear before she could be tauyht to love." O'Connell had taught the Irish how to agitate. He was soon to find that knowledge turned against himself. He was not considered by the hot youth of his party to go far enough. They said he had done nothing to effect Repeal. The Young Ireland Party, as it v/as now called, broke off from the " uncrowned king," and was in favor of a resort to arms. O'Connell deprecated violence. Young Ireland, however, seemed determined to kick over the traces at the very time when the Liberator was inducing the Whigs to look at the cjuestion in a practical manner. O'Connell returned to Ireland and held monster meetings. The last of these meetings was prohiljited, O'Connell supporting the i)rohibition. O'Connell was, however, arrested, but was released after being confined a year in prison. Famine suddenly made its presence felt, and did so in a manner which threw the privation and scarcity of the previous winter altogether into the shade. At first it was not thought that the failure of the potato crop would be more than partial ; but soon it began to appear that for two years at least the food of the poor in Ireland was absolutely gone. The calamity was as crushing as it was rapid. " On July 27," are Father Mathew's words, " I passed from Cork to Dublin, and this doomed plant bloomed in all the luxuriance of an abundant harvest. Returning on August 3 T beheld with sorrow one wide waste of putrefying vege- tation." A million and a half of acres were at the moment under cultivation. The blight only spared a quarter of them. To make matters worse, the oat crop, by an unhappy coincidence, proved to a startling extent insufficient. The finan- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 321 O'COXNKLL MONUMKXT, DUBLIN. ,♦'1' i ■ r u 322 VICTORIA, lilr ciul loss in that disastrous harvest amounted to between fifteen and sixteen nullions sterling. Fever and dysentery made fatal ini-oads on the dwindling strength of the gaunt nnd famished peasantry. In one district alone, out of a population of 02,000 inhabitants, no less than 6,000 persons died, ilirectly or indirectly, of starvation in the course of three months. " All our thoughts," ' i O'Connell, " are engrossed with two topics — endeavoring to keej) the peopk ^m outbieaks, and endeavoring to get food for them." National associations for relief were quickly formed. Justin McCarthy says : " Whatever might be said aV)out the dilatoriness of the Whig Government in passing measures for the relief of starv- ing Ireland, no one could doubt the good-will of the English people," In London and throughout the country subscription-lists were opened. The most liberal contributions poured in. In Liverpool many merchants each gave £1,000. The Quakers and other religious bodies sent over a delegation to Ireland to distribute relief. Help, too, came in from other countries. The United States loaded several vessels of its navy with supplies. Ten million pounds were granted by the British Parliament to alleviate the distress. It is estimated that, in 1846^ Ireland lost two millions of her population by famine, fever &r migration. In 1851 dissensions arose between Lord John and Lord ^ ston, leading finally to the dismissal of the latter from the Foreign Office. Lady Russell thought this breach was a calamity to the country. " Although it had for some months been a threatening danger on the horizon, I cannot but feel that there was accident in its actual occurrence. Had we been in London or at Pembroke Lodge, and not at Woburn Abbey, at the time, they would have met, and talked over the subject of their difierences ; words spoken might have been equally strong, but would have been leas cutting than words written, and conciliatory expressions on John's part would have led the way to- promises on Lord Palmerston's. . . .They two kept up the character of England, as the sturdy guardians of her rights against other nations, and the champions of freedom and independence abroad. They did so both before and after the breach of 1851, which was, happily, closed in the following year, when they were once more colleagues in office." Lord John Russell was Foreign Secretary and leader in the House of Com- mons in Lord Aberdeen's Ministry at the outbreak of the Crimean War. Lord John identified himself strongly with the popular demand for war. When the Czar had just recalled his ambassador from the Court of St. James, Lord John made a speech of which the peroration was : M i ji '■ 1-3 SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 323 "For my part, if most unexpectedly the Emperor of Russia should recede from his former demands, we shall all rejoice to be spared the pain, the efforts, and the burdens of war. But if peace is no longer consistent with our duty to Eng- land, with our duty to Europe, with our duty to the world, we can only endeavor to enter this contest with a stout heart. May God defend the right, and I for my part shall be willing to bear my share of the burden and the responsibility." "If we do not stop the Russians on the Danube," he concluded," we shall have to stop them on the Indus." It is now a matter of common knowledge that, when the Crimean War began, Nicholas had General Duhamel's scheme before him for an invasion of India through Asia. Lord John and Lord Palmerston represented the war party in the Aberdeen Ministry. The leader in the House of Commons lost no opportunity of pressing upon the Premier the expediency of making Lord Palmerston Minister of War, in place of the Duke of Newcastle. The Duke had proved a lamentable failure in the War Ottice. He was an indefatigable worker, but was certainly not strong enough for such an important position as Minister of War. In consequence he ignominiously failed, at the great crisis a his public career, to arrest the fatal confusion which the winter campaign i le on the military i-esources of the nation. The lack of a com- manding hea' ost thou ands of lives, and entailed untold suffering. When the navy forwarded supplies, there was no military authority to receive them; when the military wished to unload a ship, they found that the naval authority had already ordered it away. There was general indignation throughout Great Britain at the mismanage- ment of the war. The indignation gradually ^assumed formidable proportions. Lord John, disgusted at the hesitancy shown by the First Minister, announced publicly his intention of retiring from the Ministry at an early date. He was induced to reconsider this resolution. Later on, seeing that the Government would not accept his views, he pressed his resignation. In 1859 Lord John was again Foreign Secretary under Lord Palmerston. In 1861 he was raised to the peerage in recognition of his valuable public services. In 1865, Earl Russell, on the death of Lord Palmerston, undertook to form a Ministry. But he was now seventy-three years of age, and had become a digni- fied member of the House of Lords. His second Ministry was brief. In a few months he retired from office. " Lord John," as he was universally called, was '1 ;' ■l' "t— ' 324 ^aCTORIA, in his day, as all able men who honestly strive to do their duty will ever be, alternately admired, blamed, praised and censured. He died in 1878 at the age of eighty-six. The Queen expressed her sympathy in the following letter to Lady Russell : ".^ALMOHAL, May 30th, 1878. " Dear Lady Russell, — It was only yesterday afternoon that I heard through the papers that your dear husband had left this world of sorrows and trials peacefully and full of years the night before, or I would have telegraphed and written sooner. You wi'l believe that I truly regret an old friend of forty years standing, and whose personal kindness in trying and anxious times I shall ever remember. ' Lord John,' as I knew him best, v/as one of my Jirst and most distinguished Ministers, and his departure recalls many eventful times. " To you, dear Lady Russell, who were ever one of the most devoted of wives, this must be a terrible blow, though you must have for some time been prepared for it. But one is never prepared for the blow when it comes, and you have had such trials and sorrows of late years that I most truly sympathize with you. Your dear and devoted daughter will, I know, be the greiitest possible comfort to you, and I trust that your grand.sons will grow up to be all you could wish. " Believe me always, yours affectionately, " Victoria R. and I." Earl Russell's was the life of an English gentleman of the old school. In acknowledging a lettor congratulating him upon his birthda}', in the last years of his life, he was able to write to his correspondent : "Thanks for your good wishes. Happy returns I always find them, as my children are so aflectionate and loving. Many (return.s) I cannot expect, but I have played my part." Edward, Earl of Derby, the fourth of the Queen's Prime Ministers, was another of a school of British statesmen now fast dying out. Elected to Parlia- ment in ^820, when in his twenty-first year, he was a familiar figure in Parlia- ment and at the Government OHices for the forty-eight years that followed. He was Chief Secretary for Ireland 1830-33 ; Secretary for the Colonies 1833-4, and again from 1841-45. He was fifty-three years old when he first attained the highest pcst'open to the ambition of British statesmanship. Even his bitterest SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 325 critics could never have accused Lord Derby with any show of reason of being greedy c'' office. Opposition was more in his line than office. On the three occa- sions when he became Premier he was forced into it by consideration for his party, rather than by personal ambition. His three administrations were all short-lived. The first was formed 27th February, 18.52, and terminated 27th December of the same year. The second was formed 25th February, 1858, and EDWARD, HAUL or DKRBY. Hoin 1709— Die♦" the British Empire. Disraeli was in his seventieth year when he thus obtained the object of his lif' 's ambition. As it happened, domestic measures were soon thrown into abeyance b j SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 337 state of affairs in Europe and Asia. The Prime Minister found himself face to face with the troubles that were speedily to re-open the Eastern (juestion and shake the Ottoman Empire to its foundations. In 1875 Lord BeaconsHeld bought one-half of all the shares in the Suez Canal from the impecunious Khedive of Egypt, for twenty million of dollars. When the Suez Canal was contemplated, the British Government to apeak both literally and metaphorically, had taken no stock in the enterprise; it would not even patronize its opening. Lord Palmerston was as incredulous of its success as Dr. Lardner had been about cross- ing the ocean by steam. British engineers were supposed to have demonstrated that the water-level of the Red Sea was higher than that of the Mediterranean. But the canal was now a success; it was the high-road to India; all Great Britain, therefore, applauded Lord Beaconsfield's purchase in 1875. In 187G the Prime Minister retired from the House of Commons. He entered the House of Lords as Earl of Beaconsfield. His last utterances in the House of Commons were in answer to questions upon Eastern affairs immediately before the close of the Session. The Earl of Beaconsfield continued to act as Premier. He had asserted that while the Gladstone Ministry was busy with home .-eforras. Great Britain had been steadily losing influence abroad, if not deliberately effacing herself Nothing could show more unpleasantly the slight regard in which she was held than the independent action of the " Three Emperors," — of Germany, Austria and Russia, — when their Chancellors decided on the terms of the Berlin Memorandum, merely telegraphing to the Western Powers for their approval. The Premier now deter- mined that Great Britain should' play a part that became her, and not only speak, but be respectfully listened to. . The political atmosphere of the year 1876 was further clouded by reports of Bulgarian atrocities. These reports brought philanthropy into conflict with patriotism and evoked an outburst of generous indignation. In May an insurrection broke out in Bulgaria. It was quickly suppressed ; but not before the Bashi-Bazouks and other Turkish soldiers had massacred some ten thousand Bulgarians, and committed atrocious cruelties on defenceless women and children. Lord Beaconsfield's sagacity saved him from the trap which a Russian envoy was believed to have prepared with cold-blooded astuteness. From the first Disraeli never doubted the truth that the rising that was so savagely suppressed had been provoked by foreign agents. It was a deplorable accident, V im 338 VICTORIA, but he decided it oufjht not to outweiofh the considerations that had hitherto governed our policy in the East. People in Groat Britain blamed the Turks for the atrocities. The wrath of the British people against the Turks burst into a flame. Air. Gladstone headed the popular feeling. In this he again pitted him- self against his rival. The British Government remonstrated with the Turkish Government. Assurances were given that the Bashi-Bazouks should be re- strained. Then Mr. Disraeli trumped his rival's trick by rousing in Britaia a feeling of antagonism tL T?uasia. Russia, affecting indignation that nothing effectual was done by the united efforts of the Great Powers of Europe, declared that, whether the Treaty of Paris allowed it or not, she was going to act by herself — punish the Turks, and defend the Christians. Then public opinion changed. Mr. Gladstone became to be re- garded in Great Britain as the friend and instrument of Russia ; Disraeli as the champion of Great Britain, and the enemy of Great Britain's enemy. It was at this time that the word "jingo" came to be applied in a new sense. The war feeling was very strong in London. One of the numerous music-hall poets composed a ballad with the refrain : We don't want to fight ; but, ^^y jingo, if wo do, We've got the ships, we've got the men, we've got the mone}', too. This refrain was received night after nighi with the most tumultuous applause. It was heard on the streets ; even in the clubs : it became the popular refrain of the hour. Lord Beaconsfield was accused of acting the part of a genuine " Jingo." The word was caught up at once by the public ; the war enthusiasts became known as "Jingoes." The term is now applied in both Europe and America ta those who advocate a spirited foreign policy. The Satxhrday Review said that the refrain " breathed defence, not deBance. It affirms that we have no desire for war, but that should war arise we have the means to face it." Mr. Disraeli, now Lord Beaconsfield, was for maintaining Turkey, at all risks, as a barrier against Russia ; Mr. Gladstone was for reriouncing all responsibility for Turkey, and taking the consequences. Russia declared war against Turkey. The British fleet was sent to protect Constantinople. At length Russia forced Turkey to sign an armistice. Then the Treaty of San Stefano, which stipulated for almost complete independence for the Christian provinces of Turkey, and made Bulgaria, north and south of the Balkans, a great new State, with a port on the iEgean Sea, was signed by the Sultan and the Emperor. ■ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 339 Lord Beaconsfield would not consent to this treaty. He said that by the Treaty of Paris the affairs of Turkey and Turkish dependencies were to be inter- fered with by no one Power ; that if any changes must be made, ell the five Great Powers must agree. After much diplomatic discussion, it was resolved to submit the Treaty of San Stefano to a Congress to be bald at Berlin. Lord Beaconsfield and Lord Salisbury attended the Congress ao the representatives of the British Government. The Congress held its first meeting at Berlin on the 13th January, 1878. The representatives present were : Germany, Prince Bismarck (who was elected Pre- sident of the Congress) ; Russia, Prince Gortschakoff ; Turkey, Alexander Cara- thdodori ; Great Britain, Lord Beaconsfield and the Marquis of Salisbury : Aus- tria, Count Andrassy; France, M. Waddington; Italy, Count Corti. The 20Lh and last meeting of the Congress, when the Treaty was signed, was on the 13th July, 1878. - Tne following are the principal articles of this historic treaty : Articles 1-12 — Bulgaria constituted an autonomous principality, tributary to the Sultan ; the Balkans its southern limit ; the Prince to be elected by the population, the election to be approved by the Sultan and other powers. Articles 13-22 — New Province of East Roumelia constituted ; partially auton- omous ; boundaries defined ; Christian Governor-General to be appointed by the Sultan. Article 23 — Bosnia and Herzegovina to be occupied and administered by Aus- tria-Hungary. Articles 24-30 — Montenegro to be independent, with new frontiers. Articles 31-39 — Servia to be independent, with new frontiers. Articles 40-49 — Roumania to be independent. Articles 50-54 — Regulation of the navigation of the Danube, etc. Articles 55-57 — Legal reforms in Crete. Article 58 — Ardahan, Kars, and Batoum ceded to Russia by the Porte. Article 59 — Batoum to be a free commercial port. Articles 61-02 — The Porte engages to institute legal reforms, and to grant re- ligious liberty. Article 03— The Treaty of Paris (30th March, 1850), and of London (13th March, 1871), to remain in force when not rrodified by this treaty. Lord Beaconsfield, on returning from the Berlin Conference, was received i 1 1, i' li' ?' til 310 VICTORIA, with ifreat demonstrations of approval. He was invested with the Knighthood of the Garter by the Queen. The freedom of London was conferred upon him. The Times, in an editorial, said he was at the pinnacle of ministerial renown ; the favor.te of his Sovereign ; the idol of society. It might have been well for Lord Beaconsfield had he made his appeal to the constituencies in the triumph of the return from Berlin. It is at least probable that he would have been sent back to power with an undiminished majority. As it was, he was over-persuaded to delay; that delay proved d'sastrous to him and his party. The Afghan and South Africa imbroglios and othir matters com- bined to make the Conservative Ministry unpopular. In the general election of 1880, the Conservatives were defeated. Lord Beacon.sliold, when he resigned, carried into his retirement the respect and admiration of the most honorable of his political opponents. Lord Harting- ton in one of his speeches said : " It may be said that Lord Beaconsfield is ambitious. I should like to know what man who has attained the position which he has attained in the political life of his country is not actuated by feelings of ambition. No one certainly can attribute any mean or unworthy feelings to Lord Beaconsfield. We disagree with his politics, but we must admire the geniu« and t;ilent which the man has shown under the disadvantages he has labored under. I firmly believe that Lord Beaconsfield has had in view what he believes to be the greatness of his country and the power of the Sovereign whom he serves." Lord Beaconsfield met the fate of all party politicians. His party enemies could not find words bitter enough with which to mock him. His friends praised him as a very king of men. In a letter written in the spring of 1867, Lord Houghton refers to Mr. Glad- stone as being " quite awed " for the moment by the " diabolical cleverness of Dizzy." The Fortnhjhtbi Review published a .series of intensely bitter articles against him two years before his death. The writer divided his career into three ejiochs. From 1826 to 1837, the era of preparation. From 1837 to 1852, the era of struggle, when in. Parliament he tried to gain, first toleration, then recognition, and then eminence. From 1852 to 1878, when he stood victorious and triumph •■ ant, acknowledged at last to be the greatest man in England of his day. This unfriendly critic, writing of the Mr. Disraeli of 1837 to 1852, says that " he SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 341 began by wearing, the livery of Peel ; then, with ribbons in his hat and a whistle in his mouth, masqueraded as a rural swain, dancing with his Young England companions round a maypole ; and finally, in the breeches and top-boots of a stage squire, he smacked his hunting-whip against his thigh, and denounced the villainy of the traitor Peel, who had deceived him and other simple-minded country gen- tlemen into believing that he was a protectionist and a friend of the land and the corn laws, while he was nothing but a manufacturer and a free-trader. Lord Beaconsfield's rapid changes of costume and character resemble those of the elder and younger Mathews in some of their most startling transformations." "The most wonderful thing," wrote Bishop Wilberforce, a great friend of Mr. Gladstone's, " is the rise of Disraeli. It is not the mere assertion of talent, as you hear so many say. It seems to me quite beside that. He has been able to teach the House of Commons almost to ignore Gladstone, and at present lords it over him." James Anthony Froude writes : " As a statesman there was none like him be- fore, pnd will be none hereafter. His career was the result of a combination of a peculiar character with peculiar circumstances, which is not likely to recur." Lord Beaconsfield was an Imperialist ; there is no denying that. It was dur- ing his Ministry, in 1877, that the Queen assumed her now title of Empress of India. Imperial, Lord Beaconsfieid said, meant ruling over many States, and her Majesty held imperial sway over the vast British Empire. The title, too, would settle cei'tain vexed questions of Court etiquette, and on that account would be agreeable to her Majesty. It has proved, indeed, valuable in the administration of the affairs of Imlia. The native princes and the native peoples understand the personal government of an Empress far better than that of Cabinets or a Company. Because he was an Imperialist, Mr. Disraeli believed that the great future of America lay in the continued Union of North and South. He therefore sym- pathized with the North. On his retirement from public life, he returned to his country seat at Hughen- den ; but not for long. In less than two years after he quitted public life he died, April 19, 1881. He lies buried in the parish church at Hughenden, in Buckingiiamshire. While in Parliament his policy was a consistent effort directed towards definite ends, and having for its object the maintenance and augmentation of the Empire. 342 VICTORIA, He was for avoiding even the appearance of weakness. He deliberately prefer- red the risk of war to making even trivial concessions if they could he represent- ed as involving national humiliation. A statue of liim in his robes as an earl has been erected opposite Westmin- ster Abbey. Mr. Gladstone, in asking the House of Commons to vote this public monument to the dead statesman, alludeJ to certain great qualities of character in Lord Beaconsfield, as extraordinary as his intellectual powers. These were his strong will, his long-sighted persistency of purpose, his remarkable jjower of self-government, and last, not least, his great parliamentary courage. " I have known," said Mr. Gladstone, " some score of Ministers, but never any two who were his equal in these respects." Her Majesty testified her regard for the memory of her great Minister by the erection of a memorial tablet on the wall of Hughenden Church. The inscrip- tion which it bears was written by the Queen herself. " To the dear and honored memory," so it runs, " of Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, this memorial is placed by his grateful and affectionate Sovereign and friend, Victoria, R. I. ' Kings love him that speaketh right.' — Prov. xvi. 13." m- William P]wart Gladstone, the " Grand Old Man " of the British Liberals, comes of a family long distinguished for business virtues, integrity, clear-sight- edness, enterprise, prudence, and thrift. Sir John Gladstone, the father, was a leading merchant in Liverpool, trafficking in all parts of the woild, and owning large sugar plantations in Demerara. In 1821, when twelve years of age, young William was sent to Eton College. It is the fashion in certain circles to-day to decry the education afforded by the higher English schools of fifty or sixty years ago : the moral tone was low, the intellectual training poor. Yet it is doubtful if the highly-lauded schools of to day, in either England or America, are sending out men of stronger moral fibre or greater ability than did Eton and Oxford of sixty years ago. Arthur Haliam, th irilliant critic; Selwyn, the future Bishop of New Zealand; Manning, the future Cardinal — to name only a few who rose to eminence — were schoolfellows of the future British Prime Minister. On going to Oxford, Mr. Gladstone soon made his mark in the debating union. The singular excellence, volume, and clearness of his voice added immensely to his powers as a speaker. SIXIY YEARS A QUEEN 343 RT. HON. WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE. " The Grand Old Man." -■T 344 VICTORIA, Mr. Gladstone was only twenty-three when he was returned to Parliament by the Duke of Newcastle for the pocket-borough of Newark. He entered Parlia- ment as the devoted adherent of Sir Robert Peel, the great Conservative leader. Peel's great knowledge of the world, his patriotism, his strong religious prin- ciples, seemed to his disciple the incarnation of statesmanship. When the Queen ascended the throne, Mr. Gladstone had already had five years' experience in Parliament, and hfid served the Crown as a Minister. From his first entrance into Parliament Mr. Gladstone made his mark. This was owing, very largely, to his great natural ability. He had also influential friends in Canning, Peel and the Duke of Newcastle. Under Lord Aberdeen, in 1852, Mr. Gladstone was made Chancellor of the Ex- chequei". His speech on the introduction of his first budget distanced all expec- tation. He remained in office imtil the Cabinet of Lord Aberdeen dropped to pieces, under the stress and strain of the Crimean War. During that time the Mr. Gladstone of the first half of his parliamentary life was opposed to the Mr. Gladstone of the second. He was in alliance with the Turks, and opposed to Russ^ia. Mr. Gladstone's course in Parliament from 18.55 to 18G0 was somewhat erratic. His friends called it incomprehensible, " I cannot make out Gladstone," said one of them. He would — and he would not — join the Ministries of Lord Derby and Lord Palmerston. He deprecated the continuance of the war with Russia, after having taken a leading part in the Cabinet that brought it on. By 1860 Mr. Gladstone had decided to be no longer a Conservative, Hence- forth he would be a member of the Whig party — the declared opponent of Mr. Disraeli. In 1862 Mr. Gladstone, in common with many of his countrymen, believed in the ultimate success of the Confederate States in the War of the Rebellion. In 186.5 Mr. Gladstone was rejected by the University of Oxford at the general election. After his rejection by the University of Oxford he declared himself in an address to the electors of South-west Lancashire, as " unmuzzled " — free to act, free to put his speculative theories into practice. That was enough. Englishmen do not like their representatives to be muzzled. South-west ^an- cashire elected Mr. Gladstone. Mr. Gladstone's eccentricities had already attracted attention. Mr. Kinglake wrote of him : " If Mr. Gladstone was famous among us for the splendor of his ij^iiH-i" I 'I'HK M.\i;(,>ris of salisiuhy I'j ■>'&■ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 345 eloquence, his unaffected piety, and for his blameless life, he was also celebrated far and wide for a more than common liveliness of conscience. He had once imagined it to be his duty to quit a Government, and to burst through strong ties of friendship and gratitude, by reason of a thin shade of diflference on the subject of white or brown sugar. . . . His friends lived in dread of his virtues as tending to make him whimsical and unstable ; and the practical poli- ticians, perceiving he was not to be depended on for party purposes, and wa.% bent upon none but lofty objects, used to look upon him as dangerous, used 'o call him behind his back — a good man, in the worst sense of the term." At the general election of 1808 Mr. Gladstone again stood for South-west Lan- cashire. After a fierce contest, the result of which excited the most intense interest throughout the country, he was defeated ; but this defeat did not exclude him from the House of Commons. Greenwich had returned 'him by a large majority. The Liberals having a majority in the new House of Commons, Mr. Disraeli resigned. Mr. Gladstone proceeded to form his first Ministry. He was then in his sixtieth year. He remained in power for the six years 18G8-74. During those years Mr. Gladstone passed the following measures — time alone will tell whether for better or worse. In 18G9, a bill for the Disestablishment of the Church in Ireland. In 1870, a Tenants' Rights Bill for Ireland. Government authorities were to fix the rent of any farm, concerning which they were applied to, for fifteen years. At the end of that time, if the tenant wished to give up his holding, the value of the improvements he had made were to be paid for by the landowner. In 1870, the Elementary Education Act. Elementary national education was to be improved. Ratepayers were to be taxed to support the Government schools ; Government inspectoi's were to visit all schools that accepted Govern- ment assistance. In 1871, the Abolition of Purchase in the Army by the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, in consequence of an adverse vote by the House of Lords on the Army Regulation Bill. Officers in the army might no longer purchase their commissions. Before that time, if an ofiicer desired to part with his commission, he might sell it to any qualified officer in the grade of rank beneath him. If he died in the service, his commission lapsed to the Government, but his widow and children were pensioned. In 1871, the act abolishing religious tests in the Universities was passed. ■•Hi 'II I '"It'' 340 VICTORIA, t In 1872, the ballot, guarded by many precautions to secure secrecy, was granted. The Queen, of course, was deeply interested in the disestablishment question. Bishop Wilberforco accompanied Mr. Gladstone to Windsor, when he went to kiss hands on his appointment as Prime Minister. " Mr. Gladstone is a friend of yours," the Queen said to him in colloquial phrase ; " I am sorry he has started this about the Irish Church." Mr. Glad- stone, however was determined to push the bill through. At the same timd, the Queen was aware of the stron" and hostile feeling of the English prelates and of the Conservative party in the House of Lorvls against the bill. The Queen appealed to Archbishop Tait, Primate of all England, in a letter full of care for the lofty interests she had sworn by her coronation oath to guard. "Osborne, 15th February, 1869. '* The Queen must write :: few lines to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the subject of the Irish Church, which makes her very anxious. "... The Queen has seen Mr. Gladstone, who shows the most conciliatory dis- position. He seems to be really modei-ate in his views, and anxious, so tar as he can properly and consistently lo so, to meet the objections of those who would maintain the Irish Church, rie at once assured the Queen of his readiness — in- deed, his anxiety — to meet the Archbishop and to communicate freely with him on the subject of this important question, and the Queen must express her earn- est hope that the Archbishop will meet him in the same spirit. The Govern- ment can do nothing that would tend to raise a suspicion of their sincerity in proposing to di.sestablish the Irish Church, and to withdraw all State endowments from all religious communions in Ireland ; but, were these conditions accepted, all other matters connected with the question might, the Queen thinks, become the subject of discussion and negotiation. The Archbishop had best now com municate with Mr. Gladstone direct as to when he can see him." The Archbishop sought an interview with Mr. Gladstone. The interview was satisfactory ; but the Lords offered amendments which threatened to delay the passing of the Bill. Once more the Queen wrote to the Archbishop. "Windsor Castle, 11th July, 1869. - "The Queen thanks the Archbishop very much for his letter. She is very sensi- ble of the prudence and, at the same time, the anxiety for the welfare of the Irish Establishment which the Archbishop has manifes'ted in his conduct throughout SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 347 the debates, and she will be very glad if the amendments which have been adopt- ed at hia suggestion lead to the settlement of the question ; but to etfect this, concessions, the Queen believes, will still have to be made on both sides. The Queen must say that she cannot view without alarm the possible consecjuences of another year of agitation on the Irish Church, and she would ask the Archbishop seriously to consider, in case the concessions to which the Government may agree should not go so far as he may himself wish, whether the postponement of the settlement for another year would not be likely to result in worse rather than in better terms for the Church. The Queen trusts, therefore, that the Archbishop will himself consider, and, as far as he can, endeavor to induce others to consider, any concessions that may be offered by the House of Commons, in the most conciliatory spirit . . . ." In the end the Bill passed. Irish disestablishment meant, not that the tithes were to be turned over to the Roman Catholic Church, but that thev were to be collected, and spent in endowing secular institutions for the benefit of the people. The rectors of parishes retained church buildings. In other respects the Church in Ireland was placed on a voluntary system, the same as Protestant Dissenters or Roman Catholics. Of necessity there will always be great differences of opinion on such a question as this. Mr. Gladstone undoubtedly believed that he was doing a good work in disestablishing the Church in Ireland. Twenty-four years later a great meeting was held in St. James' Hall, London, to protest against the Welsh Sus- pensory Bill and in defence of the English National Church. At that meeting the Archbishop of Dublin was asked what had been the effect of the disestab- lishment of the Church in Ireland. His reply in effect was, that the result of the disestablishment had been most disastrous to the morals of the people. In- stead of satisfying the malcontents, disestablishment had had the opposite effect. The malcontents had seen the Church legally plundered of its endowments. That had familiarised them with the idea that other institutions might be plun- dered. The Church had been plundered. Why not the landlords ? Hence their contempt for all law was increased. The result they had witnessed in the continued and continuous attacks on the rights of property, on the rights of all who did not or would not acfree with the malcontents. In 1873 Mr. Gladstone introduced the Irish University Bill. It was opposed by the Irish Roman Catholic members, who, voting with the Conservatives, 348 VICTORIA, 1 I ' ■4S ■1 m 'Wjl V '' p 1. caused its rejection. Mr. Disraeli was sent for; he declined to take otHco with the House as then constituted. Mr. (Iladstone, though with rehictanco, under- took to resume office. Six months later, in January, 1874, he suddenly dissolved Parliament. At the general election which ensued, the votas were, for th', first time, taken by secret ballot. The result was a great surprise. The Liberal party was shattered as by a thunderbolt. In 1868 the LiVjerals had been elected by a majority of about 114. In 1874 the Conservatives were elected l^y a majority of about 50- The returns .showed 351 Conservatives and 302 Liberals, inclusive of Home Rulers, elected. Mr. Gladstone bowed to the inevitable. He at once gave place to Mr. Disraeli. From 1874, when the Liberal Ministry went out of office, Mr. Gladstone as- sumed a more agre.ssive position as the champion of Ireland. In the autumn of 1877 he paid a visit to Ireland, and was presented with the freedom of the city of Dublin. Daniel O'Connell, the great Liberator, was dead ; his memory was perpet- uated in a fine monument at Dublin. The spirit of O'Connell was still alive in the hearts of his countrymen. Unhappily those who came after him adopted measures to attain their end which O'Connell would have .scorned to u.se. Mr. Gladstone was moveil to take an active interest in Irish affairs, not alone by personal inspection, but by reports of men whose o])inions carried great weight. Among those was Mr. John Stuart Blackie. Mr. Blackic visited Ire- land in 1874. He made excursions into various parts of the country. " Every- where in this country," he wrote ; " the memorials meet us of blood and bung- ling, of stupidity and swindling. One needs only to travel here to forgive the Irish all their ibllies." In 1883 Mr. Blackie again visited Ireland. Here he gave himself to the study of the new land laws. At Dromore Castle he had an opportunity of attending a meeting of the Land (Joinmissioner.s' Court. All he saw confirmed his earlier impressions. " But," he wrote, " I found the ' oppressors ' very kindly hosts." Mr. John A. O'Shea, in his " Roundabout Recollections" relates a story of a Dublin barber who had satisfied himself that the Bard of Avon was sound on the Irish question. " He .shook hands with me again," writes Mr. O'Shea, "and stumped me by asking if I knew Shakespeare's work.s. I cannot say I know them as Porson knew Greek, and I had to admit I was unable to tell the names SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 349 of all the pieces fiotn which ho hud been distiibutin;^ extracts, and that I was if^norant of the lines in which the bard has made his pronouncement in Eliza- beth's reign on the Irish question in the reign of Victoria. ' In " Pericles, Prince of Tyre,' cried the character triuinpliantly, 'Act two, scone one ; Pentapolis, an open place by the sea-side. I speak by the book.' And then, assuming a conti- dential visnge, ho murmured in low, earnest accents as follows : ' Dost marvel how fishes live in the sea ? Why, »is men do a-land ; the great ones eat up the little ones. I can compare our rich misers to nothing so fitly as a whale ; a' plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before tliem, and at last devours them all at a mouthful. Such whales have I hear.l on a' the land, who never leave gaping till they've swallowed the whole parish, church, steeple, bells and all.' " Mr. Gladstone took an active part in the agitation respecting the massacres in Bulgaria. Ho strcr.uously opjjosed, both in and out of Parliament, the policy of the Conservative Government, which resulted in the Treaty of Berlin and the signing of the Anglo-Turkish Convention. The famous Midlothian campaigns of 1879-80 have passed into history. Early in 1871) Mr. Gladstone was invited to become the Liberal candidate for Midlo- thian. The crowning incident of the electoral campaign in the ensuing I'urlia- mentsvy recess was his visit to Scotland in connection with his purpose of con- testing that county at the general election. He set out from Liverpool for Edin- burgh on Nov. 2*. From that date, with the exception of two days rest at Tay- mouth Castle, his life, till his return to Hawarden on Deo. 9, was a long succes- sion of enthusiastic receptions and unwearied speech-making in condenmation of the policy of the Conservative Government. In 1880, he repeated the tour, with almost equal success. In the election that immediately followed, Mr. Gladstone came back to power, having triumphantly overthrown the policy of Lord Beaconsfield. A curious fact may here be noted. Six years seems to be the limit the British electorate think a Ministry should be in power. In six years, at the most, the usefulness of a Ministry seems to be past. Perhaps the people think that after six years of the hard, straining work required of a British Prime Minister, the Min- ister is entitled to a rest. After being six years in office Mr. Disraeli was retired. In 1880 Mr. Gladstone succeeded to a heritage not at all to his mind. There was impending war in South Africa. There was trouble looming on the Egyp- i-ft n- •rj 3 DO VICTORIA, tian horizon. Soon the horizon darkened both at home and abroad. The Brit- ish Government was drawn into wars in South Africa and North Africa. The disaffection in Ireland waged fast and furious. Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr, Burke were foully assassinated in Phoeni.K Park, Dublin, All these things combined to m-.'.ke the Government unpopular in the country. Finally Mr. Gladstone had to face a storm of public disapproval on account of the fjiilure of the relief expedition to reach Khartoum in time to save the heroic Gordcjn In 1885 he raised a further storm of opposition and disapproval by the THK PH(EIsIX I'ARK, IJUIJI.IN. introduction of a bill for giving Home Rule to Ireland, The House of Commons refused to Pv-pport him. He resigned. Lord Salisbury and a Tor^ Ministry reigned in his stead. This, the first Ministry cf Lord Salisbury, lasted only eight months — from June, 1835, to January, 188(3. Mr, Gladstone again came back to power in February, 188C, He resigned in the following Ju'y. ^^ consequence of a majority of thirty votes being cast ajjainst his Iiish Home Rule Bill. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 351 For many years Mr. Grladstone's influence over his followers was remarkable. His party followed him blindly until 1886. His persistency in introducing his Irish Home Rule Bill in 1880 effectually split up the Liberal party. Mr. Glad- stone wat »varned that such would be the result ; b'x 1. e could not be induced to withdraw. He had set himself the task of securing Home Rule for Ireland. No considerations of political expediency shou'd induce him to stay his hand. The result no doubt surprised him. Many (thousands of hitherto Gladstonian Liberals ranged themselves under the Liberal-Unionist banner, giving their support to the party whose watchword was " A United Empire." Lord Salisbury's second Ministry came into office in July, 1880, and lasted till August, 1892 — the talismanic period of six years ! Mr. Gladstone's fourth Ministry was formed in August, 1892. In 1894 Mr, Gladstone formally retired from public life. Although eighty-five years old on his final retirement, Mr. Gladstone continued to take a lively inte'est in affairs. His energy and enthusiasm had passed into a proverb. Lord Randolph Churchill once laughingly said that Mr. Gladstone would perhaps be found to be in his prime somewhere about the middle of the n«xt century ! Mr. Gladstone, like his great rival, Mr. Disraeli, before him, has been subjected to the extremes of praise and blame. Mr. Henry Labouchere, the wealthy Rad- ical M.P., first applied the term"GraTid Old Man" to Mr. Gladstone in 1881. The phrase became popular with Mr. Gladstone's admirers : it was at once gener- ally adopted. An old friend of Mr. Gladstone's, speakiu- of the great change in that gentle- man's politics from high Toryism in 1834 to advanced Radicalism at the present day, has said : "I 1 tiiMy .see that he has changed more than a man would do who swims with the tide. The cliange occasioned in England by the railways between 1830 and 1845 was wonderful. Then you must not forget the accession of the Queen, which put a stop to disloyalty almost entirely. Before she came to the throne numbers of men belonging to the Whig families were quite ready to become Republicans. It was this growing republicanism which gave so much uneasiness to young men lika Gladstone, who dissociated th idea ot monarchy from tho personality of kings. As soon as Queen Victoria ascended the throne the change in public opinion was almost incredible. And the restoration of the people's 352 VICTORIA, affections towards their Sovereign gave reformers much firmer standing-ground than they possessed before. They took up a position which proved that what they aimed at was reform, not revolution." On the other hand, this is the indictment drawn up against llr. Gladstone by Mademoiselle Marie Dronsart, a recent French critic of the late Premier's career : " Mr. Gladstone has touched everything, and disturbed all he touched. As his friend Wilberforce predicted, he has labored to destroy everything that once was dear to him. He has imperilled the Ciiurch, whose most dutiful .servant he still claims to be. He has imperilled the tiirone, ' the most illustrious on earth,' as he wrote to the poor young Duke of Clarence. He has imperilled the unity of the empire, which he says is part of his being, of his flesh and of his blood. He has imperilled the House of Lords, which, according to Mr. Russell, he respects. He has stimulated the war of cla.s.se3 as it has never before been stimulated in Eng- land. He has attacked the principles on which property is based, and sown dis- sension from a full hand, while he has preached peace and good-will." In everything he did, however, Mr. Gladstone's friends felt he was sincere ; that he acted from conviction. The late Dean of St. Paul's administered a stern rebuke to ^4. " The man of the future," were the words used by Mr. Gla,'li and other Royal Diikcs — Tiie Royal Granilohiklrcn. FEW (lays after the blazing beacon on the hill above Balmoral had Hushed the good news of the fall of Sebastopol, a Prince; arrived at the Castle, " on wooinj^' bent." It was the young Princo of Prussia, Frederick William, eldest nephew of the childless King of Prussia. In a manly way he laid his proposals before the Queen and the Prince Consort. Though not unwilling to receive him as a prospective son-in-law, they were of opinion that the Princess Royal was too young yet to ' ■ '^'^ .-^ , »' ■ ■tii. QUEKX VICTORIA. (361) 'V^ ..' ,' ?£■■• \ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /, O Va !.0 1 1 WIM 1112.5 ilM IIIII2.2 .'■ i: 2.0 I.G 1.25 1.4 — 1=^ 1.6 ■^ 6" ► v^ .- ^^> (Pi /^ c^ m m 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation S S v ^ % K^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y 14580 (716) 872-4503 ■-■^v'-'- j,.-'j^Tt.:Kr''i-':r-t]^.:.rr,-";jr''^rrfr A. L

^>~ ■':m¥^!^'':Wi H.R.H. THE PRINCESS OF WALES. mind, it has been voted " low." Few men have done so much to make efforts to comfort and uplift the suffering and the poor, the recognized duties of the leisured and of the wealthy. His example has taught noblemen to be noble. In all philan- X 370 VICTORIA, '' 1i iii p u rfi ■?: ;i,' VI, thropic and charitable eflforts ho has led the way. By his patronage and by his skilful personal direction of national and international exhibitions he has con- tributed materially to the development of the industrial arts, and to the conse- quent expansion of trade. His has been a life of benevolence and usefulness, the benefits of which can not easily be set down in a Blue Book, or any other colored book. As a friend he is loyalty itself. His one great fault, and it is a rare fault, has been that he has refused to see in his friends anything but the good side. He has adhered to them even when they have proved themselves unworthy of con- sideration. To see him at home amid a merry group of children, to watch his hearty enjoyment of their society and their boisterous delight in his, is sufficient to banish from one's mind and memory the calumnies which depict him as a selfish voluptuary. His high personal character, tact and good-feeling have given him such as- cendancy in the minds of Englishmen, that, as a distinguished American has said, if England were made a Republic to-morrow, the Prince of Wales would be el- ected President. Another American, Mr. Sraalley, in his " London Letters," says : " If the art of saying the right thing to the i"ight person at the right moment be good conversation — and it might be hard to define it better — the Prince of Wales must be put high upon the list. He would be surprised to find himself there, for .nobody makes less pretence to inspiration, or learning, or many other things which sometimes enhance the attractiveness of good talk yet are not of its essence. He has knowledge of a very useful kind, for he knows more than any one else of the matters in which society is most interested, and he has that sixth sense which tells a man what to avoid, and his full share, also, of that kindly common sense and shrewd perception which must be the basis of the best social intercourse." Throughout their thirty-four years of married life the Prince and Princess have maintained the most intimate and affectionate relations with each other — relations which the Princess is too high-spirited to have endured were the slanders whis- perel against the Prince in the least degree true. For many years the health of their eldest son, Prince Albert Victor, was a source of anxiety to his parents. A long cruise with his brother George in the Bacchante seemed to have given strength and tone to his constitution. It SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 371 did not, however remove that diffidence which characterized him everywhere except in the society of his mother. His death was a great blow to the Prince and Princess. On the 5th of December, 1891, his engagement to the Princess Victoria Mary of Teck had been announced. On tlie 10th of January, 1892, he was attacked with influenza and pneumonia, antl four days later he died. The Prill :e and Princess of Wales, in a telegram, expressed their deep gratitude for the universal sympathy extended to them in their hour of sorrow, and the Queen caused the following letter to be published : " OsbORNE, January 2Gth, 18'j2. " I must once again give expression to my deep sense of the loyalty and atiec- tionate sympathy evinced by my subjects in every part of my empire on an occa- sion more sad and tragical than any but one which has befallen me and mine as well as the nation. The overwhelming misfortune of my dearly loved grandson having been thus suddenly cut off in the flower of his age, full of promise for the future, amiable and gentle, and endearing himself to all, renders it hard for his sorely stricken parents, his dear young bride, and his fond grandmother to bow in submission to the inscrutable decrees of Providence. " The sympathy of millions, which has been so touchiD<^ly and visibly expressed is deeply gratifying at such a time, and I wish, both in my own name, and that of ray children, to express from my heart my words of gratitude to all. " These testimonies of sympathy with us, and appreciation of my dear grand- son, whom I loved as a son, and whose devotion to me was as great as that of a son, will be a help and consolation to me and mine in our affliction. " My bereavements during the last thirty years of ray reign have indeed been heavy. Though the labors, anxieties, and responsibilities inseparable fi-om my position have been great, yet it is my earnest prayer that God may continue to give me health and strength to work for the good and happiness of my dear country and Empire while life lasts. " Victoria R. and I." On the death of his elder brother. Prince George, Duke of York, became heir- presumptive to the British Crown. He bears a remarkable likeness to his cousin, the present Emperor of Russia. The two brothers had been united in the closest ties of fraternal love. From childhood to early manhood they had been inseparable companions. Each ful- w- Hi i il, ' ^■i(i> 372 VICTORIA, filled defect in each. The elder regarded with unenvying admiration the robust vigor "nd vivacity of the younger. That younger found in the staider and steadier character of his elder brother the balance to hia own impulsive dispo- sition. Since the change in his fortunes, the young Duke of York has been compelled to leave the navy and take up the duties of his new position. His marriage, on the 6th of July, 1893, to the Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, with the birth in the following year of a son, has removed all risk of failure in the direct line of succession to the Crown. The Princess Louise of Wales, eldest daughter of the Prince of Wales, was married on the 27th of July, 1889, to the Duke of Fife. Carefully trained by her mother, she is distinguished by *he naturalness of her d-jmeanor and by a total absence of afiectation. The Duke of Fife, a great grandson of William IV., is one of the most popu- lar men in the three kingdr^nis. From childhood he has been a neighbor of the Royal Princes and Princesses, Mar Lodge, his father's and his own favorite country house, being close to Balmoral. In ability above the average of young nobles, he enjoys the singular distinction of possessing no accomplishments. He has never sought to rival the poet, the painter, the musician, the pugilist, or the jockey. Now that he has retired from politics, he devotes his energies to the management of his large estates. Their union has been crowned by the birth of two children, Alexandra, born 17th May, 1891, and Maud Alexandra, born 3rd April, 1893. The Princess Maud of Wales was married in 189G to Prince Charles of Denmark. Ij;:: ' In July, 1873, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, became engaged to the Grand-Duchess Marie, only daughter of the Czar, Alf xander II. On Jan. 23rd, 1874, they were married according to the rites of the Russian and Anglican Churches. The marriage was, on both sides, a marriage of affection. The Duchess of Edinburgh has constantly used in the interests of European peace the great influence which her relationship gives her. Their eldest daughter, the Princess Marie of Edinburgh, was married in 1893 to Prince Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Roumania, that Belgium of eastern Europe. The Duke of Edinburgh, in whose favor the Prince of Waleh resigned his SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. ^73 rights, April 19th, 1H63, is now reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in succes- sion to Ernst, brother of the late Prince Consort. As a foreign Sovereign, the Duke has ceased to be a Privy Councillor. His position as a peer of the realm is somewhat undecided. On becoming Duke of Saxe-Cobourg his Royal High- ness voluntarily resigned his claim to the £15,000 per annum which had been granted him in 1866 by the British Parliament. Prince Alfred was trained from early years for the navy. In 1861 he re- H.R.H., ALFRED, DUKE OF EDINBURGH. turned from a cruise to the Went Indies. In October of the same year he visited Halifax. He wrs on his way to join the combined expedition from the Govern- ments of Spain, France.and Great Britain. The Commissioners from these powers were accompanied by a body of Spanish troops, a smaller force of French troops, and some British sailors. The ostensible object of the expedition was to demand from President Juarez guarantees for the safety of the subjects of the Powers, and insist on payment of money borrowed by Mexico. Juarez readily acknow- pIMiA* p- i'srs 374 VICrORIA, ledged the demands of the Commissioners. The Spanish and British forces were at once withdrawn. The French remained to carry out the policy which ended so disastrously for the unfortunate Archduke Maximilian. His Royal Highness Prince Alfred was accorded a grand reception in London in July, 1868, to celebrate his safe return from his voyage to the Australian Colonies. The Crystal Palace Company arranged a grand festival on the 4th inst. The entertainments consisted of a grand opera concert, the exhibition of ll^; i I '.# H.K.H. THK J)UCHE,SS OF EJ)Ii\I5UR(;H. the great fountains, and a magniticent display of fireworks. At the display of fire- works in the evening the Prince and Princess of Wales were also present. The pyrotechnic display began with the ceremony of saluting their Royal Highnesses with colored sitrnal lights. Next came the exhibition of an illuminated model of H.M.S. Galatea, the frigate commanded by the Duke of Edinburgh on hi.s late voyage. The length of the model was 80 feet, and the height of her top-mast SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 375 upwards of 40 feet. She carried full sail. As she stood in the " stocks," with her portholes open and the British ensign flying at the foretop, the red and blue fire issuing from various parts of tlie ship, and the deep green of the waves on which she appeared to ride, a splendid effect was produced. Rockets were flying and bursting in all directions, so that the sound was somewhat like that of a battle or cannonade at sea. Conspicuous above all^ncxt to the model of the Galatea — were two set pieces, the one inclosing an anchor" vyith the words " Welcome, Alfred!" the other representing the Prince" of Wales feathers, with MARRIAGE OF THE PRTiNX'ESS HELENE. the single word "Welcome!" Over thirty thousand spectators viewed the grand display. The Princess Helene, the Queen's fifth child, married in July, 1880, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. With her husband and five children, she resides near Windsor. Hers has been a calm life, unostentatiously'given to good works. '"ill lli i W ^' Hnmii9nHBmBHMiiii«m«i Itii 376 VICTORIA, The Princess Louise, her ]\Iajesty's sixth child, born March 18, 1848, was mar- ried on the 21st March, 1871, to the Marquis of Lome. On his appointment, in 1878 as Governor-General of Canada, she accompanied him to this country. The departure from England of the ucwly-appointed Governor-Genera! and the Marchioness, her Royal Highness Princess Louise, was the occasion of a public farewell ceremonial at Liverpool en Thursday, November 14th. The illustrious couple were accompanied in their special train to Liverpool by the Duke of Con- naught and Prince Leopold. At Liverpool the party were met by the Mayor of Liverpool and a large company of distinguished citizens. An address of wel- come on behalf of the Corporation of Liverpool was read. The Marquis replied to the Address in the customary terms. Having thanked the Mayor personally on behalf of himself and the Princess, the Marquis went on to say : " I assure you that we shall not forget the attention we have received, or the great demon- stration made by the people of Liverpool of ihe interest they feel in the good of Canada, and the love borne by the old country for her children aci'oss the Atlan- tic. You who dwell at this great port, and see so many leave their native land for distant climes, will understand me when I say that we do not lightly leave you. The heart is often sad at leaving home when the ship is about to start and the anchor is weighed, however hearty the farewell greetings of the friends on shore. It is, however, the duty of those who go to look forward and not back ; and it is pleasant to think that across the water we shall find ourselves among our own countrymen, having the same institutions as those we know here, and that under the same flag we shall find the same laws and the same determination t,o uphold and abide them ; the same love of liberty as here, and the same abil- ity to guard it in honor and order ; the same loyalty to the throne for the same cause — because it is the creation of freemen, the bond of strength, and the sym- bol of unity and dignity of the people. Where in the British North American provinces we do not find men of our own stock, we are fortunate in finding those who descend from the noble French race — that race whose gallantry we have for ages learned to respect and admire, the friendship of whose .sons, and their co-operation in the public life of Canada, which is adorned bj' their presence, is justly held to be e,s3ential to the welfare of our country ; for nowhere is loyalty more true and firmly rooted than among the French-Canadians — enjoying as we all do the freedom of equal laws and justice of constitutional rule. In conclusion, I nmst say that nothing has struck me more than the enthusiastic feeling mani- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 377 fested towards Canada among all classes of the community here. In England and Scotland wherever I have of late had an opportunity of hearing any expres- sion of the public mind, crowds at any public gathering have always given cheers for Canada. This great gathering of to-day is a remarkable symptom of the same favorable augury ; for a good augury I hold it to be that wherever there is an opportunity men in the old country are ready to call, ' Hurrah for Canada ! ' On the other side of the ocean they are as ready to call, ' Hurrah for the Old THE PRINCESS LOUISE. THE MARQUIS OP LORNE. Country !' and these cries are no mere words of the lips, but come from the heart of great peoples. So long as the feelings which prompt these sayings en- dure, we may look forward with confidence to the future, and know that those bonds of affection which have been knitted by God through the means of kin- ship and justice will not be sundered by disaster, or weakened by time." The Parliamentary Address on the departure from Canada of the Governor- General and the Princess gave expression to the feelings of the whole Dominion : i\4 II i; 1; I:' 1 i- . *\ 'i ill i i ! 1 li 378 VICTORIA, " The presence of your illustrious consort in Canada seems to have drawn us closer to our beloved Sovereign ; and in saying farewell to your Excellency and her Royal Highness, whose kindly and gracious sympathies manifested upon so many occasions have endeared her to all hearts, we humbly beg that you will personally convey to her Majesty the declaration of our loyal attachment, and of our determination to maintain firm and abiding our connection with the great Empire over which she rules." Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, her Majesty's seventh child, was born May 1, 1850. In 1869 he visited Canada. Halifax was reached in August. Here the Prince reviewed the troops in garrison, afterwards attending a picnic in the grounds of the house formerly occupied by his grandfather, the Duke of Kent. He arrived at Quebec on the loth of September, in the steamer Napoleon H., accompaniec' by Colonel Elphinstone, Lieutenant Picard, and Mr. Gregory. As he stepped ashore, the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Narcisse Belleau, with Major Taschereau, aide-de-camp in waiting bade him welcome to Lower Canada, speak- ing in the French language. The military commander of Quebec, General Stisted, and the members of the Privy Council, were then presented to his Royal Highness. The Mayor of the city, Mr. Leraesurier, read an address of congratulation from the Town Council. From Quebec, the Prince and his party went to Upper Canada. Here hunt- ing and shootinof were indulfred in. The native Indian settlement was visited. The chiefs of the Six Nations appeared in all the glory of their war-paint. The Prince was made a chief of the tribe with due ceremonies. In 1874 Prince Arthur was created Duke of Connaught, being the first Royal Prince whose leading title is Irish. On the 13th of March, 1879, he married the Princess Louise Margaret, daugh- ter of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia, the " Red Prince " of the Franco- Prussian War. The Luke of Connaught is a distinguished soldier. In 1882 he went to Egypt in command of the First Brigade of Guards. At the battle of Tel-el-Kebir he behaved admirably, leading his Brigade to the attack. The correspondent of the ^aily Telegraph writes : " The Brigade of Grenadier Guards, under the command of the Duke of Connaught, were stationed in the second line of the British army during the attack on Tel-el-Kebir, as supports to General Willis's infantry bri- gade. Though not nominally in the post of danger, as the assault was, of course. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 379 begun by the first rank, the Guards suffered far more in proportion from the enemy's fire, owing to the Egyptians, who had some vague inkling of an ap- proaching attack, having sighted their guns for 2,000 yards, never dreaming that the British troops could advance closer to their lines unperceived. The first line^ however, had advanced to within 1,200 yards before they were discovered, and consequently the shots flew over their heads and into the ranks of their supports behind." " As they " (the Guards) " lay 1.000 yards behind, itching to be in with their bayonets, shell and shot fell rapidly into their ranks, and it was a THE DUCHESS OF CONNAU(iHT. THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT. cruel time, for no blows could be struck in return. Several times when the storming line seemed wavering, the Guards were on the point of rushing into the melee, and the gallant young Duke of Connaught, who sat imperturbed upon his horse amidst the rain of bullets, must surely have been much exercised co re- strain the sturdy brigade from joining in the hand-to-hand fray. En revanche, let a word of sincere tribute be paid to the Royal Prince, whose example has been excellent, and his bearing what it was sure to be, from first to last, in this campaign." Hi II 380 VICTORIA, 1 li On Wednesday, Sept. 13th, the Queen wrote in her Diary : "Had a telegram that the army marched out last night. What an anxious moment ! We walked afterwards as far as the arch for Leopold's reception, which was a very pretty one, and placed as nearly where it had been on previous occasions, only rather nearer Middleton's lodge, and thence back to the cottage, where I sat and wrote and signed, etc. " Another telegram, also from Reuter, saying that fighting was going on, and that the enemy had been routed with heavy loss at Tel-el-Kehir. Much agitated. "On coming in got a telegram from Sir John McNeill, saying, 'A great victory; Duke safe and well.' Sent all to Louischen.* The excitement very great. Felt unbounded joy and gratitude for God's great goodness and mercy. " The same news came from Lord Granville and Mr. Childers, though not yet from Sir Garnet Wolseley. A little later, just before two, came the following most welcome and gratifying telegram from Sir Garnet Wolseley : " ' Isvmilia, Se-ptemher 13, 1883. " ' Tel-el-Kehir — From Wolseley to the Queen, Balmoral. " ' Attacked Arabi's position at five this morning. His strongly intrenched position was most bravely and gallantly stormed by the Guards and line, while cavalry and horse artillery worked round their left flank. At seven o'clock I WHO in complete possession of his whole camp. Many railway trucks, with quantities of supplies, fallen into our hands. Enemy completely routed, and his loss has been very heavy ; also regret to say we have suffered severely. Duke of Connaught is well, and behaved admirably, leading his brigade to the attack.' "Brown brought the telegram, and followed me to Beatrice's room, where Louis- chen was, and I showed it to her. I was myself quite upset, and embraced her warmly, saying what joy and pride and cause of thankfulness it was to know our darling safe, and so much praised ! I feel quite beside myself for joy and gratitude, though grieved to think of our losses, which, however, have not proved to be so terious as at first reported. We were both much overcome." For his services the Duke received the thanks of Parliament, and was deco- rated by her Majesty with the medal for Egypt, From 1886 to 1890 the Duke was Commander-in-Chief in Bombay. On his way home he passed through Canada, receiving everywhere a loyal and enthusi- astic welcome. • The Duchess of Connaught. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 381 Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, the Queen's eighth child, and youngest son, was born on the 7th of April, 1853. More than any of his brothers he resem- bled his father, both in person and in mind. From his childhood he had been delicate. When the Prince Consort died the young Prince was at Cannes, whither he had been sent for the benefit of his health. While a student at Oxford his constitution was greatly weakened b)' an attack of typhoid fever followed by hemorrhage of the lungs. In 1874, on his coming THE DUCHESS OF ALBANY. THE DUKE OF ALBANY. of age, he was voted XU.OOO a year by Parliament. In 1881 he was created Duke of Albany. In 1880 he visited Canada, but owing to the condition of his health he was unable to show himself in public. On the 27th April, 1882, he married Princess Helene, daughter of the Prince of Waldeck Pyrmont. Parlia- ment voted £10,000 additional income. Of their welcome to Balmoral the Queen writes : "The pipes preceded, playing the 'Highland Laddie,' Brown and all our 382 VICTORIA, II ! ; f ; 1 'i , lit other kilted men walking alongside, and before and behind the carriage, every- body else close following ; and a goodly number they were. We got out at the door and went just beyond the aich, all our people standing in a line, headed by our Highlanders. . . . Dr. Profeit gave Leopold and Helen's health, and after these had been drunk. Brown stepped forward and said nearly as follows : ' Ladies and Gentlemen, — Let us join in a good Highland cheer for the Duke and Duchess of Albany ; may they live long and die happy ! ' which pleased every one, and there were hearty cheers." The good wishes were not destined to be realized. Two years later the Duke died suddenly at Cannes of a hemorrhage, brought on by over-exertion. The Duke of Albany was a prince of remarkable qualities. He inherited the literary tastes of his father, and might have filled a still more illustrious place. He had latterly manifested oratorical powers of no mean order. Several of his public speeches are possessed of great merit. The following extract from a sermon preached by his former governor, the Rev. Canon Duckworth, helps us to realize how great c loss the Queen and the Empire sustained in the death of the Duke of Albany, His latest thoughts were occupied with the con- dition of the poor in our great cities, and it was his heart's desire to help forward some hopeful scheme for mitigating "the discomfort and unhealthiness of their homes : i 1 " It was true of the Prince that he recognised profoundly the uncertainty of this life and the constant nearness of the life beyond. Wide as was the circle of his interests, and great as were his powers of enjoying whatever God gave him taste and strength to enjoy, he knew how frail was his tenure of all that this world had to offer, and he did not shrink from expression of this conviction to intimate friends. Even the overflowing happiness which his marriage brought him did not abate it. It was but the other day, in the midst of busy and successful work in a northern city, that he wrote thus to one of whom he knew that his removal would be the greatest of sorrows : ' Shoulc" anything happen to me, do not mourn for the dead, but live for the living ! ' Noble words, in the strength of which many a heart bereaved by his departure ma}'^ well rise up and betake itself with renewed faith and hope to duty! " - In response to the universal sympathy, the Queen wrote an offecting letter to her people. The Duchess of Albany is one of the most popular and unassuming of the SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 383 PRINCE HENRY OF BATTENHERG. f ■■¥ 1 384 VICTORIA, members of the British Royal family. She has devoted herself to the bringing up of her two children. The Duchess is the sister of the <^ueen Regent of Hol- land, a widow like herself. ill* II P t The Princess Beatrice, her Majesty's ninth and youngest child, has willingly devoted her life and her talents to the task of alleviating the burdens and cheer- ing the loneliness of the widowed Queen. In July, 1885, she married, but under conditions which allowed her still to continue her loving ministrations. Her husband, Prince Henry of Battenberg, was the third son of Prince Alexander of Hesse, uncle of the husband of Princess Alice. Prince Louis of Battenbevg, elder brother of Prince Henry, is an of- ficer i.i the Royal Navy. Another brother, Prince Alexander, was for a time Prince of Bulgaria. PRINCESS BEATRICE. Prince Henry had been attached to the " Gards du Corps " regiment of the Prussian Household Cav- alry, and was married in its ex- ceedingly becom- ing uniform. The Prince and Princess of Wales, the father and mother of Prince Henry, and his brothers were all present at the wedding, which took place at Whittingham Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury officiating. In 1895 Prince Henry joined the expedition against the Ashantis. Unhappily he was seized with jungle fevei", and though sent on board ship succumbed to the deadly infection. The Queen 'wrote : "Osborne, February l-tth, 1896, " I have alas ! once more to thank my loyal subjects for their warm .sympathy in 2, fresh grievous affliction which has befallen me and my beloved daughter, Princess Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg. " This new sorrow is overwhelming, and to me Is a double one, for I lose a IBHHMH SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 88S dearly-beloved and helpful son, whose presence was like a bright sunbeam in my home, and my dear daughter loses a noble, a devoted husband, to whom she was united by the closest affection. "To witness the blighted happiness of the daughter who has never left me, and has comforted and helped me, is hard to bear. But the feeling of universal sympathy so touchingly shown by all classes of ray subjects has deeply moved my child and myself, and las hslped and soothed us greatly. I wish from my heart to thank my people for this, .as well as for the appreciation manifested for the dear and gallant Prince, who laid down his life in the service of his adopted country. " My beloved child is an example to all in her courage, resignation, and sub- mission to the will of God. "Victoria, R. and I." A few lines may be added about the Royal grandchildren. Her Majesty has had nine children, of whom, in 1897, seven are living. Her first grandchild was William, the present Emperor of Germany, son of the Crown Prince of Prussia and Princess Royal of England. Her first great-grandchild was Feodore, daughter of Charlotte, daughter of the Princess Royal and of Prince Bernard of Saxe-Meiningen. The Pi-incess Royal, now the Dowager Empress Frederick, has six living children. The Prince of Wales has four living children. The Princess Alice had seven children. The Duke of Edinburgh has five children. The Princess Christian has five children. The Princess Louise is childless. The Duke of Connaught has three children. The Duke of Albany left two children. The Princess Beatrice has four children. How great her Majesty's influence in the Councils of Europe must be may readily be inferred from the following facts : The Emperor of Germany is her grandson. The Empress of Russia is her granddaughter. The Crown Princesses of Greece and of Roumania are her granddaughters. Y 380 i!^ VICTORIA, The Grand Duko of Hesse-Darmstadt is her grandson. The Duko of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is her son. Tlie Princess of Saxe-Moiningon is her granddaughter. It augurs well for the future of these Imperial, Royal, Grand-Ducal and Ducal houses that the training in them of the risiiig generation is in the hands of Princesses who have had set before them the high ideals of life and conduct exhib- ited by her gracious Majesty and her noble husband, " Albkuttiie Good." Mil KIN(i'S LOIHIK, HALIFAX. Formerly oceuiiied by the Duke of Kent, the Queen's father. CHAPTER XIV. The Jubilee of 1887. The Jubilee Celebration— Unpnialloled KntliuHiasni— The Procession in London— Colonial AcUlregMB — CelobrationH througliu\it tlie Knipire. HE affectionate regard of the British people for their Sovereign has ff o been one of the phenomena of this wonderful nineteenth century. The enthusiasm with which she was greeted on her accession in the opening dawn of her youth and beauty was not ditticult to under- stand. But tliat the love and reverence which she then enjoyed should have survived so many years of something like retirement from the active headship of society is remarkable. Almost any other Capital would have resented what h'ls been, in appearance at least, a slight. Nor has the prolonged absence iku^ WRVVVM|lBi«^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^w^jja;^^^,^geM^ '-" -V"l''-'' 7~ ■*'^''^' ^'•aK .'f:^^j--,t-"''~.'^'-.. ■ ^rf^..^ — j-i^ — 1 _L — ' "• , — . '. : ;- : . — — ^^ TOWER OF LONDOX. (387) R \ ' :Jm: ! 1 1* '1; .' 1 !ll«i 11 iM iiiiia TTTll' Hlfe! 388 VICTORIA, of her Majesty from London been without some practical inconveniences ; the most serious, perhayis, being the loss of the power which she might have wielded with great advantage over the discipline of society. If her Majesty could have maintained the position which she held during the lifetime of the Prince Consort, by simply banisliing from her presence all whose conduct was offensive to sound morals, she might have done much to prevent a certain laxity of tone. Nevertheless, the very circumstances which might have been expected to call forth murmurs have tended rather to deepen the good will of her peo[)le. Never was there a more romantic exhibition of conjugal devotion than she has held up to the world. Whatever may be in store for our race hereafter, it is beyond question that nothing is so dear to the British heart as the associations conjured up by the word " Home." Her Majesty has always been regarded as a pattern of domestic charities. There is something which appeals to the imagination of lier jieople in the idea of the mightiest and most magnificent Potentate on earth voluntarily relinquishing the splendors of her Court for the sake of such pleasures and pursuits as are depicted in the Journals of her Highland life. It was, therefore, with a burst of enthusiasm, unparalleled in the history of the world, that her people received the announcement of her Majesty's intention to celebrate with fitting grandeur and with due publicity the completion of the fiftieth year of her glorious reign. PerhV.,ps the most useful, enduring and inspiring memorial of her ! .-.ng reign was that which was first taken in hand — the Imperial Institute, of which we have alisady spoken. The celebration of the Queen's Jubilee began in India. There on the IGth of February it was observed with magnificence. Imperial honors were distributed. Arrears of taxes were remitted. Twenty-five thousand prisoners were released. Libraries, colleges, schools, waterworks, hospitals, were opened in honor of her Majesty. In the month of March congratulatory addresses began tnglaud is o'er all the world. Fly, baiuier of Royal England, stream unfurled ! The proudest empire that has l)een, lo-day Rejoices, and makes solemn jubilee. For England ! Enj^land ! we our voices raise ! Our England I England ! England ! in our Queen we praise ! We love not war, but only peace, Yet never shall our England's [^ower decrease ! Whoever guides our helm of State, Let all men know it, England shall be great ! We hold a vaster Empii'e than has been ! Nigh half the race of man is subject to our Queen ! Nigh half the wide, wide earth is ours in fee ! Ard where her rule comes, all are free ! And therefore ''is, oh Queen, that we. Knit fast in bonds of temperate liberty. Rejoice to-day, and make our solemn jubilee ! ! SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 405 From East to West, through all the mighty Empire, ran the thrill of joy and thanksgiving for her who has proved herself not the head merely, but the soul, of the nations, peacefully working out their destiny beneath the shadow of the Royal Standard of Victoria, Empress and Queen. The grand function of June, 1887, was the latest and most imposing of a THK FOUR GENERATIONS. series of pngeants almost, if not (juite, peculiar to England and English History. Reignii g qudens are not common. Our first reigning queen was the mother of Henry II,, the widow successively of the Emperor Henry V., and of Geoffrey, Count of Anjou. The London citizens were soon disgusted with her tyranny. Wli ii {•:|' 1 ^hI' ■■'■ : ^jHIl M 1' '■ ■ i ^ I! 'ma\ i ! ■ qjfgf 1 I ''HI ' i W' <;JIHH ' r ilji 1 ^^^^Mm ' Ml ] 406 VICTORIA, A progress from St. Albans to the Oity seems to have been her first and last public appearance in London. From her time to that of Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII., no English queen sat on the throne in her own right. The jealous Henry was extremely careful that, even in the honor paid to Elizabeth, no whisper of any such right on her part should be breathed. The next procession of a queen was that of Queen Jane. On the 10th of July, 1553, " Lady Jane was conveyed by water to the Tower of London and there HKJH STREET, BELFAST. Showing the Albert Memorial in the Distance. received as queene." " The people," wrote the Duke of Northumberland, " press to see us ; but no one sayeth God speed us." In September, 1553, Queen Mary passed in procession from the Tower to West- minster to her coronation. The accession of Elizabeth was the signal for a spontaneous outburst of uni- versal joy, which throws all previous displays of the kind into the shade. The m I ii SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 407 political significance of the popular enthusiasm is remarked by all historians. Until 1887 probably no such procession, proportionate to population, has been seen in London as that of the new queen from the Tower to Whitehall on the 14th of January, 1559. The next queen in her own right was Mary II., the wife of William III. The King and Queen visited the city on Lord Mayor's day, and beheld with great satis- faction " the magnificence and curious embellishments of the several pageants." Queen Anne also visited the City in great state, and attended a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's after one of Marlborough's victories. From that time to the time of Queen Victoria there was no reigning queen in England. The celebration of 1887 was further remarkable because it was the first which marked the jubilee of a queen. The Empress Matilda, Elizabeth of York, and Lady Jane could hardly be said to have reigned. Queen Mary was less than six years on the throne. Elizabeth, with her forty-four years and five months, more nearly obtained a jubilee. Queen Mary Stuart, like Qaeen Mary Tudor, did not reign, even nominally, for six years ; and Queen Anne only twelve years and a half. The fifty years have, therefore, never before been attained by a queen ; and only by Henry II., Edward III., and George III. among our kings. We do not hear of any special rejoicing either in 126G or in 1376. The jubilee of George III., in 1809, was obscured by the impending affliction which had begun to show itself again, and which seized him finrJl}' in the fol- lowing year. The jubilee of 1887 was the most brilliant of all. w^^^ ?lf" v^ CHAPTER XV. Ten Years Later — The First Five Yeats. The Fisheries Commission — The Jesuits' Estates Bill— Imperial Federation— Sir John A. Macdonald — The Canadian Pacific Railway. URING the remaining months of the Jubilee year, Ireland, under the impartial rule of Balfour, and owing to the absence of Parnell from ^^ public life, was comparatively peaceful. An amicable Convention was concluded with France with regard to the Suez Canal and the New Hebrides. British Beloochistan was annexed to her Majesty's Indian Empire, and East Zululand to the Colony of Natal. Sir Alexander Campbell was appointed High Commissioner to England in succession to Sir Charles Tupper. The Dominion general elections returned the Conservative Government to power with a majority of 49. The High Joint Commissioners (Great Britain being represented by Rt.-Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Sir Lionel West, British Minister at Washington, and Sir Charles Tupper) met in Washington to consider the vexed question of the Fisheries. During 1888 in the British Parliament the struggle between the advocates of coercion in Ireland and its opponents continued without intermission. The revo- lutionary tactics of the Irish leaders began to be adopted by agitators in Wales, and by the suppoi'ters of the Crofter movement in Scotland. London was made a separate county, with a council similar to the councils of the other counties in England and Wales. In Germany the year 1888 is known as the year of the Three Emperors. Em- peror William I. died ; within three months his son. Emperor Frederick, followed him to the grave, and William II. ascended the Imperial Throne. (408) I 3; i 'II " HKR MA.JKSTY QUKEN VICTORIA (IS!»5). '' i ^ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 409 In 1883 the Joint Commission on the Fisheries concluded a Treaty, which was signed at Washington 15th of February, passed by the Canadian Parliament 2nd of May, and received the Royal assent 16th of May. The United States Senate, however, refused to ratify the agreement. In Canada the year 1888 was memorable for the passing of the Jesuits' Estates Bill. The Quebec Cabinet under Premier Mercier secured the passage of a Bill in the Provincial Legislature, granting §400,000 in full settlement of the Jesuits' Estates claim. At the same time, $60,000 was given for educational purposes to the Protestants. This Bill did not attract much notice while passing through the House, but it presently provoked a storm of censure, not only in the Province of Quebec but also in Ontario. The preamble reciting the approval of the Pope to the measure was regarded with particular dislike, as trenching on the pre- rogative of the Queen. A bitter controversy subsequently arose over the dis- posal of the grant. The Jesuits claimed the whole of the amount ; Laval Uni- versity and other educational institutions demanded a share. In the end the Pope was petitioned to settle the dispute. His holiness divided the amount : the Jesuits received Sl6O,O0() ; Laval University got S140,000; S20,000 went to Labrador missions ; $10,000 to each of the Bishops. Ci the 26th March, 1889, the question was brought up in the Dominion House of Commons. William E. O'Brien, the member for Muskoka, moved a long resolu- tion condemnatory of the action of the Legislature of Quebec in passing the Jesuits' Estates claim. His objections to the measure were, that it used the public funds to endow a religious organization, that it recognized the right of the Pope to influence Provincial legislation, and that the endowment of the Jesuit order, an alien, secret, and politico-religious body, which had been driven out of every Roman Catholic nation where i*"; formerly had a footing, a step rendered necessary by its intolerant and mischievous intermeddling with the functions of civil govern- ment, was fraught with danger to the civil and religious liberties of the people of Canada. The House was asked to pray His Excellency the Governor-General to disallow the Bill. A long and acrimonious debate ensued. On the 28th March the House decided, by a vote of 118 to 13, that the Legislature of Quebec had not exceeded its authority in passing the " Jesuits' Estates Bill ; " and that the Dominion Parliament had no right to interfere. A renewal of the anti-Jesuit agitation broke out a few months later. Meet- m 410 VICTORIA, ings were held at different points to denounce the Jesuits' Instates Bill. The House of Commons was also denounced for not voting for the disallowance of the Bill. A convention of so-called " Equal Righters " assembled in Toronto on the 11th of June, 1889. Nearly seven hundred delegates were present from all parts of the country. Strong condemnatory resolutions were passed. A deputa- tion was appointed to wait upon the Governor-General, to ' -.k him to disallow the Bill. The Governor General declined to take action in the matter, in view of the large vote in Parliament against disallowance. In 1889 the British South African Company received its charter, empowering it to settle the immense area lying between Lower and Central Zambesi on the north and the Transvaal border on the south. The Company included Mr. Cecil J. Rhodes, the Dukes of Abercorn and of Fife, Earl Gilford and other eminent persons. No sooner had the Company begun operations than the Portuguese set up a claim to a large portion of the tei-ritory covered by their charter. The Mar- quis of Salisbury protested against the claim of Portugal. He referred to the agreement of Great Britain with Lobengula, ruler of Mashona and Makalakaland ; to British agreements with other tribes ; to the results of British explorations. Senor de Barros Gomes, Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, replied sus- taining the claims of Portugal, based on discoveries and consequent effective occupation. In the meantime Major Serpa Pinto, the Portuguese Munchausen, formed a camp in the Makololo country, quarrelled with the natives, conquered them, and called upon the British settlers to submit to Portugal. Hearing of these high-handed proceedings from the Anglican Missionary Bis- hop of Mashonaland, Lord Salisbury telegraphed to the Portuguese Government warning them against intrusion on British settlements. Senor Barros de Gomes in reply, justified the action of Major Pinto. A peremptory note was immediate- ly despatched requiring the immediate withdrawal of Major Serpa Pinto. The Portuguese reply being unsatisfactory, Lord Salisbury telegraphed the British Ambassador at Lisbon to require acceptance of the British demands before 10 p.m. on the 11th of January. If not accepted, he was to order H.M.S. Enchant- ress to enter the Tagus and prepare for the departure of the British Legation from Lisbon. The Portuguese Council of State decided to yield under protest, and to with- draw from the disputed territory. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 411 During 1889 the beneficent results of British rule in Egypt began to appear. Though taxation had been reduced, a large surplus remained in the treasury. The Forced Labor (corvde) of the fellaheen was abolished. Great improvements in irrigation were brought to a conclusion. A plan for the decentralisation of justice and for the creation of local courts was adopted. In these salutary re- forms Britain was opposed with relentless jealousy by France. In May, 1890, an International Industrial Exhibition was opened at Edin- burgh. Ninety acres were covered with the buildings. The Exhibition was EDINBURGH CASTLE. opened with great ceremony by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. The Duke of Buccleuch, the Provosts of Glasgow, Leith, Perth, Aberdeen, Dundee and Manchester, and many other eminent persons were present. In the following month, June, the Exhibition was visited by the Lord Mayor of London, in state. In this month, also, the Edinburgh Free Public Library was opened by the Earl of Rosebery ; and Mr. A. M. Stanley, the African Explorer, received the freedom of the city. ■if m iiillll! 412 VICTORIA, The year 1890 opened with a crushinjj blow to the party of Home Rule. The moral fall of Parnell — the iindefencled co-respondent in tiie divorce suit of O'Slica vs. O'Shoa and Parnell — split the Irish Party into two une([ual sections, Parnellites and Anti-Parnellites. ill In November, 1890, the Lincoln judgment delivered by the Archl of Can- terbury (Dr. Benson), practically clo.sed the lon<{ Rifual controversy ii. the Church of England. In this historic Church trial, Dr. King, the Bishop of Lincoln, wan prosecuted for ritualistic practices connected with the holy communion. All the charges were dismissed except two. His practice of breaking the bread and taking the cup " not before the people," and making the sign of the cross while pronouncing absolution and benediction, were declared to be unjustifiable additions to the ceremonies of the church, and were ordered to be discontinued. No costs were allowed on either side. An appeal against the judgment was made to the judicial committee of the Privy Council. In August, 1S92, the appeal was dismissed. In 1890 the Anglo-( n agree- ment as to spheres of influence in Africa v/as signed at Berlin. This agreement disposed of much African territory, first explored by the great missionary, David Livingstone, and the intrepid explorer, Henry M. Stan- ley. The last twenty-five years have witnessed a great struggle for the acquisition of African territory be- tween the leading European powers. Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy, have competed with each other in claiming districts of the Dark Con- tinent. In 1878, the Berlin Confer- ence agreed to the independence of the vast region known as the Congo HENRY MORELAND STANLEY. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 413 Free State. The Powers in the Conference were to have equal rights in the Congo State, but that was all. No portion of the State could be annexed by any of the Powers. The Anglo-German agreement raentoied above, set bound- aries between other great districts, thus lessening tho possibilities of future disagreements. In 1890 Western Australia became a self-governing colony. In 1890 tho Dominion Parliament adopted a loyal address reaihrming unalterable adhesion to the Mother Country. In the same Parliament a message of thanks for kindly treatment was received from Chief Crowfoot, on beht'f of the Blackfoot Indian.s. This incident is but one illustration of many that Canadians NORTH- WE.ST MOUNTED POLICE FORCE, RE(;INA. have inherited the secret of successfully dealing with subject racef. That secret seems to lie in the genial combination of firnmess with good faith, All the treaties made by Canada with the native races have been carried out with the utmost exactness, except that more has been done for tho Indian than was stipulated. The Indians of the prairies of the Canadian North West have been under treaty for years. What has been the result ? The whole of the Indians have been tranquilized. Not only is there no discontent or disalTection, but the Red Man has become thoroughly attached to the White Man's government. A force of 750 Mounted Police is amply sufficient to preserve yrder. --H , mm ill mF*^ 411 VICTORIA, Compare with this the syHtem in the United States. There the only f,'oo(i Indian is the (lead Indian. There the policy is bad faith, fraud and injustice). GoikI the Indians to rebel, then shoot them for rebelling. Their treaty Indians are miserably clad, miserably sheltered, half-starved, cowed by military oppression into sullen obedience, watching for a chance for revenge. In 181)1 the Liberal party in Kngland adoptere3sion3 of universal regret both in Canada and in Great Britain. As a statesman Sir John Thompson was eminently fitted for the position which he was called upon to fill, and which he did fill with the highest honor to him- self and advantage to the country. As a parliamentarian he had few equals. As a debater he had no peer in his own Parliament. Ho will be especially re- membered for his moderation, his honesty, his juiiicial fairness in dealing with all classes and all public questions. Sir John Thompson's strong point was his thorough loyalty to Canada anil his genuine devotion to the Empire. He had a comprehensive grasp of the position of Canada as an independent country, and as an integral part of the Briti.^h Em- pire. The events connected with his last trip to England gave us an insight into Sir John the Canadian, and Sir John the Imperialist. In the face of a .strong and united Engli.sh opposition. Sir John Thompson boldly upheld the principle that Canada must be supreme in the matter of copyright, just as she is supreme in the matter of her tariff. The Standard of London, praised his Tarifi' policy as advantageous to the Empire : " It is partly owing to his ability and tact that the hi-^' ■ ■ ada since 18&2 has been one of eventful prosperity. True > tl i' the party that he led in the Dominion, he steadily opp< ini tions which under the special name of free-trade would havi tught i oomiuerce of Canada within the elaborate and comprehensive protectionisi of the United States. Although he was not a free trader, he was always ^ady to arrange treaties of commerce which he thought would lead to the same practical result. Nor was he altogether disappointed, perhaps, because the negotiations that he '^&a> SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 427 ost upright i only fifty liamentary 5. He had ^er Mowat, JO to prom- er the late liership in ution than universal iion which )r to h inl- aw equals, ecially re- ilin' called to HON. .SIR JOHN, J. C. ABBOTT, K.C.M.<;., l,».C. w i! 430 VICTORIA, only a few hours before his sudden death. A State funeral service was held at St. Paul's Cathedral before the remains were removed to Portsmouth. A man-of-war, the Blenheim, conveyed Sir John's remains across the ocean to the land of his birth and to iiis last resting-place. At the request of the Gov ernment, Senator Sanford accompanied the remains on the Llenheim. At Halifax, at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, an impressive funeral service was conducted. Canada showed herself not ungrateful to her distinguished son. With limitless opportunities for corrupt gain Sir John Thompson had died poor. The country made liberal provision for his widow an 1 for his children. In 1894, Asia, for the first time in a generation, became the scene of the world's chief interest. A quarn'l over Korea, forced by China upon Japan, led to o,jt!n war. Although outnumbered by ten to one, the Japanese, by virtue of superior civilization, had an unbroken series of victories. They were able to dictate terms of peace to their thoroughly crushed and humbled foes. The immediate results of the war were an exhibition — the first ever made on any considerable scale — of the powers of modern battleships, and a demonstration of Japan's marvelous pro- gress in the arts of war as well as in those of peace. The more important and lasting results will, apparently, be these : " The Hermit Kingdom of Korea " will be redeemed from barbarism and opened to civilization; Chinese conservatism and corruption will no longer dominate the affairs of all Eastern Asia ; China itself will no longer menace the world as an invulnerable and potentially all-destructive force ; and civilized Japan will henceforth rank as the chief native power of Asia, and, indeed, one of the great Powers of the world. Despite its cost, this is a con- summation for which humanity is ^o be profoundly grateful. It alone is suffi- cient to make 1894 an ever-memorable year. In 1894, Sir Mackenzie Bowell became Premier of the Dominion. He assumed office on the 21st of December, 1894, and resigned on the 27ih of April, 1896. -- - ^ In 1895, the delimitation of the Pamir Boundary between Russian and Brit- ish-Indian territory removed a source of irritation between the two powers. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 431 as held at e ocean to the Gov leim. At iral service tinguished npson had i\ for his he world's id to o\itin f superior bate terms results of le — of the ilous pro- rtant and irea " will itism and lina itself structive r of Asia, is a con- 3 is sufti- assumed )f April, ind Brit- ers. HON. SIR MACKENZIE BOWELL, K.C.M.G. iii m 432 VICTORIA, In 1895, the territories of the British East AJFiican Company were taken over by the Crown as the British East African Protectorate. Bechuanaland was the same j'ear annexed to Cape Colon}'. Towards the end of the year 189o Turkish atrocities in Armenia concentrated the horrified attei)tion of Europe. For years back the wretclied Armenians had been the victims of shameful outrage. Kurdish brigands lifted the last cows and goats of the peasants, carried away their carpets and valuables, raped their daughters and dishonored their wives. Turkish tax-gatherers followed these, gleaning what the brigands had left. Lest anything should escape their avarice, they bound the men, flogged them till their bodies were a bloody, mangled mass, cicatrised the wounds with red-hot ramrods, plucked out their beards hair by hair, and tore the flesh from their limbs with pincers. Often, even then, dis- satisfied with tho financial results of their extortion, they hung the men, thus beggared and maltreated, from the laftors of the room, and kept them there to witness with burning shame, impotent rage, and incipient madness, the dishonor- ing of their wives and the deflowering of their daughters, some of whom died miserably during the hellish outrage. European intervention, in the form of diplomatic protests, unaccompanied by military force, was treated by the Sultan with the contempt it deserved. For years British diplomacy had been engaged in unsuccessful efforts to induce the Republic of Venezuela to come to an amicable delimitation of the frontier. Great Britain was willing to surrender four 120 square miles, and to submit to arbitration an additional eight 330 square miles outside of the Schomberg line of 1841. This offer of Great Britain was interpreted by Mr. Secretary Olney, of the Cleveland Cabinet, to constitute an act of aggression by an eftete monarchy on an American republic. Starting from the premise that it was unnatural and ob- jectionable that Great Britain should fly her flag upon any portion of the Western hemisphere, he proved, to '-is own satisfaction, that for Britain to occupy a single acre claimed by an ^ nerican republic was a violation of the Monroe Doctrine and an aggression. He summoned Great Britain to submit its right to half the colony of British Guiana to the arbitration of an unnamed third party Lord Salisbury repudiated v.'ith dignity and emphasis the extraordinary as- sertion that the position of Great Britain in America was either unnatural or in- Is SIXTY YFARS A QUEEN. 433 HON. WILIRID LAURIKR. Premiur of IIr' Domiiiion of Canadii. I Bn 4 m- 434 VICTORIA, expedient. He set forth the real purpose of the Monroe Doctrine. He recounted the previous attempts of the British Foreign Ottice to arrive at a satisfactory ar- rangement. He professed himself still ready to settle the controversy amicably by concessions mutually agreed upon between the parties concerned. British statesmen generally have publicly expressed the hope that cordial relations will continue to exist between Great Britain and the United States. Mr. Arthur Balfour, in a speech at Manchester, on January 15th, 1896, said: " The time must come when some one, some statsemen of authorit}'^ more fortunate even that President Monroe, will lay down the doctrine that between English- speaking peoples war is impossible." Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, in a speech at Birmingham, on January 25th, 1896, said : " I should look forward with pleasure to the possibility of the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack floating together in defense of a common cause, sanctioned by humanity and by justice." But the attitude of Lord Salisbury, or the pacific utterances of his colleagues, did not satisfy President Cleveland. President Cleveland announced to the world his determination to take the whole question into his own hands ; to appoint a commission exclusively composed of his own countrymen, and to compel Great Britain by force of arms if necessary to accept the award of this commission, whatever it might be. The British people realized the absurdity of such a proposition. In the United States the President's message was received with uproarious applause. A thousand newspapers offered to back him with their last dollar and their last relation. The Senate and the House of Representatives raced to be first to approve his," American " policy. How did the people of Great Britain take the invitation to quit or fight ? With amazed incredulity. Themselves unconscious of ill-will to America, they could not believe that the President represented the real feelings of those for whom he officially spoke. Britain still indulges that dream. From it, when they think they are strong enough, the United States will ungently awake her. Perhaps, however, before that time arrives the domestic troubles in the United States — the struggle between Capital and Labor, the ill-feeling between Blacks and Whites, between North and South, between East and West — will be more than the United States Government may be able to face. In the meantime, if I SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 435 the destinies of the British Empire continue to be directed by statesmen of the calibre of a Pahnerston, a Russell, a Salisbury, a Chamberlain ; if generals of the capacity of Wellington, of Wolseley, of Roberts, continue to lead her armies; if her navy continues to maintain its present supremacy, we need have no fear of the result. We in Canada were fully alive to the tremendous importance of the situation created by the President's message. We cast our eyes over our defences, and hastened to arm our militia with improved weapons. On us would fall the brunt of the first attack. They were seventy millions, wo w^ere five, yet here there was no flinching. If the United States appeared unanimous in their hate of Britain, we were undoubtedly and wholly unanimous in our love and our loyalty to Canada and the Empire. The diplomatic twaddle about " kindred blood " and " common language " deceives Britain. It never deceived us. The thought of humiliating Great Britain exercises an irresistible fascination upon a certain class of our neighbors to the south. We are fully aware of the fact. The invasion of Canada is only put off" to a more convenient season. If a certain class of politicians in the United States, who are so eager to provoke Great Britain, ever succeed in letting " slip the doge of war " without strong justification, the result will be bad for them, and worse for the United States. The whole world would condemn such a war between the two sveat English-speaking nations. The better class of Americans would themselves be the first to cry " Shame!" They would never give their support to suh i. ''ratri- cidal war. The lessons of the War of 1812 should be remembered jy the United States. That war was declared by the United States without reasonable justification. The New England States ivere so opposed to the war that they threatened to secede from the Union. The Americans of the New England States could not and would not give iheir active support to a war which they knew was unjustifiable. A house divided against itself must fall. This want of unanimity among the Americans was largely responsible for their failure to carry the war to a snocessful issue. The British Government has repeatedly shown its readiness to deal with the United States Government in a fair and friendly spirit. The British Govern- ment will never, without strong provocation, declare war against the United States. Should the United States, without strong provocation, declare war against Great Britain, there will bo such dissensions among the Americans them- 436 VICTORIA, selves, such a want of unanimity among the people, as to foredoom the war to failure, and to assure the success of Great Britain. Following the publication of the President's message on the Venezuelan ques- tion came panic on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Chauncey Depew cal- culated that the depreciation effected by the message amounted to 200 millions sterling — the precise amount which Germany exacted from France as the indem- nity for the War of 1870. That was a big object lesson. It added fuel to the fire of jealous hate. The message of the President of the free and independent Republic of the United States of America was welcomed with hearty satisfaction by the despotic ruler of the Turkish Empire. The Sultan of Turkey felt free now to work his brutal will on desolated Armenia. Britain must be busy for a while guarding her own. Therefore the outrages went on. Britain, threatened by America, opposed by Russia and her satellite Franco, intrigued against by Germany, found herself in an impasse. To interfere eftectually in Armenia meant war with the three greatest powers of Europe at once, with no sure ally, and with the almost certainty that the United States would seize the opportunity with cruel effect. The Cleveland Commission sat. Venezuela was represented before it by coun- sel ; Great Britain indirectly by Blue Books. What conclusion it came to, or whether it came to any, is not known. Venezuela, on the advice of Mr. Olney, declared its willingness to exclude from arbitration all districts settled for fifty years and over. This was accepted by Lord Salisbury. • On January 11, 1897, a General Arbitration Treaty between Great Britain and the United States was signed in Washington by Sir Julian Pauncefote, British Ambassador, on behalf of the British Government, and by Mr. Olney, Secretary of State, on behalf of the United States Government. By the Treaty, whenever any dispute arose which diplomacy could not settle, the two Governments were to appoint a jurist each ; the two were to appoint an umpire and the three were then to decide the question. If they were unanimous, there was no appeal from their decision. If, however, they did not agree, or if the question in dispute in- volved territory or more than five hundred thousand dollars in money, the ques- tion was to go before the Board of Arbitration, composed of three judges of the Supreme Court of each country ; the decision of any five to be final. If they could not agree upon an umpire, the nomination was to be left to the King of Sweden. ; ' .] K<^. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 437 THE EARL OF DUFFEKIN. (jovenior-General of Canada, 1872-1877. ^ 1 n IM n ^B aSI ml ' HI t i 1 , I ^ H ■ 1 iB mbH ' ■ rVm M ■"i«? md 438 VICTORIA, By the Senate of the United States, a three-fourths majority of which must ratify a treaty, amendments were adopted, practically eviscerating the treaty. A little more than a year before, the United States was threatening Great Britain with war by sea and land out of their passionate devotion to the principle of arbitration. Great Britain consented to arbitration on the terms proposed by the United States. The action of the Senate is a significant commentary on the sincerity of the professions of public men at Washington. Canada does not feel disposed greatly to bewail the fate of the Arljitration Treaty. The Colonies generally have lost when arbitration was resorted to. With the exception of the Alabama Cliiim.s, boundary and other disputes have al- ways been settled at the expense of tlie Colonies. If it were possible to n)ake an unselfisli friend of the United States, Canada, in the interests of the Empire, might bear with much. Canada can see little to feed hopes of friendship on. Not to go back to ancient history, or even to the time of the Fenian raids, but looking at the recent past, we sec much to discourage hopes of lasting friendship with the United States. There is the rejection by the Senate of the Fisheries Treaty of 1888 ; the dis- missal on a flimsy pretext of the B- oish Ambassador, Sir Lionel Sackville West; the ap|)ointment of Mr. Patrick Egan, a fugitive from British justice, as U. S. Minister to Chili ; and President Cleveland's late unfriendly message to Congress. At intervals during the past seventy years American fishermen have preyed on Canadian fisheries, and the pi'edatory work has been ujDheld by public opinion in New England and in Washington. The seizure of British sealers on the high seas is too recent to be forgotten, at any ra!e by a Colonial whose misfortune it is not to belong to the Peace Society. The end is not yet. In January, 1896, news of the Jameson raid was flashed across the world. The Transvaal Republic is managed by a close oligarchy of Boer squatters. Fif- teen thousand adult males govern with absolute authority a country as large as Spain, inhabited by 500,000 persons, more than one-half of whom are natives. The development of the gold mines poured into this patriarchal organization a turbulent flow of industrial life. Johannesburg sprang in a few years from a mining camp to a wealthy English city of 100,000 inhabitants. On these new- comers was laid seven-ninths of the burden of taxation. Not one of them was SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 439 ■allowed a voice in the management of the land recovered from bankruptcy by their industry and enterprise. Sixty thousand men reared under free institutions could not consent to be permanently governed like Kaffirs. They formed the Uitlanders' (or Outlandera) League. They asked the right to share in making the laws they were compelled to obey, in voting the taxes they were obliged to pay. They petitioned for the use of English and Dutch in official documents and in the .schools. President Kruger, the Boor dictator, refused to accede to any of their demands. Should they fly to arras, as he hoped, he was ready. For months back Germany had been supplying him with arms, am- munition and Ger- man Army officers. The Kaiser was in a plot with him to €nd the predomin- ance of Great Britain secured by the Con- vention of 1884. Of the existence of this plot Mr. Rhodes was aware. He had stat- ioned Dr. Jameson, with all the avail- able force of the Chartered Company, where it could block the advance of Ger- I'AUL KHL'CKK (" OOM PALL) I'residuiit of tho South African Hepul>lic. mans from their war- t^hips, in Delagoa Bay. The Uitlanders acted as the wily Kruger expected them to act. "If Paul Kruger wants to play George III.," said one of the American Uitland- ers, " Johannesburg must play Boston." But insurrection in the.se days is not a matter of Bunker Hill ; it IS an affiair of arras of precision. Krufjer had a bat- tery of quick-firing Krupp guns on the Hospital Hill, directly overlooking the streets of Johannesburg. Here practice in working the guns had been going on incessantly. The town was living under a grinning arsenal of threats of bloodshed. Such action may terrify men into submission ; it may also madden them into an outbreak. The UitlanJers, as many as could, sent away their wives and children from what might soon prove to be a city of doom. They knew that Dr. Jameson, with the armed police of the Chartered Company, was posted not ws m\ >iiR a. 440 VICTORIA, far from the bonlers of the Transvaal. To hira the lemlinj,' citizens deMpatched an appeal for help. " All feel," they wrote, " that we are justified in taking any steps to prevent the shedding of blood, and to ensure the protection of our rights. Should a disturbance arise here, the circumstances are so extreme that we cannot but believe that you and the menjmder you will not fail to come to the rescue. Nothing but the strongest necessity has piompted this appeal." Would Jameson leave his post ? If ho did he would play into Krugor's hands. He would put himself in the wrong by crossing the border, and he would leave the wa}'^ open for a German advance. Dr. Jameson's position in the Company made him a servant of the Crown. To respond to the appeal for help involved a breach of the Queen's regulations. Confident that when the facts became known his conduct would be approved, determined at any risk to save a great city from sack and a slaughtei-, the Administrator gave directions for cutting the telegraph wires, to prevent recall, leaped into the saddle and rode at the head of his troops across the border'. Across the border he rode straight into the midst of a largely superior force of Boers waiting for him, intrenched in an impregnable position. How came they right across his line of march ? Ml'. Garrett, in his volume on the " Story of an African Crisis," has given us the explanation, and it is (as one chooses to take it) ludicrous or instructive, or both. He bad the facts from a resident on the spot. The trooper who was sent to cut the Pretoria wire was, "in plain words, drunk. He started on his errand, carrying with him the most elaborate and detailed instructions. He was to cut the wire in two places, so'^many yards apart, take it so far into the veld, and bury it so deep. He did cut certain Avire, and he did make an effort, at least, to bury it in the veld. But the wire which he cut was that of the peaceful railing by which a farmer kept his cows in. Then with a good conscience he reeled back." Three distinct engagements with the Boers took place, in all of which Jame- son's men fought gallantly. They were powerless to break their vvay through the lines. His cartridges spent, his men faint with hunger and parched with thirst, their legs skinned with saddle raws, their horses too worn out to charge, Jameson rallied his men for the last struggle. For three hours they fought, till they heard the roar of cannon. They thought it was the Johannes- burgers coming to their assistance. It was the Boer heavy artillery. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 441 MAR(,)UIS OF LORNE. novei'iior-Oeiieral of Cnnada, ISTS-S-J. 442 VICTORIA, Hoisting a torn shirt, Jameson surrendered unconditionally. The Johannes- burgers, ignorant of Jameson's advance, had been lulled by promises of the fran- chise for themselves and English for their children. Johannesburg was disarmed. Dr. Jameson and his companions were surrendered to the British authorities) were tried in London, fined and imprisoned for varying terras. So fi\r everything had gone well with Kruger. So far the feeling in Great Britain was unanimous against the invasion of a peaceful, friendly State. But now the Boer's lu;.tc deserted him. His secret ally, the Kaiser, sent him a tele- gram congratulating him on his victory " without appealing to friendly powers." This veiled promise of help was followed by the despatch of another German man-of-war to Delagoa Bay, and by strong pressure put upon the Portuguese Government to allow an armed force of Germans to march to the Transvaal through their territory At this Groat Britain tlamed into wrath. The extent, the intensity, the univer- sality of Briti.sh indignation startled those who had watched with a sneer the imperturbability with which Great Britain had received the warlike menaces of the United States. Portugal refused Germany the right of way. Mr. Chamberlain, Colonial Sec- lotary, publicly announced that tb3 treaty right of Great Britain to control the foreign relations of the Transvaal would be enforced at all hazards. Germany snarled, calmed down, denied that the telegram meant anything — and waits for a better opportunity to forward that Colonial expansion so dear to the Kaiser. Jameson blundered. His blunder did good service. It revealed to tiie British people the 3^<>ung Kaiser, grandsi n of their Queen, crouching ready to stab them in the back. It did nore. It rdlied round "*reat Britain all her stah.art sons. Colony sifter colony sent messages of cheer and promises of support. To them the grey olu Hother in her "splendid isolpticn" turned with glistening eyes. . . . Let Kipling tell us the Mother's thought : riosli of *lie fiosii that I hreil, bone of tlip bono that I bare ; Stark UP , our sons shall ))e — stern u.:; your falliors were. Deeper than speech our love, Bt»'origor than life our tether. . . So long as the blood endures, - I tiliall know that your ^ood is mine : ye sluill foe! that my atrenyth is yours ; in llie Day of Armageddon, at the lust gieat tight of all, Thfit Cur House shall stand together nr.il the pillars do not fall. ^T SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 443 Dr. Jameson blundered into the trap prepared for him. The German Emperor bhinuored too in showing liis hand and his teeth too soon. Henceforth Britain knew, wliat Mr. Rhodes had long known, that a conspiracy, with the K{>.iser deep in it, was afoot aimed at British predominance in South Africa. Jameson's police being either killed, imprisoned or shipped ofi" ic England, the opportunity was too good to be lost by the Matabeles. They '.o.se on the settlers, ravaged and murdered. ■ To Cecil Rhodes — "Concentrated England" — belongs the honor of victory. Never was there a danger in that campaign which he did not confront vrith good temper and cheery composure. Though he had resigned official position, though he lived and acted but as a simjile citizen, his personal character was such that when the war came to a close the natives refused to acknowledge anybody but himself as chief of the whites. His action in venturing unarmed into the camp of enemies who might easily have speared him, or made him a hostage, was but ti)e most conspicuous of the many acts of wisdom and courage which have given liim the ascendancy he so righteously deserves. In 1(S06, Li Hung Chang, the distinguished Chinese soldier and stitesman, made his memorable trip to the Western world, visiting Europe and America. He was accorded an audience with her Majesty. He greatly impressed all with whom he associated. When General Grant returned from his historic tour of the world, he declaied that during his travels he had met four truly great per- sonalities — Bismarck, Gambetia, Disraeli and Li Hung Chang. He added that he thought the last named the greatest man of the four. i I it The year 1S!)0 is known in Canada as the year of the Three Ministries. Sir Mackenzie Buwell ^signoii on the 27th of April. He was succeeded b)' Sir Charles Tupper, whi, i^ssumod office on the 27th of April and resigned on the 8th of July. The Reform party having secured a large majority in the gen- eral elections then held, Mr. Laurier succeeded as Premier, and jissumed office on the 9th of July. The Hon. Wilfrid Laurier was born November 24th, 1841, at St Lin, L'Assomption, in the Province of Quebec. His family was among the first established in La Nouvelle France. M. Carolus Laurier, his father, was a provincial land surveyor. M. Wilfrid Laurier, after finishing his literary studies i' 1 444 VICTORIA, at tlie College L'Assomption, entered the law office of the Hon. R. Laflamme. He was called to the Bar of Lower Canada in 1865, having taken in the |irevious year the degree of B.C.L. at McGill University, ^[ontreal. In 1880 he was ap- pointed a Q. C. M. Laurier is an earnest advocate of Temperance : he was a delegate to the Dominion Prohibitory Convention in 1875. In 1871 he was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec. In 1874 he entered the Parliament of the Dominion. His brilliant abilities were recognized at once. In the Mackenzie Government of 1877 he received the port- folio of Inland Revenue. He was a steady supporter of the Hon, Edward Blake, and on the resignation of the latter succeeded him as leader of the Opposition. It is confidently anticipated that the Hon. Wilfrid Laurier, as Premier, will do all that in him lies to weaken and destroy those sectional, racial and religious prejudices which have been ,so prejudicial to Canada. CHAPTER XVn. The Victorian Era. Progress iii Sixty Years —Public Education— Work Among tlic Poorer Classes— The Temperance Movement — The British Army and Navy. N Wednesday, September 23, 1896, the reign of Queen Victoria became the longest in the history of the British Empire. On that day she exceeded the reigu of her gran^ .athcr, George III., having reigned fifty-nine years, three months and three days. Telegrams from all parts of the world were received by her Majesty conveying the congratu- lations of sovereigns and ministers. In response to the suggestion that the event be made the occasion for a great celebration, her Majesty expressed her desire to defer the celebration to the sixtieth anniversary of her accession, June 20, 1897. In looking back over the achievements of the Victorian Era, we find good ground for siiti.sfaction. During the years immediately preceding the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne peace reigned in every land. Experiments of all kinds were being every- where tried, including the experiment of standing still. Liberalism was tho ruling creed in theory, even among statesmen who resisted it in practice. The artistic and literary ideals of the preceding century were falling into disrepute. In the State, beneficent and important changes were being slowly made. The Empire was expanding in every direction. Ita population was rapidly increasr ing. When the Queen came to the throne there were some 26 million persons living in the United Kingdom ; now there are 40 million. In 1840 the popula- tion of Canada and Newfoundland was 1,690,000 ; now it is nearly six million. In Australasia there were in 1837 about 175,000 white people living; there are now nearly five millions. Four persons are now living in Australasia for every five persons living in the United States at the beginning of the present century. In the course of a hundred years the population of the United States expanded from five millions to over 65 millions. A similar growth may be in store for Australasia in the twentieth century. (445) :\ U6 VICTORIA, ♦it itp-i Sixty years ago the British Empire comprised an area of four million square miles, with a population of 40 million. To-day the area is 12 million square miles, with a population of 400 million. When the Queen came to the throne the masses were seething with discon- tent. Their leaders were clamoring for political reforms. The great Reform Act had enfranchised the Ten Pound householder : it had done nothincr for the laboring classes. By the Reform Acts of 1867 and 1884 power was transferred from the middle classes to t,he democracy. The workingmen of the United Kingdom dominate the elections now. As a conseciuonce, Chartism is dead. Reform Associations have perished of inanition. Universal contentment has taken the place of universal agitation. So has it been with the Colonies. In 1837 Canada was in the throes of rebel- lion. At that time she was broken up into different provinces, administered under different laws, by different governors. Her provinces have been confeder- ated under one Governor- General, and one system of law. Her autonomy is practically cuuipiete. She is now as loyal as England. In 1837 none of the great Australian colonies enjoyed representative govern- ment. Now they are all self-governing. The present year may see them confed- erated into a Dominion as compact and as powerful in the South as our own is in the North. South Africa, too — the older colonies at least — is in possession of autonomous institutions. The same may be said of the West Indies. During the Victorian Era a revolution has been accomplished in the work of public education. In the Mother Country for many years before the Queen came to the throno two great societies, one representing the Church of England, the other the Nonconformist bodies, had done much for the educaUon of the children of the poor. Large numbers, however, were never reached by these institutions. Multitudes were growing up unable either to read or write. In 1839 a Commit- tee of the Privy Council for educational purposes was established. Giants were made, year by year, for the erection of schools. The Act of 1870 at length estab- lished on a firm footing a national system of compulsory education, since rendered wholly free to the pupil. In the twenty years from 1875 to 1895 the numbei of primary schools inspect- ed rose from nearly seventeen thousand to nearly twenty-three thousand ; and the average attendance from over two million to nearly six million. ' ■fro '^'IWf W SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 44T i II LORD LANSDOWNK. Governor -General of Ca:iaor, in this lany model he south of clean flats, i the excep- ;o write an SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 461 LORD STANLEY OF PRESTON, (THE EARL OF DERBY). Governor-General of Canada, 1888-1893. ill 1 'II % I 452 VICTORIA, m article for the Cosmopolitan Magazine describing the working of a London parish, and I investigated the matter fully, taking as my Held of study a river- side parish in the Last End. I foun the poor, who otherwise would never have been able to buy any clothes at all. There were also a creche for the babies, and a liouse where children were kept '''•om after school to bed tinns. Then there were the Sunday schools, excellent for keeping children out of mischief. Libraries were organized, performances and lectures. In fact, the lives of the clergy of the East End of London are one long round of cea.-ieless activity. This activity of the Church has been growing for the last twenty years." Another movement of the Victorian Era has co-operated with religion in ameliorating the condition of the people — the Temperance movement. This has always had her Majesty's warm support. Four years befoie her accession, at a meeting at Preston, Richard Turner, an artisan, asserted that " nothing but te-te- total will do." The word was immediately adopted and became the rallying cry of the Temperance army. In LS4y the National Temperance Society was formed. Ten years later the I'^iiited Kingdom Alliance for the legislative suppression of the sale of intoxicating liquors was inaugurated. In 187.*^ the Church of Eng- land Temperance Society was founded, with the Archbish(jp of Canterbury as president. In the same year a Temperance Hospital was o|)ened in London. In Canada, temperance workers have accomplished much. They are active and ag- gressive. The Dunkin Act and the Scott Act are raeraentoes of their influence upon the legislation of the Dominion. There will ever be wide differences of opinion as to t'le advisability of keeping people sober by " Act of Parliament." Many people ihiiik that moral suasion alone should be used. Others maintain that the stroni; arm of the law should be called in ; that moral and legal suasion shoul go hand-in-hand. The Prohibition Question is one of the disturbing elements in Canadian politics to-day. If pro- hibition is demanded by an overwlielming majority of the people, a pi'ohibitory law could be enforced. If a prohibitory law were placed on the statute book by a narrow majority, an attempt to enforce it would probably do more harm than good. wm\ i , : i SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 463 In a previous chapter we had something to say of the horrors of war. The day may yet come, to use the poet's words : W'luMi till' war (l''ui)iH l)cat no longer Anil the Imttlc MagH are furled, III tht' I'arliiiiiieiit of Man, Tiio Fcderalioii of tlic World 1 Till that day does come, iiowever, we must be prepared for possibilities. Is Great Britiiiii prepared to defund her vast interests at home and abroad ? Com- pared with the standing armies of the Continental Powers the Army of Great Britain appears insignificant. The number of the regular forces at home and in the colonies is about 150,000. The little state of Roumania, with a population of only five millions, can mobilize an army of "200,000 men. When it is consid- ered that Germany can place more than three and a quarter millions of men in the field, fully armed ; that on a war footing the French army numbers two millions of men ; that the army of Russia includes more than two-and-a-half millions of men, it is little wonder that the nation grows uneasy at times. Experts in military science declare that in all that relates to military organ- ization and the preparation for war, Great Britain is as far behind Switzerland to-day as France was behind Germany in 1870. There is ? growing convic- tion that the administration of the British Army is wasteful ; the training of the troops superficial; the organization of the field force altogether incommen- surate with the needs of the Empire. Much is hoped from Lord Wolseley, the recently-appointed Commander-in-Chief. The nation has good reason to be thankful that the principle is firmly established, once and for all, that the professional head of the armed forces of Great Britain shall be the ablest man whom the Army can produce. One of the best and healthiest signs of the age — a sign that Britain with all her luxury has not entered on a stage of decline — is the Volunteer movement. It is the revolt of common sense against vague dreams of never-ending peace. It is a declaration that home is worth fighting for, that guarding wealth is as neces- sary and as honorable as getting it. The continued existence of this force — now numbering a quarter of a million men — is proof that the military virtues are neither despised nor neglected in Great Britain. It is said that General Blucher, riding through London, exclaimed " Mein Go tt \7hat a city to sack !" Other Prussian generals, perhaps, have the same I J i t i ! ! 1 1 ■i' ,MW,' ¥ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7 / {/ <" m. s ,S J^ Ms'., % & I/. 1.0 I.I 1.25 " |||M 1 2.5 13-2 ■ 140 1.4 22 2.0 1.6 V] <^ ^S /# ^1 'e/i ^. f^ "t ^V"^^ ^> Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^q\' 6"^ > f\> ^^^ W ?:^. I Q, Q- t^. 464 VICTORIA, 'i t| impression. Lord Bacon lias a prej^rnant sentence : " When a warlike State grows soft and efl'eininale, they may be sure of a war, for commonly such States have grown rich in the time of their degenerating, and so the prey inviteth, and their decay in valour encourageth a war." Canada has a splendid Volunteer force. Many complaints have been heard in the past at the parsimonious treatment meted out to the Volunteer force. The Government of Canada should deal liberally with the Volunteers. Their services have >)roved valuable in the past. The force should be kept in a high state of efficiency in case of emergencies. A great Continental war cannot be long delayed. Then the bleeding will be to the death. It is madness to think that British inteiests will be respected unless Britain is ready to fight for them. A lamb cannot persuade a wolf. " The prey inviteth and decay in valour encourageth a war." It is too much the fashion to believ? that Britain, though unprepared, has such patriotism that she could call avnues from the soil, and such manufacturing power that she could quickly make up for past deticiencies. No. Not if every grown man sprang to his feet and called for arms; not if every manufacturer in the country were set to work producing guns, rifles and stores of all kinds. This trust in the production of armies, just when they ai"e wanted, ignores two great facts. Fir^t, the training of soldier.s, and more especiidly of officers, requires years before efficiency is reached. Secondly, such stores as guns and other necessaries cannot be made under a time which counts by years. Recent experience, too, shows that while an army of Canadian militia, or volunteers, led by a competent strategist would make no bad showing against any force they are likely to be called upon to meet : in a Continental war Britain would have to encounter soldiers perfectly trained, armed t'ud captained. Seven years ago a Parliamentary Commission, after a most thorough investiga- tion, after hearing the evidence of military experts such as Lord Wolseley, declar- ed that the existing state of affairs as regards national defence was " unsatisfac- tory and dangerous," and utterly condemned the administration of the army. Parliament adopted the report, suppressed the evidercc on whicl. it was founded, and — did practically nothing. Such a policy is little short of suicidal. The efficiency of the British Navy is fortunately far in advance of that of the British Army. " Trust in God and keep your Navy big " is the revised version of Cromwell's famous maxitn. Even by the moat fanatic upholder of peace the SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 455 456 VICTORIA. I Navy is deemed essential to the well-being of the Empire. The British Navy is as much the insurance of the mercantile marine as docks and piers are an insur- ance against wind and weather. It would be as wise to grudge the expense of docks and piers as to grudge the expense of an adsquate protecting Navy. Every object Great Britain can desire depends upon her sea power. Social progress ; international influence ; the power to " help the right, and heal the wild world's wrong;" the mission to be leaders and organizers of the backward and chaotic races beneath her rule — all these depend upon maritime su})remacy. Shakespeare but foreshadowed what Englishmen of to-day believe, when he made Hastings exclaim : Let us be back-^d with Goil, and with the seas, Which He hath given for 'fence impregnable. And with their helps only defend ourselves ; In them, and in ourselves our safety lies. The paramount political duty of Great Britain is to make and keep herself in- vincible upon the sea. The British Navy of to-day is the creation of the Victorian era. In 1840 the screw propeller was introduced. In 1841 the total number of ships of all sizes in commission was 183. In 1851 the Navy consisted of 339 sailing, and IGl steam vessels. Jn 1854 the number of sailing vessels had decreased to 315, while there were 97 screw steamers and 114 paddle steamers. Jn 1860 the French Government built a plated frigate, Za Oloire. Not, to be outdime, the British Admiralty launclied a few months later the Warrior — the largest vessel then in the world with the exception of the Great Eastern — the first British iron-plated steam frigate. In 1863 the Navy had attained formidable dimensions. It consisted of 1,014 vessels of all classes ; 85 line of battle-ships, G9 frigates, ard 30 screw corvettes. In 1868 the Monarch, the first armor-clad turret ship, was launched ; tonnage 8,930 horse power 8,000. The then monarch now takes a humbler rank, as a third-class battle-ship. In 1888 the ironclad Nile was launched, the largest and most formidable battle- ship constructed till then. It is of 11,940 tons burden, 12,000 horse-power, 345 feet long, and 73 feet broad. In 1889 the Navy afloat consisted of 62 armored vessels, 29 piOtected, 282 un- protected, total 373 ships; tonnage, 6,791,444; cost, $178,178,590. In 1891 was laundied the Royal Sovereign', up to that date the laijiest battle- SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 457 ship in the Koyal Navy. It is of 14,150 tons burden, 13,000 horse-power, in length ySO feet, in breadth 75 fc; fc. This huge vessel has since been surpassed by the Hannibal, the Illustrious, the Jupiter, the Magnificent, the Mars, the Majestic, the Prince George, the Vic- torious, each of 14,900 tons. The British Navy at present afloat or approiching completion consists of 090 vessels, 87 of which are fully armored. This vast fleet requires a complement of nearly 105,000 officers and men, when fully manned. At present the complement of officers and men is about 89,000. Of the new vessels the most remarkable are the torpedo-boat destroyers. Al- batross and Express. The speed of the Albatross is 32 knots, or about 3(jf miles, an hour. The Express is an even swifter ship. It can steam 33 knots, or 38 miles, an hour. These vessels are each of 7,500 ton.i burden. The sglf-governing colonies contribute to Imperial defence. In this important task Canada has her share. Before Confederation every important town in T^rit- ish North America was garrisoned at the expense of the Mother Country. To- day not a British soldier is found in tiie Dominion, except the garrison at Hali- fax. The force at Esquimault, though consisting of British marines, is sustained at Canada's sole expense. A year ago Sir Charles Tupper said : " At the union the five thousand miles of British coast on the Atlantic and its fisheries were protected by the British Navy. That service is now performed by seven steam cruisers, owned, armed, and maintained by Canada. At the union not a graving dry-dock existed in British North America. Now they are provided at Esquimault, Quebec, and Halifax, where the largest men-of-war are docked The highest military and naval authorities declare the Canadian Pacific Railway, which brings Yoko- hama within 20 days of London, and nearer by 1.000 miles than via New York, and enables naval crews, soldiers and guns to be sent from Halifax to the fortifi- cations at Esquimault in six days, to be of inestimable value to the defence of the Empire." Canada arms and trains annually about 38,000 volunteers ; maintains a small permanent force of three batteries of artillery, two troops of cavalry, and four companies of infantiy ; maintains nine military schools in the various provinces, in addition to the Royal Military College at Kingston, which has already fur- nished eighty officers who stand high in the estimation of the British Army. Canada starjds pledged to an annual expenditure of nearly 812,000,000 for I ■ i 1 ¥■ 468 VICTORIA, 11^ services vital to the defence of the Empire. Canada costs the Mother Country not a single dollar for any purpose whatever, civil, military or naval. Were Canada an integral portion of the United States, England would lose some of ihe best strategic harbors on the Atlantic and Pacific, and would require not a smaller but a larger navy. Good men on both sides of the Atlantic dream of an Anglo-American Alliance. Even the dream is commendable. But let not Britain recruit a man or build a ship the less. The desire for peace was never yet hindered by the knowledge that the party of the other part was able and ready to held its own. Isolation, however " splendid," is still isolation. In Europe, England is not loved. There is not a single important Continental State which i,s not frustrated in her ambition, outraged in her vanity, or injured in her interests by the magni- tude, the wealth, the power of the British Empire. Britain can become popular in Europe only by casting off her Colonies, sinking her Navy, refusing to take a farthing froui her creditors, and dynamiting herself into the cii'cumambient ether. The feeling of the Continent is not altoj'ether unknown inTBritain. All the C5 C.I ,:^ more do certain of her leading men dwell with satisfaction on what they take to be the substantial unity existing between the English-speaking race divided by the Atlantic. Mr. Stead suggests as a symbol to express this underlying unity the sketch reproduced below : »«^u CHAPTER XVin. The Victorian Era — Gintinued. Orders of Merit — Canadians lioMini,' Imperial Honors— Advances in Social Science — Pi'ison Reform— Electricity — Travel and Exploration. URIN'j hfci' long reign the Queen has created a considerable number of Orders ol' Mei it. The earliest of these is the Victoria Cross, a ^j military and naval Order for the reward of the highest and most unselfish valor. It was instituted in February, 1850. It is intend- ed for officers and privates alike, and is valued as the greatest earthly distinction. It is a Maltese cross, made from the iron of the cannon taken at Sebastopol ; in the centre is the crown, surmounted by the lion ; below is the scroll, " For Valour " ; on the clasp ai-e branches of laurel ; the ci'oss is suspended from it by the letter V, a red ribbon being used for the army, a blue for the navy. The decoration carries with it a pension of i?50ayear. The winner of the Victoria Cross bears after his name the letters ID.C, Since the institution of the Order 404 persons have received the decoration, one, the Rev. James W. Adams, being a regimental chaplain. In 1861, the Prince Consort devised, pnd the Queen instituted, an Order of chivalry for her new subjects in India. It is known as "The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India." The star consists of rays of gold issuing from a centre on which is a star in diamonds resting on a circular ribbon of light-blue enamel, bearing in diamonds the motto, " Heaven's light our guide." The collar is composed of the lotus of India, of palm branches tied together in saltiei-, and of the united red and white rose. In the centre is an imperial crown, and the whole is enamelled on gold. The badge is an onyx cameo of her Majesty's head, set in a perforated and ornamented oval containing the motto of the Order, sui mounted (459) THI VlCTOniA CROSS, i .1 Li 460 VICTORIA, I 'Nl, ~ by a star, all in diamonds. The ribbon of the Order is sky-blue, with a narrow stripe of white at each edge. In 18(52 her Majesty instituted, exclusively for women, the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert. In 18G6, by Royal warrant, "Albert medals" were appointed to be bestowed upon persons who endanger their lives in saving others, at sea or on shore. The medal consists of a gold oval, enamelled in dark blue, with a monogram composed of the letters V. and A. interlaced, and with a gold anchor surrounded by aga,rter in bronze, inscribed in raised letters, "For gallantry in saving life at sea"; the whole surmounted by the crown of the late Prince Con.<-ort. In 1878, her Majesty instituted the Order of the Indian Empire, to reward services rendered to her Majesty and her Indian Empire, and to commemorate the proclamation of her assumption of the title of Empress of India. This Order is exclusively for men ; the badge of the Order consists of a rose, en unelled gules, barbed vert, having in the centre her Majesty's royal effigy, within a purple ciicle, inscribed "Victoria Tmperatrix," with the word " India" on the leaves of the rose, surmounted by an Imperial crown, all gold, pendant from an ornamented gold clasp by an Imperial purple ribbon, an inch and a half in width. At the same time was instituted the Im])erial Order of the Crown of India, exclusively for women. This Order is to consist of the Sovereign, and of such Princesses of her Majesty's Royal and Imperial household, the wives and other female relatives of Princes of the Indian Empire, and other Indian ladies, and of the wives and otlier ^^ nale relatives of any of the persons who have held, or may hold, the offices k'^iceroy and Governor- General of India, Governors of Madras or Bombay, or of Principal Secretary of State for India, as the Sovereign may think fit. On St. George's Day, 1883, her Majesty instituted the Order of " The Royal Red Cross," for zeal and devotiori in providing for and nursing wounded sailors, soldiers, and others with the army, in the field, on board ship, or in hospitals. Foreigners are eligible as well as British subjects. In 1886 the Queen instituted the " Distinguished Service Order" for officers of the army and navy, for rewarding individual instances of meritorious and dis- tinguished services in war. On the 21st of April, 189G, her Majesty instituted the " Royal Victorian Order." Among the Honorary Knights Grand Cross of this Order is H.E. Li Hung Chang, t!ie man of many questions. SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 461 Imperial honors have been conferred on a number of Canadians. A list of the most important held by Canadians now living may be given. There are three Canadians in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. We have already mentioned the Rt. Hon. Lady Macdonald, of EarnsclifFe, and Lord Mount-Stephen; the third is Adolpiuis, Lord Ayhner, of Melbourne, Quebec. Lord Aylmer was born in 1814, succeeded his kinsman (Frederick William, 6th Lord) in 1848, as Lord Aylmer, Baron of Balrath, Co. Meath, in the Irish Peerage, and a Baronet of Ireland. Lord Aylmer was Colonel of the 54th "Richmond" Bat- talion of Infantry. His son, Hon. Mat- thew Aylmer, is Lieut.-Colonel and Adjutant - General of the Canadian Militia, Ottawa. The ceremony of conferring knight- hood has lost much of the ancient cere- monial and glamor. In early times it was a most elabor- ate ceremory. Fast- injj and bathing were necessary pre- paratives. The THE MOST EXALTED ORDER OF THE STAR OF INDIA. actual creation was preceded by solemn confession and a midnightvigil. The new knight ottered his sword on the churcli altar. This signified his devo- tion to the church and determination to lead a holy life. The title was con- ferred by binding thesword and spurs on the candidate, and by dealing him a blow on the cheek or shoulder, saying : " Be thou a good and faithful knight." Knight- hood, as originally instituted, was purely a military distinction. To-day it has largely lost its military character; it is freely bestowed upon persons who have distinguished themselves as states- men, diplomats, scholars, lawyers, physicians, artists, etc. Originally conferred with elaborate ceremony, the honor of knighthood in England is now bestowed by a verbal declaration, accompanied with a simple ceremony of imposition of ! ! 462 VICTORIA, ■'■I I the sword. Instances have occurred of kniyhthood havinj^ been conferred by patent, when, for good and sufficient reasons, as in the cases of governors of dis- tant colonies, or other persons occupying distinguished positions abroad, the per- sons could not appear in person. Baronet is a hereditary title. This dignity was originally instituted by King James I., in J 611. The number of baronets was restricted to 200. The honor cost each recipient over £1,000 on the passing of the patent. His successors have disregarded the restrictions as to number; while the qualifications regard- ing birth and estate have not been rigidly adhered to in later times. This dignity has been conferred on several Canadians. In 1 77o a baronetcy was conferred on Gen. Sir William Johnson, Supt.-General of Indian Aftairs in North America, undei- King George II. The title is at pre- sent held by Sir Wra. George Johnson, Bart., of St. Matthias, near Montreal, Quebec, who succeeded in 1843. In 1840 a baronetcy was conferred on Sir James Stewart, Chief Justice of Lower Canada. The title is at present held by his son, Sir Charles James Stewart, Bart., M.A., Barrister-at-Law, of London, England, who succeeded in 1853. In 18.54 a baronetcy was conferred on Sir John Beverley Robinson, C.B,, Chief Justice of Upper Canada. The title is at present held by Sir Frederick Arnold Robinson, Bart., (son of the late Sir James Lukin Robinson, Bart.,) of Toronto, who succeeded in 1894. In 1872 a baronetcy was conferred on the Rt. Hon. Sir John Rose, P.C, G.C.M G., Receiver-General of the Duchy of Cornwall. The title is now held by his son, Sir William Rose, Bart., of London, England, who succeeded in 1888. In 1888 a baronetcy was conferred on Sir Charles Tupper, Bart. Sir Charles Tupper has long lield a foremost position in Canadian political and diplomatic afiairs. He was Prime Minister of Nova Scotia from 1804 until he retired from office with his Goverrment on the Union Act coming into force in July, 1867. He was a member of the final Colonial Conference in London, to complete the terms of Union, 1866-7. He was created Commander of the Bath (civil) in 1867 ; a K.C.M.G. in 1879; a G.C.M.G. in 1886; and was finally raised to the dignity of a Baronet in 1888. :# -^ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 463 KNIGHT GRAND CROSS OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE. Hon. Sir Donald A. Smith, K.C.M.G., G.C.M.G , High Connnissioner for Can- ada .ii Josef Land and Spitzbergen, into open water (83" 14' N., 14° E.), and she arrived at Hammerfest Aug. 21st, 18915. Nansen took with him only one companion, Lieut Johannsen. After 25 days' labor these two reached 80^ 14' N., 95° E , when they found that the whole ice-pack was slowly drifting to the south, their daily progress thus hardly being more than four miles. They turned back, reached . ranz Josef Land on Aui^ust 27th, and wintered in 81° 13' N. In the spring they started with the intention of making their way over the ice to Spitzbergen, but passing near Mr. Jackson's winter quarters, they were discovered and taken home in tlie Windward. I f 476 VICTORIA, I i it i Nansoii proved tho existence of a Polar ciirront. Moreovor, ho firmlly exploded one of tho favorito delusions of Arctic authorities: they believed that tho Arctic Ocean is very fihivllow, and extremely coM throujjhout. Nansen's Houndinjjfs showed a depth everywhere ran^dng from 10,000 to 13,000 feet, and a teujpera- ture much warmer than was expected. Tho depth of tho Polar Sea has an import. Tit hearing on tho exact shape of the earth. Our globe i.s usually regarded as a sphere flattened at both poles. Dr. Nansen's discoveries prove that the flattening is much more marked at the North Pole than at the South Polo; so that* the whole globe is slightly pear- shaped. Four years after tho Queen's acce,ssi()n, tho great Niger Expedition (for which Parliament voted iS.SOO.OOO) .set out to found a colony in Ci'ntral Africa. Little or nothing was accomplished. The enterprise was relinquished owing to disease, heat and hardship. In 1845-G James Richardson explored the Grout Sahara. In 1851 he died, while travelling in Central Africa under the direction of the Foreign Office. In 18;'7 Dr. Livingstone published the story of his travels, covering a period of IG years, and extending over thousands of miles of territor}'^ hitherto unknown. In 18G.'}, Captains Spoke and Grant discovered one of the source-s of the Nile, in Lake Victoria Nyanza. Next year Sir Samuel Baker discovered Lake Albert Nyanza, supposed to be another of the sources of the Nile. In 18t)6 Dr. Livingstone published the narrative of his Zambesi expedition. In the same year he set out to continue his search for the soui-ces of the Nile. In 18G7, reports of his having been murdered reaching Kngland, an expedition under E. D. Young was c^iuipped to aseeitain the facts. In the meantime, letters arrived from Livingstone, dated March and December, 18G7, July, 18G8, and May, 18G9, disproving the reports. Then for three years nothing was heard of him. In 1872 the Royal Geogra- phical Society sent out an expedition in search of him. In the meantime, how- ever, Mr. H. M. Stanlej^ in command of the New York Herald expedition, had been fortunate enough to fall in with him at Ujiji, near Unyanembe, in Nov^em- ber, 1871. Stanley remained with the illustrious traveller till March, 1872, when he brought away his diary and other documents. In 1872 a letter from Dr. Living- stone appeared, describing his explorations, his painful journey to Ujiji to meet :jixty years a queen. 477 Stanley ; his exploration of GOO of the 700 miles of watershed in Central Africa ; the convergence of the watershed first into four and then into two mighty rivers in the great Nile Valley. In May, 1873, the great traveller and Christian missionary died of dysentery, at Ilala. There his heart was interred beneath the shadow of a mighty tree, on whose stem a suitable inscription was carved. His bones were laid in Westmin- ster Abbey, with all the marks of honor that a sorrowing nation coi.ld exhibit. After leaving Livingstone, Stanley surveyed Lakes Victoria Nyanza, and Tan- ganyika, and crossed the continent from east to west. In 187y-80 he returned to Africa with an international Belgian expedition, explored the Congo, and established a trade route with four stations. Since then the facilities for travel have increased so enormously that the ordinary holiday-maker can now visit districts far in the interior, the discovery of which has made the fame of an explorer. A journey across the continent has cea.sed to bo an event. During 1896 three expeditions setting out from Zanzibar or the lower Zambesi have arrived at the mouth of the Congo. In 1806 the Niger was for the first time descended from Timbuctoo to its mouth, by French explorers ; the country to the north of the Zambesi has been visited ; our knowledge of Nyassaland and of British Central Africa has been ex- tended, and recent military expeditions have made us more familiar with Uganda and Unyoro. Northern Somaliland is annually attracting a number of sports- men and others, whose work is steadily increasing our geograjihical knowledge of that region. During the last sixty years Africa has surrendered most of her great secrets so jealously guarded for ages In Canada the North-West territories still offer an enticing field to the ex- plorer. Almost unknown are the resources of the vast region extending from the Saskatchewan to the Arctic Ocean, embracing an area of more than a nnllion square miles. Within this region, in addition to numberless iake.s, there are nearly three thousand miles of navigable rivers. More than three hundred thousand square miles are suitable for wheat growing. A million square miles afford excellent pasturage. The mineral wealth is very varied — gold, silver, iron, copper, coal, petroleum, salt and all kinds of earthy minerals abound. Intimately connected with the development of these vast resources is the i.avigability of Hudson's Bay. This route, if practicable, will be the shortest and, in time of war, the safest outlet for the yearly increasing food products of iff 478 VICTORIA, the North- West. It may be that the great problem of feeding Great Britain both in peace and war will yet be solved by the Dominion of Canada. .i I 1^ The Armenian atrocities have already been referred to. The attention ot Europe has recently been diverted from Armenia to another portion of the Otto- man Empire — the Island of Crete. Theru an insurrection against Turkish mis- rule broke out. Bloodshed, incendiarism and outrage — the trinity of hell — reigned for a time supreme. Greece sent a military force to support the Chris- tians against the Mohammedans. The Great Powers intervened in the interest of European peace. The outcome will px'obably be autonomy for Crete under some governor approved by the Powers, furnished with sufficient force to keep the peace between the warring factions on the Island. SULTAN ABDUL HAMIl) IL CHAPTER XIX. The Victorian Era — Continued. Science, Literature and Art — Locil Kelvin — The Origin of Species — Carlyle— Macaulay — Tennyson — Browning— Art and Artists. ^HE Victorian Era has been an intensely'- practical era. Its inventors and engineers have triumphantly ha.rnes3eil the forces of Nature to the products of their brains and hands, compelling the rising tides and the leaping cataracts to turn the wheels of industry. The Vic- torian students of Nature have solved problems hitherto pronounced in- soluble. Sixty years ago who would have deemed it within the limits of possibility to weigh the fixed stars and to analyze the composition of the sun ? These are but two of the astounding feats accomplished during Victoria's reign. In the progress of science the present age has no equal. Solid and lasting fame has been won by Darwin, Lyell, Bunsen, Tyndal, Huxley and Wallace. But since Sir Isaac Newton no man has done so much, so well, in so many directions, for the advance of scientific knowledge as William Thomson, Lord Kelvin. Thomson was born in Belfast in 1824. At the age of ten he entered the University of Glasgow, where his father held the professorship of Mathematics. When seventeen years old he went up to Cambridge. There he graduated, was elected Fellow of his College, and shortly aftei-wards Professor of Natural Philo- sophy in Glasgow University. Even as an undergraduate he had published original and valuable contributions to mathematical and phy.sical science. He posses.sed in a high degree the rare faculty of employing mathematical facts and figures as a means of solving the most intricate problems of natural science. In 1834 he established his now well-known and important law of retardation, " the law of square.s." This means that if a .signal in a certain submarine cable occupies, say, one second in transmission, the signal in a similar cable two or three times longer will take not two or throe seconds, but those numbers multi- plied by themselves, (2x2 = 4) and (3x3 = 9) or, as is said, the squares of those numbers, four seconds or nine seconds. (479) f ITT 1 ■I 111 'i 1 1 5 480 VICTORIA, The Atlantic Cable was ,at this time being projected ; the law of retarda- tion interposed an insurmountable obstacle to its proving a commercial success. Thomson, however, not only devised a method of overcoming the retardation, he actually made it subservient to his purpose. This was effected by a very sensi- tive instru'ment, known as the mirror galvanometer. Twenty years later he invent- ed a still more delicate instrument named the siphon recorder, now in use for recordinor cable messas:es all the world over. While still a student at Cambridge, Lord Kelvin had formed definite opinions relating to the age of the earth, and the condition ot its interior. From time to time during the last fifty years he has published the results of his investigations on this subject. The unrivalled combination in him of mathematical skill, insight into physical facts and laws, and the power of educing further informa- tion from well planned and carefully executed laboratory experiments, has en- abled him to arrive at the conclusion, now universally adopted, that the earth is not a mere shell with a fluid interior, but 1 , on the whole or in great part solid. Lord Kelvin has also demonstrated the erroneousness of the " doctrine of uniformity " held by geologists and biologists thirty years ago. He has brought down the age of the earth, or geological time, from the illimitable periods of earlier teachers, to a period of between twenty and one hundred millions of years. His investigations into the sources of the sun's heat have established the theory that it originated in the coalition of small bodies to form the present mass. With regard to the (]ues*^'on of the diminution of the sun's heat, Lord Kelvin has come to the comforting conclusion that the sun will be able to give light and heat under the present conditions for the next ten million years. The late Sir William Siemens and Lord Kelvin were the first to suggest the conversion of the enormous forces of Niagara Falls into electric energy. The method adopted, and now in successful use, is Lord Kelvin's. The subject of " the origin of life " on the earth has been much discussed in recent years. Darwin, Huxley and Wallace favored the view of the " origin of species by natural selection." To this Lord Kelvin opposed the argument from "design." Tracing the physical history of the earth backwards, he brings us to a red-hot melted globe on which no life could exist ; hence, when the earth was first fit for life, there was no living thing on it. Reasoning from observed facts of lava streams cooling and solidifying, and of volcanic islands rising from the sea, and yet both in a few years found teeming with vegetable and animal life SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 481 whose beginnings must be accounted for by the transportation thither of the neces.3ary seed and ova by the agency of the wind or the migration of living creatures, he advances the h3'pothesis that vegetable life originated on the earth through the arrival of " moss-grown fragments from the ruin of another world " ; for we know that every year many thousands of fragments of solid substances fall upon the earth from space. He holds firmly to the belief that through all space and through all time " life proceeds from life and from nothing but life." At the meeting of the British Association at Oxford, three years ago, the Mar- quis of Salisbury brought his presidential address to a close with a quotation from the concluding sentences of Lord Kelvin's address from the same chair in 1871 : "I have always felt that the hypothesis of 'natural selection' does not contain the true theory of evolution, if evolution there has been in biology. I feel profoundly convinced that the argument of design has been greatly too much lost sight of in recent speculations. Overpoweringly strong proofs of intelligent and benevolent design lie around us, and if ever perplexities, whether metaphy- sical or scientific, turn us away from them for a time, they come back upon us with irresistible force, showing to us, through nature, the influence of a free-will, and teaching us that all living things depend on one Almighty Creator and Ruler." Men of science have claimed the Victorian Era for their own. Yet neither literature nor art will allow themselves to be ignored as pv^tent factors in the achievements of the last sixty years. Literature under Queen Victoria recovered the Elizabethan magic and passion, the Elizabethan music of language, and a more than Elizabethan sense of the beauty and complexity of nature. When the Queen came to the throne, Sir Walter Scott, the restorer of loyalty to the past, was not long dead ; Southey, the voluminous, had ceased at last to write ; Wordsworth, Poet Laureate, was to linger a few years longer, and Pipe a simple song for thinking hearts. Campbell, best known and best remembered for his short lyrics glowing with passionate and fiery eloquence, was still enjoying his modest pension. Thomas Moore, Ireland's one great poet, had sung the last of his " Irish Melodies," and had lapsed into silence awaiting the end. Walter Savage Landor was still hold- ing " Imaginary Conversations " with the departed great. De Quincy was dis- EB ' ' : JT \f 482 VICTORIA, cussing philosophy, poetry, classics, history, politics — everything, with majestic rhythm and elaborate eloquence. It was in 1837 that Thomas Carlyle's " French Revolution " appeared. Here then is the first great name of the distinctively Victorian age of literature. His first original work " Sartor Resartus," (" The Tailor Repatched ") appeared in 1834. Many have found it fruitful in suggestiveness. In 1845 his " Cromwell's Letters and Speeches" was published. In 1865 he completed his "History of Frederick the Great." He died in London February 5th., 1881. Egoistic as Carlyle may have been as a man and a husband, as an artist he was impeccable. He yielded neither to the temptations of gold nor of shoddy-work. His energy was herculean, his labor supremely conscientious ; his perseverance equalled his genius. No modern writer possesses such a wealth of figurative language. His works are full of the pithiest and most memorable sayings. " Genius is an immense capacity for taking pains." " Do the duty which lies nearest thee ! Thy second duty will already have become clearer." " To the blind all things are sudden." " Whoever is not a hammer must be an anvil." " The beggarliest truth is better than the royalest lie." "Wisdom is folly which is wise only behind-hand." " Democracy is government by bliiidman's-bufF." It was his essay on Milton, written for the Edinburgh Review in 1825, that brought into notice Thomas Babington Macaulay. In 1842 appeared his " Lays of Ancient Rone," not to detect the "pinchbeck" in which, is — according to Matthew Arnold — the sign of a grovelling nature. His greatest work is^his " History of England from the Accession of James II." In 1857 he was raised to the peerage with the title of Baron Macaulay oi' Rothley — the first literary man ever called to the House of Lords. He died in 1859. Emerson's impression of him is worth recalling : " Macaulay is the King of diners out. I do not know where I have seen such wonderful vivacity. He has the strength of ten men, immense memory, fun, fire, learning, politics, manners and pride, and talks all the time in a steady torrent." Sydney Smith called him " a book in breeches." Macaulay is an advocate rather than a historian, but he is eminently readable. His love of antithesis often betrays him into exaggeration. When he argues — and when does he not ? — it is for victory rather than for truth. When Wordsworth died, in 1850, Alfred Tennyson was appointed Poet-Laure- ate. Tennyson was born at Somersby, in Lincolnshire, in thu year 1809. In 1829 he won the Chancellor's medal for English verse at the University of Cam- ttfll i te^ SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 483 Here e. His bridge. In 1830 he published his first volume " Poems, chiefly Lyrical." " The Princess " appeared in 1847 ; " In Memoriam " in 1850 ; " Maud " in 1855 ; " Idylls of the King" in 1859-73, Tennyson is also the author of several dramas. In 18«2 he was created Baron Tennyson, and called to the House of Lords. He died in 1892. Writing in 1848 Emerson says : " I saw Tennyson first at the house of Coven- try Patmore, where we dined together. I was contented with him at once. He is tall and scholastic-looking, no dandy, but a great deal of plain strength about him, and, though cultivated, quite unaffected. Quiet, sluggish strength and thought; refined, as all English are, and good-humored. There is in him an air of general superiority that is very satisfactory. . . . Carlyle thinks him the best man in England to smoke a pipe with, and used to see him much; had a place in his little garden, on the wall, where Tennyson's pipe is laid up." Thackeray said of him " He is the wisest man I know." Froude saj^s : " The best and bravest of my own contemporaries deterniiried to have done with insin- cerity, to find ground under their feet, to let the uncertain remain uncertain, but to learn how much and what we could honestly regard as true, and believe and live by it. Tennyson became the voice of this feeling in poetry ; Carlyle in what is called prose." In the union of art and nature, in the creation of an all-pervading, all-absorb- ing atmosphere, Tennyson yields to none. Milton exce[)ted, we have had no other so emphatically a master of the music of words — words rich in meaning — since Shakespeare. The music and the meaning in his lines are more than interwoven, they are interfused ; and so perfect is the fusion that at the least touch of an altering hand the play of irridescent evanescences is over, the charm has vanished. Tennyson is distinctively the poet of the English race, as Moore is of the Irish, as Burns is of the Scottish. Byron misrepiesented British emotion and senti- ment ; he charmed Europe with incorrect ideas of British feeling. His hot- house romanticism is more Italian or French than Saxon. Tennyson represents the slow, deep feeling of his race, its sorrows and its joys. No French poet could have written " In Memoriam." The sorrow it expresses is "fundamentally British. It is not the grief which cries for a time, then wipes its eyes and for- gets, but the sorrow that, like a river in its course, only deepens its channel in the passing years. There is passion in Tennyson, but passion dominated by common sense. In no way could a foreigner get to understand the spirit of the British people better than by making a close study of Tenny.son's j)oems. w ^ 484 VICTORIA, I I Robert Browning was born in London in the year 1812. His earliest poem, " Pauline," was published in 1833; his latest, "Dramatic Romances," in 1888. He died December 12, 1889. Too much stress has been laid upon certain obscur- ities in the style of Browning. A few unwise worshippers at the shrine of this great poet have gone to the other extreme, asserting that his volumes will teach religion better than all the theologies in the world, brazenly proposing that Browning .«»hall supersede the Bible. " Browning," says one who knew him well, "was an unostentatious, keen, active men of the world, one who never failed to give good, practical advice in matters of business and conduct, one who loved his friends, but certainly hated his enemies ; a man alive in every eager, passion- ate nerve of him ; a man who loved to discuss people and affairs, and a bit of a gossip, a bit of a partisan, too, and not without his humorous prejudices. He was simple to a high degree, simple in his scrupulous dress, his loud, happy voice, his insatiable curiosity." It was not his poetry as poetry, not his intellectual vigor, his dramatic power, his learning, by which he took strongest hold. It was the spirit of Browning, his wholesomeness, his completeness of ideal, his prophetic view of things, his energizing touch, which drew to him so large a company of devoted admirers. The wisest of these followers were willing to acknowledge that frequently they could not understand him, that too often he wrote what seemed sheer follv. They confessed his metre defective, his choice of subjects intolerable, his use of his vast knowled-^e barbaric ; but they found in him a great teacher, a deep and tender human spirit, which saw farther than they. Browning never had the blues. According to his theory the world is not for despair, time is to be used, joy is to be tasted, hope is to be indulged, sorrow is to be met with manliness, all things are to work together for good. Always with him, God's in His heaven — All's right with the world. Comparing these two great poets, we find that Tennyson represents the real- istic aspect, Browning the ideal. To some the faith that battles with doubts and triumphs may seem the noblest. To others, the faith that dwells in serene peace may seem the most exalted. Why need we seek to give one or the other such a pre-eminence ? Each had his special work and each performed it nobly. Together they presented the SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 485 hitjher life in its fulness. Together they did that which no singer could have accomplished. It says much for the vitality of the national creed that the only two poets of our time worth serious consideration should not only have regarded it with a reverence so profound and scrupulous, but should have labored so anxiously to uphold it, to illustrate and interpret its truth, its beauty and its efficacy. Swinburne, Rosetti, Marston, have widened the bounds of song. They have created new musio in English verse. They have enlarged the instrument of ex- pression. In ethical tendency their works are unsatisfactory. William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta, in the year 1811. The son of a gentleman high in the service of the East India Company, he was sent to England to be educated. Painting was the profession he at first chose ; and he studied art both in France and Germany. At the age of twenty-nine he took to literary work. Under the name of Michael Angelo Titmarsh he contributed many pleasant articles to " Eraser's Magazine." " Vanity Fair," his first serial novel, was published in 1847. Perhaps his greatest work is the " History of Henry Esmond " — a work written in (he style and language of the days of Queen Anne. He died in the year 18G3. Charlotte Bronte admirably sums up Thackeray's qualities as a writer : " The more I read Thackeray's works the more certain I am that he stands alone — alone in his sagacity, alone in his truth, alone in his feeling (his feeling, though he makes no noise about it, is the most genuine that ever lived in printed page), alone in his power, alone in his simplicity, alone in his self-control. Thackeray is a Titan so strong that he can afford to perform with calm' the most herculean feats. There is the charm of majesty and repose in his greatest efforts. He bor- rows nothing from fever, his is never the energy of delirium, his energy is strong energy, thoughtful energy. The last number of 'Vanity Fair' proves this pecu- liariy. Forcioly exciting in its force, still more impressive than exciting, carry- ing on the interest of' the narrative in a flow desp, full, it is still quiet — as quiet as reflection, as quiet as memory, and to me thtre are parts of it that sound as solemn as an oracle. Thackeray is never borne away by his own ardor, and he has it under control, his genius obeys him, it is his servant, it works in fantastic changes at his will. Thackeray is unique. I can say no more — I will say no less." Charles Dickens was born at Portsmouth, in the year 1812. At the only school i 486 VICTORIA, ■• . he attended "the boys trained white mice better than the master trained the boys." His real education conMJsted in his eager perusal of miscellaneous litera- ture. The jirofession of reporter took his fancy ; by the time he was nine- teen he had made himself the quickest and most accurate reporter in the gallery of the House of Commons. His first work, " Sketches by Boz," was published in 1836. In 18.37, appeared the " Pickwick Papers;" in 1838, " Oliver Twist " and " Nicholas Nickleby." His last work, "The Mystery ot Edwin Drood," was left unfinished. He died in the year 1870, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. "Pickwick Papers" at once lifted Dickens to the foremost place in popular favor. Carlyle wrote in a letter to a friend : " An archdeacon, with his own ven- erable lips, repeated to me the other night a strange, profane story of a solemn clergyman who had been administering ghostly consolation to a sick person. Having finished satisfactorily, as he thought, and got out of the room, he heard the sick person ejaculate: ' Well, thank God ! "Pickwick" will be out in ten days, any way ! ' This is dreadful !" As proof of the popularity of "Pickwick," the fact may be recorded that the binder prepared 400 copies of Part I. ; of Part XV. his order was for more than 40,000. Daniel Webster said of him : " Dickens has done more to better the condition of the English poor than all the stattsmen Great Britain has ever sent to the English Parlian\ent." The lesser poets, novelists, historians, and philo,sophical and political writeis must be passed by unnoticed, even unnamed. There is one name, however, which cannot be overlooked — the name of Rudyard Kipling — not because he has the least claim to rival the great authors of the Victorian age, but because he is the Laureate of Greater Britain. The society of " Imperial Federation " comprises a number of august personages. It may be doubted whether it has accomplished anything like so much for its purpose as the poems of Rudyard Kipliiii^, He began to labor at it long ago in " The Widow at Windsor," in the Atkins dialect. He made a more express contribution to it in "The English Flag." In his latest volume, " The Seven Seas," he returns to the subject again and again. In the lives of most British men and women Art is not an essential. It does not appeal to the people of Great Britain as a whole. The national spirit not SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 487 being in sympathy with it, the Victorian age has not produced an Art corres- ponding to its marvellous advance in science, in culture, in^ civilization. Yet, this period has not been wanting in painters of genius. During the early years of the Queen's reign, jjainting, it must be confessed, sank to a low ebb. Constable had died in 18.'}7, and although Turner lived till 1851, his best work was done. Most of the other painters who stood high in public opinion, Etty and Stanfield, Mulready and Leslie, belonged to the "old school ;" were survivals from the Georgian age. Their ideals were those of another day. With the exception of Stanfield, whose "Tilbury Fort" was exhibited in 1844, they had already painted the pictures which made their repu- tation, and were content with repeating former conceptions with more or less variety. Such artists as Maclise, Cope and Ward, who lived until comparatively recent years, served but to prolong the old style of historical genre painting in a feeble manner. Except in one or two rare instances they did not rise above mediocrit}'. A far more yifted master, William Dyce, was forced to give up his profession for years for want of patronage, and when at length he found a fair field for his powers in the frescoes of Westminster Palace, it was too late in the day for him to obtain the high place his genius might have won. In this stagnant condition of art the one branch of painting which floui-ished was water color. In tho first years of Queen Victoria's reign this peculiarly Brit- ish form of art reached high excellence. Wonderful, indeed, is the skill and the variety displayed in the Eastern scenes of John Lewis and William Miller ; in the ruined abbeys and the cathedral portals of Prout and Roberts ; in the ripening harvest-fields and the gorgeous sunsets of Palmer, and of Linnell ; in the Arcadian land.>i SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. 495 fastly adhered to, and skilfully carried out under successive administrations, with- out ever straining the strictest rules of the Constitution. In pursuit of this policy the Queen has spared no pains, shrunk from no sacrifice. She has gather- ed from the greatest men of the Empire the fruit of their ripe experience. She knows her Colonies better than the jewels in her crown. No question can arise respecting them on which she is not better informed than any Minister of the day can be. At last she has the supreme satisfaction of knowing that her Imperial instincts are shared by all her people ; her Imperial policy has become the policy of the Empire. Therefore because so much of the social and material progress of the past sixty years, because so much of tlie spirit of unity throughout the Empire, is due to the impulse from the Throne, we say once again, as our closing words, (5ot) Save the iSiueen ! GOVERNORS-GENERAL OF CANADA SINCE CONFEDERATION. 1. Viscount Monck July 1, 1867 to Nov. 13, 1868. 2. Lord Lisgar (Sir John Young) Dec. 29, 18(38 to June 21, 1872. 3. Earl of Dufferin June 25, 1872 to Nov. 14, 1878. 4. Marquis of Lome. Nov. 25, 1878 to Oct. 21, 1883. 5. Marquis of Lansdowne Oct. 23, 1883 to May 30, 1888. 6. Lord Stanley of Preston, ) ^ , , /^ , ,^^ , \ June 11, 1888 to Sept. 6, 1893. afterwards Earl ot Derby J 7. Sari of Aberdeen Sept. 25, 1893 to PRIME MINISTERS OF CANADA SINCE CONFEDERATION. 1. Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald July 1, 1867 to Nov. 6, 1873. 2. Hon. Alex. Mackenzie Nov. 7, 1873 to Oct. 16, 1878. 3. Rt.-Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald Oct. 17, 1878 to June 6, 1891. 4. Hon. 3ir John J. C. Abbott June 16, 1891 to Nov. 24, 1892. 5. Rt.-Hori. Sir John S. D. Thomp.son Dec. 5, 1892 to Dec. 12, 1894. 6. Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell Dec. 21, 1894 to April 26, 1896. 7. Hon. Sir Charles Tupper April 27, 1896 to July 8, 1896. 8. Hon. Wilfrid Laurier July 13, 1896 to 496 VICTORIA, 'ft ■ti IDictoria— tbe (Breat— an& (Boob! BY HELEN MARIAN BUKNSIDE. Queen and Empress — with acclaim About thy throne thy people throng, To honor thy beloved name — May God thy " Diamond Reign " prolong ! How nobly hast thou borne thy part — How wisely ruled us, and how well Wrought for thine Empire — hand and heart- These sixty bygone years can tell ! These sixty years ! — a golden age — Thou in the nation's midst hath stood, And traced thy name on History's page — Victoi-ia — the Great — and Good ! m r^-i- INDEX. A. Abbott,»Sir J. J. C, 419 ; portrait, 429. Aberdeen, Earl of, British Prime Minister, his administration, 32C ; portrait, 87. Aberdeen, Earl of, Governor-Ueneral of Can- ada, 424 ; portrait, 125. Abyssinian Campaign of 1867, 244-247. Afghanistan, The Campaign of 1842, 2a7 ; of 1879, 240 ; the battle of Maiwand, 241 ; Nasrulluh Khan in London, .309. Africa, British Colonies in, 164. African Exploration, 476. Alabama Claims, 72. Albany, Duke of, birth, 61 ; marriage, 381 ; death, 382 ; portrait, 381. Albert, Prince Consort, courtship and mar- riage, 50 ; portrait, 55 ; his character, 58, 81 ; illness and death, 178 ; memorials, 189; views of memorials, 183, 187. Albert Edward. See Wales, Prince of. Albert Medals, 460 ; design, 467. Albert Victor, Prince, his death, 371. Alfred, Prince. See Edinburgh, Duke of. Alice Maud Mary, Princess, birth, 61 ; mar- riage, 364 ; portrait, 367 ; death, 225. Anglo-American Alliance, suggested symbol, 458. Anglo-German Agreement, Africa, 412. Anti-Corn Law League, 66. Arbitration, 289 ; Alabama Claims, 72 ; Ash- burton Treaty, 69 ; Treaty between Great Britain and United States, 436. Arctic exploration, 474. Armenian ati-ocities, 432, 436. Armies of Europe, 453. Art in Victorian era, 486. Arthur, Prince See Connaught, Duke of. Ashantee expedition of 1873, 170 ; of 1895, 284. Ashburton Treaty, (j9. Assassination, attempts at, on the Queen, 78. Australasia, 142, 445 ; portraits of Premier of Queensland, 147 ; of South Australia, 147 ; of Tasmania, 149 ; of West Australia, 149. Australian Federation, 152, 416. B. Balfour, Arthur James, 356, 434. Ballot, first election by, 348. Baronets, 462. Battenberg, Prince Henry of, marriage, 384 ; portrait, 383. Beaconsfield, Earl of, his administration, 332, 342 ; on Sir Robert Peel, 317 ; portrait, 333. Beatrice, Princess, birth, 61 ; marriage, 384 ; portrait. 384. Beciiuanaland, 166. Belfast, engraving, 400. Berlin, Treaty of, 339. Blackie, John Stuart, founds Celtic Chair, 358 ; on Ireland, 348. Bowell,Sir Mackenzie, 430, 443 ; portrait, 43L Bright, John, 66 ; portrait, 69. Britain and her Colonies, 91. British Army, 463 ; abolition of purchase in, 345. British Colonies in Africa, 154. Empire, compatisons of territory and population 445. British Navy, 454. South Africa Company, 108, 410. Brown, Hon. George, 423. Browning, Robert, 484. Bulgarian atrocities, 337. C. Canada and the hereditary monarchy, 491 ; Confederation in, 103 ; description, re- sources, 91 ; Fenian Raids, 100 ; Import- ant events, 108 ; North- West Rebellion, 102, 279 ; North- West Mounted Police, 102, 413 ; Prince of Wales' visit in I860, 192, 213 ; Rebellion of 1837, 94 ; Rebellion losses riot, 108. Canada's Own Corps, the 100th R.C.R., 286. Canadian Baronets, 462. Humane Society, 359. Pacific Railway, 111, 419. Candahar, 243. Canrobert, General, on British valor, 263. Cape Colony, Africa, 154. Carlyle, Thomas, 482. "Caroline" Affair, 95. Catholic Emancipation. See Roman Catholic Emancipation. Cawnporo, 128 ; the dreadful massacre, 132. Celtic Chair, founded l)y Mr. Blackie, 358. Cetywayo, the Zulu King, 158. Chamberlain, Joseph, 355 ; on relations with United States, 434 ; on the Diamond Jubi- lee, 93 ; portrait, 357. Cliancery, reform in, 466. Chartist agitation, 64. Cihina, the Opium War, 275-279 ; Japan War, 430. Clergy Reserves abolished, 109. Cobden, Richard, 66 ; national subscription to, 316 ; portrait, 65. Colonial and Indian Exhibition, 174. possessions, 91, FF (497) -:f\ 4d8 INDEX. Colenso, Bishop ]59. Connaught, Duke of, birth, 61 ; marriage, 379 ; with the Egyptian expedition, 379 ; portrait, 379. Corn Laws repeal of, 60, 316. Coronation Day, poem, 46. Cretan disturbance, 478. Crimean War. 248 ; the Battle of the Alma, 253 ; of Balaklava, with the charge of the Scots Greys, 254 ; charge of tlie Light Bri- gade, 2."i6 ; the Battle of Inkirman, 258 ; end of the war, 262 ; Mr. Roebuck's motion of censure, 327 ; Lord Aberdeen on, 328 ; Lord Palmerston on, 327 ; Lord John Russell on. 3j3 3li7. Croker, on Queen's ^ isit to Ireland, 318. Crystal Pahice, London, engraving, 395. D. Denison, Col. Fred C, 103. Derby, Earl of, hi,s administration, 324 ; por- trait, 325 Diamond Mining in Africa, 168, 422. Dickens, Charles, 486. Disestablishment in Ireland, 347- Disraeli, Benjamin. See Beaconsfield, Earl of. Phoenix Park, Dublin, engraving, 351. Dufferin, Lord, on Canada, 94 ; portrait, 437. Durham Letter, 318. E. East India Company, dissolved, 140. Edinburgh. Duke of, birth, 61 ; marriage, 372 ; with Mexican expedition, 373 , visit to Sydney, 144 ; reception on return from Au.stralia, 374 ; portrait, 373. Edinburgh, Exhibition at, 411 ; view of, 79 ; view of Ca tie, 411 ; view of Holyrood Palace, 83, 228. Egypt, British rule in, 411 ; revolution of J 881, 264 ; bombardment of Alexandria, 265; Tel-el- Kebir, 206. Elgin, Lord, 108, 109, Electricity, 472. P. Fenian Raids, 100. Fife, Duke of, a singular distinction, 372. Final survey of Victorian era, 491. Fisheries Commission, 408, 409. France, relations with Britain, 66 ; treaty with, 423. Frederick III., of Prussia, 364. Frederick William IV., of Prussia, 291. French Commercial Treaty, 423. Frere, Sir Bartle, 154. Forster, Rt. Hon. W. E., on Canada, 92. Q. George, Prince. See York, Duke of. German Empeior intrigues with Paul Kruger, 442. Gladstone, W. E., his administration, 342- 354 ; portrait. 343. Gordon, General. See under Soudan. Governors-General of Canada, 495. Great, Britain, General Arbitration Treaty with U.S.. 4.36. Great Seal of Great Britain, engraving, 29. Greater Britain in Australasia, 142. Grecian War with Turkey, 478. Group of native Indian soldiers, engraving, 115 Guard at Whitehall, The, engraving, 391. Gzowski, Sir C. S., portrait, 397. Helena, Princess, birth, 61 ; marriage, 375. Hereditary Monarchy, thoughts on, 493. Hesse- Darmstadt, Prince Louis of, 364. Hodson, of Hodson's Horse, 123. Hook (Dean of Chichester), 63. Horrors of war, 286. Horse Guards, Whitehall, engraving, 229. Houses of Parliament, London, engraving, 63. Hudson's Bay Company, its transfer, 102. Imj)erial Federation, 414 ; Australian Colonies, 162 ; Kipling on, 486 ; Sir George Baden Powell on, 176 ; source of the Imperialists' nassion, 494 Imperial defence, 46. Institute, 174. Order of the Crown of India, 460 ; design, 465. India, Britain's beneficent rule, 112 ; Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, 114 ; Cawnpore, 128 ; the dreadful massacre, 132 ; Memorial Well, Cawnpore, engraving, 135 ; Nana Sahib, engravins^, 121 ; Prince of Wales' Visit in 1876, 216-225 ; Queen proclaimed Empress, 140. Indian and Colonial Exhibition, 174. Indians, Chippewas visit the Queen, 77 ; of Canada, 413 ; of United States, 414. Insane, treatment of, 466. Ireland, 318, 320, 347, 412. Jameson raid, 438. Japan-China War, 430. Jesuits Estates Bill, 409. Jingo, origin of the term, 338. Jubilee of 1887, 387 407. Jubilee (Diamond) of 1897, decided on, 446. K. Kandahar See Candahar, Kars, defence of, by Sir Fenwick Williams, 263. '*f'*i4>«p!M*H>mn INDEX. 499 Kensington Palace, engraving, 19, Kent, Duke of, 18 ; portrait, '^li. Duchess of, I'J ; portrait, 25. Kipling, R., 486. Knighthood, 461. Kossuth, Louis, visits England, 330. Kruger, Paul. Sec Transvaal. L. Laurier, Hon. Wilfrid, 108, 443 ; portrait, 433. Lansdowne, Lord, portrait . 447. Leopold, King of the B' Igians, 290. Leopold, Prince. See Albany, Duke of. Li Hung Chang, 443. Lincoln judgment, 412. Literature in Victorian era, 481. Livingston, David, 476 ; portrait, 273. London Bridge, engraving, 75. Lome, Marquis of, 370-377; portrait. 441. Marchioness of. See Louise, Princess. Louise, Princess birth, 61 ; marriage, 376. Louis Phillippe, 66, 29(j. Louis Napoleon, Prince, 1£9. M. Macaulay. Lord, 162, 329, 482. Macdonald, Sir John A. , 105, 416 ; portrait, 103. Macdonald, Baroness, 417. Mc(i!ee, Thos. D'Arcy, 106. McKenzie, Hon. Alex., 423 ; portrait, 105. Mackenzie, W, Lyon, 94. Mahdi, The, portrait, 271. Manning. Cardinal at .Jubilee service, 398. Maoris of New Zealand, 188. Melbourne, Viscount, his administration, 312 ; portrait, 175 Mendelssohn, 30O. ?/Iexican Expedition of 1861, 373. Middletoii Major-(ien. Sir F , portrait, 280. Midlothian Campaigns of Gladstone, 349. Morris, Lewis, Jubilee poem, 404. Morris, W. O'Connor, on Queen's visit to Ire- land, 88. Mount-Stephen, Lord, 419 ; portrait, 420. Mowat, Hon. Sir 0., lOV ; portrait, 109. N. Nansen's latest expedition, 475. Napoleon III , Emperor, visits England, 295. Newcastle, Duke of, 323. Programme, 414. New South Wales, 142 ; portrait of Premier Reid. 145. New Zealand, 147. Nightingale Florence, 262 ; portrait, 263. Nursing in the Crimean War, 262. O'Oonnell. Daniel, 318-333 ; monument, 321. Order of the Indian Empire, 460 ; design, 467. Order of the Star of India, 469 ; design, 461. Orders of Merit, 459. Oregon or western boundary dispute, 70. Oronhyatekha. portrait 209. Osborne House, Isle of Wight, engraving, 291. OShea, John A., on the Irish Question, 348. Oxford Movement, 450. Palmerston, Lord, his administration, 328- 332 ; on the " Caroline " aflair, 98 ; por- trait, 97. Papine.iu, Loui» J., 94. Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, engraving, 201. Paujierism, 448. Peel. Ministry of, 1841, engraving, 31. Peel, Sir Robert, his administration, 314 ; the "Bedchamber Plot," 62. People's Palace, London, 389. Persia, Shah visit" England, 299. Premiers of Canada, 495. Princess Hoyal, birth of, 60 ; marriage, 362 ; wooing of the Princess Royal, engraving, ^63. Prisons and Prisoners, 467. Prohibition, 452. B. 99. 365 Raikes, Mr., on the " Caroline" affair, Railways, 469. Reform Bill of 1832, 64. Rhodes, Cecil, 443 ; portrait, 163. Riel, Louis 102, 42U-2. Roberts of Kandahar. Lord, 240, 243. Roman Catholic Enancipation. 314. Rosebery, Lord, his administration, portrait, 355. Rotten Row, London, engraving, 393, Royal Grandchildren, 385. t)rder of Victoria and Albert, 460, 463. Royal Red Cross, 460. Victorian Order, 460. Royal visits made by the Queen, 82. Russell. Lord .John his administration, 317 ; the Trent affair, 71 ; portrait, 319. Russia and Afghani-tan, 236. A eximder II., 299 ; Nicholas, 294 ; portrait, 253, s. St. George's Chapel, Windsor, engraving, 179. St. Paul's Cathedral, London, engraving, 235. Salisbury, Marquis of, first ministry. 3t0 ; second, 361 ; third, 355 ; on Imperial Fed- eration, 416 ; portrait, 337. Sanford, Senator, 428. / 500 INDEX. Schleswig-Holatein, Prince Christian of, 375. Science in Victorian era, 479. *' Shenandoah," case of, 72. Smith, Goldwin. on the Treaty of 1854, 110. South African Republic. See Transvaal. Soudan. Gordon in the Soudan, 268 ; the battle of El-Teb, 269 : of Tamanieb, 269 ; Gordon at Khartoum, 270 ; the relief expe- dition, 271 ; Gordon's death, 272 ; portrait, 269 ; the Au.stralian contingent, 146 ; Can- adian voyageurs, 103. Stanley, H. M., 476 ; portrait, 412. Suez Canal, shares purchased by British Gov- ernment, 337. T. Taylor, Sir Henry, on Canada, 92. Telegraphy, 472. Temperance movement, 452. Tennyson, Lord, 482. Thackeray, W. M., 48.5. Thames Embankment, London, engraving, •305. Thompson, Sir John, 426 ; portrait, 427. Tom Thumb visits the Queen, 302. Tower of London, engraving, 387. Trafalgar Square. London, engraving, 301. •' Tracts for the Times," 450. " Trent " affair, 70, 111. Transvaal, South Africa, annexed, 157 ; the Boer rebellion of 1881 ; independence of the Boers recognized, 162 ; English vera- city at a discount, 166 ; the German Em- peror intrigues with Paul Kruger : Great Britain objects. 442 ; Jamieson raid, 438 ; Kruger's astuteness as a politician, 167 ; portrait, 439. Tupper, Sir 0., 428, 443, 457 ; portrait, 173. Turkey. Abdul Aziz, Sultan, 298 ; portrait, 298 ; Abdul Hamid, II. ; [portrait, 478 ; War with Greece, 478. U. United States. Alabama Claims, 72 ; Ash- bur^ on Treaty, 69 ; The " Caroline " affair, 96 ; Arbitration Treaty with Great Britain, 436 ; Lord Beaconsfield on Civil War, 341 ; Oregon boundary dispute, 70 ; relations with Canada and Great Britain, 434, 436 ; Treaty of 1854, 109 ; of 1871, 105 ; " Trent " affair, 70, 111 ; Venezuelan Question, 432, 434. Van Home, Sir W. C, 419 ; portrait, 418. Venezuela question, 432. Victr Emmanuel, visits England, 297. Victoria, Queen and Empress, birth, 17 ; her accession, 30 ; her coronation, 40 ; view of her coronatio'., 47; her betrothal and mar- riage, 50 ; view of her marriage, 69 ; view of the Queen and Prince Albert, 181 ; view of Queen in her bridal dress, 57 ; anecdotes of Princess Victoria, 20 ; attempts at assas- sination, 78; attention to U.S. Minister, 356 ; erects memorial tablet to Lord Bea- consfield, 342 ; the Four Survivors, 491 ; the Queen's attenti(m to public business, 3 6; her grandchildren, 385; her heme life, 74 ; her Imperial instincts 494 ; her long reign, 491 ; her published works, 227 ; proclaimed Empress of India, 140 ; the Queen and the Pope, 360; recasts Lord Uussell's letter lo U S. Government, 356 ; relations with her Prime Ministers 356 ; sends letter to Mrs Linco'n, 366 ; visits at home and abroad, 82 ; various portraits, 25, 27, 39, 63, 361 ; the Queen and John Brown, 225. Victoria Mary Louisa, Duchess cf Kent, 19. Victoria, Colony of, 143 ; the Queen's Jubilee Fund raised, 402 ; portrait of Premier Turner, 145. Victoria Cross, 459. Victorian Era, general review of the progress in sixty year;;, 445 492. Volunteer movement, 453. w. Wales, Prince of, birth, 60 ; marriage, 366 ; his character and example, 368 ; his popu- larity, 370 ; his serious illness and recovery, 214 ; visit to Canada and U.S. in 1H60, 192- 213 ; visit to India in 1875, 215-225 ; por- trait, 169. Wales, Princess of, 368 ; portrait, 171, 369. War, horrors of, 286 War of 1812, its lessons, 435. Wars, cost of, £88. Washington (Ashburton) Treaty, 69 ; Treaty of 1854, 109 ; of 1871, 105. Wellington, Duke of, 230, 235 ; his opinion of Melbourne, 312 ; portraits, 231, 233. Westminster Abbey, engraving, 36. Windsor Castle engraving, 297. William IV. of England, 29. William II. of (Germany, 303. Williams, Sir Fenwick 263. Wolseley. with the Ashantee expedition of 1873,170; in the Egyptian cim[)aignsof 1882 ; in South Africa, 158 ; on Canadian voyageurs, 103. York, Duke of, 371 ; portrait, 399. York, Duchess of, portrait, 401. Zulu War of 1879, disaster at Isandhlwana, 157. AUTHORITIES CONSULTED. L : Kegan Tlio following are nnioni^ the liookw I'oiisiilted in the jH-ejinriition of this volume. As sonic readers may desire fuller partieularM of the times or (juestions of which the hooks treat, the price, puhlisher (with a preference for the British publisher), and date of publication of each book has, in moat cases, been added. , Abbreviations- L: for London ; N. V.: for New York. Albemarle. Fifty Years of my Life. ]{y George Thomat, Earl of Albemarle, ."{rd edition, Ts. fid. L : Macniillan & Co., 1877. Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse ; Princess of Great Britain and Ireland. T.iographical .Sketch and Letters. 7s. fid. L : Jolin Miuiay, 1880. Besant. Fifty Y'eais Ago. By Sir Walter Bcsant. 5s. L : (.'hatto .k Windus. Blackie. John Stuart Blackie. Hy Amia M. Stoddart. 2 vols. 'ils. L : Blackwood & Sons, 1875. Bloomfield. Reminiscences of Court and Diplomatic Life. By Lady Bloomticld. fis. Paul & Co. Boyle The Recollections of the Very Rev. G. 1). Bovlc, Dean of Salisbury. 16s. L : Aiiiold 1895. Brett. The Yoke of Empire. ]5y Reginald B. Brett. 6s. L : Macniillan & Co., 1890. Cellem. Visit of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales to the B. N. A. Provinces, 1800. Compiled by Robert Celleni. Toronto: Henry Rowsell, 1801, Churchill. Men, Mines and Animals in South Africa. By Lord Randolph S. Churchill, M. P. 3s. 6d. L: Sampson, Low, iMar.ston k Co., 1895. Debrett. Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage and Companionage. 31s. 6d. L: Dean & Son, 1896. Forbes. The Afghan Wars. By Archibald Forbes, as. L ; Sceley & Co. Forster. Life of the Rt. Hon. William Edward Forster. By T. Wemyss Reid. 2 vols. ,S2s. L : Chapman & Hall, 1888. Frei'e. The Life and Correspondence of Sir Bartle Frere. By John Martineau. 2 vols. .'12s. L : John Murraj-, 1895. Gemniill, .L A. Canadian Parliamentary Companion. $1. Ottawa: J. Durie & Son, 1897. Green. History of the English People. By John Richard (Jrecn. 4 vols 10s. each. L : Mac- millan & Co, Greville. Tlie Greville ^lemoirs : A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV., King William IV., and Queen Victoria 8 vols., 6s. each. L: Longmans, 1888. Gronow. Reminiscences and Recollections of Capt. Gronow. 1810-1800. 2 vols. 25s. L: 1892 J. C. Nimmo. Hansard Debates, Dominion of Canada. Haydn's Dictionary of Dales. By Benjamin Vincent. 21s. L : Ward, Lock & Bowden, 1895. Higinbothani. A Memoir of George Higinbotham, an Australian Politician and Chief Justice of Victoria. By Edward E. Morris. 9s. L : Macniillan * Co., 1895. Houghton. Life, Letters and Friendships of Richard Monkton Milnes, First Lord Houghton. T. Wemyss Reid. 2 vols. 32s. L : Cassell & Co. Holyoake. Sixty Years of an Agitator's Life. By George Jacob Holyoake. 2 vols. 2l8. T. Fisher Unwin. Hunter. The Indian Empire : Its People, History and Products. By W. W. Hunter. 21s. L : Trubner c&Co., 1886. Hurst. Indika : The Country and the People of India and Ceylon. By John F. Hurst, D.D. $3.75. N. Y.: Harper & Brothers, 1891. (501) By L : ^ 502 AUTHORITIES CONSULTED. VI' Kennedy. New Zciiliuul. Hy Alex. Kennedy. London: Longniani!, 1S74. Kinf,'iakc. Tlie IiiviiHion of the (Viinca. IJy Ak'Xim0. Cliicayo : McC.'lurg & Co , I Hit."). Latimer. Russia and Tuiki-y in I lie Nineteenth Century. By Kli/.alieth Wornieley Latimer. $2.50, (.'hiuago; McClurg & Co , IHD.'L Loukhart. The Life and Letters of .John Oibson Lockhart. By Andrew Lang. 2 voIb. £2, 28. L.: .F. C. Nimmo, IH!»7. Loftus. The Diplomatic Ruminisoences of Lord Atigustns Loftus, 1S,37-1HB2. 2 voIb. 328. L.: Cassell 4 Co., 1S!)2. Mackenzie. Austnd Africa : Losing It or Ruling It. By .John Mackenzie. 2 vols. W2n, L : .Sanipsom, F^ow, Marston & Co., IH87. McCarthy. History of Our Own Times. iJy .Fustin McCarthy. 2 vols. 78. (id. each. L : Chatto k Windus. Malleson. The Indian Mutiny of IH>")7. By Colonel Malleson. .58. L : Heeley & Co. Malmeshury. Memoirs of an Ex-Minister. By the Rt. Hon. the I'larl of Mahne.sbnry. 7s. Od. L : Longmans & Co. Molcsworth. History of Kngland, I S,'{0-74 By W. Nassau Molesworth. .*? vols. ISs. L : Chap- man & Hall, ;H74. Molyneux. (.'ampaij;;iing in South Africa and Egypt. By Major-Coneral VV. C. V, Molyneux. lOs. L: Macmilluii * Co., 1S96. Morris. Mem jriea and Thoughts of a Life. By William O'Connor Morris. 12s. 6d. L: 1895, Geo. Allen. Oliphant. Memoirs of the l^ife of Laurence Oliphant. By Margaret Oliphant. 7s. (id. L ; W. Blackwood & Sons. O'Shea. Roundabout Recoilections. liy Joiin Augustus O'Shea. 2 vols. 21s. L : Ward &; Downey, 1892. Ralmerston. Life of Viscount I'almcrston. Edited by Hon Evelyn Ashley, M.P. 2 vols. 128. I^: Fiichard Bentley & Sons. Parkes. Fifty Years in tltc Making of Australian History. By Sir ifonry I'arkes. 2 vols. 32s. L: Longmans, (Jreen & Co., 1892. I'rince Consort. J^ifc of H. R. H. the I'rince Consort. By Tlieodore Martin. .O vols. , ISs each. L: Smith, Elder k Co., 1875. Queen's Prime Minster Series. Edited by Stuart J. Rcid Ss. (id. each. L : Sampson, Low, Mars- ton & Co. The Earl of Aberdeen. By Sir Arthur (Jordon. The Earl of Beaconslield. By J. A. Froude. The Earl of Derby. By Oeo. Saintslmry. The Rt. Hon. W. E. (iladstone. By C. W. E. Russell. Lord Melt)ourne. By Henry Dunekley. Lord Palmerston. By the Manjuis of Lome. Sir Rol)ert Peel. By Justin McCarthy. Lord Jolni Russell. By Stuart J. Reid. Raikes. Journal of Thomas Raikes, Esq , 1831-1847. 3 vols. Li Longmans, 1858. Russell. The Prince of Wales' Tour in India. By William Howard Russell. 528. 6d. L: Sampson Low, Marston &Co., 1875. Sala Life and Adventures of George Augustus Sala. 2 vols. 328. L: Cassell & Co., 1895. Sessional Papers, Dominion of Canada. Smalley. London Letters and Some Others. By George W. Smalley. 2 vols. 328. L: Macmillan &Co. M >w I II iMii inriM iifiw AUTHORITIES CONSULTED. SOS Smith. Life and Times of the Rt, Hon. William Homy Smith, M. P. Uy .Sir Herlwrt Maxwell. 2 vols. 25s. L: W. Blackwood & Sonx, 1893. Somerset. LcttorH, Romaiiis and Monioirs of Kdwanl A