queen victoria-第15章

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s　that　it　should　be　understood　that　she　would　not　be　guilty　of　any　breach　of　promise；　for　she　never　gave　any。〃　To　Lord　Melbourne　she　was　more　explicit。　She　told　him　that　she　〃had　no　great　wish　to　see　Albert；　as　the　whole　subject　was　an　odious　one；〃　she　hated　to　have　to　decide　about　it；　and　she　repeated　once　again　that　seeing　Albert　would　be　〃a　disagreeable　thing。〃　But　there　was　no　escaping　the　horrid　business；　the　visit　must　be　made；　and　she　must　see　him。　The　summer　slipped　by　and　was　over；　it　was　the　autumn　already；　on　the　evening　of　October　10　Albert；　accompanied　by　his　brother　Ernest；　arrived　at　Windsor。

Albert　arrived；　and　the　whole　structure　of　her　existence　crumbled　into　nothingness　like　a　house　of　cards。　He　was　beautifulshe　gaspedshe　knew　no　more。　Then；　in　a　flash；　a　thousand　mysteries　were　revealed　to　her；　the　past；　the　present；　rushed　upon　her　with　a　new　significance；　the　delusions　of　years　were　abolished；　and　an　extraordinary；　an　irresistible　certitude　leapt　into　being　in　the　light　of　those　blue　eyes；　the　smile　of　that　lovely　mouth。　The　succeeding　hours　passed　in　a　rapture。　She　was　able　to　observe　a　few　more　detailsthe　〃exquisite　nose；〃　the　〃delicate　moustachios　and　slight　but　very　slight　whiskers；〃　the　〃beautiful　figure；　broad　in　the　shoulders　and　a　fine　waist。〃　She　rode　with　him；　danced　with　him；　talked　with　him；　and　it　was　all　perfection。　She　had　no　shadow　of　a　doubt。　He　had　come　on　a　Thursday　evening；　and　on　the　following　Sunday　morning　she　told　Lord　Melbourne　that　she　had　〃a　good　deal　changed　her　opinion　as　to　marrying。〃　Next　morning；　she　told　him　that　she　had　made　up　her　mind　to　marry　Albert。　The　morning　after　that；　she　sent　for　her　cousin。　She　received　him　alone；　and　〃after　a　few　minutes　I　said　to　him　that　I　thought　he　must　be　aware　why　I　wished　them　to　come　hereand　that　it　would　make　me　too　happy　if　be　would　consent　to　what　I　wished　（to　marry　me。）〃　Then　〃we　embraced　each　other；　and　he　was　so　kind；　so　affectionate。〃　She　said　that　she　was　quite　unworthy　of　him；　while　he　murmured　that　he　would　be　very　happy　〃Das　Leben　mit　dir　zu　zubringen。〃　They　parted；　and　she　felt　〃the　happiest　of　human　beings；〃　when　Lord　M。　came　in。　At　first　she　beat　about　the　bush；　and　talked　of　the　weather；　and　indifferent　subjects。　Somehow　or　other　she　felt　a　little　nervous　with　her　old　friend。　At　last；　summoning　up　her　courage；　she　said；　〃I　have　got　well　through　this　with　Albert。〃　〃Oh！　you　have；〃　said　Lord　M。



CHAPTER　IV。　MARRIAGE

I

It　was　decidedly　a　family　match。　Prince　Francis　Charles　Augustus　Albert　Emmanuel　of　Saxe…CoburgGothafor　such　was　his　full　titlehad　been　born　just　three　months　after　his　cousin　Victoria；　and　the　same　midwife　had　assisted　at　the　two　births。　The　children's　grandmother；　the　Dowager　Duchess　of　Coburg；　had　from　the　first　looked　forward　to　their　marriage；　as　they　grew　up；　the　Duke；　the　Duchess　of　Kent；　and　King　Leopold　came　equally　to　desire　it。　The　Prince；　ever　since　the　time　when；　as　a　child　of　three；　his　nurse　had　told　him　that　some　day　〃the　little　English　May　flower〃　would　be　his　wife；　had　never　thought　of　marrying　anyone　else。　When　eventually　Baron　Stockmar　himself　signified　his　assent；　the　affair　seemed　as　good　as　settled。

The　Duke　had　one　other　childPrince　Ernest；　Albert's　senior　by　one　year；　and　heir　to　the　principality。　The　Duchess　was　a　sprightly　and　beautiful　woman；　with　fair　hair　and　blue　eyes；　Albert　was　very　like　her　and　was　her　declared　favourite。　But　in　his　fifth　year　he　was　parted　from　her　for　ever。　The　ducal　court　was　not　noted　for　the　strictness　of　its　morals；　the　Duke　was　a　man　of　gallantry；　and　it　was　rumoured　that　the　Duchess　followed　her　husband's　example。　There　were　scandals：　one　of　the　Court　Chamberlains；　a　charming　and　cultivated　man　of　Jewish　extraction；　was　talked　of；　at　last　there　was　a　separation；　followed　by　a　divorce。　The　Duchess　retired　to　Paris；　and　died　unhappily　in　1831。　Her　memory　was　always　very　dear　to　Albert。

He　grew　up　a　pretty；　clever；　and　high…spirited　boy。　Usually　well…behaved；　he　was；　however；　sometimes　violent。　He　had　a　will　of　his　own；　and　asserted　it；　his　elder　brother　was　less　passionate；　less　purposeful；　and；　in　their　wrangles；　it　was　Albert　who　came　out　top。　The　two　boys；　living　for　the　most　part　in　one　or　other　of　the　Duke's　country　houses；　among　pretty　hills　and　woods　and　streams；　had　been　at　a　very　early　ageAlbert　was　less　than　fourseparated　from　their　nurses　and　put　under　a　tutor；　in　whose　charge　they　remained　until　they　went　to　the　University。　They　were　brought　up　in　a　simple　and　unostentatious　manner；　for　the　Duke　was　poor　and　the　duchy　very　small　and　very　insignificant。　Before　long　it　became　evident　that　Albert　was　a　model　lad。　Intelligent　and　painstaking；　he　had　been　touched　by　the　moral　earnestness　of　his　generation；　at　the　age　of　eleven　he　surprised　his　father　by　telling　him　that　he　hoped　to　make　himself　〃a　good　and　useful　man。〃　And　yet　he　was　not　over…serious；　though；　perhaps；　he　had　little　humour；　he　was　full　of　funof　practical　jokes　and　mimicry。　He　was　no　milksop；　he　rode；　and　shot；　and　fenced；　above　all　did　he　delight　in　being　out　of　doors；　and　never　was　he　happier　than　in　his　long　rambles　with　his　brother　through　the　wild　country　round　his　beloved　Rosenaustalking　the　deer；　admiring　the　scenery；　and　returning　laden　with　specimens　for　his　natural　history　collection。　He　was；　besides；　passionately　fond　of　music。　In　one　particular　it　was　observed　that　he　did　not　take　after　his　father：　owing　either　to　his　peculiar　upbringing　or　to　a　more　fundamental　idiosyncrasy　he　had　a　marked　distaste　for　the　opposite　sex。　At　the　age　of　five；　at　a　children's　dance；　he　screamed　with　disgust　and　anger　when　a　little　girl　was　led　up　to　him　for　a　partner；　and　though；　later　on；　he　grew　more　successful　in　disguising　such　feelings；　the　feelings　remained。

The　brothers　were　very　popular　in　Coburg；　and；　when　the　time　came　for　them　to　be　confirmed；　the　preliminary　examination　which；　according　to　ancient　custom；　was　held　in　public　in　the　〃Giants'　Hall〃　of　the　Castle；　was　attended　by　an　enthusiastic　crowd　of　functionaries；　clergy；　delegates　from　the　villages　of　the　duchy；　and　miscellaneous　onlookers。　There　were　also　present；　besides　the　Duke　and　the　Dowager　Duchess；　their　Serene　Highnesses　the　Princes　Alexander　and　Ernest　of　Wurtemberg；　Prince　Leiningen；　Princess　Hohenlohe…Langenburg；　and　Princess　Hohenlohe…Schillingsfurst。　Dr。　Jacobi；　the　Court　chaplain；　presided　at　an　altar；　simply　but　appropriately　decorated；　which　had　been　placed　at　the　end　of　the　hall；　and　the　proceedings　began　by　the　choir　singing　the　first　verse　of　the　hymn；　〃Come；　Holy　Ghost。〃　After　some　introductory　remarks；　Dr。　Jacobi　began　the　examination。　〃The　dignified　and　decorous　bearing　of　the　Princes；〃　we　are　told　in　a　contemporary　account；　〃their　strict　attention　to　the　questions；　the　frankness；　decision；　and　correctness　of　their　answers；　produced　a　deep　impression　on　the　numerous　assembly。　Nothing　was　more　striking　in　their　answers　than　the　evidence　they　gave　of　deep　feeling　and　of　inward　strength　of　conviction。　The　questions　put　by　the　examiner　were　not　such　as　to　be　met　by　a　simple　〃yes〃　or　〃no。〃　They　were　carefully　considered　in　order　to　give　the　audience　a　clear　insight　into　the　views　and　feelings　of；the　young　princes。　One　of　the　most　touching　moments　was　when　the　examiner　asked　the　hereditary　prince　whether　he　intended　steadfastly　to　hold　to　the　Evangelical　Church；　and　the　Prince　answered　not　only　〃Yes！〃　but　added　in　a　clear　and　decided　tone：　〃I　and　my　brother　are　firmly　resolved　ever　to　remain　faithful　to　the　acknowledged　truth。〃　The　examination　having　lasted　an　hour；　Dr。　Jacobi　made　some　concluding　observations；　followed　by　a　short　prayer；　the　second　and　third　verses　of　the　opening　hymn　were　sung；　and　the　ceremony　was　over。　The　Princes；　stepping　down　from　the　altar；　were　embraced　by　the　Duke　and　the　Dowager　Duchess；　after　which　the　loyal　inhabitants　of　Coburg　dispersed；　well　satisfied　with　their　entertainment。

Albert's　mental　development　now　proceeded　apace。　In　his　seventeenth　year　he　began　a　careful　study　of　German　literature　and　German　philosophy。　He　set　about；　he　told　his　tutor；　〃to　follow　the　thoughts　of　the　great　Klopstock　into　their　depthsthough　in　this；　for　the　most　part；〃　he　modestly　added；　〃I　do　not　succeed。〃　He　wrote　an　essay　on　the　〃Mode　of　Thought　of　the　Germans；　and　a　Sketch　of　the　History　of　German　Civilisation；〃　〃making　use；〃　he　said；　〃in　its　general　outlines；　of　the　divisions　which　the　treatment　of　the　subject　itself　demands；〃　and　concluding　with　〃a　retrospect　of　the　shortcomings　of　our　time；　with　an　appeal　to　every　one　to　correct　those　shortcomings　in　his　own　case；　and　thus　set　a　good　example　to　others。〃　Placed　for　some　months　under　the　care　of　King　Leopold　at　Brussels；　he　came　under　the　influence　of　Adolphe　Quetelet；　a　mathematical　professor；　who　was　particularly　interested　in　the　application　of　the　laws　of　probability　to　political　and　moral　phenomena；　this　line　of　inquiry　attracted　the　Prince；　and　the　friendship　thus　begun　continued　till　the　end　of　his　life。　From　Brussels　he　went　to　the　University　of　Bonn；　where　he　was　speedily　distinguished　both　by　his　intellectual　and　his　social　activities；　his　energies　were　absorbed　in　metaphysics；　law；　political　economy；　music；　fencing；　and　amateur　theatricals。　Thirty　years　later　his　fellowstudents　recalled　with　delight　the　fits　of　laughter　into　which　they　had　been　sent　by　Prince　Albert's　mimicry。　The　verve　with　which　his　Serene　Highness　reproduced　the　tones　and　gestures　of　one　of　the　professors　who　used　to　point　to　a　picture　of　a　row　of　houses　in　Venice　with　the　remark；　〃That　is　the　Ponte…Realte；〃　and　of　another　who　fell　down　in　a　race　and　was　obliged　to　look　for　his　spectacles；　was　especially　appreciated。

After　a　year　at　Bonn；　the　time　had　come　for　a　foreign　tour；　and　Baron　Stockmar　arrived　from　England　to　accompany　the　Prince　on　an　expedition　to　Italy。　The　Baron　had　been　already；　two　years　previously；　consulted　by　King　Leopold　as　to　his　views　upon　the　proposed　marriage　of　Albert　and　Victoria。　His　reply　had　been　remarkable。　With　a　characteristic　foresight；　a　characteristic　absence　of　optimism；　a　characteristic　sense　of　the　moral　elements　in　the　situation；　Stockmar　had　pointed　out　what　were；　in　his　opinion；　the　conditions　essential　to　make　the　marriage　a　success。　Albert；　he　wrote；　was　a　fine　young　fellow；　well　grown　for　his　age；　with　agreeable　and　valuable　qualities；　and　it　was　probable　that　in　a　few　years　he　would　turn　out　a　strong　handsome　man；　of　a　kindly；　simple；　yet　dignified　demeanour。〃　Thus；　externally；　he　possesses　all　that　pleases　the　sex；　and　at　all　times　and　in　all　countries　must　please。〃　Supposing；　therefore；　that　Victoria　herself　was　in　favour　of　the　marriage；　the　further　question　arose　as　to　whether　Albert's　mental　qualities　were　such　as　to　fit　him　for　the　position　of　husband　of　the　Queen　of　England。　On　this　point；　continued　the　Baron；　one　heard　much　to　his　credit；　the　Prince　was　said　to　be　discreet　and　intelligent；　but　all　such　judgments　were　necessarily　partial；　and　the　Baron　preferred　to　reserve　his　opinion　until　he　could　come　to　a　trustworthy　conclusion　from　personal　observation。　And　then　he　added：　〃But　all　this　is　not　enough。　The　young　man　ought　to　have　not　merely　great　ability；　but　a　right　ambition；　and　great　force　of　will　a