queen victoria-第16章

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he　young　man　ought　to　have　not　merely　great　ability；　but　a　right　ambition；　and　great　force　of　will　as　well。　To　pursue　for　a　lifetime　a　political　career　so　arduous　demands　more　than　energy　and　inclinationit　demands　also　that　earnest　frame　of　mind　which　is　ready　of　its　own　accord　to　sacrifice　mere　pleasure　to　real　usefulness。　If　he　is　not　satisfied　hereafter　with　the　consciousness　of　having　achieved　one　of　the　most　influential　positions　in　Europe；　how　often　will　he　feel　tempted　to　repent　his　adventure！　If　he　does　not　from　the　very　outset　accept　it　as　a　vocation　of　grave　responsibility；　on　the　efficient　performance　of　which　his　honour　and　happiness　depend；　there　is　small　likelihood　of　his　succeeding。〃

Such　were　the　views　of　Stockmar　on　the　qualifications　necessary　for　the　due　fulfilment　of　that　destiny　which　Albert's　family　had　marked　out　for　him；　and　he　hoped；　during　the　tour　in　Italy；　to　come　to　some　conclusion　as　to　how　far　the　prince　possessed　them。　Albert　on　his　side　was　much　impressed　by　the　Baron；　whom　he　had　previously　seen　but　rarely；　he　also　became　acquainted；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　with　a　young　Englishman；　Lieutenant　Francis　Seymour；　who　had　been　engaged　to　accompany　him；　whom　he　found　sehr　liebens…wurdig；　and　with　whom　he　struck　up　a　warm　friendship。　He　delighted　in　the　galleries　and　scenery　of　Florence；　though　with　Rome　he　was　less　impressed。　〃But　for　some　beautiful　palaces；〃　he　said；　〃it　might　just　as　well　be　any　town　in　Germany。〃　In　an　interview　with　Pope　Gregory　XVI；　he　took　the　opportunity　of　displaying　his　erudition。　When　the　Pope　observed　that　the　Greeks　had　taken　their　art　from　the　Etruscans；　Albert　replied　that；　on　the　contrary；　in　his　opinion；　they　had　borrowed　from　the　Egyptians：　his　Holiness　politely　acquiesced。　Wherever　he　went　he　was　eager　to　increase　his　knowledge；　and；　at　a　ball　in　Florence；　he　was　observed　paying　no　attention　whatever　to　the　ladies；　and　deep　in　conversation　with　the　learned　Signor　Capponi。　〃Voila　un　prince　dont　nous　pouvons　etre　fiers；〃　said　the　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany；　who　was　standing　by：　〃la　belle　danseuse　l'attend；　le　savant　l'occupe。〃

On　his　return　to　Germany；　Stockmar's　observations；　imparted　to　King　Leopold；　were　still　critical。　Albert；　he　said；　was　intelligent；　kind；　and　amiable；　he　was　full　of　the　best　intentions　and　the　noblest　resolutions；　and　his　judgment　was　in　many　things　beyond　his　years。　But　great　exertion　was　repugnant　to　him；　he　seemed　to　be　too　willing　to　spare　himself；　and　his　good　resolutions　too　often　came　to　nothing。　It　was　particularly　unfortunate　that　he　took　not　the　slightest　interest　in　politics；　and　never　read　a　newspaper。　In　his　manners；　too；　there　was　still　room　for　improvement。　〃He　will　always；〃　said　the　Baron；　〃have　more　success　with　men　than　with　women；　in　whose　society　he　shows　too　little　empressement；　and　is　too　indifferent　and　retiring。〃　One　other　feature　of　the　case　was　noted　by　the　keen　eye　of　the　old　physician：　the　Prince's　constitution　was　not　a　strong　one。　Yet；　on　the　whole；　he　was　favourable　to　the　projected　marriage。　But　by　now　the　chief　obstacle　seemed　to　lie　in　another　quarter；　Victoria　was　apparently　determined　to　commit　herself　to　nothing。　And　so　it　happened　that　when　Albert　went　to　England　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　withdraw　entirely　from　the　affair。　Nothing　would　induce　him；　he　confessed　to　a　friend；　to　be　kept　vaguely　waiting；　he　would　break　it　all　off　at　once。　His　reception　at　Windsor　threw　an　entirely　new　light　upon　the　situation。　The　wheel　of　fortune　turned　with　a　sudden　rapidity；　and　he　found；　in　the　arms　of　Victoria；　the　irrevocable　assurance　of　his　overwhelming　fate。

II

He　was　not　in　love　with　her。　Affection；　gratitude；　the　natural　reactions　to　the　unqualified　devotion　of　a　lively　young　cousin　who　was　also　a　queensuch　feelings　possessed　him；　but　the　ardours　of　reciprocal　passion　were　not　his。　Though　he　found　that　he　liked　Victoria　very　much；　what　immediately　interested　him　in　his　curious　position　was　less　her　than　himself。　Dazzled　and　delighted；　riding；　dancing；　singing；　laughing；　amid　the　splendours　of　Windsor；　he　was　aware　of　a　new　sensationthe　stirrings　of　ambition　in　his　breast。　His　place　would　indeed　be　a　high；　an　enviable　one！　And　then；　on　the　instant；　came　another　thought。　The　teaching　of　religion；　the　admonitions　of　Stockmar；　his　own　inmost　convictions；　all　spoke　with　the　same　utterance。　He　would　not　be　there　to　please　himself；　but　for　a　very　different　purposeto　do　good。　He　must　be　〃noble；　manly；　and　princely　in　all　things；〃　he　would　have　〃to　live　and　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　benefit　of　his　new　country；〃　to　〃use　his　powers　and　endeavours　for　a　great　objectthat　of　promoting　the　welfare　of　multitudes　of　his　fellowmen。〃　One　serious　thought　led　on　to　another。　The　wealth　and　the　bustle　of　the　English　Court　might　be　delightful　for　the　moment；　but；　after　all；　it　was　Coburg　that　had　his　heart。　〃While　I　shall　be　untiring；〃　he　wrote　to　his　grandmother；　〃in　my　efforts　and　labours　for　the　country　to　which　I　shall　in　future　belong；　and　where　I　am　called　to　so　high　a　position；　I　shall　never　cease　ein　treuer　Deutscher；　Coburger；　Gothaner　zu　sein。〃　And　now　he　must　part　from　Coburg　for　ever！　Sobered　and　sad；　he　sought　relief　in　his　brother　Ernest's　company；　the　two　young　men　would　shut　themselves　up　together；　and；　sitting　down　at　the　pianoforte；　would　escape　from　the　present　and　the　future　in　the　sweet　familiar　gaiety　of　a　Haydn　duet。

They　returned　to　Germany；　and　while　Albert；　for　a　few　farewell　months；　enjoyed；　for　the　last　time；　the　happiness　of　home；　Victoria；　for　the　last　time；　resumed　her　old　life　in　London　and　Windsor。　She　corresponded　daily　with　her　future　husband　in　a　mingled　flow　of　German　and　English；　but　the　accustomed　routine　reasserted　itself；　the　business　and　the　pleasures　of　the　day　would　brook　no　interruption；　Lord　M。　was　once　more　constantly　beside　her；　and　the　Tories　were　as　intolerable　as　ever。　Indeed；　they　were　more　so。　For　now；　in　these　final　moments；　the　old　feud　burst　out　with　redoubled　fury。　The　impetuous　sovereign　found；　to　her　chagrin；　that　there　might　be　disadvantages　in　being　the　declared　enemy　of　one　of　the　great　parties　in　the　State。　On　two　occasions；　the　Tories　directly　thwarted　her　in　a　matter　on　which　she　had　set　her　heart。　She　wished　her　husband's　rank　to　be　axed　by　statute；　and　their　opposition　prevented　it。　She　wished　her　husband　to　receive　a　settlement　from　the　nation　of　L50；000　a　year；　and；　again　owing　to　the　Tories；　he　was　only　allowed　L30；000。　It　was　too　bad。　When　the　question　was　discussed　in　Parliament；　it　had　been　pointed　out　that　the　bulk　of　the　population　was　suffering　from　great　poverty；　and　that　L30；000　was　the　whole　revenue　of　Coburg；　but　her　uncle　Leopold　had　been　given　L50；000；　and　it　would　be　monstrous　to　give　Albert　less。　Sir　Robert　Peelit　might　have　been　expectedhad　had　the　effrontery　to　speak　and　vote　for　the　smaller　sum。　She　was　very　angry；　and　determined　to　revenge　herself　by　omitting　to　invite　a　single　Tory　to　her　wedding。　She　would　make　an　exception　in　favour　of　old　Lord　Liverpool；　but　even　the　Duke　of　Wellington　she　refused　to　ask。　When　it　was　represented　to　her　that　it　would　amount　to　a　national　scandal　if　the　Duke　were　absent　from　her　wedding；　she　was　angrier　than　ever。　〃What！　That　old　rebel！　I　won't　have　him：〃　she　was　reported　to　have　said。　Eventually　she　was　induced　to　send　him　an　invitation；　but　she　made　no　attempt　to　conceal　the　bitterness　of　her　feelings；　and　the　Duke　himself　was　only　too　well　aware　of　all　that　had　passed。

Nor　was　it　only　against　the　Tories　that　her　irritation　rose。　As　the　time　for　her　wedding　approached；　her　temper　grew　steadily　sharper　and　more　arbitrary。　Queen　Adelaide　annoyed　her。　King　Leopold；　too；　was　〃ungracious〃　in　his　correspondence；　〃Dear　Uncle；〃　she　told　Albert；　〃is　given　to　believe　that　he　must　rule　the　roost　everywhere。　〃However；〃　she　added　with　asperity；　〃that　is　not　a　necessity。〃　Even　Albert　himself　was　not　impeccable。　Engulfed　in　Coburgs；　he　failed　to　appreciate　the　complexity　of　English　affairs。　There　were　difficulties　about　his　household。　He　had　a　notion　that　he　ought　not　to　be　surrounded　by　violent　Whigs；　very　likely；　but　he　would　not　understand　that　the　only　alternatives　to　violent　Whigs　were　violent　Tories；　and　it　would　be　preposterous　if　his　Lords　and　Gentlemen　were　to　be　found　voting　against　the　Queen's。　He　wanted　to　appoint　his　own　Private　Secretary。　But　how　could　he　choose　the　right　person？　Lord　M。　was　obviously　best　qualified　to　make　the　appointment；　and　Lord　M。　had　decided　that　the　Prince　should　take　over　his　own　Private　SecretaryGeorge　Anson；　a　staunch　Whig。　Albert　protested；　but　it　was　useless；　Victoria　simply　announced　that　Anson　was　appointed；　and　instructed　Lehzen　to　send　the　Prince　an　explanation　of　the　details　of　the　case。

Then；　again；　he　had　written　anxiously　upon　the　necessity　of　maintaining　unspotted　the　moral　purity　of　the　Court。　Lord　M's　pupil　considered　that　dear　Albert　was　strait…laced；　and；　in　a　brisk　Anglo…German　missive；　set　forth　her　own　views。　〃I　like　Lady　A。　very　much；〃　she　told　him；　〃only　she　is　a　little　strict　awl　particular；　and　too　severe　towards　others；　which　is　not　right；　for　I　think　one　ought　always　to　be　indulgent　towards　other　people；　as　I　always　think；　if　we　had　not　been　well　taken　care　of；　we　might　also　have　gone　astray。　That　is　always　my　feeling。　Yet　it　is　always　right　to　show　that　one　does　not　like　to　see　what　is　obviously　wrong；　but　it　is　very　dangerous　to　be　too　severe；　and　I　am　certain　that　as　a　rule　such　people　always　greatly　regret　that　in　their　youth　they　have　not　been　so　careful　as　they　ought　to　have　been。　I　have　explained　this　so　badly　and　written　it　so　badly；　that　I　fear　you　will　hardly　be　able　to　make　it　out。〃

On　one　other　matter　she　was　insistent。　Since　the　affair　of　Lady　Flora　Hastings；　a　sad　fate　had　overtaken　Sir　James　Clark。　His　flourishing　practice　had　quite　collapsed；　nobody　would　go　to　him　any　more。　But　the　Queen　remained　faithful。　She　would　show　the　world　how　little　she　cared　for　their　disapproval；　and　she　desired　Albert　to　make　〃poor　Clark〃　his　physician　in　ordinary。　He　did　as　he　was　told；　but；　as　it　turned　out；　the　appointment　was　not　a　happy　one。

The　wedding…day　was　fixed；　and　it　was　time　for　Albert　to　tear　himself　away　from　his　family　and　the　scenes　of　his　childhood。　With　an　aching　heart；　he　had　revisited　his　beloved　hauntsthe　woods　and　the　valleys　where　he　had　spent　so　many　happy　hours　shooting　rabbits　and　collecting　botanical　specimens；　in　deep　depression；　he　had　sat　through　the　farewell　banquets　in　the　Palace　and　listened　to　the　Freischutz　performed　by　the　State　band。　It　was　time　to　go。　The　streets　were　packed　as　he　drove　through　them；　for　a　short　space　his　eyes　were　gladdened　by　a　sea　of　friendly　German　faces；　and　his　ears　by　a　gathering　volume　of　good　guttural　sounds。　He　stopped　to　bid　a　last　adieu　to　his　grandmother。　It　was　a　heartrending　moment。　〃Albert！　Albert！〃　she　shrieked；　and　fell　fainting　into　the　arms　of　her　attendants　as　his　carriage　drove　away。　He　was　whirled　rapidly　to　his　destiny。　At　Calais　a　steamboat　awaited　him；　and；　together　with　his　father　and　his　brother；　he　stepped；　dejected；　on　board。　A　little　later；　he　was　more　dejected　still。　The　crossing　was　a　very　rough　one；　the　Duke　went　hurriedly　below；　while　the　two　Princes；　we　are　told；　lay