queen victoria-第23章

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ly　meant　it　was　difficult　to　say；　but　the　fact　was　patent　to　every　eye。　Lord　Palmerston；　also；　was　not　fashionable；　the　great　Whig　aristocrats　looked　askance　at　him；　and　only　tolerated　him　as　an　unpleasant　necessity　thrust　upon　them　by　fate。　But　Lord　Palmerston　was　English　through　and　through；　there　was　something　in　him　that　expressed；　with　extraordinary　vigour；　the　fundamental　qualities　of　the　English　race。　And　he　was　the　very　antithesis　of　the　Prince。　By　a　curious　chance　it　so　happened　that　this　typical　Englishman　was　brought　into　closer　contact　than　any　other　of　his　countrymen　with　the　alien　from　over　the　sea。　It　thus　fell　out　that　differences　which；　in　more　fortunate　circumstances；　might　have　been　smoothed　away　and　obliterated；　became　accentuated　to　the　highest　pitch。　All　the　mysterious　forces　in　Albert's　soul　leapt　out　to　do　battle　with　his　adversary；　and；　in　the　long　and　violent　conflict　that　followed；　it　almost　seemed　as　if　he　was　struggling　with　England　herself。

Palmerston's　whole　life　had　been　spent　in　the　government　of　the　country。　At　twenty…two　he　had　been　a　Minister；　at　twenty…five　he　had　been　offered　the　Chancellorship　of　the　Exchequer；　which；　with　that　prudence　which　formed　so　unexpected　a　part　of　his　character；　he　had　declined　to　accept。　His　first　spell　of　office　had　lasted　uninterruptedly　for　twenty…one　years。　When　Lord　Grey　came　into　power　he　received　the　Foreign　Secretaryship；　a　post　which　he　continued　to　occupy；　with　two　intervals；　for　another　twenty…one　years。　Throughout　this　period　his　reputation　with　the　public　had　steadily　grown；　and　when；　in　1846；　he　became　Foreign　Secretary　for　the　third　time；　his　position　in　the　country　was　almost；　if　not　quite；　on　an　equality　with　that　of　the　Prime　Minister；　Lord　John　Russell。　He　was　a　tall；　big　man　of　sixty…two；　with　a　jaunty　air；　a　large　face；　dyed　whiskers；　and　a　long　sardonic　upper　lip。　His　private　life　was　far　from　respectable；　but　he　had　greatly　strengthened　his　position　in　society　by　marrying；　late　in　life；　Lady　Cowper；　the　sister　of　Lord　Melbourne；　and　one　of　the　most　influential　of　the　Whig　hostesses。　Powerful；　experienced；　and　supremely　self…confident；　he　naturally　paid　very　little　attention　to　Albert。　Why　should　he？　The　Prince　was　interested　in　foreign　affairs？　Very　well；　then；　let　the　Prince　pay　attention　to　himto　him；　who　had　been　a　Cabinet　Minister　when　Albert　was　in　the　cradle；　who　was　the　chosen　leader　of　a　great　nation；　and　who　had　never　failed　in　anything　he　had　undertaken　in　the　whole　course　of　his　life。　Not　that　he　wanted　the　Prince's　attentionfar　from　it：　so　far　as　he　could　see；　Albert　was　merely　a　young　foreigner；　who　suffered　from　having　no　vices；　and　whose　only　claim　to　distinction　was　that　he　had　happened　to　marry　the　Queen　of　England。　This　estimate；　as　he　found　out　to　his　cost；　was　a　mistaken　one。　Albert　was　by　no　means　insignificant；　and；　behind　Albert；　there　was　another　figure　by　no　means　insignificant　eitherthere　was　Stockmar。

But　Palmerston；　busy　with　his　plans；　his　ambitions；　and　the　management　of　a　great　department；　brushed　all　such　considerations　on　one　side；　it　was　his　favourite　method　of　action。　He　lived　by　instinctby　a　quick　eye　and　a　strong　hand；　a　dexterous　management　of　every　crisis　as　it　arose；　a　half…unconscious　sense　of　the　vital　elements　in　a　situation。　He　was　very　bold；　and　nothing　gave　him　more　exhilaration　than　to　steer　the　ship　of　state　in　a　high　wind；　on　a　rough　sea；　with　every　stitch　of　canvas　on　her　that　she　could　carry。　But　there　is　a　point　beyond　which　boldness　becomes　rashnessa　point　perceptible　only　to　intuition　and　not　to　reason；　and　beyond　that　point　Palmerston　never　went。　When　he　saw　that　the　cast　demanded　it；　he　could　go　slowvery　slow　indeed　in　fact；　his　whole　career；　so　full　of　vigorous　adventure；　was　nevertheless　a　masterly　example　of　the　proverb；　〃tout　vient　a　point　a　qui　sait　attendre。〃　But　when　he　decided　to　go　quick；　nobody　went　quicker。　One　day；　returning　from　Osborne；　he　found　that　he　had　missed　the　train　to　London；　he　ordered　a　special；　but　the　station　master　told　him　that　to　put　a　special　train　upon　the　line　at　that　time　of　day　would　be　dangerous　and　he　could　not　allow　it。　Palmerston　insisted　declaring　that　he　had　important　business　in　London；　which　could　not　wait。　The　station…master　supported　by　all　the　officials；　continued　to　demur　the　company；　he　said；　could　not　possibly　take　the　responsibility。　〃On　MY　responsibility；　then！〃　said　Palmerston；　in　his　off…hand；　peremptory　way　whereupon　the　station…master　ordered　up　the　train　and　the　Foreign　Secretary　reached　London　in　time　for　his　work；　without　an　accident。　The　story；　is　typical　of　the　happy　valiance　with　which　he　conducted　both　his　own　affairs　and　those　of　the　nation。　〃England；〃　he　used　to　say；　〃is　strong　enough　to　brave　consequences。〃　Apparently；　under　Palmerston's　guidance；　she　was。　While　the　officials　protested　and　shook　in　their　shoes；　he　would　wave　them　away　with　his　airy　〃MY　responsibility！〃　and　carry　the　country　swiftly　along　the　line　of　his　choice；　to　a　triumphant　destinationwithout　an　accident。　His　immense　popularity　was　the　result　partly　of　his　diplomatic　successes；　partly　of　his　extraordinary　personal　affability；　but　chiefly　of　the　genuine　intensity　with　which　he　responded　to　the　feelings　and　supported　the　interests　of　his　countrymen。　The　public　knew　that　it　had　in　Lord　Palmerston　not　only　a　high…mettled　master；　but　also　a　devoted　servantthat　he　was；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　a　public　man。　When　he　was　Prime　Minister；　he　noticed　that　iron　hurdles　had　been　put　up　on　the　grass　in　the　Green　Park；　he　immediately　wrote　to　the　Minister　responsible；　ordering；　in　the　severest　language；　their　instant　removal；　declaring　that　they　were　〃an　intolerable　nuisance；〃　and　that　the　purpose　of　the　grass　was　〃to　be　walked　upon　freely　and　without　restraint　by　the　people；　old　and　young；　for　whose　enjoyment　the　parks　are　maintained。〃　It　was　in　this　spirit　that；　as　Foreign　Secretary；　he　watched　over　the　interests　of　Englishmen　abroad。　Nothing　could　be　more　agreeable　for　Englishmen；　but　foreign　governments　were　less　pleased。　They　found　Lord　Palmerston　interfering；　exasperating；　and　alarming。　In　Paris　they　spoke　with　bated　breath　of　〃ce　terrible　milord　Palmerston；〃　and　in　Germany　they　made　a　little　song　about　him

　　　　　　　〃Hat　der　Teufel　einen　Sohn；　　　　　　　　　So　ist　er　sicher　Palmerston。〃

But　their　complaints；　their　threats；　and　their　agitations　were　all　in　vain。　Palmerston；　with　his　upper　lip　sardonically　curving；　braved　consequences；　and　held　on　his　course。

The　first　diplomatic　crisis　which　arose　after　his　return　to　office；　though　the　Prince　and　the　Queen　were　closely　concerned　with　it；　passed　off　without　serious　disagreement　between　the　Court　and　the　Minister。　For　some　years　past　a　curious　problem　had　been　perplexing　the　chanceries　of　Europe。　Spain；　ever　since　the　time　of　Napoleon　a　prey　to　civil　convulsions；　had　settled　down　for　a　short　interval　to　a　state　of　comparative　quiet　under　the　rule　of　Christina；　the　Queen　Mother；　and　her　daughter　Isabella；　the　young　Queen。　In　1846；　the　question　of　Isabella's　marriage；　which　had　for　long　been　the　subject　of　diplomatic　speculations；　suddenly　became　acute。　Various　candidates　for　her　hand　were　proposedamong　others；　two　cousins　of　her　own；　another　Spanish　prince；　and　Prince　Leopold　of　Saxe…Coburg；　a　first　cousin　of　Victoria's　and　Albert's；　for　different　reasons；　however；　none　of　these　young　men　seemed　altogether　satisfactory。　Isabella　was　not　yet　sixteen；　and　it　might　have　been　supposed　that　her　marriage　could　be　put　off　for　a　few　years　more；　but　this　was　considered　to　be　out　of　the　question。　〃Vous　ne　savez　pas；〃　said　a　high　authority；　〃ce　que　c'est　que　ces　princesses　espagnoles；　elles　ont　le　diable　au　corps；　et　on　a　toujours　dit　que　si　nous　ne　nous　hations　pas；　l'heritier　viendrait　avant　le　mari。〃　It　might　also　have　been　supposed　that　the　young　Queen's　marriage　was　a　matter　to　be　settled　by　herself；　her　mother；　and　the　Spanish　Government；　but　this　again　was　far　from　being　the　case。　It　had　become；　by　one　of　those　periodical　reversions　to　the　ways　of　the　eighteenth　century；　which；　it　is　rumoured；　are　still　not　unknown　in　diplomacy；　a　question　of　dominating　importance　in　the　foreign　policies　both　of　France　and　England。　For　several　years；　Louis　Philippe　and　his　Prime　Minister　Guizot　had　been　privately　maturing　a　very　subtle　plan。　It　was　the　object　of　the　French　King　to　repeat　the　glorious　coup　of　Louis　XIV；　and　to　abolish　the　Pyrenees　by　placing　one　of　his　grandsons　on　the　throne　of　Spain。　In　order　to　bring　this　about；　he　did　not　venture　to　suggest　that　his　younger　son；　the　Duc　de　Montpensier；　should　marry　Isabella；　that　would　have　been　too　obvious　a　move；　which　would　have　raised　immediate　and　insurmountable　opposition。　He　therefore　proposed　that　Isabella　should　marry　her　cousin；　the　Duke　of　Cadiz；　while　Montpensier　married　Isabella's　younger　sister；　the　Infanta　Fernanda；　and　pray；　what　possible　objection　could　there　be　to　that？　The　wily　old　King　whispered　into　the　chaste　ears　of　Guizot　the　key　to　the　secret；　he　had　good　reason　to　believe　that　the　Duke　of　Cadiz　was　incapable　of　having　children；　and　therefore　the　offspring　of　Fernanda　would　inherit　the　Spanish　crown。　Guizot　rubbed　his　hands；　and　began　at　once　to　set　the　necessary　springs　in　motion；　but；　of　course；　the　whole　scheme　was　very　soon　divulged　and　understood。　The　English　Government　took　an　extremely　serious　view　of　the　matter；　the　balance　of　power　was　clearly　at　stake；　and　the　French　intrigue　must　be　frustrated　at　all　hazards。　A　diplomatic　struggle　of　great　intensity　followed；　and　it　occasionally　appeared　that　a　second　War　of　the　Spanish　Succession　was　about　to　break　out。　This　was　avoided；　but　the　consequences　of　this　strange　imbroglio　were　far…reaching　and　completely　different　from　what　any　of　the　parties　concerned　could　have　guessed。

In　the　course　of　the　long　and　intricate　negotiations　there　was　one　point　upon　which　Louis　Philippe　laid　a　special　stressthe　candidature　of　Prince　Leopold　of　Saxe…Coburg。　The　prospect　of　a　marriage　between　a　Coburg　Prince　and　the　Queen　of　Spain　was；　he　declared；　at　least　as　threatening　to　the　balance　of　power　in　Europe　as　that　of　a　marriage　between　the　Duc　de　Montpensier　and　the　Infanta；　and；　indeed；　there　was　much　to　be　said　for　this　contention。　The　ruin　which　had　fallen　upon　the　House　of　Coburg　during　the　Napoleonic　wars　had　apparently　only　served　to　multiply　its　vitality；　for　that　princely　family　had　by　now　extended　itself　over　Europe　in　an　extraordinary　manner。　King　Leopold　was　firmly　fixed　in　Belgium；　his　niece　was　Queen　of　England；　one　of　his　nephews　was　the　husband　of　the　Queen　of　England；　and　another　the　husband　of　the　Queen　of　Portugal；　yet　another　was　Duke　of　Wurtemberg。　Where　was　this　to　end？　There　seemed　to　be　a　Coburg　Trust　ready　to　send　out　one　of　its　members　at　any　moment　to　fill　up　any　vacant　place　among　the　ruling　families　of　Europe。　And　even　beyond　Europe　there　were　signs　of　this　infection　spreading。　An　American　who　had　arrived　in　Brussels　had　assured　King　Leopold　that　there　was　a　strong　feeling　in　the　United　States　in　favour　of　monarchy　instead　of　the　misrule　of　mobs；　and　had　suggested；　to　the　delight　of　His　Majesty；　that　some　branch　of　the　Coburg　family　might　be　available　for　the　position。　That　danger　might；　perhaps；　be