queen victoria-第34章

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ear。　She　assumed　the　gigantic　load；　and　naturally　she　staggered　under　it。　While　he　had　lived；　she　had　worked；　indeed；　with　regularity　and　conscientiousness；　but　it　was　work　made　easy；　made　delicious；　by　his　care；　his　forethought；　his　advice；　and　his　infallibility。　The　mere　sound　of　his　voice；　asking　her　to　sign　a　paper；　had　thrilled　her；　in　such　a　presence　she　could　have　laboured　gladly　for　ever。　But　now　there　was　a　hideous　change。　Now　there　were　no　neat　piles　and　docketings　under　the　green　lamp；　now　there　were　no　simple　explanations　of　difficult　matters；　now　there　was　nobody　to　tell　her　what　was　right　and　what　was　wrong。　She　had　her　secretaries；　no　doubt：　there　were　Sir　Charles　Phipps；　and　General　Grey；　and　Sir　Thomas　Biddulph；　and　they　did　their　best。　But　they　were　mere　subordinates：　the　whole　weight　of　initiative　and　responsibility　rested　upon　her　alone。　For　so　it　had　to　be。　〃I　am　DETERMINED〃had　she　not　declared　it？〃that　NO　ONE　person　is　to　lead　or　guide　or　dictate　to　ME；〃　anything　else　would　be　a　betrayal　of　her　trust。　She　would　follow　the　Prince　in　all　things。　He　had　refused　to　delegate　authority；　he　had　examined　into　every　detail　with　his　own　eyes；　he　had　made　it　a　rule　never　to　sign　a　paper　without　having　first；　not　merely　read　it；　but　made　notes　on　it　too。　She　would　do　the　same。　She　sat　from　morning　till　night　surrounded　by　huge　heaps　of　despatchboxes；　reading　and　writing　at　her　deskat　her　desk；　alas！　which　stood　alone　now　in　the　room。

Within　two　years　of　Albert's　death　a　violent　disturbance　in　foreign　politics　put　Victoria's　faithfulness　to　a　crucial　test。　The　fearful　Schleswig…Holstein　dispute；　which　had　been　smouldering　for　more　than　a　decade；　showed　signs　of　bursting　out　into　conflagration。　The　complexity　of　the　questions　at　issue　was　indescribable。　〃Only　three　people；〃　said　Palmerston；　〃have　ever　really　understood　the　Schleswig…Holstein　businessthe　Prince　Consort；　who　is　deada　German　professor；　who　has　gone　madand　I；　who　have　forgotten　all　about　it。〃　But；　though　the　Prince　might　be　dead；　had　he　not　left　a　vicegerent　behind　him？　Victoria　threw　herself　into　the　seething　embroilment　with　the　vigour　of　inspiration。　She　devoted　hours　daily　to　the　study　of　the　affair　in　all　its　windings；　but　she　had　a　clue　through　the　labyrinth：　whenever　the　question　had　been　discussed；　Albert；　she　recollected　it　perfectly；　had　always　taken　the　side　of　Prussia。　Her　course　was　clear。　She　became　an　ardent　champion　of　the　Prussian　point　of　view。　It　was　a　legacy　from　the　Prince；　she　said。　She　did　not　realise　that　the　Prussia　of　the　Prince's　day　was　dead；　and　that　a　new　Prussia；　the　Prussia　of　Bismarck；　was　born。　Perhaps　Palmerston；　with　his　queer　prescience；　instinctively　apprehended　the　new　danger；　at　any　rate；　he　and　Lord　John　were　agreed　upon　the　necessity　of　supporting　Denmark　against　Prussia's　claims。　But　opinion　was　sharply　divided；　not　only　in　the　country　but　in　the　Cabinet。　For　eighteen　months　the　controversy　raged；　while　the　Queen；　with　persistent　vehemence；　opposed　the　Prime　Minister　and　the　Foreign　Secretary。　When　at　last　the　final　crisis　arosewhen　it　seemed　possible　that　England　would　join　forces　with　Denmark　in　a　war　against　PrussiaVictoria's　agitation　grew　febrile　in　its　intensity。　Towards　her　German　relatives　she　preserved　a　discreet　appearance　of　impartiality；　but　she　poured　out　upon　her　Ministers　a　flood　of　appeals；　protests；　and　expostulations。　She　invoked　the　sacred　cause　of　Peace。　〃The　only　chance　of　preserving　peace　for　Europe；〃　she　wrote；　〃is　by　not　assisting　Denmark；　who　has　brought　this　entirely　upon　herself。　The　Queen　suffers　much；　and　her　nerves　are　more　and　more　totally　shattered。。。　But　though　all　this　anxiety　is　wearing　her　out；　it　will　not　shake　her　firm　purpose　of　resisting　any　attempt　to　involve　this　country　in　a　mad　and　useless　combat。〃　She　was；　she　declared；　〃prepared　to　make　a　stand；〃　even　if　the　resignation　of　the　Foreign　Secretary　should　follow。　〃The　Queen；〃　she　told　Lord　Granville；　〃is　completely　exhausted　by　the　anxiety　and　suspense；　and　misses　her　beloved　husband's　help；　advice；　support；　and　love　in　an　overwhelming　manner。〃　She　was　so　worn　out　by　her　efforts　for　peace　that　she　could　〃hardly　hold　up　her　head　or　hold　her　pen。〃　England　did　not　go　to　war；　and　Denmark　was　left　to　her　fate；　but　how　far　the　attitude　of　the　Queen　contributed　to　this　result　it　is　impossible；　with　our　present　knowledge；　to　say。　On　the　whole；　however；　it　seems　probable　that　the　determining　factor　in　the　situation　was　the　powerful　peace　party　in　the　Cabinet　rather　than　the　imperious　and　pathetic　pressure　of　Victoria。

It　is；　at　any　rate；　certain　that　the　Queen's　enthusiasm　for　the　sacred　cause　of　peace　was　short…lived。　Within　a　few　months　her　mind　had　completely　altered。　Her　eyes　were　opened　to　the　true　nature　of　Prussia；　whose　designs　upon　Austria　were　about　to　culminate　in　the　Seven　Weeks'　War。　Veering　precipitately　from　one　extreme　to　the　other；　she　now　urged　her　Ministers　to　interfere　by　force　of　arms　in　support　of　Austria。　But　she　urged　in　vain。

Her　political　activity；　no　more　than　her　social　seclusion；　was　approved　by　the　public。　As　the　years　passed；　and　the　royal　mourning　remained　as　unrelieved　as　ever；　the　animadversions　grew　more　general　and　more　severe。　It　was　observed　that　the　Queen's　protracted　privacy　not　only　cast　a　gloom　over　high　society；　not　only　deprived　the　populace　of　its　pageantry；　but　also　exercised　a　highly　deleterious　effect　upon　the　dressmaking；　millinery；　and　hosiery　trades。　This　latter　consideration　carried　great　weight。　At　last；　early　in　1864；　the　rumour　spread　that　Her　Majesty　was　about　to　go　out　of　mourning；　and　there　was　much　rejoicing　in　the　newspapers；　but　unfortunately　it　turned　out　that　the　rumour　was　quite　without　foundation。　Victoria；　with　her　own　hand；　wrote　a　letter　to　The　Times　to　say　so。　〃This　idea；〃　she　declared；　〃cannot　be　too　explicitly　contradicted。　〃The　Queen；〃　the　letter　continued；　〃heartily　appreciates　the　desire　of　her　subjects　to　see　her；　and　whatever　she　CAN　do　to　gratify　them　in　this　loyal　and　affectionate　wish；　she　WILL　do。。。　But　there　are　other　and　higher　duties　than　those　of　mere　representation　which　are　now　thrown　upon　the　Queen；　alone　and　unassistedduties　which　she　cannot　neglect　without　injury　to　the　public　service；　which　weigh　unceasingly　upon　her；　overwhelming　her　with　work　and　anxiety。〃　The　justification　might　have　been　considered　more　cogent　had　it　not　been　known　that　those　〃other　and　higher　duties〃　emphasised　by　the　Queen　consisted　for　the　most　part　of　an　attempt　to　counteract　the　foreign　policy　of　Lord　Palmerston　and　Lord　John　Russell。　A　large　sectionperhaps　a　majorityof　the　nation　were　violent　partisans　of　Denmark　in　the　Schleswig…Holstein　quarrel；　and　Victoria's　support　of　Prussia　was　widely　denounced。　A　wave　of　unpopularity；　which　reminded　old　observers　of　the　period　preceding　the　Queen's　marriage　more　than　twenty…five　years　before；　was　beginning　to　rise。　The　press　was　rude；　Lord　Ellenborough　attacked　the　Queen　in　the　House　of　Lords；　there　were　curious　whispers　in　high　quarters　that　she　had　had　thoughts　of　abdicatingwhispers　followed　by　regrets　that　she　had　not　done　so。　Victoria；　outraged　and　injured；　felt　that　she　was　misunderstood。　She　was　profoundly　unhappy。　After　Lord　Ellenborough's　speech；　General　Grey　declared　that　he　〃had　never　seen　the　Queen　so　completely　upset。〃　〃Oh；　how　fearful　it　is；〃　she　herself　wrote　to　Lord　Granville；　〃to　be　suspecteduncheered　unguided　and　unadvisedand　how　alone　the　poor　Queen　feels！　〃　Nevertheless；　suffer　as　she　might；　she　was　as　resolute　as　ever；　she　would　not　move　by　a　hair's　breadth　from　the　course　that　a　supreme　obligation　marked　out　for　her；　she　would　be　faithful　to　the　end。

And　so；　when　Schleswig…Holstein　was　forgotten；　and　even　the　image　of　the　Prince　had　begun　to　grow　dim　in　the　fickle　memories　of　men；　the　solitary　watcher　remained　immutably　concentrated　at　her　peculiar　task。　The　world's　hostility；　steadily　increasing；　was　confronted　and　outfaced　by　the　impenetrable　weeds　of　Victoria。　Would　the　world　never　understand？　It　was　not　mere　sorrow　that　kept　her　so　strangely　sequestered；　it　was　devotion；　it　was　self…immolation；　it　was　the　laborious　legacy　of　love。　Unceasingly　the　pen　moved　over　the　black…edged　paper。　The　flesh　might　be　weak；　but　that　vast　burden　must　be　borne。　And　fortunately；　if　the　world　would　not　understand；　there　were　faithful　friends　who　did。　There　was　Lord　Granville；　and　there　was　kind　Mr。　Theodore　Martin。　Perhaps　Mr。　Martin；　who　was　so　clever；　would　find　means　to　make　people　realise　the　facts。　She　would　send　him　a　letter；　pointing　out　her　arduous　labours　and　the　difficulties　under　which　she　struggled；　and　then　he　might　write　an　article　for　one　of　the　magazines。　〃It　is　not；〃　she　told　him　in　1863；　〃the　Queen's　SORROW　that　keeps　her　secluded。　It　is　her　OVERWHELMING　WORK　and　her　health；　which　is　greatly　shaken　by　her　sorrow；　and　the　totally　overwhelming　amount　of　work　and　responsibilitywork　which　she　feels　really　wears　her　out。　Alice　Helps　was　wonderfully　struck　at　the　Queen's　room；　and　if　Mrs。　Martin　will　look　at　it；　she　can　tell　Mr。　Martin　what　surrounds　her。　From　the　hour　she　gets　out　of　bed　till　she　gets　into　it　again　there　is　work；　work；　work；letter…boxes；　questions；　etc。；　which　are　dreadfully　exhaustingand　if　she　had　not　comparative　rest　and　quiet　in　the　evening　she　would　most　likely　not　be　ALIVE。　Her　brain　is　constantly　overtaxed。〃　It　was　too　true。

III

To　carry　on　Albert's　workthat　was　her　first　duty；　but　there　was　another；　second　only　to　that；　and　yet　nearer；　if　possible；　to　her　heartto　impress　the　true　nature　of　his　genius　and　character　upon　the　minds　of　her　subjects。　She　realised　that　during　his　life　he　had　not　been　properly　appreciated；　the　full　extent　of　his　powers；　the　supreme　quality　of　his　goodness；　had　been　necessarily　concealed；　but　death　had　removed　the　need　of　barriers；　and　now　her　husband；　in　his　magnificent　entirety；　should　stand　revealed　to　all。　She　set　to　work　methodically。　She　directed　Sir　Arthur　Helps　to　bring　out　a　collection　of　the　Prince's　speeches　and　addresses；　and　the　weighty　tome　appeared　in　1862。　Then　she　commanded　General　Grey　to　write　an　account　of　the　Prince's　early　yearsfrom　his　birth　to　his　marriage；　she　herself　laid　down　the　design　of　the　book；　contributed　a　number　of　confidential　documents；　and　added　numerous　notes；　General　Grey　obeyed；　and　the　work　was　completed　in　1866。　But　the　principal　part　of　the　story　was　still　untold；　and　Mr。　Martin　was　forthwith　instructed　to　write　a　complete　biography　of　the　Prince　Consort。　Mr。　Martin　laboured　for　fourteen　years。　The　mass　of　material　with　which　he　had　to　deal　was　almost　incredible；　but　he　was　extremely　industrious；　and　he　enjoyed　throughout　the　gracious　assistance　of　Her　Majesty。　The　first　bulky　volume　was　published　in　1874；　four　others　slowly　followed；　so　that　it　was　not　until　1880　that　the　monumental　work　was　finished。

Mr。　Martin　was　rewarded　by　a　knighthood；　and　yet　it　was　sadly　evident　that　neither　Sir　Theodore　nor　his　predecessors　had　achieved　the　purpose　which　the　Queen　had　in　view。　Perhaps　she　was　unfortunate　in　her　coadjutors；　but；　in　reality；　the　responsibility　for　the　failure　must　lie　with　Victoria　herself。　Sir　Theodore　and　the　others　faithfully　carried　out　the　task　which　she　had　set　themfaithfully　put　before　the　public　th