queen victoria-第35章

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the　others　faithfully　carried　out　the　task　which　she　had　set　themfaithfully　put　before　the　public　the　very　image　of　Albert　that　filled　her　own　mind。　The　fatal　drawback　was　that　the　public　did　not　find　that　image　attractive。　Victoria's　emotional　nature；　far　more　remarkable　for　vigour　than　for　subtlety；　rejecting　utterly　the　qualifications　which　perspicuity；　or　humour；　might　suggest；　could　be　satisfied　with　nothing　but　the　absolute　and　the　categorical。　When　she　disliked　she　did　so　with　an　unequivocal　emphasis　which　swept　the　object　of　her　repugnance　at　once　and　finally　outside　the　pale　of　consideration；　and　her　feelings　of　affection　were　equally　unmitigated。　In　the　case　of　Albert　her　passion　for　superlatives　reached　its　height。　To　have　conceived　of　him　as　anything　short　of　perfectperfect　in　virtue；　in　wisdom；　in　beauty；　in　all　the　glories　and　graces　of　manwould　have　been　an　unthinkable　blasphemy：　perfect　he　was；　and　perfect　he　must　be　shown　to　have　been。　And　so；　Sir　Arthur；　Sir　Theodore；　and　the　General　painted　him。　In　the　circumstances；　and　under　such　supervision；　to　have　done　anything　else　would　have　required　talents　considerably　more　distinguished　than　any　that　those　gentlemen　possessed。　But　that　was　not　all。　By　a　curious　mischance　Victoria　was　also　able　to　press　into　her　service　another　writer；　the　distinction　of　whose　talents　was　this　time　beyond　a　doubt。　The　Poet　Laureate；　adopting；　either　from　complaisance　or　conviction；　the　tone　of　his　sovereign；　joined　in　the　chorus；　and　endowed　the　royal　formula　with　the　magical　resonance　of　verse。　This　settled　the　matter。　Henceforward　it　was　impossible　to　forget　that　Albert　had　worn　the　white　flower　of　a　blameless　life。

The　result　was　doubly　unfortunate。　Victoria；　disappointed　and　chagrined；　bore　a　grudge　against　her　people　for　their　refusal；　in　spite　of　all　her　efforts；　to　rate　her　husband　at　his　true　worth。　She　did　not　understand　that　the　picture　of　an　embodied　perfection　is　distasteful　to　the　majority　of　mankind。　The　cause　of　this　is　not　so　much　an　envy　of　the　perfect　being　as　a　suspicion　that　he　must　be　inhuman；　and　thus　it　happened　that　the　public；　when　it　saw　displayed　for　its　admiration　a　figure　resembling　the　sugary　hero　of　a　moral　story…book　rather　than　a　fellow　man　of　flesh　and　blood；　turned　away　with　a　shrug；　a　smile；　and　a　flippant　ejaculation。　But　in　this　the　public　was　the　loser　as　well　as　Victoria。　For　in　truth　Albert　was　a　far　more　interesting　personage　than　the　public　dreamed。　By　a　curious　irony　an　impeccable　waxwork　had　been　fixed　by　the　Queen's　love　in　the　popular　imagination；　while　the　creature　whom　it　representedthe　real　creature；　so　full　of　energy　and　stress　and　torment；　so　mysterious　and　so　unhappy；　and　so　fallible　and　so　very　humanhad　altogether　disappeared。

IV

Words　and　books　may　be　ambiguous　memorials；　but　who　can　misinterpret　the　visible　solidity　of　bronze　and　stone？　At　Frogmore；　near　Windsor；　where　her　mother　was　buried；　Victoria　constructed；　at　the　cost　of　L200；000；　a　vast　and　elaborate　mausoleum　for　herself　and　her　husband。　But　that　was　a　private　and　domestic　monument；　and　the　Queen　desired　that　wherever　her　subjects　might　be　gathered　together　they　should　be　reminded　of　the　Prince。　Her　desire　was　gratified；　all　over　the　countryat　Aberdeen；　at　Perth；　and　at　Wolverhamptonstatues　of　the　Prince　were　erected；　and　the　Queen；　making　an　exception　to　her　rule　of　retirement；　unveiled　them　herself。　Nor　did　the　capital　lag　behind。　A　month　after　the　Prince's　death　a　meeting　was　called　together　at　the　Mansion　House　to　discuss　schemes　for　honouring　his　memory。　Opinions；　however；　were　divided　upon　the　subject。　Was　a　statue　or　an　institution　to　be　preferred？　Meanwhile　a　subscription　was　opened；　an　influential　committee　was　appointed；　and　the　Queen　was　consulted　as　to　her　wishes　in　the　matter。　Her　Majesty　replied　that　she　would　prefer　a　granite　obelisk；　with　sculptures　at　the　base；　to　an　institution。　But　the　committee　hesitated：　an　obelisk；　to　be　worthy　of　the　name；　must　clearly　be　a　monolith；　and　where　was　the　quarry　in　England　capable　of　furnishing　a　granite　block　of　the　required　size？　It　was　true　that　there　was　granite　in　Russian　Finland；　but　the　committee　were　advised　that　it　was　not　adapted　to　resist　exposure　to　the　open　air。　On　the　whole；　therefore；　they　suggested　that　a　Memorial　Hall　should　be　erected；　together　with　a　statue　of　the　Prince。　Her　Majesty　assented；　but　then　another　difficulty　arose。　It　was　found　that　not　more　than　L60；000　had　been　subscribeda　sum　insufficient　to　defray　the　double　expense。　The　Hall；　therefore；　was　abandoned；　a　statue　alone　was　to　be　erected；　and　certain　eminent　architects　were　asked　to　prepare　designs。　Eventually　the　committee　had　at　their　disposal　a　total　sum　of　L120；000；　since　the　public　subscribed　another　L10；000；　while　L50；000　was　voted　by　Parliament。　Some　years　later　a　joint　stock　company　was　formed　and　built；　as　a　private　speculation；　the　Albert　Hall。

The　architect　whose　design　was　selected；　both　by　the　committee　and　by　the　Queen；　was　Mr。　Gilbert　Scott；　whose　industry；　conscientiousness；　and　genuine　piety　had　brought　him　to　the　head　of　his　profession。　His　lifelong　zeal　for　the　Gothic　style　having　given　him　a　special　prominence；　his　handiwork　was　strikingly　visible；　not　only　in　a　multitude　of　original　buildings；　but　in　most　of　the　cathedrals　of　England。　Protests；　indeed；　were　occasionally　raised　against　his　renovations；　but　Mr。　Scott　replied　with　such　vigour　and　unction　in　articles　and　pamphlets　that　not　a　Dean　was　unconvinced；　and　he　was　permitted　to　continue　his　labours　without　interruption。　On　one　occasion；　however；　his　devotion　to　Gothic　had　placed　him　in　an　unpleasant　situation。　The　Government　offices　in　Whitehall　were　to　be　rebuilt；　Mr。　Scott　competed；　and　his　designs　were　successful。　Naturally；　they　were　in　the　Gothic　style；　combining　〃a　certain　squareness　and　horizontality　of　outline〃　with　pillar…mullions；　gables；　high…pitched　roofs；　and　dormers；　and　the　drawings；　as　Mr。　Scott　himself　observed；　〃were；　perhaps；　the　best　ever　sent　in　to　a　competition；　or　nearly　so。〃　After　the　usual　difficulties　and　delays　the　work　was　at　last　to　be　put　in　hand；　when　there　was　a　change　of　Government　and　Lord　Palmerston　became　Prime　Minister。　Lord　Palmerston　at　once　sent　for　Mr。　Scott。　〃Well；　Mr。　Scott；〃　he　said；　in　his　jaunty　way；　〃I　can't　have　anything　to　do　with　this　Gothic　style。　I　must　insist　on　your　making　a　design　in　the　Italian　manner；　which　I　am　sure　you　can　do　very　cleverly。〃　Mr。　Scott　was　appalled；　the　style　of　the　Italian　renaissance　was　not　only　unsightly；　it　was　positively　immoral；　and　he　sternly　refused　to　have　anything　to　do　with　it。　Thereupon　Lord　Palmerston　assumed　a　fatherly　tone。　〃Quite　true；　a　Gothic　architect　can't　be　expected　to　put　up　a　Classical　building；　I　must　find　someone　else。〃　This　was　intolerable；　and　Mr。　Scott；　on　his　return　home；　addressed　to　the　Prime　Minister　a　strongly…worded　letter；　in　which　he　dwelt　upon　his　position　as　an　architect；　upon　his　having　won　two　European　competitions；　his　being　an　A。R。A。；　a　gold　medallist　of　the　Institute；　and　a　lecturer　on　architecture　at　the　Royal　Academy；　but　it　was　uselessLord　Palmerston　did　not　even　reply。　It　then　occurred　to　Mr。　Scott　that；　by　a　judicious　mixture；　he　might；　while　preserving　the　essential　character　of　the　Gothic；　produce　a　design　which　would　give　a　superficial　impression　of　the　Classical　style。　He　did　so；　but　no　effect　was　produced　upon　Lord　Palmerston。　The　new　design；　he　said；　was　〃neither　one　thing　nor　'tothera　regular　mongrel　affairand　he　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　it　either。〃　After　that　Mr。　Scott　found　it　necessary　to　recruit　for　two　months　at　Scarborough；　〃with　a　course　of　quinine。〃　He　recovered　his　tone　at　last；　but　only　at　the　cost　of　his　convictions。　For　the　sake　of　his　family　he　felt　that　it　was　his　unfortunate　duty　to　obey　the　Prime　Minister；　and；　shuddering　with　horror；　he　constructed　the　Government　offices　in　a　strictly　Renaissance　style。

Shortly　afterwards　Mr。　Scott　found　some　consolation　in　building　the　St。　Pancras　Hotel　in　a　style　of　his　own。

And　now　another　and　yet　more　satisfactory　task　was　his。　〃My　idea　in　designing　the　Memorial；〃　he　wrote；　〃was　to　erect　a　kind　of　ciborium　to　protect　a　statue　of　the　Prince；　and　its　special　characteristic　was　that　the　ciborium　was　designed　in　some　degree　on　the　principles　of　the　ancient　shrines。　These　shrines　were　models　of　imaginary　buildings；　such　as　had　never　in　reality　been　erected；　and　my　idea　was　to　realise　one　of　these　imaginary　structures　with　its　precious　materials；　its　inlaying；　its　enamels；　etc。　etc。〃　His　idea　was　particularly　appropriate　since　it　chanced　that　a　similar　conception；　though　in　the　reverse　order　of　magnitude；　had　occurred　to　the　Prince　himself；　who　had　designed　and　executed　several　silver　cruet…stands　upon　the　same　model。　At　the　Queen's　request　a　site　was　chosen　in　Kensington　Gardens　as　near　as　possible　to　that　of　the　Great　Exhibition；　and　in　May；　1864；　the　first　sod　was　turned。　The　work　was　long；　complicated；　and　difficult；　a　great　number　of　workmen　were　employed；　besides　several　subsidiary　sculptors　and　metalworkers　under　Mr。　Scott's　direction；　while　at　every　stage　sketches　and　models　were　submitted　to　Her　Majesty；　who　criticised　all　the　details　with　minute　care；　and　constantly　suggested　improvements。　The　frieze；　which　encircled　the　base　of　the　monument；　was　in　itself　a　very　serious　piece　of　work。　〃This；〃　said　Mr。　Scott；　〃taken　as　a　whole；　is　perhaps　one　of　the　most　laborious　works　of　sculpture　ever　undertaken；　consisting；　as　it　does；　of　a　continuous　range　of　figure…sculpture　of　the　most　elaborate　description；　in　the　highest　alto…relievo　of　life…size；　of　more　than　200　feet　in　length；　containing　about　170　figures；　and　executed　in　the　hardest　marble　which　could　be　procured。〃　After　three　years　of　toil　the　memorial　was　still　far　from　completion；　and　Mr。　Scott　thought　it　advisable　to　give　a　dinner　to　the　workmen；　〃as　a　substantial　recognition　of　his　appreciation　of　their　skill　and　energy。〃　〃Two　long　tables；〃　we　are　told；　〃constructed　of　scaffold　planks；　were　arranged　in　the　workshops；　and　covered　with　newspapers；　for　want　of　table…cloths。　Upwards　of　eighty　men　sat　down。　Beef　and　mutton；　plum　pudding　and　cheese　were　supplied　in　abundance；　and　each　man　who　desired　it　had　three　pints　of　beer；　gingerbeer　and　lemonade　being　provided　for　the　teetotalers；　who　formed　a　very　considerable　proportion。。。　Several　toasts　were　given　and　many　of　the　workmen　spoke；　almost　all　of　them　commencing　by　〃Thanking　God　that　they　enjoyed　good　health；〃　some　alluded　to　the　temperance　that　prevailed　amongst　them；　others　observed　how　little　swearing　was　ever　heard；　whilst　all　said　how　pleased　and　proud　they　were　to　be　engaged　on　so　great　a　work。〃

Gradually　the　edifice　approached　completion。　The　one　hundred　and　seventieth　life…size　figure　in　the　frieze　was　chiselled；　the　granite　pillars　arose；　the　mosaics　were　inserted　in　the　allegorical　pediments；　the　four　colossal　statues　representing　the　greater　Christian　virtues；　the　four　other　colossal　statues　representing　the　greater　moral　virtues；　were　hoisted　into　their　positions；　the　eight　bronzes　representing　the　greater　sciencesAstronomy；　Chemistry；　Geology；　Geometry；　Rhetoric；　Medicine；　Philosophy；　and　Physiologywere　fixed　on　their　glittering　pinnacles；　high　in　air。　T