queen victoria-第37章

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that　the　change　was　an　attack　upon　her　personal　positionalmost　an　attack　upon　the　personal　position　of　Albert。　But　she　was　helpless；　and　the　Prime　Minister　had　his　way。　When　she　heard　that　the　dreadful　man　had　yet　another　reform　in　contemplationthat　he　was　about　to　abolish　the　purchase　of　military　commissionsshe　could　only　feel　that　it　was　just　what　might　have　been　expected。　For　a　moment　she　hoped　that　the　House　of　Lords　would　come　to　the　rescue；　the　Peers　opposed　the　change　with　unexpected　vigour；　but　Mr。　Gladstone；　more　conscious　than　ever　of　the　support　of　the　Almighty；　was　ready　with　an　ingenious　device。　The　purchase　of　commissions　had　been　originally　allowed　by　Royal　Warrant；　it　should　now　be　disallowed　by　the　same　agency。　Victoria　was　faced　by　a　curious　dilemma：　she　abominated　the　abolition　of　purchase；　but　she　was　asked　to　abolish　it　by　an　exercise　of　sovereign　power　which　was　very　much　to　her　taste。　She　did　not　hesitate　for　long；　and　when　the　Cabinet；　in　a　formal　minute；　advised　her　to　sign　the　Warrant；　she　did　so　with　a　good　grace。

Unacceptable　as　Mr。　Gladstone's　policy　was；　there　was　something　else　about　him　which　was　even　more　displeasing　to　Victoria。　She　disliked　his　personal　demeanour　towards　herself。　It　was　not　that　Mr。　Gladstone；　in　his　intercourse　with　her；　was　in　any　degree　lacking　in　courtesy　or　respect。　On　the　contrary；　an　extraordinary　reverence　impregnated　his　manner；　both　in　his　conversation　and　his　correspondence　with　the　Sovereign。　Indeed；　with　that　deep　and　passionate　conservatism　which；　to　the　very　end　of　his　incredible　career；　gave　such　an　unexpected　colouring　to　his　inexplicable　character；　Mr。　Gladstone　viewed　Victoria　through　a　haze　of　awe　which　was　almost　religiousas　a　sacrosanct　embodiment　of　venerable　traditionsa　vital　element　in　the　British　Constitutiona　Queen　by　Act　of　Parliament。　But　unfortunately　the　lady　did　not　appreciate　the　compliment。　The　well…known　complaint〃He　speaks　to　me　as　if　I　were　a　public　meeting…〃　whether　authentic　or　noand　the　turn　of　the　sentence　is　surely　a　little　too　epigrammatic　to　be　genuinely　Victorianundoubtedly　expresses　the　essential　element　of　her　antipathy。　She　had　no　objection　to　being　considered　as　an　institution；　she　was　one；　and　she　knew　it。　But　she　was　a　woman　too；　and　to　be　considered　ONLY　as　an　institutionthat　was　unbearable。　And　thus　all　Mr。　Gladstone's　zeal　and　devotion；　his　ceremonious　phrases；　his　low　bows；　his　punctilious　correctitudes；　were　utterly　wasted；　and　when；　in　the　excess　of　his　loyalty；　he　went　further；　and　imputed　to　the　object　of　his　veneration；　with　obsequious　blindness；　the　subtlety　of　intellect；　the　wide　reading；　the　grave　enthusiasm；　which　he　himself　possessed；　the　misunderstanding　became　complete。　The　discordance　between　the　actual　Victoria　and　this　strange　Divinity　made　in　Mr。　Gladstone's　image　produced　disastrous　results。　Her　discomfort　and　dislike　turned　at　last　into　positive　animosity；　and；　though　her　manners　continued　to　be　perfect；　she　never　for　a　moment　unbent；　while　he　on　his　side　was　overcome　with　disappointment；　perplexity；　and　mortification。

Yet　his　fidelity　remained　unshaken。　When　the　Cabinet　met；　the　Prime　Minister；　filled　with　his　beatific　vision；　would　open　the　proceedings　by　reading　aloud　the　letters　which　he　had　received　from　the　Queen　upon　the　questions　of　the　hour。　The　assembly　sat　in　absolute　silence　while；　one　after　another；　the　royal　missives；　with　their　emphases；　their　ejaculations；　and　their　grammatical　peculiarities；　boomed　forth　in　all　the　deep　solemnity　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　utterance。　Not　a　single　comment；　of　any　kind；　was　ever　hazarded；　and；　after　a　fitting　pause；　the　Cabinet　proceeded　with　the　business　of　the　day。

II

Little　as　Victoria　appreciated　her　Prime　Minister's　attitude　towards　her；　she　found　that　it　had　its　uses。　The　popular　discontent　at　her　uninterrupted　seclusion　had　been　gathering　force　for　many　years；　and　now　burst　out　in　a　new　and　alarming　shape。　Republicanism　was　in　the　air。　Radical　opinion　in　England；　stimulated　by　the　fall　of　Napoleon　III　and　the　establishment　of　a　republican　government　in　France；　suddenly　grew　more　extreme　than　it　ever　had　been　since　1848。　It　also　became　for　the　first　time　almost　respectable。　Chartism　had　been　entirely　an　affair　of　the　lower　classes；　but　now　Members　of　Parliament；　learned　professors；　and　ladies　of　title　openly　avowed　the　most　subversive　views。　The　monarchy　was　attacked　both　in　theory　and　in　practice。　And　it　was　attacked　at　a　vital　point：　it　was　declared　to　be　too　expensive。　What　benefits；　it　was　asked；　did　the　nation　reap　to　counterbalance　the　enormous　sums　which　were　expended　upon　the　Sovereign？　Victoria's　retirement　gave　an　unpleasant　handle　to　the　argument。　It　was　pointed　out　that　the　ceremonial　functions　of　the　Crown　had　virtually　lapsed；　and　the　awkward　question　remained　whether　any　of　the　other　functions　which　it　did　continue　to　perform　were　really　worth　L385；000　per　annum。　The　royal　balance…sheet　was　curiously　examined。　An　anonymous　pamphlet　entitled　〃What　does　she　do　with　it？〃　appeared；　setting　forth　the　financial　position　with　malicious　clarity。　The　Queen；　it　stated；　was　granted　by　the　Civil　List　L60；000　a　year　for　her　private　use；　but　the　rest　of　her　vast　annuity　was　given；　as　the　Act　declared；　to　enable　her　〃to　defray　the　expenses　of　her　royal　household　and　to　support　the　honour　and　dignity　of　the　Crown。〃　Now　it　was　obvious　that；　since　the　death　of　the　Prince；　the　expenditure　for　both　these　purposes　must　have　been　very　considerably　diminished；　and　it　was　difficult　to　resist　the　conclusion　that　a　large　sum　of　money　was　diverted　annually　from　the　uses　for　which　it　had　been　designed　by　Parliament；　to　swell　the　private　fortune　of　Victoria。　The　precise　amount　of　that　private　fortune　it　was　impossible　to　discover；　but　there　was　reason　to　suppose　that　it　was　gigantic；　perhaps　it　reached　a　total　of　five　million　pounds。　The　pamphlet　protested　against　such　a　state　of　affairs；　and　its　protests　were　repeated　vigorously　in　newspapers　and　at　public　meetings。　Though　it　is　certain　that　the　estimate　of　Victoria's　riches　was　much　exaggerated；　it　is　equally　certain　that　she　was　an　exceedingly　wealthy　woman。　She　probably　saved　L20；000　a　year　from　the　Civil　List；　the　revenues　of　the　Duchy　of　Lancaster　were　steadily　increasing；　she　had　inherited　a　considerable　property　from　the　Prince　Consort；　and　she　had　been　left；　in　1852；　an　estate　of　half　a　million　by　Mr。　John　Neild；　an　eccentric　miser。　In　these　circumstances　it　was　not　surprising　that　when；　in　1871；　Parliament　was　asked　to　vote　a　dowry　of　L30；000　to　the　Princess　Louise　on　her　marriage　with　the　eldest　son　of　the　Duke　of　Argyle；　together　with　an　annuity　of　L6；000；　there　should　have　been　a　serious　outcry＇*＇。

＇*＇　In　1889　it　was　officially　stated　that　the　Queen's　total　savings　from　the　Civil　List　amounted　to　L824；025；　but　that　out　of　this　sum　much　had　been　spent　on　special　entertainments　to　foreign　visitors。　Taking　into　consideration　the　proceeds　from　the　Duchy　of　Lancaster；　which　were　more　than　L60；000　a　year；　the　savings　of　the　Prince　Consort；　and　Mr。　Neild's　legacy；　it　seems　probable　that；　at　the　time　of　her　death；　Victoria's　private　fortune　approached　two　million　pounds。


In　order　to　conciliate　public　opinion；　the　Queen　opened　Parliament　in　person；　and　the　vote　was　passed　almost　unanimously。　But　a　few　months　later　another　demand　was　made：　the　Prince　Arthur　had　come　of　age；　and　the　nation　was　asked　to　grant　him　an　annuity　of　L15；000。　The　outcry　was　redoubled。　The　newspapers　were　filled　with　angry　articles；　Bradlaugh　thundered　against　〃princely　paupers〃　to　one　of　the　largest　crowds　that　had　ever　been　seen　in　Trafalgar　Square；　and　Sir　Charles　Dilke　expounded　the　case　for　a　republic　in　a　speech　to　his　constituents　at　Newcastle。　The　Prince's　annuity　was　ultimately　sanctioned　in　the　House　of　Commons　by　a　large　majority；　but　a　minority　of　fifty　members　voted　in　favour　of　reducing　the　sum　to　L10；000。

Towards　every　aspect　of　this　distasteful　question；　Mr。　Gladstone　presented　an　iron　front。　He　absolutely　discountenanced　the　extreme　section　of　his　followers。　He　declared　that　the　whole　of　the　Queen's　income　was　justly　at　her　personal　disposal；　argued　that　to　complain　of　royal　savings　was　merely　to　encourage　royal　extravagance；　and　successfully　convoyed　through　Parliament　the　unpopular　annuities；　which；　he　pointed　out；　were　strictly　in　accordance　with　precedent。　When；　in　1872；　Sir　Charles　Dilke　once　more　returned　to　the　charge　in　the　House　of　Commons；　introducing　a　motion　for　a　full　enquiry　into　the　Queen's　expenditure　with　a　view　to　a　root　and　branch　reform　of　the　Civil　List；　the　Prime　Minister　brought　all　the　resources　of　his　powerful　and　ingenious　eloquence　to　the　support　of　the　Crown。　He　was　completely　successful；　and　amid　a　scene　of　great　disorder　the　motion　was　ignominiously　dismissed。　Victoria　was　relieved；　but　she　grew　no　fonder　of　Mr。　Gladstone。

It　was　perhaps　the　most　miserable　moment　of　her　life。　The　Ministers；　the　press；　the　public；　all　conspired　to　vex　her；　to　blame　her；　to　misinterpret　her　actions；　to　be　unsympathetic　and　disrespectful　in　every　way。　She　was　〃a　cruelly　misunderstood　woman；〃　she　told　Mr。　Martin；　complaining　to　him　bitterly　of　the　unjust　attacks　which　were　made　upon　her；　and　declaring　that　〃the　great　worry　and　anxiety　and　hard　work　for　ten　years；　alone；　unaided；　with　increasing　age　and　never　very　strong　health〃　were　breaking　her　down；　and　〃almost　drove　her　to　despair。〃　The　situation　was　indeed　deplorable。　It　seemed　as　if　her　whole　existence　had　gone　awry；　as　if　an　irremediable　antagonism　had　grown　up　between　the　Queen　and　the　nation。　If　Victoria　had　died　in　the　early　seventies；　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　the　voice　of　the　world　would　have　pronounced　her　a　failure。

III

But　she　was　reserved　for　a　very　different　fate。　The　outburst　of　republicanism　had　been　in　fact　the　last　flicker　of　an　expiring　cause。　The　liberal　tide；　which　had　been　flowing　steadily　ever　since　the　Reform　Bill；　reached　its　height　with　Mr。　Gladstone's　first　administration；　and　towards　the　end　of　that　administration　the　inevitable　ebb　began。　The　reaction；　when　it　came；　was　sudden　and　complete。　The　General　Election　of　1874　changed　the　whole　face　of　politics。　Mr。　Gladstone　and　the　Liberals　were　routed；　and　the　Tory　party；　for　the　first　time　for　over　forty　years；　attained　an　unquestioned　supremacy　in　England。　It　was　obvious　that　their　surprising　triumph　was　pre…eminently　due　to　the　skill　and　vigour　of　Disraeli。　He　returned　to　office；　no　longer　the　dubious　commander　of　an　insufficient　host；　but　with　drums　beating　and　flags　flying；　a　conquering　hero。　And　as　a　conquering　hero　Victoria　welcomed　her　new　Prime　Minister。

Then　there　followed　six　years　of　excitement；　of　enchantment；　of　felicity；　of　glory；　of　romance。　The　amazing　being；　who　now　at　last；　at　the　age　of　seventy；　after　a　lifetime　of　extraordinary　struggles；　had　turned　into　reality　the　absurdest　of　his　boyhood's　dreams；　knew　well　enough　how　to　make　his　own；　with　absolute　completeness；　the　heart　of　the　Sovereign　Lady　whose　servant；　and　whose　master；　he　had　so　miraculously　become。　In　women's　hearts　he　had　always　read　as　in　an　open　book。　His　whole　career　had　turned　upon　those　curious　entities；　and　the　more　curious　they　were；　the　more　intimately　at　home　with　them　he　seemed　to　b