queen victoria-第45章

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forms　to　which　her　epoch　gave　birththe　emancipation　of　womenbut；　on　the　contrary；　the　mere　mention　of　such　a　proposal　sent　the　blood　rushing　to　her　head。　In　1870；　her　eye　having　fallen　upon　the　report　of　a　meeting　in　favour　of　Women's　Suffrage；　she　wrote　to　Mr。　Martin　in　royal　rage〃The　Queen　is　most　anxious　to　enlist　everyone　who　can　speak　or　write　to　join　in　checking　this　mad；　wicked　folly　of　'Woman's　Rights；'　with　all　its　attendant　horrors；　on　which　her　poor　feeble　sex　is　bent；　forgetting　every　sense　of　womanly　feeling　and　propriety。　Ladyought　to　get　a　GOOD　WHIPPING。　It　is　a　subject　which　makes　the　Queen　so　furious　that　she　cannot　contain　herself。　God　created　men　and　women　differentthen　let　them　remain　each　in　their　own　position。　Tennyson　has　some　beautiful　lines　on　the　difference　of　men　and　women　in　'The　Princess。'　Woman　would　become　the　most　hateful；　heartless；　and　disgusting　of　human　beings　were　she　allowed　to　unsex　herself；　and　where　would　be　the　protection　which　man　was　intended　to　give　the　weaker　sex？　The　Queen　is　sure　that　Mrs。　Martin　agrees　with　her。〃　The　argument　was　irrefutable；　Mrs。　Martin　agreed；　and　yet　the　canker　spread。

In　another　direction　Victoria's　comprehension　of　the　spirit　of　her　age　has　been　constantly　asserted。　It　was　for　long　the　custom　for　courtly　historians　and　polite　politicians　to　compliment　the　Queen　upon　the　correctness　of　her　attitude　towards　the　Constitution。　But　such　praises　seem　hardly　to　be　justified　by　the　facts。　In　her　later　years　Victoria　more　than　once　alluded　with　regret　to　her　conduct　during　the　Bedchamber　crisis；　and　let　it　be　understood　that　she　had　grown　wiser　since。　Yet　in　truth　it　is　difficult　to　trace　any　fundamental　change　either　in　her　theory　or　her　practice　in　constitutional　matters　throughout　her　life。　The　same　despotic　and　personal　spirit　which　led　her　to　break　off　the　negotiations　with　Peel　is　equally　visible　in　her　animosity　towards　Palmerston；　in　her　threats　of　abdication　to　Disraeli；　and　in　her　desire　to　prosecute　the　Duke　of　Westminster　for　attending　a　meeting　upon　Bulgarian　atrocities。　The　complex　and　delicate　principles　of　the　Constitution　cannot　be　said　to　have　come　within　the　compass　of　her　mental　faculties；　and　in　the　actual　developments　which　it　underwent　during　her　reign　she　played　a　passive　part。　From　1840　to　1861　the　power　of　the　Crown　steadily　increased　in　England；　from　1861　to　1901　it　steadily　declined。　The　first　process　was　due　to　the　influence　of　the　Prince　Consort；　the　second　to　that　of　a　series　of　great　Ministers。　During　the　first　Victoria　was　in　effect　a　mere　accessory；　during　the　second　the　threads　of　power；　which　Albert　had　so　laboriously　collected；　inevitably　fell　from　her　hands　into　the　vigorous　grasp　of　Mr。　Gladstone；　Lord　Beaconsfield；　and　Lord　Salisbury。　Perhaps；　absorbed　as　she　was　in　routine；　and　difficult　as　she　found　it　to　distinguish　at　all　clearly　between　the　trivial　and　the　essential；　she　was　only　dimly　aware　of　what　was　happening。　Yet；　at　the　end　of　her　reign；　the　Crown　was　weaker　than　at　any　other　time　in　English　history。　Paradoxically　enough；　Victoria　received　the　highest　eulogiums　for　assenting　to　a　political　evolution；　which；　had　she　completely　realised　its　import；　would　have　filled　her　with　supreme　displeasure。

Nevertheless　it　must　not　be　supposed　that　she　was　a　second　George　III。　Her　desire　to　impose　her　will；　vehement　as　it　was；　and　unlimited　by　any　principle；　was　yet　checked　by　a　certain　shrewdness。　She　might　oppose　her　Ministers　with　extraordinary　violence；　she　might　remain　utterly　impervious　to　arguments　and　supplications；　the　pertinacity　of　her　resolution　might　seem　to　be　unconquerable；　but；　at　the　very　last　moment　of　all；　her　obstinacy　would　give　way。　Her　innate　respect　and　capacity　for　business；　and　perhaps；　too；　the　memory　of　Albert's　scrupulous　avoidance　of　extreme　courses；　prevented　her　from　ever　entering　an　impasse。　By　instinct　she　understood　when　the　facts　were　too　much　for　her；　and　to　them　she　invariably　yielded。　After　all；　what　else　could　she　do？

But　if；　in　all　these　ways；　the　Queen　and　her　epoch　were　profoundly　separated；　the　points　of　contact　between　them　also　were　not　few。　Victoria　understood　very　well　the　meaning　and　the　attractions　of　power　and　property；　and　in　such　learning　the　English　nation；　too；　had　grown　to　be　more　and　more　proficient。　During　the　last　fifteen　years　of　the　reignfor　the　short　Liberal　Administration　of　1892　was　a　mere　interlude　imperialism　was　the　dominant　creed　of　the　country。　It　was　Victoria's　as　well。　In　this　direction；　if　in　no　other；　she　had　allowed　her　mind　to　develop。　Under　Disraeli's　tutelage　the　British　Dominions　over　the　seas　had　come　to　mean　much　more　to　her　than　ever　before；　and；　in　particular；　she　had　grown　enamoured　of　the　East。　The　thought　of　India　fascinated　her；　she　set　to；　and　learnt　a　little　Hindustani；　she　engaged　some　Indian　servants；　who　became　her　inseparable　attendants；　and　one　of　whom；　Munshi　Abdul　Karim；　eventually　almost　succeeded　to　the　position　which　had　once　been　John　Brown's。　At　the　same　time；　the　imperialist　temper　of　the　nation　invested　her　office　with　a　new　significance　exactly　harmonising　with　her　own　inmost　proclivities。　The　English　polity　was　in　the　main　a　common…sense　structure；　but　there　was　always　a　corner　in　it　where　common…sense　could　not　enterwhere；　somehow　or　other；　the　ordinary　measurements　were　not　applicable　and　the　ordinary　rules　did　not　apply。　So　our　ancestors　had　laid　it　down；　giving　scope；　in　their　wisdom；　to　that　mystical　element　which；　as　it　seems；　can　never　quite　be　eradicated　from　the　affairs　of　men。　Naturally　it　was　in　the　Crown　that　the　mysticism　of　the　English　polity　was　concentratedthe　Crown；　with　its　venerable　antiquity；　its　sacred　associations；　its　imposing　spectacular　array。　But；　for　nearly　two　centuries；　common…sense　had　been　predominant　in　the　great　building；　and　the　little；　unexplored；　inexplicable　corner　had　attracted　small　attention。　Then；　with　the　rise　of　imperialism；　there　was　a　change。　For　imperialism　is　a　faith　as　well　as　a　business；　as　it　grew；　the　mysticism　in　English　public　life　grew　with　it；　and　simultaneously　a　new　importance　began　to　attach　to　the　Crown。　The　need　for　a　symbola　symbol　of　England's　might；　of　England's　worth；　of　England's　extraordinary　and　mysterious　destinybecame　felt　more　urgently　than　ever　before。　The　Crown　was　that　symbol：　and　the　Crown　rested　upon　the　head　of　Victoria。　Thus　it　happened　that　while　by　the　end　of　the　reign　the　power　of　the　sovereign　had　appreciably　diminished；　the　prestige　of　the　sovereign　had　enormously　grown。

Yet　this　prestige　was　not　merely　the　outcome　of　public　changes；　it　was　an　intensely　personal　matter；　too。　Victoria　was　the　Queen　of　England；　the　Empress　of　India；　the　quintessential　pivot　round　which　the　whole　magnificent　machine　was　revolvingbut　how　much　more　besides！　For　one　thing；　she　was　of　a　great　agean　almost　indispensable　qualification　for　popularity　in　England。　She　had　given　proof　of　one　of　the　most　admired　characteristics　of　the　racepersistent　vitality。　She　had　reigned　for　sixty　years；　and　she　was　not　out。　And　then；　she　was　a　character。　The　outlines　of　her　nature　were　firmly　drawn；　and；　even　through　the　mists　which　envelop　royalty；　clearly　visible。　In　the　popular　imagination　her　familiar　figure　filled；　with　satisfying　ease；　a　distinct　and　memorable　place。　It　was；　besides；　the　kind　of　figure　which　naturally　called　forth　the　admiring　sympathy　of　the　great　majority　of　the　nation。　Goodness　they　prized　above　every　other　human　quality；　and　Victoria；　who　had　said　that　she　would　be　good　at　the　age　of　twelve；　had　kept　her　word。　Duty；　conscience；　moralityyes！　in　the　light　of　those　high　beacons　the　Queen　had　always　lived。　She　had　passed　her　days　in　work　and　not　in　pleasurein　public　responsibilities　and　family　cares。　The　standard　of　solid　virtue　which　had　been　set　up　so　long　ago　amid　the　domestic　happiness　of　Osborne　had　never　been　lowered　for　an　instant。　For　more　than　half　a　century　no　divorced　lady　had　approached　the　precincts　of　the　Court。　Victoria；　indeed；　in　her　enthusiasm　for　wifely　fidelity；　had　laid　down　a　still　stricter　ordinance：　she　frowned　severely　upon　any　widow　who　married　again。　Considering　that　she　herself　was　the　offspring　of　a　widow's　second　marriage；　this　prohibition　might　be　regarded　as　an　eccentricity；　but；　no　doubt；　it　was　an　eccentricity　on　the　right　side。　The　middle　classes；　firm　in　the　triple　brass　of　their　respectability；　rejoiced　with　a　special　joy　over　the　most　respectable　of　Queens。　They　almost　claimed　her；　indeed；　as　one　of　themselves；　but　this　would　have　been　an　exaggeration。　For；　though　many　of　her　characteristics　were　most　often　found　among　the　middle　classes；　in　other　respectsin　her　manners；　for　instanceVictoria　was　decidedly　aristocratic。　And；　in　one　important　particular；　she　was　neither　aristocratic　nor　middle…class：　her　attitude　toward　herself　was　simply　regal。

Such　qualities　were　obvious　and　important；　but；　in　the　impact　of　a　personality；　it　is　something　deeper；　something　fundamental　and　common　to　all　its　qualities；　that　really　tells。　In　Victoria；　it　is　easy　to　discern　the　nature　of　this　underlying　element：　it　was　a　peculiar　sincerity。　Her　truthfulness；　her　single…mindedness；　the　vividness　of　her　emotions　and　her　unrestrained　expression　of　them；　were　the　varied　forms　which　this　central　characteristic　assumed。　It　was　her　sincerity　which　gave　her　at　once　her　impressiveness；　her　charm；　and　her　absurdity。　She　moved　through　life　with　the　imposing　certitude　of　one　to　whom　concealment　was　impossibleeither　towards　her　surroundings　or　towards　herself。　There　she　was；　all　of　herthe　Queen　of　England；　complete　and　obvious；　the　world　might　take　her　or　leave　her；　she　had　nothing　more　to　show；　or　to　explain；　or　to　modify；　and；　with　her　peerless　carriage；　she　swept　along　her　path。　And　not　only　was　concealment　out　of　the　question；　reticence；　reserve；　even　dignity　itself；　as　it　sometimes　seemed；　might　be　very　well　dispensed　with。　As　Lady　Lyttelton　said：　〃There　is　a　transparency　in　her　truth　that　is　very　strikingnot　a　shade　of　exaggeration　in　describing　feelings　or　facts；　like　very　few　other　people　I　ever　knew。　Many　may　be　as　true；　but　I　think　it　goes　often　along　with　some　reserve。　She　talks　all　out；　just　as　it　is；　no　more　and　no　less。〃　She　talked　all　out；　and　she　wrote　all　out；　too。　Her　letters；　in　the　surprising　jet　of　their　expression；　remind　one　of　a　turned…on　tap。　What　is　within　pours　forth　in　an　immediate；　spontaneous　rush。　Her　utterly　unliterary　style　has　at　least　the　merit　of　being　a　vehicle　exactly　suited　to　her　thoughts　and　feelings；　and　even　the　platitude　of　her　phraseology　carries　with　it　a　curiously　personal　flavour。　Undoubtedly　it　was　through　her　writings　that　she　touched　the　heart　of　the　public。　Not　only　in　her　〃Highland　Journals〃　where　the　mild　chronicle　of　her　private　proceedings　was　laid　bare　without　a　trace　either　of　affectation　or　of　embarrassment；　but　also　in　those　remarkable　messages　to　the　nation　which；　from　time　to　time；　she　published　in　the　newspapers；　her　people　found　her　very　close　to　them　indeed。　They　felt　instinctively　Victoria's　irresistible　sincerity；　and　they　responded。　And　in　truth　it　was　an　endearing　trait。

The　personality　and　the　position；　toothe　wonderful　combination　of　themthat；　perhaps；　was　what　was　finally　fascinating　in　the　case