queen victoria-第5章

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ed　uncle　stillbut　only　of　a　story。

The　Duchess's　own　liberalism　was　not　very　profound。　She　followed　naturally　in　the　footsteps　of　her　husband；　repeating　with　conviction　the　catchwords　of　her　husband's　clever　friends　and　the　generalisations　of　her　clever　brother　Leopold。　She　herself　had　no　pretensions　to　cleverness；　she　did　not　understand　very　much　about　the　Poor　Law　and　the　Slave　Trade　and　Political　Economy；　but　she　hoped　that　she　did　her　duty；　and　she　hopedshe　ardently　hopedthat　the　same　might　be　said　of　Victoria。　Her　educational　conceptions　were　those　of　Dr。　Arnold；　whose　views　were　just　then　beginning　to　permeate　society。　Dr。　Arnold's　object　was；　first　and　foremost；　to　make　his　pupils　〃in　the　highest　and　truest　sense　of　the　words；　Christian　gentlemen；〃　intellectual　refinements　might　follow。　The　Duchess　felt　convinced　that　it　was　her　supreme　duty　in　life　to　make　quite　sure　that　her　daughter　should　grow　up　into　a　Christian　queen。　To　this　task　she　bent　all　her　energies；　and；　as　the　child　developed；　she　flattered　herself　that　her　efforts　were　not　unsuccessful。　When　the　Princess　was　eleven；　she　desired　the　Bishops　of　London　and　Lincoln　to　submit　her　daughter　to　an　examination；　and　report　upon　the　progress　that　had　been　made。　〃I　feel　the　time　to　be　now　come；〃　the　Duchess　explained；　in　a　letter　obviously　drawn　up　by　her　own　hand；　〃that　what　has　been　done　should　be　put　to　some　test；　that　if　anything　has　been　done　in　error　of　judgment　it　may　be　corrected；　and　that　the　plan　for　the　future　should　be　open　to　consideration　and　revision。。。　I　attend　almost　always　myself　every　lesson；　or　a　part；　and　as　the　lady　about　the　Princess　is　a　competent　person；　she　assists　Her　in　preparing　Her　lessons；　for　the　various　masters；　as　I　resolved　to　act　in　that　manner　so　as　to　be　Her　Governess　myself。　When　she　was　at　a　proper　age　she　commenced　attending　Divine　Service　regularly　with　me；　and　I　have　every　feeling　that　she　has　religion　at　Her　heart；　that　she　is　morally　impressed　with　it　to　that　degree；　that　she　is　less　liable　to　error　by　its　application　to　her　feelings　as　a　Child　capable　of　reflection。〃　〃The　general　bent　of　Her　character；〃　added　the　Duchess；　〃is　strength　of　intellect；　capable　of　receiving　with　ease；　information；　and　with　a　peculiar　readiness　in　coming　to　a　very　just　and　benignant　decision　on　any　point　Her　opinion　is　asked　on。　Her　adherence　to　truth　is　of　so　marked　a　character　that　I　feel　no　apprehension　of　that　Bulwark　being　broken　down　by　any　circumstances。〃　The　Bishops　attended　at　the　Palace；　and　the　result　of　their　examination　was　all　that　could　be　wished。　〃In　answering　a　great　variety　of　questions　proposed　to　her；〃　they　reported；　〃the　Princess　displayed　an　accurate　knowledge　of　the　most　important　features　of　Scripture　History；　and　of　the　leading　truths　and　precepts　of　the　Christian　Religion　as　taught　by　the　Church　of　England；　as　well　as　an　acquaintance　with　the　Chronology　and　principal　facts　of　English　History　remarkable　in　so　young　a　person。　To　questions　in　Geography；　the　use　of　the　Globes；　Arithmetic；　and　Latin　Grammar；　the　answers　which　the　Princess　returned　were　equally　satisfactory。〃　They　did　not　believe　that　the　Duchess's　plan　of　education　was　susceptible　of　any　improvement；　and　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　who　was　also　consulted；　came　to　the　same　gratifying　conclusion。

One　important　step；　however；　remained　to　be　taken。　So　far；　as　the　Duchess　explained　to　the　Bishops；　the　Princess　had　been　kept　in　ignorance　of　the　station　that　she　was　likely　to　fill。　〃She　is　aware　of　its　duties；　and　that　a　Sovereign　should　live　for　others；　so　that　when　Her　innocent　mind　receives　the　impression　of　Her　future　fate；　she　receives　it　with　a　mind　formed　to　be　sensible　of　what　is　to　be　expected　from　Her；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped；　she　will　be　too　well　grounded　in　Her　principles　to　be　dazzled　with　the　station　she　is　to　look　to。〃　In　the　following　year　it　was　decided　that　she　should　be　enlightened　on　this　point。　The　wellknown　scene　followed：　the　history　lesson；　the　genealogical　table　of　the　Kings　of　England　slipped　beforehand　by　the　governess　into　the　book；　the　Princess's　surprise；　her　inquiries；　her　final　realisation　of　the　facts。　When　the　child　at　last　understood；　she　was　silent　for　a　moment；　and　then　she　spoke：　〃I　will　be　good；〃　she　said。　The　words　were　something　more　than　a　conventional　protestation；　something　more　than　the　expression　of　a　superimposed　desire；　they　were；　in　their　limitation　and　their　intensity；　their　egotism　and　their　humility；　an　instinctive　summary　of　the　dominating　qualities　of　a　life。　〃I　cried　much　on　learning　it；〃　her　Majesty　noted　long　afterwards。　No　doubt；　while　the　others　were　present；　even　her　dear　Lehzen；　the　little　girl　kept　up　her　self…command；　and　then　crept　away　somewhere　to　ease　her　heart　of　an　inward；　unfamiliar　agitation；　with　a　handkerchief；　out　of　her　mother's　sight。

But　her　mother's　sight　was　by　no　means　an　easy　thing　to　escape。　Morning　and　evening；　day　and　night；　there　was　no　relaxation　of　the　maternal　vigilance。　The　child　grew　into　the　girl；　the　girl　into　the　young　woman；　but　still　she　slept　in　her　mother's　bedroom；　still　she　had　no　place　allowed　her　where　she　might　sit　or　work　by　herself。　An　extraordinary　watchfulness　surrounded　her　every　step：　up　to　the　day　of　her　accession；　she　never　went　downstairs　without　someone　beside　her　holding　her　hand。　Plainness　and　regularity　ruled　the　household。　The　hours；　the　days；　the　years　passed　slowly　and　methodically　by。　The　dollsthe　innumerable　dolls；　each　one　so　neatly　dressed；　each　one　with　its　name　so　punctiliously　entered　in　the　cataloguewere　laid　aside；　and　a　little　music　and　a　little　dancing　took　their　place。　Taglioni　came；　to　give　grace　and　dignity　to　the　figure；　and　Lablache；　to　train　the　piping　treble　upon　his　own　rich　bass。　The　Dean　of　Chester；　the　official　preceptor；　continued　his　endless　instruction　in　Scripture　history；　while　the　Duchess　of　Northumberland；　the　official　governess；　presided　over　every　lesson　with　becoming　solemnity。　Without　doubt；　the　Princess's　main　achievement　during　her　school…days　was　linguistic。　German　was　naturally　the　first　language　with　which　she　was　familiar；　but　English　and　French　quickly　followed；　and　she　became　virtually　trilingual；　though　her　mastery　of　English　grammar　remained　incomplete。　At　the　same　time；　she　acquired　a　working　knowledge　of　Italian　and　some　smattering　of　Latin。　Nevertheless；　she　did　not　read　very　much。　It　was　not　an　occupation　that　she　cared　for；　partly；　perhaps；　because　the　books　that　were　given　her　were　all　either　sermons；　which　were　very　dull；　or　poetry；　which　was　incomprehensible。　Novels　were　strictly　forbidden。　Lord　Durham　persuaded　her　mother　to　get　her　some　of　Miss　Martineau's　tales；　illustrating　the　truths　of　Political　Economy；　and　they　delighted　her；　but　it　is　to　be　feared　that　it　was　the　unaccustomed　pleasure　of　the　story　that　filled　her　mind；　and　that　she　never　really　mastered　the　theory　of　exchanges　or　the　nature　of　rent。

It　was　her　misfortune　that　the　mental　atmosphere　which　surrounded　her　during　these　years　of　adolescence　was　almost　entirely　feminine。　No　father；　no　brother；　was　there　to　break　in　upon　the　gentle　monotony　of　the　daily　round　with　impetuosity；　with　rudeness；　with　careless　laughter　and　wafts　of　freedom　from　the　outside　world。　The　Princess　was　never　called　by　a　voice　that　was　loud　and　growling；　never　felt；　as　a　matter　of　course；　a　hard　rough　cheek　on　her　own　soft　one；　never　climbed　a　wall　with　a　boy。　The　visits　to　Claremontdelicious　little　escapes　into　male　societycame　to　an　end　when　she　was　eleven　years　old　and　Prince　Leopold　left　England　to　be　King　of　the　Belgians。　She　loved　him　still；　he　was　still　〃il　mio　secondo　padre　or；　rather；　solo　padre；　for　he　is　indeed　like　my　real　father；　as　I　have　none；〃　but　his　fatherliness　now　came　to　her　dimly　and　indirectly；　through　the　cold　channel　of　correspondence。　Henceforward　female　duty；　female　elegance；　female　enthusiasm；　hemmed　her　completely　in；　and　her　spirit；　amid　the　enclosing　folds；　was　hardly　reached　by　those　two　great　influences；　without　which　no　growing　life　can　truly　prosperhumour　and　imagination。　The　Baroness　Lehzenfor　she　had　been　raised　to　that　rank　in　the　Hanoverian　nobility　by　George　IV　before　he　diedwas　the　real　centre　of　the　Princess's　world。　When　Feodora　married；　when　Uncle　Leopold　went　to　Belgium；　the　Baroness　was　left　without　a　competitor。　The　Princess　gave　her　mother　her　dutiful　regards；　but　Lehzen　had　her　heart。　The　voluble；　shrewd　daughter　of　the　pastor　in　Hanover；　lavishing　her　devotion　on　her　royal　charge；　had　reaped　her　reward　in　an　unbounded　confidence　and　a　passionate　adoration。　The　girl　would　have　gone　through　fire　for　her　〃PRECIOUS　Lehzen；〃　the　〃best　and　truest　friend；〃　she　declared；　that　she　had　had　since　her　birth。　Her　journal；　begun　when　she　was　thirteen；　where　she　registered　day　by　day　the　small　succession　of　her　doings　and　her　sentiments；　bears　on　every　page　of　it　the　traces　of　the　Baroness　and　her　circumambient　influence。　The　young　creature　that　one　sees　there；　self…depicted　in　ingenuous　clarity；　with　her　sincerity；　her　simplicity；　her　quick　affections　and　pious　resolutions；　might　almost　have　been　the　daughter　of　a　German　pastor　herself。　Her　enjoyments；　her　admirations；　her　engouements　were　of　the　kind　that　clothed　themselves　naturally　in　underlinings　and　exclamation　marks。　〃It　was　a　DELIGHTFUL　ride。　We　cantered　a　good　deal。　SWEET　LITTLE　ROSY　WENT　BEAUTIFULLY！！　We　came　home　at　a　1/4　past　1。。。　At　20　minutes　to　7　we　went　out　to　the　Opera。。。　Rubini　came　on　and　sang　a　song　out　of　'Anna　Boulena'　QUITE　BEAUTIFULLY。　We　came　home　at　1/2　past　11。〃　In　her　comments　on　her　readings；　the　mind　of　the　Baroness　is　clearly　revealed。　One　day；　by　some　mistake；　she　was　allowed　to　take　up　a　volume　of　memoirs　by　Fanny　Kemble。　〃It　is　certainly　very　pertly　and　oddly　written。　One　would　imagine　by　the　style　that　the　authoress　must　be　very　pert；　and　not　well　bred；　for　there　are　so　many　vulgar　expressions　in　it。　It　is　a　great　pity　that　a　person　endowed　with　so　much　talent；　as　Mrs。　Butler　really　is；　should　turn　it　to　so　little　account　and　publish　a　book　which　is　so　full　of　trash　and　nonsense　which　can　only　do　her　harm。　I　stayed　up　till　20　minutes　past　9。〃　Madame　de　Sevigne's　letters；　which　the　Baroness　read　aloud；　met　with　more　approval。　〃How　truly　elegant　and　natural　her　style　is！　It　is　so　full　of　naivete；　cleverness；　and　grace。〃　But　her　highest　admiration　was　reserved　for　the　Bishop　of　Chester's　'Exposition　of　the　Gospel　of　St。　Matthew。'　〃It　is　a　very　fine　book　indeed。　Just　the　sort　of　one　I　like；　which　is　just　plain　and　comprehensible　and　full　of　truth　and　good　feeling。　It　is　not　one　of　those　learned　books　in　which　you　have　to　cavil　at　almost　every　paragraph。　Lehzen　gave　it　me　on　the　Sunday　that　I　took　the　Sacrament。〃　A　few　weeks　previously　she　had　been　confirmed；　and　she　described　the　event　as　follows：　〃I　felt　that　my　confirmation　was　one　of　the　most　solemn　and　important　events　and　acts　in　my　life；　and　that　I　trusted　that　it　might　have　a　salutary　effect　on　my　mind。　I　felt　deeply　repentant　for　all　what　I　had　done　which　was　wrong　and　trusted　in　God　Almighty　to　strengthen　my　heart　and　mind；　and　to　forsake　all　that　is　bad　and　follow　all　that　is　virtuous　and　right。　I　went　with　the　firm　determination　to　become　a　true　Christian；　to　try　and　comfort　my　dear　Mamma　i