queen victoria-第2节

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　The　Duke　of　Clarence　had　lived　for　many　years　in　complete　obscurity　with　Mrs。　Jordan；　the　actress；　in　Bushey　Park。　By　her　he　had　had　a　large　family　of　sons　and　daughters；　and　had　appeared；　in　effect　to　be　married　to　her；　when　he　suddenly　separated　from　her　and　offered　to　marry　Miss　Wykeham；　a　crazy　woman　of　large　fortune；　who；　however；　would　have　nothing　to　say　to　him。　Shortly　afterwards　Mrs。　Jordan　died　in　distressed　circumstances　in　Paris。　The　Duke　of　Cumberland　was　probably　the　most　unpopular　man　in　England。　Hideously　ugly；　with　a　distorted　eye；　he　was　bad…tempered　and　vindictive　in　private；　a　violent　reactionary　in　politics；　and　was　subsequently　suspected　of　murdering　his　valet　and　of　having　carried　on　an　amorous　intrigue　of　an　extremely　scandalous　kind。　He　had　lately　married　a　German　Princess；　but　there　were　as　yet　no　children　by　the　marriage。　The　Duke　of　Sussex　had　mildly　literary　tastes　and　collected　books。　He　had　married　Lady　Augusta　Murray；　by　whom　he　had　two　children；　but　the　marriage；　under　the　Royal　Marriages　Act；　was　declared　void。　On　Lady　Augusta's　death；　he　married　Lady　Cecilia　Buggin；　she　changed　her　name　to　Underwood；　but　this　marriage　also　was　void。　Of　the　Duke　of　Cambridge；　the　youngest　of　the　brothers；　not　very　much　was　known。　He　lived　in　Hanover；　wore　a　blonde　wig；　chattered　and　fidgeted　a　great　deal；　and　was　unmarried。

Besides　his　seven　sons；　George　III　had　five　surviving　daughters。　Of　these；　twothe　Queen　of　Wurtemberg　and　the　Duchess　of　Gloucesterwere　married　and　childless。　The　three　unmarried　princessesAugusta；　Elizabeth；　and　Sophiawere　all　over　forty。

III

The　fourth　son　of　George　III　was　Edward；　Duke　of　Kent。　He　was　now　fifty　years　of　agea　tall；　stout；　vigorous　man；　highly…coloured；　with　bushy　eyebrows；　a　bald　top　to　his　head；　and　what　hair　he　had　carefully　dyed　a　glossy　black。　His　dress　was　extremely　neat；　and　in　his　whole　appearance　there　was　a　rigidity　which　did　not　belie　his　character。　He　had　spent　his　early　life　in　the　armyat　Gibraltar；　in　Canada；　in　the　West　Indiesand；　under　the　influence　of　military　training；　had　become　at　first　a　disciplinarian　and　at　last　a　martinet。　In　1802；　having　been　sent　to　Gibraltar　to　restore　order　in　a　mutinous　garrison；　he　was　recalled　for　undue　severity；　and　his　active　career　had　come　to　an　end。　Since　then　he　had　spent　his　life　regulating　his　domestic　arrangements　with　great　exactitude；　busying　himself　with　the　affairs　of　his　numerous　dependents；　designing　clocks；　and　struggling　to　restore　order　to　his　finances；　for；　in　spite　of　his　being；　as　someone　said　who　knew　him　well　〃regle　comme　du　papier　a　musique；〃　and　in　spite　of　an　income　of　L24；000　a　year；　he　was　hopelessly　in　debt。　He　had　quarrelled　with　most　of　his　brothers；　particularly　with　the　Prince　Regent；　and　it　was　only　natural　that　he　should　have　joined　the　political　Opposition　and　become　a　pillar　of　the　Whigs。

What　his　political　opinions　may　actually　have　been　is　open　to　doubt；　it　has　often　been　asserted　that　he　was　a　Liberal；　or　even　a　Radical；　and；　if　we　are　to　believe　Robert　Owen；　he　was　a　necessitarian　Socialist。　His　relations　with　Owenthe　shrewd；　gullible；　high…minded；　wrong…headed；　illustrious　and　preposterous　father　of　Socialism　and　Co…operationwere　curious　and　characteristic。　He　talked　of　visiting　the　Mills　at　New　Lanark；　he　did；　in　fact；　preside　at　one　of　Owen's　public　meetings；　he　corresponded　with　him　on　confidential　terms；　and　he　even　（so　Owen　assures　us）　returned；　after　his　death；　from　〃the　sphere　of　spirits〃　to　give　encouragement　to　the　Owenites　on　earth。　〃In　an　especial　manner；〃　says　Owen；　〃I　have　to　name　the　very　anxious　feelings　of　the　spirit　of　his　Royal　Highness　the　Late　Duke　of　Kent　（who　early　informed　me　that　there　were　no　titles　in　the　spititual　spheres　into　which　he　had　entered）；　to　benefit；　not　a　class；　a　sect；　a　party；　or　any　particular　country；　but　the　whole　of　the　human　race；　through　futurity。〃　〃His　whole　spirit…proceeding　with　me　has　been　most　beautiful；〃　Owen　adds；　〃making　his　own　appointments；　and　never　in　one　instance　has　this　spirit　not　been　punctual　to　the　minute　he　had　named。〃　But　Owen　was　of　a　sanguine　temperament。　He　also　numbered　among　his　proselytes　President　Jefferson；　Prince　Metternich；　and　Napoleon；　so　that　some　uncertainty　must　still　linger　over　the　Duke　of　Kent's　views。　But　there　is　no　uncertainty　about　another　circumstance：　his　Royal　Highness　borrowed　from　Robert　Owen；　on　various　occasions；　various　sums　of　money　which　were　never　repaid　and　amounted　in　all　to　several　hundred　pounds。

After　the　death　of　the　Princess　Charlotte　it　was　clearly　important；　for　more　than　one　reason；　that　the　Duke　of　Kent　should　marry。　From　the　point　of　view　of　the　nation；　the　lack　of　heirs　in　the　reigning　family　seemed　to　make　the　step　almost　obligatory；　it　was　also　likely　to　be　highly　expedient　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　Duke。　To　marry　as　a　public　duty；　for　the　sake　of　the　royal　succession；　would　surely　deserve　some　recognition　from　a　grateful　country。　When　the　Duke　of　York　had　married　he　had　received　a　settlement　of　L25；000　a　year。　Why　should　not　the　Duke　of　Kent　look　forward　to　an　equal　sum？　But　the　situation　was　not　quite　simple。　There　was　the　Duke　of　Clarence　to　be　considered；　he　was　the　elder　brother；　and；　if　HE　married；　would　clearly　have　the　prior　claim。　On　the　other　hand；　if　the　Duke　of　Kent　married；　it　was　important　to　remember　that　he　would　be　making　a　serious　sacrifice：　a　lady　was　involved。

The　Duke；　reflecting　upon　all　these　matters　with　careful　attention；　happened；　about　a　month　after　his　niece's　death；　to　visit　Brussels；　and　learnt　that　Mr。　Creevey　was　staying　in　the　town。　Mr。　Creevey　was　a　close　friend　of　the　leading　Whigs　and　an　inveterate　gossip；　and　it　occurred　to　the　Duke　that　there　could　be　no　better　channel　through　which　to　communicate　his　views　upon　the　situation　to　political　circles　at　home。　Apparently　it　did　not　occur　to　him　that　Mr。　Creevey　was　malicious　and　might　keep　a　diary。　He　therefore　sent　for　him　on　some　trivial　pretext；　and　a　remarkable　conversation　ensued。

After　referring　to　the　death　of　the　Princess；　to　the　improbability　of　the　Regent's　seeking　a　divorce；　to　the　childlessness　of　the　Duke　of　York；　and　to　the　possibility　of　the　Duke　of　Clarence　marrying；　the　Duke　adverted　to　his　own　position。　〃Should　the　Duke　of　Clarence　not　marry；〃　he　said；　〃the　next　prince　in　succession　is　myself；　and　although　I　trust　I　shall　be　at　all　times　ready　to　obey　any　call　my　country　may　make　upon　me；　God　only　knows　the　sacrifice　it　will　be　to　make；　whenever　I　shall　think　it　my　duty　to　become　a　married　man。　It　is　now　seven　and　twenty　years　that　Madame　St。　Laurent　and　I　have　lived　together：　we　are　of　the　same　age；　and　have　been　in　all　climates；　and　in　all　difficulties　together；　and　you　may　well　imagine；　Mr。　Creevey；　the　pang　it　will　occasion　me　to　part　with　her。　I　put　it　to　your　own　feelingsin　the　event　of　any　separation　between　you　and　Mrs。　Creevey。。。　As　for　Madame　St。　Laurent　herself；　I　protest　I　don't　know　what　is　to　become　of　her　if　a　marriage　is　to　be　forced　upon　me；　her　feelings　are　already　so　agitated　upon　the　subject。〃　The　Duke　went　on　to　describe　how；　one　morning；　a　day　or　two　after　the　Princess　Charlotte's　death；　a　paragraph　had　appeared　in　the　Morning　Chronicle；　alluding　to　the　possibility　of　his　marriage。　He　had　received　the　newspaper　at　breakfast　together　with　his　letters；　and　〃I　did　as　is　my　constant　practice；　I　threw　the　newspaper　across　the　table　to　Madame　St。　Laurent；　and　began　to　open　and　read　my　letters。　I　had　not　done　so　but　a　very　short　time；　when　my　attention　was　called　to　an　extraordinary　noise　and　a　strong　convulsive　movement　in　Madame　St。　Laurent's　throat。　For　a　short　time　I　entertained　serious　apprehensions　for　her　safety；　and　when；　upon　her　recovery；　I　enquired　into　the　occasion　of　this　attack；　she　pointed　to　the　article　in　the　Morning　Chronicle。〃

The　Duke　then　returned　to　the　subject　of　the　Duke　of　Clarence。　〃My　brother　the　Duke　of　Clarence　is　the　elder　brother；　and　has　certainly　the　right　to　marry　if　he　chooses；　and　I　would　not　interfere　with　him　on　any　account。　If　he　wishes　to　be　kingto　be　married　and　have　children；　poor　manGod　help　him！　Let　him　do　so。　For　myselfI　am　a　man　of　no　ambition；　and　wish　only　to　remain　as　I　am。。。　Easter；　you　know；　falls　very　early　this　yearthe　22nd　of　March。　If　the　Duke　of　Clarence　does　not　take　any　step　before　that　time；　I　must　find　some　pretext　to　reconcile　Madame　St。　Laurent　to　my　going　to　England　for　a　short　time。　When　once　there；　it　will　be　easy　for　me　to　consult　with　my　friends　as　to　the　proper　steps　to　be　taken。　Should　the　Duke　of　Clarence　do　nothing　before　that　time　as　to　marrying　it　will　become　my　duty；　no　doubt；　to　take　some　measures　upon　the　subject　myself。〃　Two　names；　the　Duke　said；　had　been　mentioned　in　this　connectionthose　of　the　Princess　of　Baden　and　the　Princess　of　Saxe…Coburg。　The　latter；　he　thought；　would　perhaps　be　the　better　of　the　two；　from　the　circumstance　of　Prince　Leopold　being　so　popular　with　the　nation；　but　before　any　other　steps　were　taken；　he　hoped　and　expected　to　see　justice　done　to　Madame　St。　Laurent。　〃She　is；〃　he　explained；　〃of　very　good　family；　and　has　never　been　an　actress；　and　I　am　the　first　and　only　person　who　ever　lived　with　her。　Her　disinterestedness；　too；　has　been　equal　to　he