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queen victoria-第25节

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s 〃the boy Jones。〃 This enigmatical personage; whose escapades dominated the newspapers for several ensuing months; and whose motives and character remained to the end ambiguous; was an undersized lad of 17; the son of a tailor; who had apparently gained admittance to the Palace by climbing over the garden wall and walking in through an open window。 Two years before he had paid a similar visit in the guise of a chimney…sweep。 He now declared that he had spent three days in the Palace; hiding under various beds; that he had 〃helped himself to soup and other eatables;〃 and that he had 〃sat upon the throne; seen the Queen; and heard the Princess Royal squall。〃 Every detail of the strange affair was eagerly canvassed。 The Times reported that the boy Jones had 〃from his infancy been fond of reading;〃 but that 〃his countenance is exceedingly sullen。〃 It added: 〃The sofa under which the boy Jones was discovered; we understand; is one of the most costly and magnificent material and workmanship; and ordered expressly for the accommodation of the royal and illustrious visitors who call to pay their respects to Her Majesty。〃 The culprit was sent for three months to the 〃House of Correction。〃 When he emerged; he immediately returned to Buckingham Palace。 He was discovered; and sent back to the 〃House of Correction〃 for another three months; after which he was offered L4 a week by a music hall to appear upon the stage。 He refused this offer; and shortly afterwards was found by the police loitering round Buckingham Palace。 The authorities acted vigorously; and; without any trial or process of law; shipped the boy Jones off to sea。 A year later his ship put into Portsmouth to refit; and he at once disembarked and walked to London。 He was re…arrested before he reached the Palace; and sent back to his ship; the Warspite。 On this occasion it was noticed that he had 〃much improved in personal appearance and grown quite corpulent;〃 and so the boy Jones passed out of history; though we catch one last glimpse of him in 1844 falling overboard in the night between Tunis and Algiers。 He was fished up again; but it was conjecturedas one of the Warspite's officers explained in a letter to The Timesthat his fall had not been accidental; but that he had deliberately jumped into the Mediterranean in order to 〃see the life…buoy light burning。〃 Of a boy with such a record; what else could be supposed?

But discomfort and alarm were not the only results of the mismanagement of the household; the waste; extravagance; and peculation that also flowed from it were immeasurable。 There were preposterous perquisites and malpractices of every kind。 It was; for instance; an ancient and immutable rule that a candle that had once been lighted should never be lighted again; what happened to the old candles; nobody knew。 Again; the Prince; examining the accounts; was puzzled by a weekly expenditure of thirty…five shillings on 〃Red Room Wine。〃 He enquired into the matter; and after great difficulty discovered that in the time of George III a room in Windsor Castle with red hangings had once been used as a guard…room; and that five shillings a day had been allowed to provide wine for the officers。 The guard had long since been moved elsewhere; but the payment for wine in the Red Room continued; the money being received by a half…pay officer who held the sinecure position of under…butler。

After much laborious investigation; and a stiff struggle with the multitude of vested interests which had been brought into being by long years of neglect; the Prince succeeded in effecting a complete reform。 The various conflicting authorities were induced to resign their powers into the hands of a single official; the Master of the Household; who became responsible for the entire management of the royal palaces。 Great economies were made; and the whole crowd of venerable abuses was swept away。 Among others; the unlucky half…pay officer of the Red Room was; much to his surprise; given the choice of relinquishing his weekly emolument or of performing the duties of an under…butler。 Even the irregularities among the footmen; etc。; were greatly diminished。 There were outcries and complaints; the Prince was accused of meddling; of injustice; and of saving candle…ends; but he held on his course; and before long the admirable administration of the royal household was recognised as a convincing proof of his perseverance and capacity。

At the same time his activity was increasing enormously in a more important sphere。 He had become the Queen's Private Secretary; her confidential adviser; her second self。 He was now always present at her interviews with Ministers。 He took; like the Queen; a special interest in foreign policy; but there was no public question in which his influence was not felt。 A double process was at work; while Victoria fell more and more absolutely under his intellectual predominance; he; simultaneously; grew more and more completely absorbed by the machinery of high politicsthe incessant and multifarious business of a great State。 Nobody any more could call him a dilettante; he was a worker; a public personage; a man of affairs。 Stockmar noted the change with exultation。 〃The Prince;〃 he wrote; 〃has improved very much lately。 He has evidently a head for politics。 He has become; too; far more independent。 His mental activity is constantly on the increase; and he gives the greater part of his time to business; without complaining。〃

〃The relations between husband and wife;〃 added the Baron; 〃are all one could desire。〃

Long before Peel's ministry came to an end; there had been a complete change in Victoria's attitude towards him。 His appreciation of the Prince had softened her heart; the sincerity and warmth of his nature; which; in private intercourse with those whom he wished to please; had the power of gradually dissipating the awkwardness of his manners; did the rest。 She came in time to regard him with intense feelings of respect and attachment。 She spoke of 〃our worthy Peel;〃 for whom; she said; she had 〃an EXTREME admiration〃 and who had shown himself 〃a man of unbounded LOYALTY; COURAGE patriotism; and HIGH…MINDEDNESS; and his conduct towards me has been CHIVALROUS almost; I might say。〃 She dreaded his removal from office almost as frantically as she had once dreaded that of Lord M。 It would be; she declared; a GREAT CALAMITY。 Six years before; what would she have said; if a prophet had told her that the day would come when she would be horrified by the triumph of the Whigs? Yet there was no escaping it; she had to face the return of her old friends。 In the ministerial crises of 1845 and 1846; the Prince played a dominating part。 Everybody recognised that he was the real centre of the negotiationsthe actual controller of the forces and the functions of the Crown。 The process by which this result was reached had been so gradual as to be almost imperceptible; but it may be said with certainty that; by the close of Peel's administration; Albert had become; in effect; the King of England。



VI

With the final emergence of the Prince came the final extinction of Lord Melbourne。 A year after his loss of office; he had been struck down by a paralytic seizure; he had apparently recovered; but his old elasticity had gone for ever。 Moody; restless; and unhappy; he wandered like a ghost about the town; bursting into soliloquies in public places; or asking odd questions; suddenly; a propos de bottes。 〃I'll be hanged if I do it for you; my Lord;〃 he was heard to say in the hall at Brooks's; standing by himself; and addressing the air after much thought。 〃Don't you consider;〃 he abruptly asked a fellow…guest at Lady Holland's; leaning across the dinner…table in a pause of the conversation; 〃that it was a most damnable act of Henri Quatre to change his religion with a view to securing the Crown?〃 He sat at home; brooding for hours in miserable solitude。 He turned over his bookshis classics and his Testamentsbut they brought him no comfort at all。 He longed for the return of the past; for the impossible; for he knew not what; for the devilries of Caro; for the happy platitudes of Windsor。 His friends had left him; and no wonder; he said in bitternessthe fire was out。 He secretly hoped for a return to power; scanning the newspapers with solicitude; and occasionally making a speech in the House of Lords。 His correspondence with the Queen continued; and he appeared from time to time at Court; but he was a mere simulacrum of his former self; 〃the dream;〃 wrote Victoria; 〃is past。〃 As for his political views; they could no longer be tolerated。 The Prince was an ardent Free Trader; and so; of course; was the Queen; and when; dining at Windsor at the time of the repeal of the Corn Laws; Lord Melbourne suddenly exclaimed; 〃Ma'am; it's a damned dishonest act!〃 everyone was extremely embarrassed。 Her Majesty laughed and tried to change the conversation; but without avail; Lord Melbourne returned to the charge again and again with〃I say; Ma'am; it's damned dishonest!〃until the Queen said 〃Lord Melbourne; I must beg you not to say anything more on this subject now;〃 and then he held his tongue。 She was kind to him; writing him long letters; and always remembering his birthday; but it was kindne

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