queen victoria-第44节

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I

Lord　Palmerston's　laugha　queer　metallic　〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　with　reverberations　in　it　from　the　days　of　Pitt　and　the　Congress　of　Viennawas　heard　no　more　in　Piccadilly；　Lord　John　Russell　dwindled　into　senility；　Lord　Derby　tottered　from　the　stage。　A　new　scene　opened；　and　new　protagonistsMr。　Gladstone　and　Mr。　Disraelistruggled　together　in　the　limelight。　Victoria；　from　her　post　of　vantage；　watched　these　developments　with　that　passionate　and　personal　interest　which　she　invariably　imported　into　politics。　Her　prepossessions　were　of　an　unexpected　kind。　Mr。　Gladstone　had　been　the　disciple　of　her　revered　Peel；　and　had　won　the　approval　of　Albert；　Mr。　Disraeli　had　hounded　Sir　Robert　to　his　fall　with　hideous　virulence；　and　the　Prince　had　pronounced　that　he　〃had　not　one　single　element　of　a　gentleman　in　his　composition。〃　Yet　she　regarded　Mr。　Gladstone　with　a　distrust　and　dislike　which　steadily　deepened；　while　upon　his　rival　she　lavished　an　abundance　of　confidence；　esteem；　and　affection　such　as　Lord　Melbourne　himself　had　hardly　known。

Her　attitude　towards　the　Tory　Minister　had　suddenly　changed　when　she　found　that　he　alone　among　public　men　had　divined　her　feelings　at　Albert's　death。　Of　the　others　she　might　have　said　〃they　pity　me　and　not　my　grief；〃　but　Mr。　Disraeli　had　understood；　and　all　his　condolences　had　taken　the　form　of　reverential　eulogies　of　the　departed。　The　Queen　declared　that　he　was　〃the　only　person　who　appreciated　the　Prince。〃　She　began　to　show　him　special　favour；　gave　him　and　his　wife　two　of　the　coveted　seats　in　St。　George's　Chapel　at　the　Prince　of　Wales's　wedding；　and　invited　him　to　stay　a　night　at　Windsor。　When　the　grant　for　the　Albert　Memorial　came　before　the　House　of　Commons；　Disraeli；　as　leader　of　the　Opposition；　eloquently　supported　the　project。　He　was　rewarded　by　a　copy　of　the　Prince's　speeches；　bound　in　white　morocco；　with　an　inscription　in　the　royal　hand。　In　his　letter　of　thanks　he　〃ventured　to　touch　upon　a　sacred　theme；〃　and；　in　a　strain　which　re…echoed　with　masterly　fidelity　the　sentiments　of　his　correspondent；　dwelt　at　length　upon　the　absolute　perfection　of　Albert。　〃The　Prince；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　only　person　whom　Mr。　Disraeli　has　ever　known　who　realised　the　Ideal。　None　with　whom　he　is　acquainted　have　ever　approached　it。　There　was　in　him　a　union　of　the　manly　grace　and　sublime　simplicity；　of　chivalry　with　the　intellectual　splendour　of　the　Attic　Academe。　The　only　character　in　English　history　that　would；　in　some　respects；　draw　near　to　him　is　Sir　Philip　Sidney：　the　same　high　tone；　the　same　universal　accomplishments；　the　same　blended　tenderness　and　vigour；　the　same　rare　combination　of　romantic　energy　and　classic　repose。〃　As　for　his　own　acquaintance　with　the　Prince；　it　had　been；　he　said；　〃one　of　the　most　satisfactory　incidents　of　his　life：　full　of　refined　and　beautiful　memories；　and　exercising；　as　he　hopes；　over　his　remaining　existence；　a　soothing　and　exalting　influence。〃　Victoria　was　much　affected　by　〃the　depth　and　delicacy　of　these　touches；〃　and　henceforward　Disraeli's　place　in　her　affections　was　assured。　When；　in　1866；　the　Conservatives　came　into　office；　Disraeli's　position　as　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer　and　leader　of　the　House　necessarily　brought　him　into　a　closer　relation　with　the　Sovereign。　Two　years　later　Lord　Derby　resigned；　and　Victoria；　with　intense　delight　and　peculiar　graciousness；　welcomed　Disraeli　as　her　First　Minister。

But　only　for　nine　agitated　months　did　he　remain　in　power。　The　Ministry；　in　a　minority　in　the　Commons；　was　swept　out　of　existence　by　a　general　election。　Yet　by　the　end　of　that　short　period　the　ties　which　bound　together　the　Queen　and　her　Premier　had　grown　far　stronger　than　ever　before；　the　relationship　between　them　was　now　no　longer　merely　that　between　a　grateful　mistress　and　a　devoted　servant：　they　were　friends。　His　official　letters；　in　which　the　personal　element　had　always　been　perceptible；　developed　into　racy　records　of　political　news　and　social　gossip；　written；　as　Lord　Clarendon　said；　〃in　his　best　novel　style。〃　Victoria　was　delighted；　she　had　never；　she　declared；　had　such　letters　in　her　life；　and　had　never　before　known　EVERYTHING。　In　return；　she　sent　him；　when　the　spring　came；　several　bunches　of　flowers；　picked　by　her　own　hands。　He　despatched　to　her　a　set　of　his　novels；　for　which；　she　said；　she　was　〃most　grateful；　and　which　she　values　much。〃　She　herself　had　lately　published　her　〃Leaves　from　the　Journal　of　our　Life　in　the　Highlands；〃　and　it　was　observed　that　the　Prime　Minister；　in　conversing　with　Her　Majesty　at　this　period；　constantly　used　the　words　〃we　authors；　ma'am。〃　Upon　political　questions；　she　was　his　staunch　supporter。　〃Really　there　never　was　such　conduct　as　that　of　the　Opposition；〃　she　wrote。　And　when　the　Government　was　defeated　in　the　House　she　was　〃really　shocked　at　the　way　in　which　the　House　of　Commons　go　on；　they　really　bring　discredit　on　Constitutional　Government。〃　She　dreaded　the　prospect　of　a　change；　she　feared　that　if　the　Liberals　insisted　upon　disestablishing　the　Irish　Church；　her　Coronation　Oath　might　stand　in　the　way。　But　a　change　there　had　to　be；　and　Victoria　vainly　tried　to　console　herself　for　the　loss　of　her　favourite　Minister　by　bestowing　a　peerage　upon　Mrs。　Disraeli。

Mr。　Gladstone　was　in　his　shirt…sleeves　at　Hawarden；　cutting　down　a　tree；　when　the　royal　message　was　brought　to　him。　〃Very　significant；〃　he　remarked；　when　he　had　read　the　letter；　and　went　on　cutting　down　his　tree。　His　secret　thoughts　on　the　occasion　were　more　explicit；　and　were　committed　to　his　diary。　〃The　Almighty；〃　he　wrote；　〃seems　to　sustain　and　spare　me　for　some　purpose　of　His　own；　deeply　unworthy　as　I　know　myself　to　be。　Glory　be　to　His　name。〃

The　Queen；　however；　did　not　share　her　new　Minister's　view　of　the　Almighty's　intentions。　She　could　not　believe　that　there　was　any　divine　purpose　to　be　detected　in　the　programme　of　sweeping　changes　which　Mr。　Gladstone　was　determined　to　carry　out。　But　what　could　she　do？　Mr。　Gladstone；　with　his　daemonic　energy　and　his　powerful　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons；　was　irresistible；　and　for　five　years　（1869…74）　Victoria　found　herself　condemned　to　live　in　an　agitating　atmosphere　of　interminable　reformreform　in　the　Irish　Church　and　the　Irish　land　system；　reform　in　education；　reform　in　parliamentary　elections；　reform　in　the　organisation　of　the　Army　and　the　Navy；　reform　in　the　administration　of　justice。　She　disapproved；　she　struggled；　she　grew　very　angry；　she　felt　that　if　Albert　had　been　living　things　would　never　have　happened　so；　but　her　protests　and　her　complaints　were　alike　unavailing。　The　mere　effort　of　grappling　with　the　mass　of　documents　which　poured　in　upon　her　in　an　ever…growing　flood　was　terribly　exhausting。　When　the　draft　of　the　lengthy　and　intricate　Irish　Church　Bill　came　before　her；　accompanied　by　an　explanatory　letter　from　Mr。　Gladstone　covering　a　dozen　closely…written　quarto　pages；　she　almost　despaired。　She　turned　from　the　Bill　to　the　explanation；　and　from　the　explanation　back　again　to　the　Bill；　and　she　could　not　decide　which　was　the　most　confusing。　But　she　had　to　do　her　duty：　she　had　not　only　to　read；　but　to　make　notes。　At　last　she　handed　the　whole　heap　of　papers　to　Mr。　Martin；　who　happened　to　be　staying　at　Osborne；　and　requested　him　to　make　a　precis　of　them。　When　he　had　done　so；　her　disapproval　of　the　measure　became　more　marked　than　ever；　but；　such　was　the　strength　of　the　Government；　she　actually　found　herself　obliged　to　urge　moderation　upon　the　Opposition；　lest　worse　should　ensue。

In　the　midst　of　this　crisis；　when　the　future　of　the　Irish　Church　was　hanging　in　the　balance；　Victoria's　attention　was　drawn　to　another　proposed　reform。　It　was　suggested　that　the　sailors　in　the　Navy　should　henceforward　be　allowed　to　wear　beards。　〃Has　Mr。　Childers　ascertained　anything　on　the　subject　of　the　beards？〃　the　Queen　wrote　anxiously　to　the　First　Lord　of　the　Admiralty。　On　the　whole；　Her　Majesty　was　in　favour　of　the　change。　〃Her　own　personal　feeling；〃　she　wrote；　〃would　be　for　the　beards　without　the　moustaches；　as　the　latter　have　rather　a　soldierlike　appearance；　but　then　the　object　in　view　would　not　be　obtained；　viz。　to　prevent　the　necessity　of　shaving。　Therefore　it　had　better　be　as　proposed；　the　entire　beard；　only　it　should　be　kept　short　and　very　clean。〃　After　thinking　over　the　question　for　another　week；　the　Queen　wrote　a　final　letter。　She　wished；　she　said；　〃to　make　one　additional　observation　respecting　the　beards；　viz。　that　on　no　account　should　moustaches　be　allowed　without　beards。　That　must　be　clearly　understood。〃

Changes　in　the　Navy　might　be　tolerated；　to　lay　hands　upon　the　Army　was　a　more　serious　matter。　From　time　immemorial　there　had　been　a　particularly　close　connection　between　the　Army　and　the　Crown；　and　Albert　had　devoted　even　more　time　and　attention　to　the　details　of　military　business　than　to　the　processes　of　fresco…painting　or　the　planning　of　sanitary　cottages　for　the　deserving　poor。　But　now　there　was　to　be　a　great　alteration：　Mr。　Gladstone's　fiat　had　gone　forth；　and　the　Commander…in…Chief　was　to　be　removed　from　his　direct　dependence　upon　the　Sovereign；　and　made　subordinate　to　Parliament　and　the　Secretary　of　State　for　War。　Of　all　the　liberal　reforms　this　was　the　one　which　aroused　the　bitterest　resentment　in　Victoria。　She　considered　that　the　change　was　an　attack　upon　he