QUEEN VICTORIA'S LETTERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 56, 29 November 1907, Page 8

QUEEN VICTORIA'S LETTERS.

A FURTHER NOTICE. THE QUEEN'S CHARACTER'. HER POLITICAL VIEWS AND INFLUENCE. Last week we printed some extracts from the recently-published "Letters of Queen Victoria," and wo print here some further extracts from tho fascinating volumes. FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. The Queen's "earliest recollections" were set forth by herself in, a manuscript of the year 1872, now preserved at Windsor. Her first memory of all was that of "crawling on a yellow carpet spread out for that purpose —and being told that if 1 cried and was naughty, my 'Uncle Sussex , would hear mo arid punish me." She was brought up apparently without any. illusions as to tne character and disposition of. her nearest predecessors on the Throne:— "Li the year '26 (I think) George IV asked my mother, my sister, and mo down to Windsor for the first time; he had been on bad terms with my poof father when he died —and took hardly any notice of the poor widow and little fatherless girl, who were so poor at the time of his (the Duke of Kent's) death that they could not have travelled back to Kensington Palace had it not been for the kind assistance of my dear uncle, ..Prince Leopold. . . . When we arrived at the Royal Lodge tho King took me by the hand, saying: 'Give mo your little paw.' He was large and gouty, but with a wonderful dignity and charm of manner." To the Duchess of Kent there are comparatively few references in these volumes, and this circumstance harmonises with a touching and significant passage written by Queen Victoria upon the occasion of her mother's death:— "All these notes show how very, very much she and. my beloved father loved each other. Such love and affection! i hardly knew it was to that extent. Then her love for riie— its is too touching! I have found little books with tho accounts of my babyhood, and thoy show such unbounded tenderness! Oh, 1 am so wretched to think how, for a time, two people most wickedly estranged us I . . . . To miss a mother's friendship—not to Be able to have her to confide in—when a girl most -needs it, was fearful! I dare not'think of itr-it drives me wild now. But, thank God! that is all passed long, long ago, and she had forgotten it, and only thought of tho last • very happy years. ■ -"And all that was brought about by my good angel, dearest Albert, whom she adored, and in whom she had such unbounded confidence." THE HAPPY MaiuUAGE. Tho story of her Majesty's ideally felicitous union.with Prince Albert has been told so often that we need only mention some of the lights thrown upon it from these-privato papers. From the attainment of her*.seventeenth year the Princess was familiar with tho project of an alliance, and was fully in the confidence of King Leopold in the measures taken for completing ■ the education of her future husband. There is a very interesting note struck in a letter written on the eve of an important meeting between the cousins:— . -"Though all the reports of Albert are most favourable, and though I have little doubt I shall like him, still, one can never answer ■ beforehand for feelings, and I may not have the feeling for him which is requisite to ensure happiness. I may like him as a friend, and as a cousin, and as a brother, but not more; and should this b'e the case (which is not likely), I am very anxious that it should bo understood that I am not guilty of any breach of promise, for I never gave any. 1 ani suro you will understand ray anxiety, for I should otherwise; were this not completely understood, bo in a very painful position." A letter to Prince' Albert of the period between their engagement and marriage says: "I have received to-day an ungracious lettor from Uncle Leopold. He appears to me to be , nettled because I no longer ask for his advice, but dear Uncle is given to believe that ho must rule the roost everywhere. However, that is not a necessity." On the personal side of tne Royal marriage and its happy results there' is no necessity to dwell, and we may be content with quoting o.io of her Majesty's constant and uniform avowals on the subject:— "I will venture to say that not only no Royal menage is to'be found equal to ours, -but no other menage is to be compared to ours,, nor is any one to be compared, taken altogether, to my dearest Angel 1" THE QUEEN AS A POLITICIAN. These volumes afford for the first time tha means of forming an adequate impression of the Queen's political conceptions and sympathies. Upon this subject she had received much excellent advice from her Undo Leopold—advice which she received with appreciation, as shown by her naive request in one letter for instruction as to "what a Queen ought to-be." "The trado of a Constitutional Sovereign, to do it well," ho hau told her, "is a very difficult one." "You can never say too much in praise of your country and its inhabitants," was anotner counsel: "Two nations in Europe are really almost ridiculous in their own exaggerated praises of themselves; these are the English and the French." He recommended a cordial patronage of the Established Church: "You are particularly where you are because you are a Protestant." . Her Majesty's regard for Lord Melbourne amounted almost to a passion, and certainly no statesman could have laboured more chivalrously or assiduously .to further .trio success and reputation of a young. Sovereign, surrounded by many pitfalls. Many of his communications have a flavour charmingly compounded of paternal feeling and sagacious humour. He recommended Peel afterwards "to write fully to her Majesty, and elementarily," and in his own letters we find him sotting forth gravely the. derivation and meaning of terms like "Viscount" and'"'bureaucratic." ■ . '.'•': "Your Majesty had better.be punctual,,so as not to delay the Drawing-room." L^ "Your Majesty had better say something kind to each of tho Bishops as they are presented." ■ "Lord Melbourne is very well, but SirJames Clark, a Scotchman and a physician, and therefore neither by country nor by profession very religious, detained him irom church, in order to go through the report ■\upon the state of Buckingham Palace. This is not a very good excuse, but it is tho true one." "Mr/ Pulteney, afterwards Earl of Bath, is reported to have said that political parties were like snakes, guided not by their heads, but by their tails. Lord Melbourne does not know whether this is true of tho snake, but it is certainly so of the party." "It is a very awkward thing for a Roman Catholic Government to bo at variance with tho Pope. Ho is still a very ugly customer." THE QUEEN AND RELIGION. : The Queen had no sympathy with what she called tho "Puseyito" or the "Tractarian" or the "Romanising" party in the Church, and indeed she went so far as to impress upon Lord Derby when ho took office for tho first time, "her sense of the importance not to have Puseyites or Romanisers recommended for appointment in the Church as bishops or clergymen." On tho other hand, sho was not altogether in sympathy with tho extremo Protestant party, and her own • position us head of the Anglican Church, and officially connected also with the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, taught her at once the possibilities and the advantages of a large toler r aiice. This tolerance, be it noted, was as farremoved from indifference as it was irom bigotry; it was rather tho natural condition of a constitutional objection to manifestations of enthusiasm. Hcrattitudo of sturdy common sense in these matters is aptly lllusr trated by her remonstrance against' the proclamation of a day of humiliation on the eve of- tho Crimean War. Lord Aberdeen had said in Parliament that such a solemnity would' bo observed, whereupon the Queen wrote to tell him that she did not approvo of | tho arrangement. "She thinks (wrote the' Queen) we have course to them (days of humiliation) far too often, and they thereby lose their-effect. . . Wero the services selected for theso days of a. different kind to what they are the Queen

would feel'less strongly about it; but they, always select chapters from the Old Testament and Psalms, which are so totally inapplicable that it does away with all the ef;feet it ought to have. Moreover, really to say (as wo probably should) .that the great sinfulness of the nation has brought'about this war, when it is the selfishness and ambition of one man and his servants that have brought this about, while our conduct' Has beon throughout actuated by unselfishness and honesty, would be too manifestly repiil- , sivo to the feelings of everyone, and would lie : a mere-act of hypocrisy. Lot there-be a prayer expressive of our great thankfulness for the benefits we have enjoyed, arid for tha immense prosperity of this country, and'entreating .God's help and protection in .'the coming struggle. In this the Queen would' join heart and soul." AN APPEAL TO' THE "TIMES." ' .An incident is' recorded which- shows the importance attached by her Majesty to tie opinions of the leading newspapers, of which her correspondence shows her to havo been'a close and : interested reader. Lord Palnierstph was the recipient of the following communication :— "The Queen,has long seen witli deep regret the' persevering efforts made . by the /Times,' which: leads the rest of our' Press, in attacking, vilifying,, and abusing everything German, and particularly everything Prussian. . ... . The Queen had often intended to write to Lord Palmerston on tho subject, and to ask him whether he would no*, be acting' in the spirit of public' duty if ho endeavoured, as far, at least, as might be iu his power, to point out to the managers cf the 'Times' (which derives some of its power from the belief abroad that it represents more or less the feelings of the Government) how great the injury is which it inflicts upon • tho best interests of this'country. She nas, however, refrained from doing so, trusting in the chance of a change in tono, and feeling that Lord Palmerston might not. like 'o enter into discussion with the Editors of the 'Times.' ■ ■-•■.■ "Tho Queen believes that Lord Palmerston is the only person who could excrciso any influence over Mr. Delano, and even if this should not. be, much, it will be important that that gentleman should know the chief his writings are doing, and that tlio Government sincerely deplore it." .' That Lord Palmerston did use his. influence in the desired direction, the following' epistle of three days later proves:— 16 Serjeants' Inn, October 28, 1861. "My dear Lord, — I shall bo very glad to give tho Prussians a respite from that.most cruol of all inflictions —good advice. Indeed, I would not have intruded, anything so unwelcome during the splendid' ceremonies of the Coronation had not" the. King utter-xl those surprising anachronisms upon Divine Right. ■-,■.- ■ "Pray observe, too, !in extenuation of my offence, that I sent a ■ faithful chronicler Iβ Konigsberg, who has described all the splendours in a proper and reverent spirit, arid dono what man can do to render such cere--monies intelligible, and the recital of them not too wearisome to those who believe ia Divine Right as little as your lordship's very, faithful servant,. . , -.';., "JOHN T. DELANE." ~ THE BURDEN OF A WOMAN. Very interesting just now is this c'rise de coeur, which lends a dramatic significance to the whole story:— " ' ' .'■'■'.. ', "Tho extension of the Suffrage was almo'jt unavoidable, and it was better to do it quietly, and not to wait till there was a cry for it—to which one would .have to. yield. The deal there it to do, and the importance of everything going on at homo and abroad, is unexampled in my recollection', and very trying; Albert becomes really a terrible man "of business; 1 think, it takes a little off from the gentleness ,6f his character, and makes him so preoccupied. .1 grieve over all tnis, as I cannot' enjoy these things," much as\l interest myself in general Jiuropean politics; but I am every day more convinced, that we women, if we are. to be good women,' feminine., and amiable, and domestic, are not fitted to reign; at least, it is contre gro that they drive. themselves to the work which it entails." , . . ' Tho humility of this confession accords well with the spirit which made the same writjr say, on tho day before her accession, "I on not suppose mysejf quite equa] to .all; I trust, however, that with good will, honesty, and I shall not, at all events, fail.. ■