queen victoria-第25部分

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been　gathering　to　a　climax　for　many　years。


The　unpopularity　of　Albert　in　high　society　had　not　diminished　with　time。　Aristocratic　persons　continued　to　regard　him　with　disfavour；　and　he　on　his　side；　withdrew　further　and　further　into　a　contemptuous　reserve。　For　a　moment；　indeed；　it　appeared　as　if　the　dislike　of　the　upper　classes　was　about　to　be　suddenly　converted　into　cordiality；　for　they　learnt　with　amazement　that　the　Prince；　during　a　country　visit；　had　ridden　to　hounds　and　acquitted　himself　remarkably　well。　They　had　always　taken　it　for　granted　that　his　horsemanship　was　of　some　second…rate　foreign　quality；　and　here　he　was　jumping　five…barred　gates　and　tearing　after　the　fox　as　if　he　had　been　born　and　bred　in　Leicestershire。　They　could　hardly　believe　it；　was　it　possible　that　they　had　made　a　mistake；　and　that　Albert　was　a　good　fellow　after　all？　Had　he　wished　to　be　thought　so　he　would　certainly　have　seized　this　opportunity；　purchased　several　hunters；　and　used　them　constantly。　But　he　had　no　such　desire；　hunting　bored　him；　and　made　Victoria　nervous。　He　continued；　as　before；　to　ride；　as　he　himself　put　it；　for　exercise　or　convenience；　not　for　amusement；　and　it　was　agreed　that　though　the　Prince；　no　doubt；　could　keep　in　his　saddle　well　enough；　he　was　no　sportsman。

This　was　a　serious　matter。　It　was　not　merely　that　Albert　was　laughed　at　by　fine　ladies　and　sneered　at　by　fine　gentlemen；　it　was　not　merely　that　Victoria；　who　before　her　marriage　had　cut　some　figure　in　society；　had；　under　her　husband's　influence；　almost　completely　given　it　up。　Since　Charles　the　Second　the　sovereigns　of　England　had；　with　a　single　exception；　always　been　unfashionable；　and　the　fact　that　the　exception　was　George　the　Fourth　seemed　to　give　an　added　significance　to　the　rule。　What　was　grave　was　not　the　lack　of　fashion；　but　the　lack　of　other　and　more　important　qualities。　The　hostility　of　the　upper　classes　was　symptomatic　of　an　antagonism　more　profound　than　one　of　manners　or　even　of　tastes。　The　Prince；　in　a　word；　was　un…English。　What　that　word　precisely　meant　it　was　difficult　to　say；　but　the　fact　was　patent　to　every　eye。　Lord　Palmerston；　also；　was　not　fashionable；　the　great　Whig　aristocrats　looked　askance　at　him；　and　only　tolerated　him　as　an　unpleasant　necessity　thrust　upon　them　by　fate。　But　Lord　Palmerston　was　English　through　and　through；　there　was　something　in　him　that　expressed；　with　extraordinary　vigour；　the　fundamental　qualities　of　the　English　race。　And　he　was　the　very　antithesis　of　the　Prince。　By　a　curious　chance　it　so　happened　that　this　typical　Englishman　was　brought　into　closer　contact　than　any　other　of　his　countrymen　with　the　alien　from　over　the　sea。　It　thus　fell　out　that　differences　which；　in　more　fortunate　circumstances；　might　have　been　smoothed　away　and　obliterated；　became　accentuated　to　the　highest　pitch。　All　the　mysterious　forces　in　Albert's　soul　leapt　out　to　do　battle　with　his　adversary；　and；　in　the　long　and　violent　conflict　that　followed；　it　almost　seemed　as　if　he　was　struggling　with　England　herself。

Palmerston's　whole　life　had　been　spent　in　the　government　of　the　country。　At　twenty…two　he　had　been　a　Minister；　at　twenty…five　he　had　been　offered　the　Chancellorship　of　the　Exchequer；　which；　with　that　prudence　which　formed　so　unexpected　a　part　of　his　character；　he　had　declined　to　accept。　His　first　spell　of　office　had　lasted　uninterruptedly　for　twenty…one　years。　When　Lord　Grey　came　into　power　he　received　the　Foreign　Secretaryship；　a　post　which　he　continued　to　occupy；　with　two　intervals；　for　another　twenty…one　years。　Throughout　this　period　his　reputation　with　the　public　had　steadily　grown；　and　when；　in　1846；　he　became　Foreign　Secretary　for　the　third　time；　his　position　in　the　country　was　almost；　if　not　quite；　on　an　equality　with　that　of　the　Prime　Minister；　Lord　John　Russell。　He　was　a　tall；　big　man　of　sixty…two；　with　a　jaunty　air；　a　large　face；　dyed　whiskers；　and　a　long　sardonic　upper　lip。　His　private　life　was　far　from　respectable；　but　he　had　greatly　strengthened　his　position　in　society　by　marrying；　late　in　life；　Lady　Cowper；　the　sister　of　Lord　Melbourne；　and　one　of　the　most　influential　of　the　Whig　hostesses。　Powerful；　experienced；　and　supremely　self…confident；　he　naturally　paid　very　little　attention　to　Albert。　Why　should　he？　The　Prince　was　interested　in　foreign　affairs？　Very　well；　then；　let　the　Prince　pay　attention　to　himto　him；　who　had　been　a　Cabinet　Minister　when　Albert　was　in　the　cradle；　who　was　the　chosen　leader　of　a　great　nation；　and　who　had　never　failed　in　anything　he　had　undertaken　in　the　whole　course　of　his　life。　Not　that　he　wanted　the　Prince's　attentionfar　from　it：　so　far　as　he　could　see；　Albert　was　merely　a　young　foreigner；　who　suffered　from　having　no　vices；　and　whose　only　claim　to　distinction　was　that　he　had　happened　to　marry　the　Queen　of　England。　This　estimate；　as　he　found　out　to　his　cost；　was　a　mistaken　one。　Albert　was　by　no　means　insignificant；　and；　behind　Albert；　there　was　another　figure　by　no　means　insignificant　eitherthere　was　Stockmar。

But　Palmerston；　busy　with　his　plans；　his　ambitions；　and　the　management　of　a　great　department；　brushed　all　such　considerations　on　one　side；　it　was　his　favourite　method　of　action。　He　lived　by　instinctby　a　quick　eye　and　a　strong　hand；　a　dexterous　management　of　every　crisis　as　it　arose；　a　half…unconscious　sense　of　the　vital　elements　in　a　situation。　He　was　very　bold；　and　nothing　gave　him　more　exhilaration　than　to　steer　the　ship　of　state　in　a　high　wind；　on　a　rough　sea；　with　every　stitch　of　canvas　on　her　that　she　could　carry。　But　there　is　a　point　beyond　which　boldness　becomes　rashnessa　point　perceptible　only　to　intuition　and　not　to　reason；　and　beyond　that　point　Palmerston　never　went。　When　he　saw　that　the　cast　demanded　it；　he　could　go　slowvery　slow　indeed　in　fact；　his　whole　career；　so　full　of　vigorous　adventure；　was　nevertheless　a　masterly　example　of　the　proverb；　〃tout　vient　a　point　a　qui　sait　attendre。〃　But　when　he　decided　to　go　quick；　nobody　went　quicker。　One　day；　returning　from　Osborne；　he　found　that　he　had　missed　the　train　to　London；　he　ordered　a　special；　but　the　station　master　told　him　that　to　put　a　special　train　upon　the　line　at　that　time　of　day　would　be　dangerous　and　he　could　not　allow　it。　Palmerston　insisted　declaring　that　he　had　important　business　in　London；　which　could　not　wait。　The　station…master　supported　by　all　the　officials；　continued　to　demur　the　company；　he　said；　could　not　possibly　take　the　responsibility。　〃On　MY　responsibility；　then！〃　said　Palmerston；　in　his　off…hand；　peremptory　way　whereupon　the　station…master　ordered　up　the　train　and　the　Foreign　Secretary　reached　London　in　time　for　his　work；　without　an　accident。　The　story；　is　typical　of　the　happy　valiance　with　which　he　conducted　both　his　own　affairs　and　those　of　the　nation。　〃England；〃　he　used　to　say；　〃is　strong　enough　to　brave　consequences。〃　Apparently；　under　Palmerston's　guidance；　she　was。　While　the　officials　protested　and　shook　in　their　shoes；　he　would　wave　them　away　with　his　airy　〃MY　responsibility！〃　and　carry　the　country　swiftly　along　the　line　of　his　choice；　to　a　triumphant　destinationwithout　an　accident。　His　immense　popularity　was　the　result　partly　of　his　diplomatic　successes；　partly　of　his　extraordinary　personal　affability；　but　chiefly　of　the　genuine　intensity　with　which　he　responded　to　the　feelings　and　supported　the　interests　of　his　countrymen。　The　public　knew　that　it　had　in　Lord　Palmerston　not　only　a　high…mettled　master；　but　also　a　devoted　servantthat　he　was；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　a　public　man。　When　he　was　Prime　Minister；　he　noticed　that　iron　hurdles　had　been　put　up　on　the　grass　in　the　Green　Park；　he　immediately　wrote　to　the　Minister　responsible；　ordering；　in　the　severest　language；　their　instant　removal；　declaring　that　they　were　〃an　intolerable　nuisance；〃　and　that　the　purpose　of　the　grass　was　〃to　be　walked　upon　freely　and　without　restraint　by　the　people；　old　and　young；　for　whose　enjoyment　the　parks　are　maintained。〃　It　was　in　this　spirit　that；　as　Foreign　Secretary；　he　watched　over　the　interests　of　Englishmen　abroad。　Nothing　could　be　more　agreeable　for　Englishmen；　but　foreign　governments　were　less　pleased。　They　found　Lord　Palmerston　interfering；　exasperating；　and　alarming。　In　Paris　they　spoke　with　bated　breath　of　〃ce　terrible　milord　Palmerston；〃　and　in　Germany　they　made　a　little　song　about　him

　　　　　　　〃Hat　der　Teufel　einen　Sohn；　　　　　　　　　So　ist　er　sicher　Palmerston。〃

But　their　complaints；　their　threats；　and　their　agitations　were　all　in　vain。　Palmerston；　with　his　upper　lip　sardonically　curving；　braved　consequences；　and　held　on　his　course。

The　first　diplomatic　crisis　which　arose　after　his　return　to　office；　though　the　Prince　and　the　Queen　were　closely　concerned　with　it；　passed　off　without　serious　disagreement　between　the　Court　and　the　Minister。　For　some　years　past　a　curious　problem　had　been　perplexing　the　chanceries　of　Europe。　Spain；　ever　since　the　time　of　Napoleon　a　prey　to　civil　convulsions；　had　settled　down　for　a　short　interval　to　a　state　of　comparative　quiet　under　the　rule　of　Christina；　the　Queen　Mother；　and　her　daughter　Isabella；　the　young　Queen。　In　1846；　the　question　of　Isabella's　marriage；　which　had　for　long　been　the　subject　of　diplomatic　speculations；　suddenly　became　acute。　Various　candidates　for　her　hand　were　proposedamong　others；　two　cousins　of　her　own；　another　Spanish　prince；　and　Prince　Leopold　of　Saxe…Coburg；　a　first　cousin　of　Victoria's　and　Albert's；　for　different　reasons；　however；　none　of　these　young　men　seemed　altogether　satisfactory。　Isabella　was　not　yet　sixteen；　and　it　might　have　been　supposed　that　her　marriage　could　be　put　off　for　a　few　years　more；　but　this　was　considered　to　be　out　of　the　question。　〃Vous　ne　savez　pas；〃　said　a　high　authority；　〃ce　que　c'est　que　ces　princesses　espagnoles；　elles　ont　le　diable　au　corps；　et　on　a　toujours　dit　que　si　nous　ne　nous　hations　pas；　l'heritier　viendrait　avant　le　mari。〃　It　might　also　have　been　supposed　that　the　young　Queen's　marriage　was　a　matter　to　be　settled　by　herself；　her　mother；　and　the　Spanish　Government；　but　this　again　was　far　from　being　the　case。　It　had　become；　by　one　of　those　periodical　reversions　to　the　ways　of　the　eighteenth　century；　which；　it　is　rumoured；　are　still　not　unknown　in　diplomacy；　a　question　of　dominating　importance　in　the　foreign　policies　both　of　France　and　England。