queen victoria-第30部分

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such　a　quarter　was　possible　at　all　showed　to　what　unfortunate　consequences　Albert's　foreign　birth　and　foreign　upbringing　might　lead。

But　this　was　not　all。　A　constitutional　question　of　the　most　profound　importance　was　raised　by　the　position　of　the　Prince　in　England。　His　presence　gave　a　new　prominence　to　an　old　problemthe　precise　definition　of　the　functions　and　the　powers　of　the　Crown。　Those　functions　and　powers　had　become；　in　effect；　his；　and　what　sort　of　use　was　he　making　of　them？　His　views　as　to　the　place　of　the　Crown　in　the　Constitution　are　easily　ascertainable；　for　they　were　Stockmar's；　and　it　happens　that　we　possess　a　detailed　account　of　Stockmar's　opinions　upon　the　subject　in　a　long　letter　addressed　by　him　to　the　Prince　at　the　time　of　this　very　crisis；　just　before　the　outbreak　of　the　Crimean　War。　Constitutional　Monarchy；　according　to　the　Baron；　had　suffered　an　eclipse　since　the　passing　of　the　Reform　Bill。　It　was　now　〃constantly　in　danger　of　becoming　a　pure　Ministerial　Government。〃　The　old　race　of　Tories；　who　〃had　a　direct　interest　in　upholding　the　prerogatives　of　the　Crown；〃　had　died　out；　and　the　Whigs　were　〃nothing　but　partly　conscious；　partly　unconscious　Republicans；　who　stand　in　the　same　relation　to　the　Throne　as　the　wolf　does　to　the　lamb。〃　There　was　a　rule　that　it　was　unconstitutional　to　introduce　〃the　name　and　person　of　the　irresponsible　Sovereign〃　into　parliamentary　debates　on　constitutional　matters；　this　was　〃a　constitutional　fiction；　which；　although　undoubtedly　of　old　standing；　was　fraught　with　danger〃；　and　the　Baron　warned　the　Prince　that　〃if　the　English　Crown　permit　a　Whig　Ministry　to　follow　this　rule　in　practice；　without　exception；　you　must　not　wonder　if　in　a　little　time　you　find　the　majority　of　the　people　impressed　with　the　belief　that　the　King；　in　the　view　of　the　law；　is　nothing　but　a　mandarin　figure；　which　has　to　nod　its　head　in　assent；　or　shake　it　in　denial；　as　his　Minister　pleases。〃　To　prevent　this　from　happening；　it　was　of　extreme　importance；　said　the　Baron；　〃that　no　opportunity　should　be　let　slip　of　vindicating　the　legitimate　position　of　the　Crown。〃　〃And　this　is　not　hard　to　do；〃　he　added；　〃and　can　never　embarrass　a　Minister　where　such　straightforward　loyal　personages　as　the　Queen　and　the　Prince　are　concerned。〃　In　his　opinion；　the　very　lowest　claim　of　the　Royal　Prerogative　should　include　〃a　right　on　the　part　of　the　King　to　be　the　permanent　President　of　his　Ministerial　Council。〃　The　Sovereign　ought　to　be　〃in　the　position　of　a　permanent　Premier；　who　takes　rank　above　the　temporary　head　of　the　Cabinet；　and　in　matters　of　discipline　exercises　supreme　authority。〃　The　Sovereign　〃may　even　take　a　part　in　the　initiation　and　the　maturing　of　the　Government　measures；　for　it　would　be　unreasonable　to　expect　that　a　king；　himself　as　able；　as　accomplished；　and　as　patriotic　as　the　best　of　his　Ministers；　should　be　prevented　from　making　use　of　these　qualities　at　the　deliberations　of　his　Council。〃　〃The　judicious　exercise　of　this　right；〃　concluded　the　Baron；　〃which　certainly　requires　a　master　mind；　would　not　only　be　the　best　guarantee　for　Constitutional　Monarchy；　but　would　raise　it　to　a　height　of　power；　stability；　and　symmetry；　which　has　never　been　attained。〃

Now　it　may　be　that　this　reading　of　the　Constitution　is　a　possible　one；　though　indeed　it　is　hard　to　see　how　it　can　be　made　compatible　with　the　fundamental　doctrine　of　ministerial　responsibility。　William　III　presided　over　his　Council；　and　he　was　a　constitutional　monarch；　and　it　seems　that　Stockmar　had　in　his　mind　a　conception　of　the　Crown　which　would　have　given　it　a　place　in　the　Constitution　analogous　to　that　which　it　filled　at　the　time　of　William　III。　But　it　is　clear　that　such　a　theory；　which　would　invest　the　Crown　with　more　power　than　it　possessed　even　under　George　III；　runs　counter　to　the　whole　development　of　English　public　life　since　the　Revolution；　and　the　fact　that　it　was　held　by　Stockmar；　and　instilled　by　him　into　Albert；　was　of　very　serious　importance。　For　there　was　good　reason　to　believe　not　only　that　these　doctrines　were　held　by　Albert　in　theory；　but　that　he　was　making　a　deliberate　and　sustained　attempt　to　give　them　practical　validity。　The　history　of　the　struggle　between　the　Crown　and　Palmerston　provided　startling　evidence　that　this　was　the　case。　That　struggle　reached　its　culmination　when；　in　Stockmar's　memorandum　of　1850；　the　Queen　asserted　her　〃constitutional　right〃　to　dismiss　the　Foreign　Secretary　if　he　altered　a　despatch　which　had　received　her　sanction。　The　memorandum　was；　in　fact；　a　plain　declaration　that　the　Crown　intended　to　act　independently　of　the　Prime　Minister。　Lord　John　Russell；　anxious　at　all　costs　to　strengthen　himself　against　Palmerston；　accepted　the　memorandum；　and　thereby　implicitly　allowed　the　claim　of　the　Crown。　More　than　that；　after　the　dismissal　of　Palmerston；　among　the　grounds　on　which　Lord　John　justified　that　dismissal　in　the　House　of　Commons　he　gave　a　prominent　place　to　the　memorandum　of　1850。　It　became　apparent　that　the　displeasure　of　the　Sovereign　might　be　a　reason　for　the　removal　of　a　powerful　and　popular　Minister。　It　seemed　indeed　as　if；　under　the　guidance　of　Stockmar　and　Albert；　the　〃Constitutional　Monarchy〃　might　in　very　truth　be　rising　〃to　a　height　of　power；　stability；　and　symmetry；　which　had　never　been　attained。〃

But　this　new　development　in　the　position　of　the　Crown；　grave　as　it　was　in　itself；　was　rendered　peculiarly　disquieting　by　the　unusual　circumstances　which　surrounded　it。　For　the　functions　of　the　Crown　were　now；　in　effect；　being　exercised　by　a　person　unknown　to　the　Constitution；　who　wielded　over　the　Sovereign　an　undefined　and　unbounded　influence。　The　fact　that　this　person　was　the　Sovereign's　husband；　while　it　explained　his　influence　and　even　made　it　inevitable；　by　no　means　diminished　its　strange　and　momentous　import。　An　ambiguous；　prepotent　figure　had　come　to　disturb　the　ancient；　subtle；　and　jealously　guarded　balance　of　the　English　Constitution。　Such　had　been　the　unexpected　outcome　of　the　tentative　and　fainthearted　opening　of　Albert's　political　life。　He　himself　made　no　attempt　to　minimise　either　the　multiplicity　or　the　significance　of　the　functions　he　performed。　He　considered　that　it　was　his　duty；　he　told　the　Duke　of　Wellington　in　1850；　to　〃sink　his　OWN　INDIVIDUAL　existence　in　that　of　his　wifeassume　no　separate　responsibility　before　the　public；　but　make　his　position　entirely　a　part　of　hersfill　up　every　gap　which；　as　a　woman；　she　would　naturally　leave　in　the　exercise　of　her　regal　functionscontinually　and　anxiously　watch　every　part　of　the　public　business；　in　order　to　be　able　to　advise　and　assist　her　at　any　moment　in　any　of　the　multifarious　and　difficult　questions　or　duties　brought　before　her；　sometimes　international；　sometimes　political；　or　social；　or　personal。　As　the　natural　head　of　her　family；　superintendent　of　her　household；　manager　of　her　private　affairs；　sole　CONFIDENTIAL　adviser　in　politics；　and　only　assistant　in　her　communications　with　the　officers　of　the　Government；　he　is；　besides；　the　husband　of　the　Queen；　the　tutor　of　the　royal　children；　the　private　secretary　of　the　Sovereign；　and　her　permanent　minister。〃　Stockmar's　pupil　had　assuredly　gone　far　and　learnt　well。　Stockmar's　pupil！precisely；　the　public；　painfully　aware　of　Albert's　predominance；　had　grown；　too；　uneasily　conscious　that　Victoria's　master　had　a　master　of　his　own。　Deep　in　the　darkness　the　Baron　loomed。　Another　foreigner！　Decidedly；　there　were　elements　in　the　situation　which　went　far　to　justify　the　popular　alarm。　A　foreign　Baron　controlled　a　foreign　Prince；　and　the　foreign　Prince　controlled　the　Crown　of　England。　And　the　Crown　itself　was　creeping　forward　ominously；　and　when；　from　under　its　shadow；　the　Baron　and　the　Prince　had　frowned；　a　great　Minister；　beloved　of　the　people；　had　fallen。　Where　was　all　this　to　end？

Within　a　few　weeks　Palmerston　withdrew　his　resignation；　and　the　public　frenzy　subsided　as　quickly　as　it　had　arisen。　When　Parliament　met；　the　leaders　of　both　the　parties　in　both　the　Houses　made　speeches　in　favour　of　the　Prince；　asserting　his　unimpeachable　loyalty　to　the　country　and　vindicating　his　right　to　advise　the　Sovereign　in　all　matters　of　State。　Victoria　was　delighted。　〃The　position　of　my　beloved　lord　and　master；〃　she　told　the　Baron；　〃has　been　defined　for　once　amid　all　and　his　merits　have　been　acknowledged　on　all　sides　most　duly。　There　was　an　immense　concourse　of　people　assembled　when　we　went　to　the　House　of　Lords；　and　the　people　were　very　friendly。〃　Immediately　afterwards；　the　country　finally　plunged　into　the　Crimean　War。　In　the　struggle　that　followed；　Albert's　patriotism　was　put　beyond　a　doubt；　and　the　animosities　of　the　past　were　forgotten。　But　the　war　had　another　consequence；　less　gratifying　to　the　royal　couple：　it　crowned　the　ambition　of　Lord　Palmerston。　In　1855；　the　man　who　five　years　before　had　been　pronounced　by　Lord　John　Russell　to　be　〃too　old　to　do　much　in　the　future；〃　became　Prime　Minister　of　England；　and；　with　one　short　interval；　remained　in　that　position　for　ten　years。



CHAPTER　VI。　LAST　YEARS　OF　PRINCE　CONSORT

I

The　weak…willed　youth　who　took　no　interest　in　polities　and　never　read　a　newspaper　had　grown　into　a　man　of　unbending　determination　whose　tireless　energies　were　incessantly　concentrated　upon　the　laborious　business　of　government　and　the　highest　questions　of　State。　He　was　busy　now　from　morning　till　night。　In　the　winter；　before　the　dawn；　he　was　to　be　seen；　seated　at　his　writing…table；　working　by　the　light　of　the　green　readinglamp　which　he　had　brought　over　with　him　from　Germany；　and　the　construction　of　which　he　had　much　improved　by　an　ingenious　device。　Victoria　was　early　too；　but　she　was　not　so　early　as　Albert；　and　when；　in　the　chill　darkness；　she　took　her　seat　at　her　own　writing…table；　placed　side　by　side　with　his；　she　invariably　found　upon　it　a　neat　pile　of　papers　arranged　for　her　inspection　and　her　signature。　The　day；　thus　begun；　continued　in　unremitting　industry。　At　breakfast；　the　newspapersthe　once　hated　newspapersmade　their　appearance；　and　the　Prince；　absorbed　in　their　perusal；　would　answer　no　questions；　or；　if　an　article　struck　him；　would　read　it　aloud。　After；　that　there　were　ministers　and　secretaries　to　interview；　there　was　a　vast　correspondence　to　be　carried　on；　there　were　numerous　memoranda　to　be　made。　Victoria；　treas