queen victoria-第40部分

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n　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　her　personal　positionalmost　an　attack　upon　the　personal　position　of　Albert。　But　she　was　helpless；　and　the　Prime　Minister　had　his　way。　When　she　heard　that　the　dreadful　man　had　yet　another　reform　in　contemplationthat　he　was　about　to　abolish　the　purchase　of　military　commissionsshe　could　only　feel　that　it　was　just　what　might　have　been　expected。　For　a　moment　she　hoped　that　the　House　of　Lords　would　come　to　the　rescue；　the　Peers　opposed　the　change　with　unexpected　vigour；　but　Mr。　Gladstone；　more　conscious　than　ever　of　the　support　of　the　Almighty；　was　ready　with　an　ingenious　device。　The　purchase　of　commissions　had　been　originally　allowed　by　Royal　Warrant；　it　should　now　be　disallowed　by　the　same　agency。　Victoria　was　faced　by　a　curious　dilemma：　she　abominated　the　abolition　of　purchase；　but　she　was　asked　to　abolish　it　by　an　exercise　of　sovereign　power　which　was　very　much　to　her　taste。　She　did　not　hesitate　for　long；　and　when　the　Cabinet；　in　a　formal　minute；　advised　her　to　sign　the　Warrant；　she　did　so　with　a　good　grace。

Unacceptable　as　Mr。　Gladstone's　policy　was；　there　was　something　else　about　him　which　was　even　more　displeasing　to　Victoria。　She　disliked　his　personal　demeanour　towards　herself。　It　was　not　that　Mr。　Gladstone；　in　his　intercourse　with　her；　was　in　any　degree　lacking　in　courtesy　or　respect。　On　the　contrary；　an　extraordinary　reverence　impregnated　his　manner；　both　in　his　conversation　and　his　correspondence　with　the　Sovereign。　Indeed；　with　that　deep　and　passionate　conservatism　which；　to　the　very　end　of　his　incredible　career；　gave　such　an　unexpected　colouring　to　his　inexplicable　character；　Mr。　Gladstone　viewed　Victoria　through　a　haze　of　awe　which　was　almost　religiousas　a　sacrosanct　embodiment　of　venerable　traditionsa　vital　element　in　the　British　Constitutiona　Queen　by　Act　of　Parliament。　But　unfortunately　the　lady　did　not　appreciate　the　compliment。　The　well…known　complaint〃He　speaks　to　me　as　if　I　were　a　public　meeting…〃　whether　authentic　or　noand　the　turn　of　the　sentence　is　surely　a　little　too　epigrammatic　to　be　genuinely　Victorianundoubtedly　expresses　the　essential　element　of　her　antipathy。　She　had　no　objection　to　being　considered　as　an　institution；　she　was　one；　and　she　knew　it。　But　she　was　a　woman　too；　and　to　be　considered　ONLY　as　an　institutionthat　was　unbearable。　And　thus　all　Mr。　Gladstone's　zeal　and　devotion；　his　ceremonious　phrases；　his　low　bows；　his　punctilious　correctitudes；　were　utterly　wasted；　and　when；　in　the　excess　of　his　loyalty；　he　went　further；　and　imputed　to　the　object　of　his　veneration；　with　obsequious　blindness；　the　subtlety　of　intellect；　the　wide　reading；　the　grave　enthusiasm；　which　he　himself　possessed；　the　misunderstanding　became　complete。　The　discordance　between　the　actual　Victoria　and　this　strange　Divinity　made　in　Mr。　Gladstone's　image　produced　disastrous　results。　Her　discomfort　and　dislike　turned　at　last　into　positive　animosity；　and；　though　her　manners　continued　to　be　perfect；　she　never　for　a　moment　unbent；　while　he　on　his　side　was　overcome　with　disappointment；　perplexity；　and　mortification。

Yet　his　fidelity　remained　unshaken。　When　the　Cabinet　met；　the　Prime　Minister；　filled　with　his　beatific　vision；　would　open　the　proceedings　by　reading　aloud　the　letters　which　he　had　received　from　the　Queen　upon　the　questions　of　the　hour。　The　assembly　sat　in　absolute　silence　while；　one　after　another；　the　royal　missives；　with　their　emphases；　their　ejaculations；　and　their　grammatical　peculiarities；　boomed　forth　in　all　the　deep　solemnity　of　Mr。　Gladstone's　utterance。　Not　a　single　comment；　of　any　kind；　was　ever　hazarded；　and；　after　a　fitting　pause；　the　Cabinet　proceeded　with　the　business　of　the　day。

II

Little　as　Victoria　appreciated　her　Prime　Minister's　attitude　towards　her；　she　found　that　it　had　its　uses。　The　popular　discontent　at　her　uninterrupted　seclusion　had　been　gathering　force　for　many　years；　and　now　burst　out　in　a　new　and　alarming　shape。　Republicanism　was　in　the　air。　Radical　opinion　in　England；　stimulated　by　the　fall　of　Napoleon　III　and　the　establishment　of　a　republican　government　in　France；　suddenly　grew　more　extreme　than　it　ever　had　been　since　1848。　It　also　became　fo