queen victoria-第5部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ould　not　tell　why　it　wasshe　was　always　happier　when　she　was　staying　with　her　Uncle　Leopold　at　Claremont。　There　old　Mrs。　Louis；　who；　years　ago；　had　waited　on　her　Cousin　Charlotte；　petted　her　to　her　heart's　content；　and　her　uncle　himself　was　wonderfully　kind　to　her；　talking　to　her　seriously　and　gently；　almost　as　if　she　were　a　grown…up　person。　She　and　Feodora　invariably　wept　when　the　too…short　visit　was　over；　and　they　were　obliged　to　return　to　the　dutiful　monotony；　and　the　affectionate　supervision　of　Kensington。　But　sometimes　when　her　mother　had　to　stay　at　home；　she　was　allowed　to　go　out　driving　all　alone　with　her　dear　Feodora　and　her　dear　Lehzen；　and　she　could　talk　and　look　as　she　liked；　and　it　was　very　delightful。

The　visits　to　Claremont　were　frequent　enough；　but　one　day；　on　a　special　occasion；　she　paid　one　of　a　rarer　and　more　exciting　kind。　When　she　was　seven　years　old；　she　and　her　mother　and　sister　were　asked　by　the　King　to　go　down　to　Windsor。　George　IV；　who　had　transferred　his　fraternal　ill…temper　to　his　sister…in…law　and　her　family；　had　at　last　grown　tired　of　sulking；　and　decided　to　be　agreeable。　The　old　rip；　bewigged　and　gouty；　ornate　and　enormous；　with　his　jewelled　mistress　by　his　side　and　his　flaunting　court　about　him；　received　the　tiny　creature　who　was　one　day　to　hold　in　those　same　halls　a　very　different　state。　〃Give　me　your　little　paw；〃　he　said；　and　two　ages　touched。　Next　morning；　driving　in　his　phaeton　with　the　Duchess　of　Gloucester；　he　met　the　Duchess　of　Kent　and　her　child　in　the　Park。　〃Pop　her　in；〃　were　his　orders；　which；　to　the　terror　of　the　mother　and　the　delight　of　the　daughter；　were　immediately　obeyed。　Off　they　dashed　to　Virginia　Water；　where　there　was　a　great　barge；　full　of　lords　and　ladies　fishing；　and　another　barge　with　a　band；　and　the　King　ogled　Feodora；　and　praised　her　manners；　and　then　turned　to　his　own　small　niece。　〃What　is　your　favourite　tune？　The　band　shall　play　it。〃　〃God　save　the　King；　sir；〃　was　the　instant　answer。　The　Princess's　reply　has　been　praised　as　an　early　example　of　a　tact　which　was　afterwards　famous。　But　she　was　a　very　truthful　child；　and　perhaps　it　was　her　genuine　opinion。

III

In　1827　the　Duke　of　York；　who　had　found　some　consolation　for　the　loss　of　his　wife　in　the　sympathy　of　the　Duchess　of　Rutland；　died；　leaving　behind　him　the　unfinished　immensity　of　Stafford　House　and　L200；000　worth　of　debts。　Three　years　later　George　IV　also　disappeared；　and　the　Duke　of　Clarence　reigned　in　his　stead。　The　new　Queen；　it　was　now　clear；　would　in　all　probability　never　again　be　a　mother；　the　Princess　Victoria；　therefore；　was　recognised　by　Parliament　as　heir…presumptive；　and　the　Duchess　of　Kent；　whose　annuity　had　been　doubled　five　years　previously；　was　now　given　an　additional　L10；000　for　the　maintenance　of　the　Princess；　and　was　appointed　regent；　in　case　of　the　death　of　the　King　before　the　majority　of　her　daughter。　At　the　same　time　a　great　convulsion　took　place　in　the　constitution　of　the　State。　The　power　of　the　Tories；　who　had　dominated　England　for　more　than　forty　years；　suddenly　began　to　crumble。　In　the　tremendous　struggle　that　followed；　it　seemed　for　a　moment　as　if　the　tradition　of　generations　might　be　snapped；　as　if　the　blind　tenacity　of　the　reactionaries　and　the　determined　fury　of　their　enemies　could　have　no　other　issue　than　revolution。　But　the　forces　of　compromise　triumphed：　the　Reform　Bill　was　passed。　The　centre　of　gravity　in　the　constitution　was　shifted　towards　the　middle　classes；　the　Whigs　came　into　power；　and　the　complexion　of　the　Government　assumed　a　Liberal　tinge。　One　of　the　results　of　this　new　state　of　affairs　was　a　change　in　the　position　of　the　Duchess　of　Kent　and　her　daughter。　From　being　the　protegees　of　an　opposition　clique；　they　became　assets　of　the　official　majority　of　the　nation。　The　Princess　Victoria　was　henceforward　the　living　symbol　of　the　victory　of　the　middle　classes。

The　Duke　of　Cumberland；　on　the　other　hand；　suffered　a　corresponding　eclipse：　his　claws　had　been　pared　by　the　Reform　Act。　He　grew　insignificant　and　almost　harmless；　though　his　ugliness　remained；　he　was　the　wicked　uncle　stillbut　only　of　a　story。

The　Duchess's　own　liberalism　was　not　very　profound。　She　followed　naturally　in　the　footsteps　of　her　husband；　repeating　with　conviction　the　catchwords　of　her　husband's　clever　friends　and　the　generalisations　of　her　clever　brother　Leopold。　She　herself　had　no　pretensions　to　cleverness；　she　did　not　understand　very　much　about　the　Poor　Law　and　the　Slave　Trade　and　Political　Economy；　but　she　hoped　that　she　did　her　duty；　and　she　hopedshe　ardently　hopedthat　the　same　might　be　said　of　Victoria。　Her　educational　conceptions　were　those　of　Dr。　Arnold；　whose　views　were　just　then　beginning　to　permeate　society。　Dr。　Arnold's　object　was；　first　and　foremost；　to　make　his　pupils　〃in　the　highest　and　truest　sense　of　the　words；　Christian　gentlemen；〃　intellectual　refinements　might　follow。　The　Duchess　felt　convinced　that　it　was　her　supreme　duty　in　life　to　make　quite　sure　that　her　daughter　should　grow　up　into　a　Christian　queen。　To　this　task　she　bent　all　her　energies；　and；　as　the　child　developed；　she　flattered　herself　that　her　efforts　were　not　unsuccessful。　When　the　Princess　was　eleven；　she　desired　the　Bishops　of　London　and　Lincoln　to　submit　her　daughter　to　an　examination；　and　report　upon　the　progress　that　had　been　made。　〃I　feel　the　time　to　be　now　come；〃　the　Duchess　explained；　in　a　letter　obviously　drawn　up　by　her　own　hand；　〃that　what　has　been　done　should　be　put　to　some　test；　that　if　anything　has　been　done　in　error　of　judgment　it　may　be　corrected；　and　that　the　plan　for　the　future　should　be　open　to　consideration　and　revision。。。　I　attend　almost　always　myself　every　lesson；　or　a　part；　and　as　the　lady　about　the　Princess　is　a　competent　person；　she　assists　Her　in　preparing　Her　lessons；　for　the　various　masters；　as　I　resolved　to　act　in　that　manner　so　as　to　be　Her　Governess　myself。　When　she　was　at　a　proper　age　she　commenced　attending　Divine　Service　regularly　with　me；　and　I　have　every　feeling　that　she　has　religion　at　Her　heart；　that　she　is　morally　impressed　with　it　to　that　degree；　that　she　is　less　liable　to　error　by　its　application　to　her　feelings　as　a　Child　capable　of　reflection。〃　〃The　general　bent　of　Her　character；〃　added　the　Duchess；　〃is　strength　of　intellect；　capable　of　receiving　with　ease；　information；　and　with　a　peculiar　readiness　in　coming　to　a　very　just　and　benignant　decision　on　any　point　Her　opinion　is　asked　on。　Her　adherence　to　truth　is　of　so　marked　a　character　that　I　feel　no　apprehension　of　that　Bulwark　being　broken　down　by　any　circumstances。〃　The　Bishops　attended　at　the　Palace；　and　the　result　of　their　examination　was　all　that　could　be　wished。　〃In　answering　a　great　variety　of　questions　proposed　to　her；〃　they　reported；　〃the　Princess　displayed　an　accurate　knowledge　of　the　most　important　features　of　Scripture　History；　and　of　the　leading　truths　and　precepts　of　the　Christian　Religion　as　taught　by　the　Church　of　England；　as　well　as　an　acquaintance　with　the　Chronology　and　principal　facts　of　English　History　remarkable　in　so　young　a　person。　To　questions　in　Geography；　the　use　of　the　Globes；　Arithmetic；　and　Latin　Grammar；　the　answers　which　the　Princess　returned　were　equally　satisfactory。〃　They　did　not　believe　that　the　Duchess's　plan　of　education　was　susceptible　of　any　improvement；　and　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　who　was　also　consulted；　came　to　the　same　gratifying　conclusion。

One　important　step；　however；　remained　to　be　taken。　So　far；　as　the　Duchess　explained　to　the　Bishops；　the　Princess　had　been　kept　in　ignorance　of　the　station　that　she　was　likely　to　fill。　〃She　is　aware　of　its　duties；　and　that　a　Sovereign　should　live　for　others；　so　that　when　Her　innocent　mind　receives　the　impression　of　Her　future　fate；　she　receives　it　with　a　mind　formed　to　be　sensible　of　what　is　to　be　expected　from　Her；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped；　she　will　be　too　well　grounded　in　Her　principles　to　be　dazzled　with　the　station　she　is　to　look　to。〃　In　the　following　year　it　was　decided　that　she　should　be　enlightened　on　this　point。　The　wellknown　scene　followed：　the　history　lesson；　the　genealogical　table　of　the　Kings　of　England　slipped　beforehand　by　the　governess　into　the　book；　the　Princess's　surprise；　her　inquiries；　her　final　realisation　of　the　facts。　When　the　child　at　last　understood；　she　was　silent　for　a　moment；　and　then　she　spoke：　〃I　will　be　good；〃　she　said。　The　words　were　something　more　than　a　conventional　protestation；　something　more　than　the　expression　of　a　superimposed　desire；　they　were；　in　their　limitation　and　their　intensity；　their　egotism　and　their　humility；　an　instinctive　summary　of　the　dominating　qualities　of　a　life。　〃I　cried　much　on　learning　it；〃　her　Majesty　noted　long　afterwards。　No　doubt；　while　the　others　were　present；　even　her　dear　Lehzen；　the　little　girl　kept　up　her　self…command；　and　then　crept　away　somewhere　to　ease　her　heart　of　an　inward；　unfamiliar　agitation；　with　a　handkerchief；　out　of　her　mother's　sight。

But　her　mother's　sight　was　by　no　means　an　easy　thing　to　escape。　Morning　and　evening；　day　and　night；　there　was　no　relaxation　of　the　maternal　vigilance。　The　child　grew　into　the　girl；　the　girl　into　the　young　woman；　but　still　she　slept　in　her　mother's　bedroom；　still　she　had　no　place　allowed　her　where　she　might　sit　or　work　by　herself。　An　extraordinary　watchfulness　surrounded　her　every　step：　up　to　the　day　of　her　accession；　she　never　went　downstairs　without　someone　beside　her　holding　her　hand。　Plainness　and　regularity　ruled　the　household。　The　hours；　the　days；　the　years　passed　slowly　and　methodically　by。　The　dollsthe　innumerable　dolls；　each　one　so　neatly　dressed；　each　one　with　its　name　so　punctiliously　entered　in　the　cataloguewere　laid　aside；　and　a　little　music　and　a　little　dancing　took　their　place。　Taglioni　came；　to　give　grace　and　dignity　to　the　figure；　and　Lablache；　to　train　the　piping　treble　upon　his　own　rich　bass。　The　Dean　of　Chester；　the　official　preceptor；　continued　his　endless　instruction　in　Scripture　history；　while　the　Duchess　of　Northumberland；　the　official　governess；　presided　over　every　lesson　with　becoming　solemnity。　Without　doubt；　the　Princess's　main　achievement　during　her　school…days　was　linguistic。　German　was　naturally　the　first　language　with　which　she　was　familiar；　but　English　and　French　quickly　followed；　and　she　became　virtually　trilingual；