queen victoria-第29部分

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rston；　suddenly　lamblike；　agreed　to　everything；　the　note　was　withdrawn　and　altered；　and　peace　was　patched　up　once　more。

It　lasted　for　a　year；　and　then；　in　October；　1851；　the　arrival　of　Kossuth　in　England　brought　on　another　crisis。　Palmerston's　desire　to　receive　the　Hungarian　patriot　at　his　house　in　London　was　vetoed　by　Lord　John；　once　more　there　was　a　sharp　struggle；　once　more　Palmerston；　after　threatening　resignation；　yielded。　But　still　the　insubordinate　man　could　not　keep　quiet。　A　few　weeks　later　a　deputation　of　Radicals　from　Finsbury　and　Islington　waited　on　him　at　the　Foreign　Office　and　presented　him　with　an　address；　in　which　the　Emperors　of　Austria　and　Russia　were　stigmatised　as　〃odious　and　detestable　assassins〃　and　〃merciless　tyrants　and　despots。〃　The　Foreign　Secretary　in　his　reply；　while　mildly　deprecating　these　expressions；　allowed　his　real　sentiments　to　appear　with　a　most　undiplomatic　insouciance　There　was　an　immediate　scandal；　and　the　Court　flowed　over　with　rage　and　vituperation。　〃I　think；〃　said　the　Baron；　〃the　man　has　been　for　some　time　insane。〃　Victoria；　in　an　agitated　letter；　urged　Lord　John　to　assert　his　authority。　But　Lord　John　perceived　that　on　this　matter　the　Foreign　Secretary　had　the　support　of　public　opinion；　and　he　judged　it　wiser　to　bide　his　time。

He　had　not　long　to　wait。　The　culmination　of　the　long　series　of　conflicts；　threats；　and　exacerbations　came　before　the　year　was　out。　On　December　2；　Louis　Napoleon's　coup　d'etat　took　place　in　Paris；　and　on　the　following　day　Palmerston；　without　consulting　anybody；　expressed　in　a　conversation　with　the　French　Ambassador　his　approval　of　Napoleon's　act。　Two　days　later；　he　was　instructed　by　the　Prime　Minister；　in　accordance　with　a　letter　from　the　Queen；　that　it　was　the　policy　of　the　English　Government　to　maintain　an　attitude　of　strict　neutrality　towards　the　affairs　of　France。　Nevertheless；　in　an　official　despatch　to　the　British　Amambassador　in　Paris；　he　repeated　the　approval　of　the　coup　d'etat　which　he　had　already　given　verbally　to　the　French　Ambassador　in　London。　This　despatch　was　submitted　neither　to　the　Queen　nor　to　the　Prime　Minister。　Lord　John's　patience；　as　he　himself　said；　〃was　drained　to　the　last　drop。〃　He　dismissed　Lord　Palmerston。

Victoria　was　in　ecstasies；　and　Albert　knew　that　the　triumph　was　his　even　more　than　Lord　John's。　It　was　his　wish　that　Lord　Granville；　a　young　man　whom　he　believed　to　be　pliant　to　his　influence；　should　be　Palmerston's　successor；　and　Lord　Granville　was　appointed。　Henceforward；　it　seemed　that　the　Prince　would　have　his　way　in　foreign　affairs。　After　years　of　struggle　and　mortification；　success　greeted　him　on　every　hand。　In　his　family；　he　was　an　adored　master；　in　the　country；　the　Great　Exhibition　had　brought　him　respect　and　glory；　and　now　in　the　secret　seats　of　power　he　had　gained　a　new　supremacy。　He　had　wrestled　with　the　terrible　Lord　Palmerston；　the　embodiment　of　all　that　was　most　hostile　to　him　in　the　spirit　of　England；　and　his　redoubtable　opponent　had　been　overthrown。　Was　England　herself　at　his　feet？　It　might　be　so；　and　yet。。。　it　is　said　that　the　sons　of　England　have　a　certain　tiresome　quality：　they　never　know　when　they　are　beaten。　It　was　odd；　but　Palmerston　was　positively　still　jaunty。　Was　it　possible？　Could　he　believe；　in　his　blind　arrogance；　that　even　his　ignominious　dismissal　from　office　was　something　that　could　be　brushed　aside？

III

The　Prince's　triumph　was　short…lived。　A　few　weeks　later；　owing　to　Palmerston's　influence；　the　Government　was　defeated　in　the　House；　and　Lord　John　resigned。　Then；　after　a　short　interval；　a　coalition　between　the　Whigs　and　the　followers　of　Peel　came　into　power；　under　the　premiership　of　Lord　Aberdeen。　Once　more；　Palmerston　was　in　the　Cabinet。　It　was　true　that　he　did　not　return　to　the　Foreign　Office；　that　was　something　to　the　good；　in　the　Home　Department　it　might　be　hoped　that　his　activities　would　be　less　dangerous　and　disagreeable。　But　the　Foreign　Secretary　was　no　longer　the　complacent　Granville；　and　in　Lord　Clarendon　the　Prince　knew　that　he　had　a　Minister　to　deal　with；　who；　discreet　and　courteous　as　he　was；　had　a　mind　of　his　own。　These　changes；　however；　were　merely　the　preliminaries　of　a　far　more　serious　development。

Events；　on　every　side；　were　moving　towards　a　catastrophe。　Suddenly　the　nation　found　itself　under　the　awful　shadow　of　imminent　war。　For　several　months；　amid　the　shifting　mysteries　of　diplomacy　and　the　perplexed　agitations　of　politics；　the　issue　grew　more　doubtful　and　more　dark；　while　the　national　temper　was　strained　to　the　breaking…point。　At　the　very　crisis　of　the　long　and　ominous　negotiations；　it　was　announced　that　Lord　Palmerston　had　resigned。　Then　the　pent…up　fury　of　the　people　burst　forth。　They　had　felt　that　in　the　terrible　complexity　of　events　they　were　being　guided　by　weak　and　embarrassed　counsels；　but　they　had　been　reassured　by　the　knowledge　that　at　the　centre　of　power　there　was　one　man　with　strength；　with　courage；　with　determination；　in　whom　they　could　put　their　trust。　They　now　learnt　that　that　man　was　no　longer　among　their　leaders。　Why？　In　their　rage；　anxiety；　and　nervous　exhaustion；　they　looked　round　desperately　for　some　hidden　and　horrible　explanation　of　what　had　occurred。　They　suspected　plots；　they　smelt　treachery　in　the　air。　It　was　easy　to　guess　the　object　upon　which　their　frenzy　would　vent　itself。　Was　there　not　a　foreigner　in　the　highest　of　high　places；　a　foreigner　whose　hostility　to　their　own　adored　champion　was　unrelenting　and　unconcealed？　The　moment　that　Palmerston's　resignation　was　known；　there　was　a　universal　outcry　and　an　extraordinary　tempest　of　anger　and　hatred　burst；　with　unparalleled　violence；　upon　the　head　of　the　Prince。

It　was　everywhere　asserted　and　believed　that　the　Queen's　husband　was　a　traitor　to　the　country；　that　he　was　a　tool　of　the　Russian　Court；　that　in　obedience　to　Russian　influences　he　had　forced　Palmerston　out　of　the　Government；　and　that　he　was　directing　the　foreign　policy　of　England　in　the　interests　of　England's　enemies。　For　many　weeks　these　accusations　filled　the　whole　of　the　press；　repeated　at　public　meetings；　elaborated　in　private　talk；　they　flew　over　the　country；　growing　every　moment　more　extreme　and　more　improbable。　While　respectable　newspapers　thundered　out　their　grave　invectives；　halfpenny　broadsides；　hawked　through　the　streets　of　London；　re…echoed　in　doggerel　vulgarity　the　same　sentiments　and　the　same　suspicions＇*＇。　At　last　the　wildest　rumours　began　to　spread。

＇*＇〃The　Turkish　war　both　far　and　near　　　　　　Has　played　the　very　deuce　then；　　　　And　little　Al；　the　royal　pal；　　　　　　They　say　has　turned　a　Russian；　　　　Old　Aberdeen；　as　may　be　seen；　　　　　　Looks　woeful　pale　and　yellow；　　　　And　Old　John　Bull　had　his　belly　full　　　　　　Of　dirty　Russian　tallow。〃

Chorus：　　　　〃We'll　send　him　home　and　make　him　groan；　　　　　　Oh；　Al！　you've　played　the　deuce　then；　　　　The　German　lad　has　acted　sad　　　　　And　turned　tail　with　the　Russians。〃　　　　　　　　　　*　　　*　　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　　〃Last　Monday　night；　all　in　a　fright；　　　　　　Al　out　of　bed　did　tumble。　　　　The　German　lad　was　raving　mad；　　　　　　How　he　did　groan　and　grumble！　　　　He　cried　to　Vic；　'I've　cut　my　stick：　　　　　　To　St。　Petersburg　go　right　slap。'　　　　When　Vic；　'tis　said；　jumped　out　of　bed；　　　　　　And　wopped　him　with　her　night…cap。〃

From　Lovely　Albert！　a　broadside　preserved　at　the　British　Museum。


In　January；　1854；　it　was　whispered　that　the　Prince　had　been　seized；　that　he　had　been　found　guilty　of　high　treason；　that　he　was　to　be　committed　to　the　Tower。　The　Queen　herself；　some　declared；　had　been　arrested；　and　large　crowds　actually　collected　round　the　Tower　to　watch　the　incarceration　of　the　royal　miscreants。＇*＇

＇*＇〃You　Jolly　Turks；　now　go　to　work；　And　show　the　Bear　your　power。　It　is　rumoured　over　Britain's　isle　That　A　is　in　the　Tower；　The　postmen　some　suspicion　had；　And　opened　the　two　letters；　'Twas　a　pity　sad　the　German　lad　　Should　not　have　known　much　better！〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lovely　Albert！


These　fantastic　hallucinations；　the　result　of　the　fevered　atmosphere　of　approaching　war；　were　devoid　of　any　basis　in　actual　fact。　Palmerston's　resignition　had　been　in　all　probability　totally　disconnected　with　foreign　policy；　it　had　certainly　been　entirely　spontaneous；　and　had　surprised　the　Court　as　much　as　the　nation。　Nor　had　Albert's　influence　been　used　in　any　way　to　favour　the　interests　of　Russia。　As　often　happens　in　such　cases；　the　Government　had　been　swinging　backwards　and　forwards　between　two　incompatible　policiesthat　of　non…interference　and　that　of　threats　supported　by　forceeither　of　which；　if　consistently　followed；　might　well　have　had　a　successful　and　peaceful　issue；　but　which；　mingled　together；　could　only　lead　to　war。　Albert；　with　characteristic　scrupulosity；　attempted　to　thread　his　way　through　the　complicated　labyrinth　of　European　diplomacy；　and　eventually　was　lost　in　the　maze。　But　so　was　the　whole　of　the　Cabinet；　and；　when　war　came；　his　anti…Russian　feelings　were　quite　as　vehement　as　those　of　the　most　bellicose　of　Englishmen。

Nevertheless；　though　the　specific　charges　levelled　against　the　Prince　were　without　foundation；　there　were　underlying　elements　in　the　situation　which　explained；　if　they　did　not　justify；　the　popular　state　of　mind。　It　was　true　that　the　Queen's　husband　was　a　foreigner；　who　had　been　brought　up　in　a　foreign　Court；　was　impregnated　with　foreign　ideas；　and　was　closely　related　to　a　multitude　of　foreign　princes。　Clearly　this；　though　perhaps　an　unavoidable；　was　an　undesirable；　state　of　affairs；　nor　were　the　objections　to　it　merely　theoretical；　it　had　in　fact　produced　unpleasant　consequences　of　a　serious　kind。　The　Prince's　German　proclivities　were　perpetually　lamented　by　English　Ministers；　Lord　Palmerston；　Lord　Clarendon；　Lord　Aberdeen；　all　told　the　same　tale；　and　it　was　constantly　necessary；　in　grave　questions　of　national　policy；　to　combat　the　prepossessions　of　a　Court　in　which　German　views　and　German　sentiments　held　a　disproportionate　place。　As　for　Palmerston；　his　language　on　this　topic　was　apt　to　be　unbridled。　At　the　height　of　his　annoyance　over　his　resignation；　he　roundly　declared　that　he　had　been　made　a　victim　to　foreign　intrigue。　He　afterwards　toned　down　this　accusation；　but　the　mere　fact　that　such　a　suggestion　from　such　a　quarter　was　possible　at　all　showed　to　what　unfortunate　consequences　Albert's　foreign　birth　an