Excerpt from The Life of Queen Victoria: Reproduced From "the Times" With Photogravure Illustrations

Queen Victoria was a ruler of a new type. When she ascended the throne the popular faith in Kings and Queens was on the decline. She revived that faith; she consolidated her throne; she not only captivated the affections of the multitude, but won the respect of thoughtful men; and all this she achieved by methods which to her predecessors would have seemed impracticable - methods which it required no less shrewdness to discover than force of character and honesty of heart to adopt steadfastly. A Court jester once remarked that it was better for a country to be governed by a Queen than by a King, for in the latter case the influence of women would prevail, whereas in the former the ascendency Of men was sure to make itself felt. Queen Victoria illustrated this maxim in a way never con templated by the humourist, for she lived all her life subject to the guidance of wise men. But to accept the guidance of the wise is in itself a sign Of too rare wisdom. The Queen was no woman Of placid temperament who could remain indifferent to public affairs so long as her domestic concerns were not interfered with. T O imagine that she divested herself of all responsibilities and secured to herself a peaceful life by doing, without reflection, whatever her Ministers advised, would be absolutely to misunderstand her intelligent, sensitive nature, and to ascribe grand results to very petty causes. It is with good advice as with other commodities - the best is given to those who want the best and can judge Of its quality; and whilst all who approached the Queen have borne witness to her candour and reasonableness in relations with her Ministers, all have likewise proclaimed how anxiously she con sidered advice that was submitted to her before letting herself be persuaded that she must accept it for the good of her people. By thus acting she put statesmen on their mettle, and raised the level of public morality. We know how in private life our conduct may be regulated by the fear of Offending some person who claims no absolute authority to check us, but whose good opinion we highly value. Coming from such a quarter a look of astonishment, a criticism conveyed under the form of a mild question, or mere silence, are potent means of control and it was mainly this kind Of control that the Queen exercised over public men, in many cases with signal benefit, throughout her long reign.

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