Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-08-31
Queen Victoria's Hallucination,
The Story Of George III,-Thackery's
Beautiful and Touching Sketch,

beautiful anu 1OuCHliib OhCtOA'
A contemporary remarks that il
is known that Queen Victoria has
been laboring for many years past
under at least one phase Of mental
infrmity. She has u firm convic-
ton that Prince Albert is always
present with her, and that she can
hold communion with him. Her
private rooms are arranged rs they
were when he was alive. His chair
is paced opposite to her own ia the
library; and the books which he de-
lighted to read to her are arranged
lovingly, in order, upon the table.
In some of her moods she will con-
verse with him for an hour togoth-
or, conducting her own share OF the
conversation, aloud, and with the
vigor and interest Of olden times.
He had taught her by his example,
the success of his business enter
priscs--cspecially by his manage
mont of the Duchy Cornwall-to
supcrntend as much as possible all
her private affairs herself, to reduce
all Unnecessary expenditures, and
TO forbid extravaganza. Hence the
greatest simplicity is observed at
the Queens table, and she imagines
that her husband looks on, well
pleased. At times, when she is
moro than ordinarily impressed
with sense of his presence, the
Door. fond woman will order knife
and fork to be placed on the dinner
table for him, and cause the attend
ants to place every course before
the empty chair as if the master
still occupied it.
Every morning n pair of boots
are cleaned and set down against
the door Of the chamber which he.
once occupied; and at breakfast,
when in Scotland, she will often sit
u long time in silence, waiting for
the Prince.
The Queens strong belief in the
communion of the living with the
spirits Of the dead she received, no
doubt, from Prince Albert himself,
who was sort Of theosophist-a
something between Jacob Bchmon,
the mystic, and J. G.. Fichte, the
philosopher of transcendentalism,
Whatever may be thought Of it as
theory Of philosophical or religious
belief by sober, common sense peo-
pie, it is to Victoria q source Of
great consolation, and she often
talks with the Prince concerning
the state of the soul after death.
She has been gradually withdraw
ing from public life for some years
past. and lives in world of her
own. Her harp and her easel are
both neglected, and she neither
sings, plays, nor paints, except at
rare intervals, when she will sweep
her harp strings for few moments
in memory of some sweet German
air that her husband loved to sing
or to have sung.
"Simple, stubborn, affectionate,
bigotcd' George lLI-grandfather
to Her gracious Majesty Queen Vic
tcria-has been sadly brought to
mind again by the extraordinary
statements attributed (whethcr
falsely or not, the cable telegraph
CTS arc not agreed) to Mr.. Disraeli.
Should the condition Of the Queen
be really what Mr.. Disraeli is re-
ported to have declared it is, the
theory concerning congenial disor
ders, mental or physical, will find
signal Illustration.
The third George "worked accor
ding to his lights SO Thackory
tells us in the masterly sketch in
which the Farmer King is vividly
picturcd--"What virtue he knew
he tried to practice; what knowl-
edge he could master, he strove to
acquire. He wished nothing but
good-thereforc, every man who
did not agree with him was q scoun-
drel. Pure in his life, courageous
and honest, the awful will of Heav-
en- made him dull ofcomprohension,
obstinate of will, and at many times
deprived him Of reason" Victoria
is as pure in her life as her grand
father was; not, perhaps, so "socia-
ble," chatty, unreserved as nc, but
still good wife, good mother, and
conscientious as a woman if useless
as u ruler-but since the death of
the Prince Consort she has rarely
appeared in public, and has taken
scarcely any other part in affairs
than that of affixing the royal sig
nature, and by seduously abstain
ing from the duties incumbent upon
the monarch, has made herself the
subject OF sharper animadversion
than Englishmen have been won.
to bestow on their kings and queens.
Her gloomy mood and hor contin-
ueds seclusions have rnqucstionably
given somo degree of color to the
rumors which have been industri-
ously circulated without authorita-
tive contradiction.
1t is interesting to refer to the I
history of George Ill, in order to
trace the progress of his malady-
and we again quote from Thackery,
who says: GAIL history presents no
sadder figure than that of the old
man, blind and deprived of reason,
wandering through the rooms of
his palace, addressing imaginary
parliaments, reviewing fancied
troops, holding ghostly courts"
And then the kindly satirist goes
on:
81 have seen his picture as it was
taken at this time, hanging in the
apartments of his daughter, the
Landgravine of Hesse Hombourg-
amidst books and Windsor furni-
ture, and a hundred fond reminis-
cences of her English home. The
poor old father is represented in a