The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-19
EXECUTIVE MANSION. Jan. IA, lS7
ROYALTY HOME.

QUEEN vICToRTA's NEW BooK-THE FIRST
VOLUME OF THE LIFE OF THE PRINCE con-
SORT"
A London letter 10 the New York Times
gives a glimpse o. the character OF the new
book just written by the queens direction;
The first volume of The Life Of the Prince
Consort" has just appeared, and is having,
hear, great sale. On The title page IL is
stated ~ be by Theodore Martin, but is
known 10 have been written at thedeslre
and under the personal supervision OF the
queen, and it consists, to q large extent,
OF extracts from the private journal which
she has KEPT since she was girl. Mr..
Martin had no personal knowledge OF the
prince, and has. in tact, only been employed
as q sort of amanuensis to write 10 the
queens dictstiOn. The life may, therefore,
bs regarded as practically the queens own
book. We are told, among other things,
that in order 70 encourage lrescO painting
the prince determined To have it applied
iu the decoration OF a summer house or
pavilion, in the garden of Buckingham
palace. T.. LanGseer, Maclise, Hewins.
Eastlske, Sir w. Ross, Dyce and Stanfeld
received commissions and We'd with each
other in producing series of eight lunettes
in ILLUSTRATION Of Millions "Comus." The
truth is that the artists in question were
made to paint valuable pictures for nOmi-
nal price, and that some of them felt so
much iusulted by the paltry sums that were
| offered them by the prince, that they sent
back his 'necks. Indeed, throughout his
| whole lite, artists were in terror lest he
should take fancy to picture, as it would
have to be given up 10 him for mere song.
And this is said TO have happened even
when the pictures had been already sold at
| good figure. With musicians, / fancy, he
get on better than with painters; but with
the latter he was, both on account OF his
tf,N.
| tally his ignorance of art, always in bad odor.
| The life Is, of course uniformly and extern
sively laudiLoTy. but it Is impossible alto
gether to conceal some of the
WEAKNESS OF HIS CHARA6rER.
He was undoubtedly a good husband and
father, he was patient and industrious in
the discharge of his troublesome duties, and
he led an amiable and decorOus lie. He
/ was loyal in his devotion to his wife, man
| aged her household efficiently and econom-
icslly, and generally gave her very sensible
advice. If be had been greater or stronger
4 man he would, perhaps, have been less sue
cessful in filling his peculiar position. He
was of cold, priggish, prOsy character,
and deficient in animal spirit. He knew
nothing, tor INSTANCE, of the sportsman IS
passion. He went out stag shooting
with the same placid equanimity as that
with which he played cards billiards.
sion, when h5 went out hunting, IL should
have been a matter of general remark I'D
establishment that he rode boldly, but this
surprise indicated a characteristic defect
which it was impossible to ignore. From
the first there were symptoms OF weakness
and effieminacy in the princes character.
Fancy young man about to be married
| TO nice young woman, VINO beppens to be
also queen, bemoaDing his sad fate in the
way the prince does to the queen just before
a. ~ l.
l am leaving home, with all its old asso-
Citations, all my bosom friends, and going
to a country in which everything is new
and stDDge 10 me-meD, language, customs
modes OF life, position. Except yourself
have no one 30 cOnfide in" IL is evident
that he is very much what is called 8
''m ssy" young man, aud as he grew Older
this side of his character was developed by
the want Of male friends. The idea that tht
prince was
NARROW AND ILLIBERAL
In political matters was apparently unjust
He was a strong minded man, and seems t.
have been apt TO get frightened, but hi
feelings and opinions were, on TIT
whole, liberal. A great cutlery was raised
, when Humboldt's letter was published il
} 1860, attributing to hin. the phrase that tn,
Poles were as little deserving of sympath,
as the Irish, by which ne no doubt mean
{ only that they were both highly impracti
cable. In one of his private letters, written
| az the partition of Poland, we find bin say
[ ing: There is great deal OF stupidity il
) the world. Sooner would l have beer
) burned alive than have made such a decars
! tion." Il is clear at least that he had M
! sympathy with the despots. Perhaps tb
mosL interesting parts of the book are ihos
extracts from tue queens journal whc
throw light upon the freshness and sim
1 r.iri'v &c er own character. she was evi
q IDENTIFY delighted with Louis Philippe an
Q ms ia-niIy. aud writes vito girlish frank