The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-12
ROYALTY AT HOME.

NJ ALI Al HUNK.
QUEEN vICroRIA's NEW BooK-rHE FIRST
VOLUME OF THE LIFE OF THE PRINCE CON-
SORT"
"A London letter to the New York Times
gives glimpse of the character of the new
book just written by the queens direction:
The first volume of 1.-THE Life of the Prince
Consort" has just appeared, and is having. I
! hear, great sale. On the title page L. is
stated To be by Theodore Martin, bat is
known TO have been written at the desire
and under the personal supervision of the
queen, ana IL consists, to a large extent
of extracts from the private journal which
she has Kept since she was a girl. Mr.
Martin had no personal knowledge of the
prince, and has, in fact, only been EMPLOYED
as sort of amanuensis to write to the
queens dictation. The life may, therefore
De regarded as practically the queens own
| book: we are told, among other things.
That In order to encourage fresco painting
the prince determined to have IL aDplied
in the decoration of a summer house or
pavilion, IN the garden OF Buckingham
palace. y. Eandseer, Maelise, Hewins.
Eastlake, Sir w. Ross, Dyce and Stanfield
received commissions and Wed with each
other In producing a series of eight lunettes
in ILLUSTRATION of Millions "Comus.n The
truth is that the artists in question were
made to paint valuable pictures for a nomi-
nal price, and that some of them felt so
much insulted by the paltry sums that were
offered them by the prince, that they ssnt
back his checks. Indeed, throughout his
whole life, artists were in terror lest ,he
should take fancy to a picture as it would
have to be given up to him for a mere song
And this Is said to have happened even
when the pictures had been already sold at
good figure. With musicians, fancy. ne
got on better than with. painters; but with
the latter he Was, both on account OF his
shabbiness and superciliousness, and espec-
tally his Ignorance ofart, slwaysin bad odor
? The life is, of course, uniformly and exten-
l sively lauditory. but t. is impossible alto
) gether to conceal SOME of the
WEAKNESS OF HIS CHARACTER.
He was undoubtedly a good husband and
father, he was patient and industrious-in'
the discharge of his troublesome duties. and
he led an amisble 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 he had been greater or stronger
l. man he would, perhaps, have been less sue
e cessful in filling his peculiar position He
. was of cold, priggish, prosy character.
and deficient in animal spirit He knew
n passion. He went out stag shooting
= with the same placid equanimity as that
= with which he played cards or billiards
Y The queen was very angry that, on one occa-
i, sion, when he went out hunting, it should
J, have been a matter of general remark and
I, astonishment that he rode boldly, but this
= surprise indicated characteristic defect
q which it was impossible to ignore. From
2, the first there were symptoms of weakness
D and effieminacy in the princes character
!. Fancy young man about to ba married
, to nice young woman, who happens to bf
5, also a queen, bemoaning his sad fate in the
4, way the prince does to the queen Just before
r he leaves home: 'Thiuk OF nv position
= / am leaving home, with all its old asso
E, Citations, all my bosom friends, and going
D to a country in which everything is new
$, and strange to me-men, language, customs
T. modes of life, position. Except yourself
= have no one to confide in" II is evident
that he is very much what is called
'missy" young man, and as he grew Olde
l. this side of his character was developed by
the want OF male friends. The idea that thu
II prince was
l. NARROW AND ILLIBERAL
, in political matters was apparently unjust
!. he was strong-minded man, and seems {,
r have been apt to get frightened, but hi
Il feelings and opinions were, on tn
u whole, liberal. A great cutlery was raiseC
a when Humboldt's letter was published il
o 1860, attributing TO him the phrase that tn
10 Poles were as little deserving of sympath,
z as the Irish, by which he no doubt mean
p only that they were both highly impracti
cable. In one of his private letters, writer
IL at the partition of Poland, we find him say
II ing: "There is great deal of stupidity il
le the world. Sooner would | have beer
ct burned alive than have made such declara
=, ton" 1t is clear at least that he had NJ
a sympathy with the despots. Perhaps tn
most interesting parts of the book are thos
IL extracts from the queens journal whicl
Or throw light upon the freshness and sim
X plicitY of her own character She was eyi
W Hantlxy lolitvbfcH ,.-ifI Y
his family, and writes with girlish frank
a ness, with no stint of superlatives, of tn
E. "gOOd, kind king the dear, excellen
a queen.i dear, angelic Louss, ;" dear admir-
1e able family. all so kind and delightful.
t. When Louise Philippe came to Windso
e. she was equally charmed and he certainl,
a seems to have made himself very agreeable
So, also did the Emperor Nicholas, in nj
a own way. OF the latter the queen says
He ia certainly very striking man, still
very handsome; his profile is beautiful
and bis manners,
IN MOST DIGNIFIED AND GRACEFUL,
Ks extremely civil, quite alarmingly so, a
he is full of attentions and politesses
But the expression OF his eyes is severe anC
" unlike anything L ever saw before. II
gives Albert and myself the impression of
/ man who is rot happy. and on whom tn
burden OF his immense power and position
g weighs heavily and painfully. He seldom
smiles, and when he does tho expression
d is not happy one" L'dy Lyttleton alsC
spoke ''of the awful look given by oc
casiOnal glimpses Of white above the eye
IL ball, which came from his father, Paul
@ 1 suppose" In 1915 the queen anC
IL Prince Albert visited the Duke of yelling
h ton at Strsthfieldsaye. The duke,
ID writes Mr.. Arson, the princes secretary
"takes the quesn in to dinner and sits by
e her majesty, and after dinner gets up anC
:; says with your magesty's permission,
If give the health of her majesty and theI
the same to the prince. They then adjourn
lie to the library, and the duke sits on the sof;
er by the queen for the rest of the evening unit
O'CLOCK and "a