Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-31
GOSSIP ABOUT THE QUEEN
vlcturla's Tastes and habits. Her Min.
listers, Books and Occupations.
Truth. January "a.

~ueIerehtal toward the queen, and the
only one who was not so-Lord John
Russell-had no reason to congratu-
late himself upon his c~rabbedness. for
be got into very i'll odor at court and
found no support there in trying
times. He was one of the very few
statesmen who ever received a down
right sharp answer from the queen.
This was in 1860, after the Italian
revolution, when the different grand
dukes were being dispossessed. The
Duchess of Parma, in great distress.
wrote the queen, ~beseeching her to in
tercede with Victor Emmanuel. so
that her private property might not be
coniscated and the Queen, compass
sionately willing to do what was asked,
showed the letter to Earl Russell.
The Carnstitushion demands that |
should answer that" remarked his
lordship, in his piping, ungenial
voice. Well, then, answer it."
said the queen eurtly, and turned
away much offended. 1t has often
been said that the queen liked Lord
Palmerston, but this is an error. Her
favorite ministers have been Lords
Melbourne aud Aberdeen. Sir Robert
Peel she at first disliked intensely, but
her aversion wOre off when she came
to know him better and exactly the
same thing occurred in the case of Mr..
Disraeli. Lord Beaconsfeld is per-
haps not aware that until he acceded
to the premiership in 1868 the queen
had only read one of his novels
Henrietta Temple. She read all the
others in the course of the three
months after Mr.. Disraeli had become
her chief adviser; and in due time
enjoyed Lothian, though the premier
has never ranked among the favorite
authors. For this his lordship may
console himself, seeing that Thackeray
and the late Lord Lytton are under
the same ban as himself. The queen
likes Dickens novels, one or two OF
George EliOt's, but chiefly Wilkie
Collins and Mr.. Black's-the latter
descriptions of Scotch scenery being
very dear to her. The queen also
reads and rereads Walter Scott
noyels-which is more than most OF
her subjects do now, more's the pity.
On the whole, though, she inciines
rather toward the serious reading of
history and theology, and the
Libraries at all her palaces are rich
~ stocked with books Of chronicles
and memoirs, though it has been no
ticed that she never calls for a French
book, having a deep objection to
French literature in all its branches.
Every one whohas conversed with the
queen on theological or historical sub
iects has remarked how thoroughly
Protestant is her righteousness, and
how she yet keeps up quite a senti-
mental feeling of sympathy with the
Stuarts, Going one day into the IL
brary at Windsor Castle, she discov-
eren the librarian engaged in reading
some strongly Jacobite memoirs.
oh, you need not put them away
she said with a pleasant smile. you
know | am Jacobite myself" This
does not quite tally with the story
which Macaulay used to tell of tho
queens opinion about James II. The
historian being on a visit to Windsor.
her majesty observed 81 have been
reading your history, Mr.. Macaulay.
and am afraid | can not say much OF
my ancestor, James H." Your
majesty predecessor, not ancestor.
answeredthe historian, whoapparently
thought that the queen had not been
well informed about her own lineage.
The Queen leads a very quiet, and
yet a busy life, and few great ladies
lind time to compress SO many occu-
pations into a daytime as she does.
She breakfasts at 8, lunches at 2 and
dimes at s. From 3 to 8 she generally
drives or walks out but the remain
der of her hours is devoted to state
business, study or correspondence with
members of her widespread family.
All the queens private letters are
written in English, not in German. as
many think and, in fact, German is
50 little spoken among the royal fam.
lily that even when the Crown Prince
Of Germany comes over he speaks
English at court like his wife's rela-
tives, The queen reads all the daily
newspapers, and the proprietors of the
Daily Telegraph, with the vein OF
toadyism that distinguishes them.
print several copies of their journal
for the royal palaces on special paper.
The queens devotion to state affairs is
well known, and her Intervention in
them, particularly where religious
questions are involved, is not at
all half-hearted. She also exercises
her own discretion very freely in
the appointment of bishops and peers.
DIR. TAFT was nominated by her to the
See Of Canterbury before Mr.. Disraeli
had recommended any one and about
a year previously her majesty had
fatty refused to bestow a mitre on DR..
Wadsworth, owing TO the protest.
which this divine had emitted when
DR.. Stanley was made Dean of West.
Minister. A little later she consented
to appoint DR.. Wadsworth to the Sc,
Of Lincoln, but rather as a compli.
ment TO his scholarly attainments thar
out Of any feeling for his views as !
church-man. As to the peers. tho
queen, anxious to p~reseryethe prestige
Of the nobility, has made it her rule
never to ennoble men of small fortune
unless they were persons Of fairly ad.
yanced age, having no sons. On &
certain occasion, when advised 70 rails,
ITO the peerage a diplomatist more am
bilious than wealthy, she replied
pretty shrewdly, | should be render
ing him a very poor service :" and the
diplomatist had TO be content with tn,
ribbon ofG. G. b. / have Just alluded
to Dean Stanley. He is, of all divinei
in the Church of England, the on,
whom the queen likes best as a preach
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