The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-01-16
The Princess Alice and Strauss.

A very interesting biography has re-
Gently been published of the Princess
Alice, the second daughter of Queen Vic
toria, whose death several years ago was
subject of general regret both in Eng
land and on the continent, where she was
married to the Grand Duke of Hesse. OF
great sweetness and loneliness of charac-
ter, she was peculiarly beloved by her
mother, to whom she was the greatest
comforter after the death of Prince AL
bert. She was equally remarkable for
her natural intelligence, which had been
cultivated by education under the best
masters, and IN her new home was for a
time taken with the German philosophy
and rationalism, receiving as an acquain-
lance and friend Strauss, the author of
the Life OF Jesus. Of this acquaintance
and of her later experience in coming out
OF her doubts and unbelief, the memoir
gives some interesting details. We quote
from The Scotsman of Edinburgh:
One of the most interesting passages
of the book is that which gives some de-
tails of the Princess intercourse with the
famous critic, David Strauss. In mar
rative written by Strauss, he states that
after two years of frequent intercourse
the Princess one day expressed in her
kind manner her sense of how much she
owed to him for the clearing up of her
views and the strengthening of her prin-
ciples. With sincere conviction I, on the
other hand, laid stress on the animating
and refreshing effect on me; how special
ly | was indebted to her for the pleasure
aid courage with which she inspired me
for my work on Voltaire. 1t would be
nice if you would dedicate your book to
me, replied the Princess. One can easily
imagine how agreeably surprised was
by such an overture. / acknowledged
to her how this had been my design at
first, and how I had restrained myself
from this out of regard for her, SO as not
to expose her to' miSnterpretations
Misunderstanding she replied, would
not restrain her from step which she
considered right I replied that the mat
ter must be well considered, and that she
ought especially first to make sure of the
consent of her husband. Her answer was
that she had no doubt about this, but at
the same time would confer with him on
the subject. Besides, 1 continued, Ihave
changed good deal since the lectures,
inserted much which she would have to
look at first would therefore bring her
the proofs when the text was printed,
partly that she might herself glance
through the whole again, and partly that
she might draw her husbands attention
to the doubtful passages, and then both
could form their conclusions"
The dedication was made, and for
time the Princess remained under the
spell of this philosophy of negation.
But an experience was coming to her
which made her feel the need of some
thing more, One Of her children, beau
tiful boy, fell from window in the Cas-
tie, and was instantly killed. 1t was q
terrible blow, and the agonized mother,
in the frenzy of her grief, sought for con-
ISOLATION which her religious teacher could
not give her.
Herr Bergstraesser, who has compiled
the Memoirs, says:
So rich an interior life could not exist
without coming into contact with and
solving questions which religion alone
can answer. The traces of deep conf
dence in God, and the marks of Christian
ouOhllSoiOu W OOu . WILL Will 0OD De
missed in her letters, but it 10 also true
that her convictions in this respect had
sometimes wavered. Little as she doubted
the value and nature of practical religion,
often as she returned In the hour of dis
tress and anxiety to the Holy Scriptures,
with which she was very familiar, and
which she loved so much she often had
to struggle with theoretical doubts. It
seems to have been struggle of many
years duration, at the beginningand end
of which serious and grave personal in
huenoes exercised a decisive power.
We have to thank the Princess of
B, friend to whom the Grand Ouch
ess unreservedly opened her inmost
heart, for the following communications,
with which the observations of others
agree
&c After her sons death thought l
observed difference in her feelings
Previously she had almost openly ex-
pressed her doubts of the existence Of God,
allowing herself to be led by the views of
philosophers after her sons death she
no longer spoke in this way, but remain.
ed silent under the influence of a power
from within, whose effects / afterwards |
perceived. 1t seemed as if she was un-
willing to admit that a change had como