The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-08
The First Queen Victoria
= BY HUBERT M. SKINNER

If the Romans had translated the
name of the famous British queen of
the first century, instead of trying to
reproduce it in Roman letters, they
would have called her Victoria, for her
name signif1ed victory. The Britons
called her Bunduca. But the Latin
writers always failed absurdly in their
efforts to manage British names; and
in their histories she has come down
to us as Boadicea.
Seldom has any queen in history suf-
fered such wrongs or shown such I'M
quenchable spirit. None in history was
ever more heroic or more romantic in
her fate. Great Britain has always
been famous for her queens. From the
earliest times, and even in the ages Of
legend, before the beginning of written
history in Europe, if we are to believe
the old stories that have come down
to us, that island has been ready to ac-
cept Of female rule. And the most
striking figure in all the list of queens
who have borne the scepter is that Vic
toria Of eighteen and a half centuries
ago, who led her people in a terrific
struggle with the invaders.
But for q prophecy uttered of her,
which finds its fulfillment in our own
time, and which has an interesting
place in modern letters, perhaps we
should not care much to study a career
so long past. But Boadicea represents
British courage, determination, and I'LL
innate triumph, even in her terrible de-
feat and pitiful death; and two of the
greatest poets in English literature
have written for modern readers, in
stirring verse, their conception of her
as the embodiment of that spirit which
animates the British empire of today
in it's dominion over palm and pine"
Prophecy from ancient days, which
fin iG oil nf
interest to the people; and the long
delayed fulfllment Of the alleged pre-
diction concerning the posterity Of
Boadicea finds it's poetic realization in
the glorious days Of the late queen who
bore the same name, but in its Latin
form, the Queen Victoria of the great
British empire.
Queen Boadicea was the wife of
Prasutag gus, who reigned over the Brit
ish nation of the Iceni in the first CEN
fury. The king sought to conciliate
the Romans by leaving his wealth of
money to the avariciOus emperor Nero,
trusting that the latter would show
respect to the widowed queen. But the
will Of the king did not soften the
heart Of the licentious Roman soldiers.
The 1ceni were repeatedly inSulted.
Boadicea, with dignity and courage,
demanded justice, and went in person
to the Roman commander to make her
ing of female rule, for their own Wom-
en- were as children in their house
holds. To the amazement of the
British, the Roman commander seized
the queen, and had her whipped with
switches. Nor was this deadly insult
all. The queens daughters, possessed,
doubtless, of her own beauty, and
crowned with the long, fair tresSes of
ancient British royalty, were seized by
the rufhans and subjected to unspeak-
able outrage Suetonius, the COM
mander of the Roman forces, thought
to crush the spirit Of the Britons by
attacking the priests and priestesses of
their religion in the sacred isle of
Mona, or Anglesia. His bloody tri-
umph here had the opposite effect. 1t
united them in desperate determine
ton to overthrow the invaders. Boa
dicea made use of her opportunity.
Various nations united with her. She
became the leader Of all the Britons.
Immense armies rallied to her support.
They could not have had a drawer,
more capable leader. She advanced on
London, took the city, and burned it..
She passed on to other Roman strong
holds. Everywhere she prevailed. Sew
enty thousand Roman soldiers fell. 1t
was Gettysburg, Shiloh, Antietam, and
several other battles all in one. The
dream of British union and independ-
ence appeared to be realized. Victoria,
as her name signified, seemed rightly
named. But now the Romans, return
ing in great force, brought to bear a
power that no earthly kingdom could
resist.
Cowper represents the queen as list
ening to the prophecy of one of her
bards, in a poem of rare beauty, from
which the following stanZas are taken:
"Rome shall perish-write that word
In the blood that she has split;
Perish helpless and abherred,
Deep In ruin as in guilt.
"Rome. for empire far renowned,
Tramples on thousand states;
Soon her pride shall kiss the ground,
Hank! the Gaul is at her gates!
''Regions Caesar never knew.
My posterity shall sway;
Where his eagles never flew
None invincible as they"
Such the bard's prophetic words,
Pregnant with celestial fire;
Trembling, as he swept the chords
OF his sweet but awful Tyre.
She with all a monarch's pride,
Felt them in her bosom glow;
Rushed to battle, fought and died;
Dying, hurled them at the foe.
Prophecy takes it's own time for full
f1llment. Eighteen hundred years are
soon passed in reading history. Heroic
Boadicea fought long and well. but
strOve against fate. Tennyson has de-
scribed the final battle of the queen
in verses so unconventional that thew
were entitled "An Experiment" No
known style Of poetry could suffice
to depict the fury of that engagement,
and the poet discarded all forms and
presidents in writing it. 1t is not easy
to read. 1t brings out the highest tall
ent of an actor to read it well. IT is
marvel in the world of letters Wild
~ shrieling to her followers of various
nations, calling on 'Icenian," "Catieu-
chlanian," "Coritanian," and "Trino-