New-York tribune., 1907-10-26

than Of the national genius. In the rearing of
such structure the hand of enlightened and
active monarch counts for more than is always
revealed upon the surface Of things from day to
day; only with the passage OF time can the
world expect TO learn the extent TO which tho
firm built state IS a monument to him as well as
TO his subjects The nature and full significance
of his participation in public affairs are made
plain IN proportion 10 the freedom with which
state papers and private documents are pub
Iished- Much has been written concerning the
reign Of Queen Victoria, but nothing that has
hitherto appeared has thrown such light upon
the subject as may be derived from the present
volumes. In them We have an extraordinary
record Of the salient events in the period from
her accession TO the death Of the Prince Consort.
record rendered the more interesting inasmuch
as it takes a kind Of autobiographical form. Her
uncle, the King Of the BeIgians. once wrote to
her as follows: Madame de Sevigne says with
great truth, that letter 10 be good letter
ought to be If one heard the person speak:
your dear letters are always So and you would
therefore be praised by Madame de S6vigne and
that very deservedly." In these letters the late
Queen speaks Of herself, Of her realm, of Euro
pean affairs and Of her contemporaries. in words
the vitality Of which strongly testiies to the
justice Of King Leopold's saying
They have been selected from a collection
which IN manuscript is described by the editors
as comprising between five and six hundred vol
umes. It appears that from the beginning OF her
career the Queen was wont to preserve her pri-
Vate letters with much care and system, and
that with her accession TO the throne this prac-
uce was extended with reference TO all her Off
cial papers, the Prince Consort greatly aiding
her in the matter. The plan upon which the
\ enormous body of available documents was
drawn upon for the present publication is thus
indicated in the preface:
HIS Majesty the King having decided that no at
tempt should be made to publish these papers In
ertenso il was necessary TO determine uIon some
the only Satisfactory plan Was to T1bIisS fc mat
ot sIcn documents as would 10 bring out the
in dealing Diti r1o1cei ~ !3 ol eF methods
cuce, IN fact book British citizens and F5rir
ish subjects rather than book students of po-
written constitution of the country tRat some nf
the lnreazed checks and balances that the delicate
machinery should stand revealed, was inevitable
We thought IL best, throughout to abstain from nm
necessary comment and illustration.
No better scheme could have been adopted.
Indeed, the editorial machinery Of this work is
model The Introductory summary Of public
affairs written Tor each chapter is always con-
else, and the footnotes are likewise as brief as
IS consistent with the clear statement of nee
essary facts. The Queen. her ministers and the
members Of her intimate circle are left to speak
1or themselves. Numerous portraits add much
70 the personal character Of what may be char
acterized as fairly continuous narrative.
The childhood Of the Princess Victoria was
overshadowed by the unpopularity Of the wild
owed Duchess Of Kent at the court of William
". This reacted. Of course, upon the domestic
life OF the mother and daughter, and in any case
her training. begun very early, would have fol-
lowed lines OF austerity. In some "reminiscences