'This work has been undertaken, like almost all the national enterprises of this great country, by private exertion, with private capital, and at private risk; and it shares with them likewise that other feature so peculiar to the enterprises of Englishmen, that, strongly attached as they are to the institutions of their country, and gratefully acknowledging the protection of those laws under which their enterprises are undertaken and flourish, they love to connect them in some manner directly with the authority of the Crown and the person of their Sovereign; and it is the appreciation of this circumstance which has impelled me at once to respond to your call as the readiest mode of testifying to you how strongly Her Majesty the Queen values and reciprocates this feeling."

The humane attention of His Royal Highness to the conduct and welfare of the servants of the Royal household-an attention paid in like measure by very few private gentlemen-has been since partially known. It is therefore now no matter of wonder that he should have expressed himself as only fulfilling a duty to the country in taking the chair at a meeting of the Servants' Benevolent Society. It was strange, however, then to hear this young, stately, and royal manto many invested with a kind of mystery as standing in so intimate a relation with the Head of the State-entering into careful details regarding small incomes, deposits, and 301. annuities. Yet it was natural that this very speech, abounding in practical sense, and teeming with affectionate interest for a question which came so closely home to every worthy household in the land, should have attracted greater wonder and attention than any previous one.

From a subject so peculiarly connected with the study of his own time, we find him, a month later, June 11th, 1849, dining with the Merchant Taylors' Company, an ancient institution the original intention and need of which time had long reduced to nought, though its forms have remained, like others, wedged too tight among the living things of subsequent generations to be swept away. Here again he takes advantage of his foreign point of view to compliment the country of his adoption:- Anybody may indeed feel proud to be enrolled a member of a Company which can boast of uninterrupted usefulness and beneficence during four centuries, and holds to this day the same honourable position in the estimation of the country which it did in the time of its first formation, though the progress of civilisation and wealth has vastly raised the community around it; exemplify

We now approach the period when the Prince began to show his power to guide as well as his readiness to concur in the ideas of the present generation-and to guide them through obstacles of no common difficulty. The feelings which succeeded the announced plan of the Exhibition of all Nations,-the prejudices, evil prophecies, and discouragements it endured,-are fresh in the minds of our readers. The most formidable difficulties were opposed by the Government itself, startled out of all its proprieties by a scheme its philosophy had never dreamt of. Here, for the first time, the Prince, though nominally sustained by high names, may be said to have thrown himself on the intelligence of the country. Still, it was difficult to get at this intelligence, or to put himself into a position calculated to communicate his views to the thinking classes. An opportunity was offered at a Mansion House dinner, given expressly by the Lord Mayor for the purpose of furthering the scheme, at which, besides the usual array of rank and note, 180 Mayors were assembled from the provinces. gathering together of such numbers, however, was no pledge of cordial concurrence, or even of comprehension of his views. It was rather that all were flattered in being nominally associated in a scheme for the failure of which few in their hearts thought they should be held responsible. It was well they came, for the Prince had girded himself up to battle for Peace and Industry with weapons none could oppose. Here he at once assumed that high ground to which his mind ever instinctively gravitated, taking for his guiding idea the policy, not of any party, class, interest, or expedience, but that which he interpreted as the policy of the Supreme Ruler of nations:

The

'Gentlemen, I conceive it to be the duty of study the time in which he lives, and, as far as every educated person closely to watch and in him lies, to add his humble mite of individual exertion to further the accomplishment of what he believes Providence to have ordained.

'Nobody, however, who has paid any attention to the peculiar features of our present era, will doubt for a moment that we are living at a period of most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to accomplish that great end, to which, inded, all history points-the realization of the Unity of mankind! Not a unity which breaks down the limits, and levels the peculiar characteristics of the different nations of the Earth, but rather a unity the result and product of those very national varieties and antagonistic qualities.

The distances which separated the different nations and parts of the Globe are rapidly vanishing before the achievements of modern invention, and we can traverse them with ineredible ease; the languages of all nations are known, and their acquirement placed within the reach of everybody; thought is communicated with the rapidity, and even with the power, of lightning. On the other hand the great principle of division of labour, which may be called the moving power of civilization, is being extended to all branches of science, industry, and art..

'So man is approaching a more complete fulfilment of that great and sacred mission which he has to perform in this world. His reason being created after the image of God, he has to use it to discover the laws by which the Almighty governs his creation, and, by making these laws his standard of action, to conquer nature to his use; himself a Divine instru

ment.

'Gentlemen, the Exhibition of 1851 is to give us a true test and a living picture of the point of development at which the whole of mankind has arrived in this great task, and a new starting point from which all nations will be able to direct their future exertions.

I confidently hope that the first impression which the view of this vast collection will produce upon the spectator, will be that of deep thankfulness to the Almighty for the blessings which he has bestowed upon us already here below; and the second, the conviction that they can only be realized in proportion to the help which we are prepared to render each other, therefore only by peace, love, and real assistance, not only between individuals, but between the nations of the Earth.

This being my conviction, I must be highly gratified to see here assembled the magistrates of all the important towns of this Realm, sinking all their local, and possibly political differences; the representatives of the different political opinions of the country, and the representatives of the different Foreign Nations to-day representing only one interest.

No wonder such words as these produced a solemn effect on the hearers. Many eloquent speeches followed, but he alone had so blown the magic horn as to disenchant the gross and torpid spirits around. This was no German mysticism-no royal hobby,—but a definite idea, however vast. And by the time the report of the speech had flown over England, and the Mayors back to their boroughs, more than one shrewd capitalist

VOL. CXI.

7

would have guaranteed the success of the Exhibition.

tion of his sentiments on this subject was The opportunity for another public exposirenewed on the 23rd October, 1850, when the chief dignitary of York returned the hospitality of the Lord Mayor by a banquet, at which the Prince and some members of the Commission were present. Here, with that unstudied diplomacy which flows honestly from an earnest purpose, instead of reverting to the broad principles on which he had previously justified the scheme, he proceeded to vindicate the character of the Englishman in its adoption, thus giving a guarantee for his complete intelligence of the national mind, even when calling upon it to try a new thing. After paying a touching tribute to the then lately-deceased Sir Robert Peel, the last act of whose life had been to attend a meeting of the Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, he thus sagaciously applied the analysis of the great statesman's character to the object he had at heart :

'Gentlemen, if he has had so great an influence over this country, it was from the nation recognising in his qualities the true type of the English character, which is essentially practical. Warmly attached to its institutions, and revering the bequests left to him by the industry, wisdom, and piety of his forefathers, the Englishman attaches little value to any theoretical scheme. It will attract his attention only after having been for some time placed before him; it must have been thoroughly investigated and discussed before he will entertain it. Should it be an empty theory, it will fall to the ground during this time of probation; should it survive this trial, it will be on account of the practical qualities contained in it; but its adoption in the end will entirely depend upon its harmonising with the national feeling, the historic development of the country, and the peculiar nature of its insti

tutions.

'It is owing to these national qualities that England, whilst constantly progressing, has still preserved the integrity of her Constitution from the earliest times, and has been protected from wild schemes, whose chief charm lies in their novelty; whilst around us we have seen, unfortunately, whole nations distracted, and the very fabric of society endangered, from the levity with which the result of the experience of generations, the growth of ages, has been thrown away to give place to temporarily favourite ideas.

Taking this view of the character of our country, I was pleased when I saw the plan of the Exhibition of 1851 undergo its ordeal of doubt, discussion, and even opposition; and I hope that I may now gather from the energy and earnestness with which its execution is pursued, that the nation is convinced that it accords with its interests and the position which England has taken in the world.'

In August, 1850, we first hear him pub

licly speaking on a topic, that of the Fine Arts, supposed to be more particularly his own. This was on occasion of his laying the first stone of the new National Gallery at Edinburgh. Here, as usual, instead of high sounding surface phrases, a fundamental idea was given :

The building of which we have just begun the foundation, is a temple to be erected to the Fine Arts; the Fine Arts, which have so important an influence upon the development of the mind and feeling of a people, and which are so generally taken as the type of the degree and character of that development, that it is on the fragments of works of art, come down to us from bygone nations, that we are wont to form our estimate of the state of their civilisation, manners, customs, and religion.

It must be an additional source of gratification to me to find that part of the funds rendered available for the support of this undertaking should be the ancient grant which, at the union of the two kingdoms, was secured towards

the encouragement of the fisheries and manu

factures of Scotland, as it affords a most pleasing proof that those important branches of industry have arrived at that stage of manhood and prosperity, when, no longer requiring the aid of a fostering Goverument, they can maintain themselves independent, relying upon their own vigour and activity, and can now in their turn lend assistance and support to their younger and weaker sisters, the Fine Arts.

Gentlemen, the history of this grant exhibits to us the picture of a most healthy national progress; the ruder arts connected with the necessaries of life, first gaining strength; then education and science supervening and directing further exertions; and, lastly, the arts which only adorn life, becoming longed for by a prosperous and educated people.'

The subject of the Fine Arts was further illustrated on the occasion of his honouring the Royal Academy with his presence at their annual dinner, which took place May 3, 1851. Here we have very remarkable words, proving the complete correspondence of the intelligent and sympathising powers. Here no longer an exposition of the general relations of Art to a nation-as on laying the first stone for a building to be dedicated to the fine arts-but the expression of a close sympathy with the artist mind, more appropriate in an apartment surrounded with the fruits of their labour. That he was never in any respect behind his audience, whatever that might be, appears here in his allusions to the objects, difficulties, and peculiar experience of the Institution-a chord which he touches with characteristic sense and discre

warmth of feeling and a free flow of imagination. This renders them most tender plants, which will thrive only in an atmosphere calculated to maintain that warmth, and that atmosphere is one of kindness; kindness towards the artist personally as well as towards his production. An unkind word of criticism passes like a cold blast over their tender shoots, and shrivels them up checking the flow of the sap, which was and fruit. But still criticism is absolutely necesrising to produce, perhaps, multitudes of flowers sary to the development of art, and the injudiinsult to superior genius. cious praise of an inferior work becomes an

favourable when compared with those when In this respect our times are peculiarly unMadonnas were painted in the seclusion of convents; for we have now on the one hand the eager competition of a vast array of artists of every degree of talent and skill, and on the other as judge, a great public, for the greater part wholly uneducated in art, and thus led by professional writers, who often strive to impress the public with a great idea of their own artistic knowledge by the merciless manner in which duced them the highest efforts of mind or they treat works which cost those who profeeling.

and offered for sale, are becoming articles of Works of art, by being publicly exhibited trade, following as such the unreasoning laws of markets and fashion; and public and even private patronage is swayed by their tyrannical influence.

6

It is, then, to an institution like this, Gentlethese evils. men, that we must look for a counterpoise to Here young artists are educated and taught the mysteries of their profession ; those who have distinguished themselves and given proof of their talent and power receive a sional brethren by being elected Associates of badge of acknowledgment from their profesthe Academy, and are at last, after long toil and continued exertion, received into a select aristocracy of a limited number, and shielded in any further struggle by their well-established to their names give a pledge to the public. reputation, of which the letters R. A. attached

If this body is often assailed from without, it shares only the fate of every aristocracy; if more than another, this only proves that it is even more difficult to sustain an aristocracy of merit than one of birth or of wealth, and may serve as a useful check upon yourselves when tempted at your elections to let personal predilection compete with real merit.'

We must pass on more quickly through this deeply interesting ground, meeting this good and able man from year to year associated with various already established or just commencing works of mercy and intelligence :-at the anniversary of the third Jubilee for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in June, 1851; at another Royal Agricultural Show, held at Windsor, in the Home Park, in the same year; at the Bicentenary Festival of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, in May 10, 1854; at

in a speculative hope that it may answer; or lastly-and this is the most favourable case-we this can only be the result of an experience ourselves improve upon certain processes; but hardly earned and dearly bought, and which, after all, can only embrace a comparatively short space of time and a small number of experi ments.

But we must go back to one, the meeting at Birmingham, where the Prince uttered sentiments at considerable length, which, more than all which have gone before, showed the scope and clearness of his mind, his aptitude for defining great normal principles, his opinions on the deficiencies he conceived to exist in the scheme of education carried out

in our public schools and seats of learning, and his foresight as to the results he anticipated from such Institutions-results which future thinkers, following his example in the study of their own times, may compare with the words of this little book, and wonder at the wisdom that fell from these too early silenced lips.

'It has been a great pleasure to me to have been able to participate, in however trifling a degree, in a work which I do not look upon as a simple act of worldly wisdom on the part of this great town and locality, but as one of the first public acknowledgments of a principle which is daily forcing its way amongst us, and is destined to play a great and important part in the future development of this nation, and of the world in general: I mean the introduction of science and art as the unconscious regulators of productive industry.

The courage and spirit of enterprise with which an immense amount of capital is embarked in industrial pursuits, and the skill and indefatigable perseverance with which these are carried on in this country, cannot but excite universal admiration; but in all our operations, whether agricultural or manufacturing, it is not we who operate, but the laws of nature, which we have set in operation.

It is, then, of the highest importance that we should know these laws, in order to know what we are about, and the reason why certain things are, which occur daily under our hands, and what course we are to pursue with regard to them.

Without such knowledge we are condemned to one of three states: either we merely go on to do things just as our fathers did, and for no better reason than because they did them so; or, trusting to some personal authority, we adopt

From none of these causes can we hope for much progress; for the mind, however ingenious, has no materials to work with, and remains in presence of phenomena, the causes of which

are hidden from it.

But these laws of nature, these Divine laws, are capable of being discovered, and understood, and being taught, and made our own. This is the task of science: and, whilst science discovers and teaches these laws, art teaches their application. No pursuit is therefore too insignificant to be capable of becoming the subject

both of a science and an art.

The Fine Arts (as far as they relate to painting, sculpture, and architecture), which are sometimes confounded with art in general, rest on the application of the laws of form and colour, and what may be called the science of the beautiful. They do not rest on any arbitrary theory on the modes of producing pleasur cult, perhaps, to seize than those regulating the able emotions, but follow fixed laws; more diffimaterial world, because belonging partly to the sphere of the ideal, and of our spiritual essence, yet perfectly appreciable and teachable, both abstractedly and historically, from the works of different ages and nations.

'No human pursuits make any material progress until science is brought to bear upon them. We have seen accordingly many of them slumber for centuries upon centuries; but from the moment that Science has touched them with her magic wand, they have sprung forward and taken strides which amaze, and almost awe, the beholder.

Look at the transformation which has gone on around us since the laws of gravitation, electricity, magnetism, and the expansive power of heat have become known to us. It has altered our whole state of existence; one might say the whole face of the globe. We owe this to Science, and to Science alone; and she has other treasures in store for us, if we will but call her to our assistance.

"It is sometimes objected by the ignorant that Science is uncertain and changeable, and they point with a malicious kind of pleasure to the many exploded theories which have been superseded by others as a proof that the present knowledge may be also unsound, and, after all, not worth having. But they are not aware that while they think to cast blame upon Science, they bestow in fact the highest praise upon her.

For that is precisely the difference between science and prejudice: that the latter keeps stubbornly to its position, whether disproved or not, whilst the former is an unarrestable movement towards the fountain of truth, caring little for cherished authorities or sentiments, but continually progressing; feeling no shame at her