The Public Life of Queen VictoriaMcGilchrist, John
History
The Public Life of Queen Victoria
McGilchrist, John
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901
Probably the capacity of all others in which the Prince became most
generally familiar to the nation, was that of a practical, improving,
scientific agriculturist; and we use this word in its twofold sense, as
embracing the growing of crops and the rearing of live stock. Almost from
the outset of his career amongst us he commenced a series of scientific
agricultural experiments on the farms in Windsor Park. He renovated the
agriculture of the Park, as much as he confessedly did its landscape
gardening. He became a constant and most successful exhibitor of live
domestic edible animals at the great agricultural shows; his example in
this field having been followed since his death, to the great
gratification of the agricultural interest, both by his widow and his
eldest son; and, especially in the case of Her Majesty, with marked
success. As a high and eminent authority on the subject has admirably put
it--
His was no merely idle, passing patronage or casual aid, but it was
rather a pursuit he delighted in, and one he followed out with equal
energy and advantage. The most practical man could not go that
pleasant round from the Flemish farm to the Norfolk, and so back again
by the Home and the Dairy, without learning something wherever he
went.
We must deny ourselves the pleasure of aught but passing reference to the
admirable manner in which he discharged his academic duties as Chancellor
of the University of Cambridge, which post he held from 1845 till his
death, and about which we say enough when we remind or inform the reader
that it was such men as Professor Sedgwick, the Vice-chancellor, who spoke
of the exercise of his duties in this capacity in terms of the highest
honour and estimation. Similar were his services to such noble
institutions as Eton and Wellington Colleges, in both of which he offered
prizes expressly calculated to encourage the pursuit of those studies
which had been, or were most likely to be, ignored in their several cases.
Horticulture, art exhibitions, the National Portrait Gallery, the Society
of Arts, societies for improving the general condition and the housing of
the labouring classes, mechanics' institutions--each of these constitutes
a theme most pregnant and suggestive in connection with the Prince's name
and memory. But we can do no more than recite and dismiss the bald
catalogue of topics. Reserving for the appropriate chronological occasion
some brief remarks upon the character of the Prince as a private man, as
contrasted with his aspects of character as a citizen and public
benefactor, to which we have at present confined ourselves, we feel that
we cannot better conclude than by condensing his opinions delivered in an
address to the annual meeting of the Servants' Provident Benevolent
Society, in 1849, in which the whole plan and doctrine by which he
believed all really useful associated benevolence ought to be regulated
was summed up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account