This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 Excerpt: ...proud of any monarch who will condescend to behave herself or himself with the discretion and selfrestraint of an ordinary mortal. To live well is greater than to rule powerfully, especially to live well and wisely in "the fierce light which beats upon a throne;" and we are apt to think too lightly of what it is to ...
Read More
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 Excerpt: ...proud of any monarch who will condescend to behave herself or himself with the discretion and selfrestraint of an ordinary mortal. To live well is greater than to rule powerfully, especially to live well and wisely in "the fierce light which beats upon a throne;" and we are apt to think too lightly of what it is to walk on the loftiest golden ridge of earthly eminence, exposed to the great eye of God and of half the world. In the triple capacity of maiden, wife, and widow, no mortal foot hath ever walked that ridge more successfully than that of our good queen, Victoria. There is the kindly demeanour, and the tender, pure, and womanly heart always beating in harmony with the grand catholic music of humanity, although enveloped in the heaviest trappings of splendour that ever hung from the shoulders of sovereignty. On the accession of Victoria, Hanover, being under the Salic Law, or, in other words, being a male fief, could not be inherited by her. So her uncle, Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, became King of Hanover. Lord Melbourne, who had for a short interval given place to an Administration under Sir Robert Peel, continued in office as Premier. But the working energy of the Government lay with Lord John Russell, who fought several valiant but unsuccessful battles in the interests of Church Dissent. A discontent in Canada of several years' standing now broke out into open rebellion. The source of this was an influx of population from the United States into our North American possessions. The influx carried with it its republican principles, and a dislike to Great Britain. But this nettle of insurrection was firmly grasped, and the Canadians and their United States' "sympathisers" were shortly compelled to recognise that it would be impossib...
Read Less