and　rejection　of　the　Greek　crown。　It　was　Stockmar　who　had　induced　the　Prince　to　become　the　constitutional　Sovereign　of　Belgium。　Above　all；　it　was　Stockmar's　tact；　honesty；　and　diplomatic　skill　which；　through　a　long　series　of　arduous　and　complicated　negotiations；　had　led　to　the　guarantee　of　Belgian　neutrality　by　the　Great　Powers。　His　labours　had　been　rewarded　by　a　German　barony　and　by　the　complete　confidence　of　King　Leopold。　Nor　was　it　only　in　Brussels　that　he　was　treated　with　respect　and　listened　to　with　attention。　The　statesmen　who　governed　EnglandLord　Grey；　Sir　Robert　Peel；　Lord　Palmerston；　Lord　Melbournehad　learnt　to　put　a　high　value　upon　his　probity　and　his　intelligence。　〃He　is　one　of　the　cleverest　fellows　I　ever　saw；〃　said　Lord　Melbourne；　〃the　most　discreet　man；　the　most　well…judging；　and　most　cool　man。〃　And　Lord　Palmerston　cited　Baron　Stockmar　as　the　only　absolutely　disinterested　man　he　had　come　across　in　life；　At　last　he　was　able　to　retire　to　Coburg；　and　to　enjoy　for　a　few　years　the　society　of　the　wife　and　children　whom　his　labours　in　the　service　of　his　master　had　hitherto　only　allowed　him　to　visit　at　long　intervals　for　a　month　or　two　at　a　time。　But　in　1836　he　had　been　again　entrusted　with　an　important　negotiation；　which　he　had　brought　to　a　successful　conclusion　in　the　marriage　of　Prince　Ferdinand　of　Saxe…Coburg；　a　nephew　of　King　Leopold's；　with　Queen　Maria　II　of　Portugal。　The　House　of　Coburg　was　beginning　to　spread　over　Europe；　and　the　establishment　of　the　Baron　at　Buckingham　Palace　in　1837　was　to　be　the　prelude　of　another　and　a　more　momentous　advance。
  King　Leopold　and　his　counsellor　provide　in　their　careers　an　example　of　the　curious　diversity　of　human　ambitions。　The　desires　of　man　are　wonderfully　various；　but　no　less　various　are　the　means　by　which　those　desires　may　reach　satisfaction：　and　so　the　work　of　the　world　gets　done。　The　correct　mind　of　Leopold　craved　for　the　whole　apparatus　of　royalty。　Mere　power　would　have　held　no　attractions　for　him；　he　must　be　an　actual　kingthe　crowned　head　of　a　people。　It　was　not　enough　to　do；　it　was　essential　also　to　be　recognised；　anything　else　would　not　be　fitting。　The　greatness　that　he　dreamt　of　was　surrounded　by　every　appropriate　circumstance。　To　be　a　Majesty；　to　be　a　cousin　of　Sovereigns；　to　marry　a　Bourbon　for　diplomatic　ends；　to　correspond　with　the　Queen　of　England；　to　be　very　stiff　and　very　punctual；　to　found　a　dynasty；　to　bore　ambassadresses　into　fits；　to　live；　on　the　highest　pinnacle；　an　exemplary　life　devoted　to　the　public　servicesuch　were　his　objects；　and　such；　in　fact；　were　his　achievements。　The　〃Marquis　Peu…a…peu；〃　as　George　IV　called　him；　had　what　he　wanted。　But　this　would　never　have　been　the　case　if　it　had　not　happened　that　the　ambition　of　Stockmar　took　a　form　exactly　complementary　to　his　own。　The　sovereignty　that　the　Baron　sought　for　was　by　no　means　obvious。　The　satisfaction　of　his　essential　being　lay　in　obscurity；　in　invisibilityin　passing；　unobserved；　through　a　hidden　entrance；　into　the　very　central　chamber　of　power；　and　in　sitting　there；　quietly；　pulling　the　subtle　strings　that　set　the　wheels　of　the　whole　world　in　motion。　A　very　few　people；　in　very　high　places；　and　exceptionally　well…informed；　knew　that　Baron　Stockmar　was　a　most　important　person：　that　was　enough。　The　fortunes　of　the　master　and　the　servant；　intimately　interacting；　rose　together。　The　Baron's　secret　skill　had　given　Leopold　his　unexceptionable　kingdom；　and　Leopold；　in　his　turn；　as　time　went　on；　was　able　to　furnish　the　Baron　with　more　and　more　keys　to　more　and　more　back　doors。
  Stockmar　took　up　his　abode　in　the　Palace　partly　as　the　emissary　of　King　Leopold；　but　more　particularly　as　the　friend　and　adviser　of　a　queen　who　was　almost　a　child；　and　who；　no　doubt；　would　be　much　in　need　of　advice　and　friendship。　For　it　would　be　a　mistake　to　suppose　that　either　of　these　two　men　was　actuated　by　a　vulgar　selfishness。　The　King；　indeed；　was　very　well　aware　on　which　side　his　bread　was　buttered；　during　an　adventurous　and　chequered　life　he　had　acquired　a　shrewd　knowledge　of　the　world's　workings；　and　he　was　ready　enough　to　use　that　knowledge　to　strengthen　his　position　and　to　spread　his　influence。　But　then；　the　firmer　his　position　and　the　wider　his　influence；　the　better　for　Europe；　of　that　he　was　quite　certain。　And　besides；　he　was　a　constitutional　monarch；　and　it　would　be　highly　indecorous　in　a　constitutional　monarch　to　have　any　aims　that　were　low　or　personal。
  As　for　Stockmar；　the　disinterestedness　which　Palmerston　had　noted　was　undoubtedly　a　basic　element　in　his　character。　The　ordinary　schemer　is　always　an　optimist；　and　Stockmar；　racked　by　dyspepsia　and　haunted　by　gloomy　forebodings；　was　a　constitutionally　melancholy　man。　A　schemer；　no　doubt；　he　was；　but　he　schemed　distrustfully；　splenetically；　to　do　good。　To　do　good！　What　nobler　end　could　a　man　scheme　for？　Yet　it　is　perilous　to　scheme　at　all。
  With　Lehzen　to　supervise　every　detail　of　her　conduct；　with　Stockmar　in　the　next　room；　so　full　of　wisdom　and　experience　of　affairs；　with　her　Uncle　Leopold's　letters；　too；　pouring　out　so　constantly　their　stream　of　encouragements；　general　reflections；　and　highly　valuable　tips；　Victoria；　even　had　she　been　without　other　guidance；　would　have　stood　in　no　lack　of　private　counsellor。　But　other　guidance　she　had；　for　all　these　influences　paled　before　a　new　star；　of　the　first　magnitude；　which；　rising　suddenly　upon　her　horizon；　immediately　dominated　her　life。
  III
  William　Lamb；　Viscount　Melbourne；　was　fifty…eight　years　of　age；　and　had　been　for　the　last　three　years　Prime　Minister　of　England。　In　every　outward　respect　he　was　one　of　the　most　fortunate　of　mankind。　He　had　been　born　into　the　midst　of　riches；　brilliance；　and　power。　His　mother；　fascinating　and　intelligent；　had　been　a　great　Whig　hostess；　and　he　had　been　bred　up　as　a　member　of　that　radiant　society　which；　during　the　last　quarter　of　the　eighteenth　century；　concentrated　within　itself　the　ultimate　perfections　of　a　hundred　years　of　triumphant　aristocracy。　Nature　had　given　him　beauty　and　brains；　the　unexpected　death　of　an　elder　brother　brought　him　wealth；　a　peerage；　and　the　possibility　of　high　advancement。　Within　that　charmed　circle；　whatever　one's　personal　disabilities；　it　was　difficult　to　fail；　and　to　him；　with　all　his　advantages；　success　was　well…nigh　unavoidable。　With　little　effort；　he　attained　political　eminence。　On　the　triumph　of　the　Whigs　he　became　one　of　the　leading　members　of　the　Government；　and　when　Lord　Grey　retired　from　the　premiership　he　quietly　stepped　into　the　vacant　place。　Nor　was　it　only　in　the　visible　signs　of　fortune　that　Fate　had　been　kind　to　him。　Bound　to　succeed；　and　to　succeed　easily；　he　was　gifted　with　so　fine　a　nature　that　his　success　became　him。　His　mind；　at　once　supple　and　copious；　his　temperament；　at　once　calm　and　sensitive；　enabled　him　not　merely　to　work；　but　to　live　with　perfect　facility　and　with　the　grace　of　strength。　In　society　he　was　a　notable　talker；　a　captivating　companion；　a　charming　man。　If　one　looked　deeper；　one　saw　at　once　that　he　was　not　ordinary；　that　the　piquancies　of　his　conversation　and　his　mannerhis　free…and…easy　vaguenesses；　his　abrupt　questions；　his　lollings　and　loungings；　his　innumerable　oathswere　something　more　than　an　amusing　ornament；　were　the　outward　manifestation　of　an　individuality　that　was　fundamental。
  The　precise　nature　of　this　individuality　was　very　difficult　to　gauge：　it　was　dubious；　complex；　perhaps　selfcontradictory。　Certainly　there　was　an　ironical　discordance　between　the　inner　history　of　the　man　and　his　apparent　fortunes。　He　owed　all　he　had　to　his　birth；　and　his　birth　was　shameful；　it　was　known　well　enough　that　his　mother　had　passionately　loved　Lord　Egremont；　and　that　Lord　Melbourne　was　not　his　father。　His　marriage；　which　had　seemed　to　be　the　crown　of　his　youthful　ardours；　was　a　long；　miserable；　desperate　failure：　the　incredible　Lady　Caroline；　〃With　pleasures　too　refined　to　please；　With　too　much　spirit　to　be　e'er　at　ease；　With　too　much　quickness　to　be　ever　taught；　With　too　much　thinking　to　have　common　thought；〃　was　very　nearly　the　destruction　of　his　life。　When　at　last　he　emerged　from　the　anguish　and　confusion　of　her　folly；　her　extravagance；　her　rage；　her　despair；　and　her　devotion；　he　was　left　alone　with　endless　memories　of　intermingled　farce　and　tragedy；　and　an　only　son；　who　was　an　imbecile。　But　there　was　something　else　that　he　owed　to　Lady　Caroline。　While　she　whirled　with　Byron　in　a　hectic　frenzy　of　love　and　fashion；　he　had　stayed　at　home　in　an　indulgence　bordering　on　cynicism；　and　occupied　his　solitude　with　reading。　It　was　thus　that　he　had　acquired　those　habits　of　study；　that　love　of　learning；　and　that　wide　and　accurate　knowledge　of　ancient　and　modern　literature；　which　formed　so　unexpected　a　part　of　his　mental　equipment。　His　passion　for　reading　never　deserted　him；　even　when　he　was　Prime　Minister　he　found　time　to　master　every　new　important　book。　With　an　incongruousness　that　was　characteristic；　his　favourite　study　was　theology。　An　accomplished　classical　scholar；　he　was　deeply　read　in　the　Fathers　of　the　Church；　heavy　volumes　of　commentary　and　exegesis　he　examined　with　scrupulous　diligence；　and　at　any　odd　moment　he　might　be　found　turning　over　the　pages　of　the　Bible。　To　the　ladies　whom　he　most　liked；　he　would　lend　some　learned　work　o