er　reigna　life　satisfactorily　regular；　full　of　delightful　business；　a　life　of　simple　pleasures；　mostly　physicalriding；　eating；　dancinga　quick；　easy；　highly　unsophisticated　life；　sufficient　unto　itself。　The　light　of　the　morning　is　upon　it；　and；　in　the　rosy　radiance；　the　figure　of　〃Lord　M。〃　emerges；　glorified　and　supreme。　If　she　is　the　heroine　of　the　story；　he　is　the　hero；　but　indeed　they　are　more　than　hero　and　heroine；　for　there　are　no　other　characters　at　all。　Lehzen；　the　Baron；　Uncle　Leopold；　are　unsubstantial　shadowsthe　incidental　supers　of　the　piece。　Her　paradise　was　peopled　by　two　persons；　and　surely　that　was　enough。　One　sees　them　together　still；　a　curious　couple；　strangely　united　in　those　artless　pages；　under　the　magical　illumination　of　that　dawn　of　eighty　years　ago：　the　polished　high　fine　gentleman　with　the　whitening　hair　and　whiskers　and　the　thick　dark　eyebrows　and　the　mobile　lips　and　the　big　expressive　eyes；　and　beside　him　the　tiny　Queenfair；　slim；　elegant；　active；　in　her　plain　girl's　dress　and　little　tippet；　looking　up　at　him　earnestly；　adoringly；　with　eyes　blue　and　projecting；　and　half…open　mouth。　So　they　appear　upon　every　page　of　the　Journal；　upon　every　page　Lord　M。　is　present；　Lord　M。　is　speaking；　Lord　M。　is　being　amusing；　instructive；　delightful；　and　affectionate　at　once；　while　Victoria　drinks　in　the　honied　words；　laughs　till　she　shows　her　gums；　tries　hard　to　remember；　and　runs　off；　as　soon　as　she　is　left　alone；　to　put　it　all　down。　Their　long　conversations　touched　upon　a　multitude　of　topics。　Lord　M。　would　criticise　books；　throw　out　a　remark　or　two　on　the　British　Constitution；　make　some　passing　reflections　on　human　life；　and　tell　story　after　story　of　the　great　people　of　the　eighteenth　century。　Then　there　would　be　business　a　despatch　perhaps　from　Lord　Durham　in　Canada；　which　Lord　M。　would　read。　But　first　he　must　explain　a　little。　〃He　said　that　I　must　know　that　Canada　originally　belonged　to　the　French；　and　was　only　ceded　to　the　English　in　1760；　when　it　was　taken　in　an　expedition　under　Wolfe：　'a　very　daring　enterprise；'　he　said。　Canada　was　then　entirely　French；　and　the　British　only　came　afterwards。。。　Lord　M。　explained　this　very　clearly　（and　much　better　than　I　have　done）　and　said　a　good　deal　more　about　it。　He　then　read　me　Durham's　despatch；　which　is　a　very　long　one　and　took　him　more　than　1/2　an　hour　to　read。　Lord　M。　read　it　beautifully　with　that　fine　soft　voice　of　his；　and　with　so　much　expression；　so　that　it　is　needless　to　say　I　was　much　interested　by　it。〃　And　then　the　talk　would　take　a　more　personal　turn。　Lord　M。　would　describe　his　boyhood；　and　she　would　learn　that　〃he　wore　his　hair　long；　as　all　boys　then　did；　till　he　was　17；　（how　handsome　he　must　have　looked！）。〃　Or　she　would　find　out　about　his　queer　tastes　and　habitshow　he　never　carried　a　watch；　which　seemed　quite　extraordinary。　〃'I　always　ask　the　servant　what　o'clock　it　is；　and　then　he　tells　me　what　he　likes；'　said　Lord　M。〃　Or；　as　the　rooks　wheeled　about　round　the　trees；　〃in　a　manner　which　indicated　rain；〃　he　would　say　that　he　could　sit　looking　at　them　for　an　hour；　and　〃was　quite　surprised　at　my　disliking　them。　M。　said；　'　The　rooks　are　my　delight。'〃
  The　day's　routine；　whether　in　London　or　at　Windsor；　was　almost　invariable。　The　morning　was　devoted　to　business　and　Lord　M。　In　the　afternoon　the　whole　Court　went　out　riding。　The　Queen；　in　her　velvet　ridinghabit　and　a　top…hat　with　a　veil　draped　about　the　brim；　headed　the　cavalcade；　and　Lord　M。　rode　beside　her。　The　lively　troupe　went　fast　and　far；　to　the　extreme　exhilaration　of　Her　Majesty。　Back　in　the　Palace　again；　there　was　still　time　for　a　little　more　fun　before　dinnera　game　of　battledore　and　shuttlecock　perhaps；　or　a　romp　along　the　galleries　with　some　children。　Dinner　came；　and　the　ceremonial　decidedly　tightened。　The　gentleman　of　highest　rank　sat　on　the　right　hand　of　the　Queen；　on　her　leftit　soon　became　an　established　rulesat　Lord　Melbourne。　After　the　ladies　had　left　the　dining…room；　the　gentlemen　were　not　permitted　to　remain　behind　for　very　long；　indeed；　the　short　time　allowed　them　for　their　wine…drinking　formed　the　subjectso　it　was　rumouredof　one　of　the　very　few　disputes　between　the　Queen　and　her　Prime　Minister；＇*＇　but　her　determination　carried　the　day；　and　from　that　moment　after…dinner　drunkenness　began　to　go　out　of　fashion。　When　the　company　was　reassembled　in　the　drawing…room　the　etiquette　was　stiff。　For　a　few　moments　the　Queen　spoke　in　turn　to　each　one　of　her　guests；　and　during　these　short　uneasy　colloquies　the　aridity　of　royalty　was　apt　to　become　painfully　evident。　One　night　Mr。　Greville；　the　Clerk　of　the　Privy　Council；　was　present；　his　turn　soon　came；　the　middle…aged；　hard…faced　viveur　was　addressed　by　his　young　hostess。　〃Have　you　been　riding　to…day；　Mr。　Greville？〃　asked　the　Queen。　〃No；　Madam；　I　have　not；〃　replied　Mr。　Greville。　〃It　was　a　fine　day；〃　continued　the　Queen。　〃Yes；　Madam；　a　very　fine　day；〃　said　Mr。　Greville。　〃It　was　rather　cold；　though；〃　said　the　Queen。　〃It　was　rather　cold；　Madam；〃　said　Mr。　Greville。　〃Your　sister；　Lady　Frances　Egerton；　rides；　I　think；　doesn't　she？〃　said　the　Queen。　〃She　does　ride　sometimes；　Madam；〃　said　Mr。　Greville。　There　was　a　pause；　after　which　Mr。　Greville　ventured　to　take　the　lead；　though　he　did　not　venture　to　change　the　subject。　〃Has　your　Majesty　been　riding　today？〃　asked　Mr。　Greville。　〃Oh　yes；　a　very　long　ride；〃　answered　the　Queen　with　animation。　〃Has　your　Majesty　got　a　nice　horse？〃　said　Mr。　Greville。　〃Oh；　a　very　nice　horse；〃　said　the　Queen。　It　was　over。　Her　Majesty　gave　a　smile　and　an　inclination　of　the　head；　Mr。　Greville　a　profound　bow；　and　the　next　conversation　began　with　the　next　gentleman。　When　all　the　guests　had　been　disposed　of；　the　Duchess　of　Kent　sat　down　to　her　whist；　while　everybody　else　was　ranged　about　the　round　table。　Lord　Melbourne　sat　beside　the　Queen；　and　talked　pertinaciouslyvery　often　a　propos　to　the　contents　of　one　of　the　large　albums　of　engravings　with　which　the　round　table　was　covereduntil　it　was　half…past　eleven　and　time　to　go　to　bed。
  ＇*＇　The　Duke　of　Bedford　told　Greville　he　was　〃sure　there　was　a　battle　between　her　and　Melbourne。。。　He　is　sure　there　was　one　about　the　men's　sitting　after　dinner；　for　he　heard　her　say　to　him　rather　angrily；　'it　is　a　horrid　custom…'　but　when　the　ladies　left　the　room　（he　dined　there）　directions　were　given　that　the　men　should　remain　five　minutes　longer。〃　Greville　Memoirs；　February　26；　1840　（unpublished）。
  Occasionally；　there　were　little　diversions：　the　evening　might　be　spent　at　the　opera　or　at　the　play。　Next　morning　the　royal　critic　was　careful　to　note　down　her　impressions。　〃It　was　Shakespeare's　tragedy　of　Hamlet；　and　we　came　in　at　the　beginning　of　it。　Mr。　Charles　Kean　（son　of　old　Kean）　acted　the　part　of　Hamlet；　and　I　must　say　beautifully。　His　conception　of　this　very　difficult；　and　I　may　almost　say　incomprehensible；　character　is　admirable；　his　delivery　of　all　the　fine　long　speeches　quite　beautiful；　he　is　excessively　graceful　and　all　his　actions　and　attitudes　are　good；　though　not　at　all　good…looking　in　face。。。　I　came　away　just　as　Hamlet　was　over。〃　Later　on；　she　went　to　see　Macready　in　King　Lear。　The　story　was　new　to　her；　she　knew　nothing　about　it；　and　at　first　she　took　very　little　interest　in　what　was　passing　on　the　stage；　she　preferred　to　chatter　and　laugh　with　the　Lord　Chamberlain。　But；　as　the　play　went　on；　her　mood　changed；　her　attention　was　fixed；　and　then　she　laughed　no　more。　Yet　she　was　puzzled；　it　seemed　a　strange；　a　horrible　business。　What　did　Lord　M。　think？　Lord　M。　thought　it　was　a　very　fine　play；　but　to　be　sure；　〃a　rough；　coarse　play；　written　for　those　times；　with　exaggerated　characters。〃　〃I'm　glad　you've　seen　it；〃　he　added。　But；　undoubtedly；　the　evenings　which　she　enjoyed　most　were　those　on　which　there　was　dancing。　She　was　always　ready　enough　to　seize　any　excusethe　arrival　of　cousinsa　birthdaya　gathering　of　young　peopleto　give　the　command　for　that。　Then；　when　the　band　played；　and　the　figures　of　the　dancers　swayed　to　the　music；　and　she　felt　her　own　figure　swaying　too；　with　youthful　spirits　so　close　on　every　sidethen　her　happiness　reached　its　height；　her　eyes　sparkled；　she　must　go　on　and　on　into　the　small　hours　of　the　morning。　For　a　moment　Lord　M。　himself　was　forgotten。
  V
  The　months　flew　past。　The　summer　was　over：　〃the　pleasantest　summer　I　EVER　passed　in　MY　LIFE；　and　I　shall　never　forget　this　first　summer　of　my　reign。〃　With　surprising　rapidity；　another　summer　was　upon　her。　The　coronation　came　and　wenta　curious　dream。　The　antique；　intricate；　endless　ceremonial　worked　itself　out　as　best　it　could；　like　some　machine　of　gigantic　complexity　which　was　a　little　out　of　order。　The　small　central　figure　went　through　her　gyrations。　She　sat；　she　walked；　she　prayed；　she　carried　about　an　orb　that　was　almost　too　heavy　to　hold；　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　came　and　crushed　a　ring　upon　the　wrong　finger；　so　that　she　was　ready　to　cry　out　with　the　pain；　old　Lord　Rolle　tripped　up　in　his　mantle　and　fell　down　the　steps　as　he　was　doing　homage；　she　was　taken　into　a　side　chapel；　where　the　altar　was　covered　with　a　table…cloth；　sandwiches；　and　bottles　of　wine；　she　perceived　Lehzen　in　an　upper　box　and　exchanged　a　smile　with　her　as　she　sat；　robed　and　crowned；　on　the　Confessor's　throne。　〃I　shall　ever　remember　this　day　as　the　PROUDEST　of　my　life；〃　she　note