ceties　of　this　momentous　problem；　but　rushed　on　blindly；　dealing　blows　to　right　and　left；　quiteso　far　as　he　could　seewithout　system；　and　even　without　motiveexcept；　indeed；　a　totally　unreasonable　distrust　of　the　Prussian　State。
  But　his　disagreement　with　the　details　of　Palmerston's　policy　was　in　reality　merely　a　symptom　of　the　fundamental　differences　between　the　characters　of　the　two　men。　In　Albert's　eyes　Palmerston　was　a　coarse；　reckless　egotist；　whose　combined　arrogance　and　ignorance　must　inevitably　have　their　issue　in　folly　and　disaster。　Nothing　could　be　more　antipathetic　to　him　than　a　mind　so　strangely　lacking　in　patience；　in　reflection；　in　principle；　and　in　the　habits　of　ratiocination。　For　to　him　it　was　intolerable　to　think　in　a　hurry；　to　jump　to　slapdash　decisions；　to　act　on　instincts　that　could　not　be　explained。　Everything　must　be　done　in　due　order；　with　careful　premeditation；　the　premises　of　the　position　must　first　be　firmly　established；　and　he　must　reach　the　correct　conclusion　by　a　regular　series　of　rational　steps。　In　complicated　questionsand　what　questions；　rightly　looked　at；　were　not　complicated？to　commit　one's　thoughts　to　paper　was　the　wisest　course；　and　it　was　the　course　which　Albert；　laborious　though　it　might　be；　invariably　adopted。　It　was　as　well；　too；　to　draw　up　a　reasoned　statement　after　an　event；　as　well　as　before　it；　and　accordingly；　whatever　happened；　it　was　always　found　that　the　Prince　had　made　a　memorandum。　On　one　occasion　he　reduced　to　six　pages　of　foolscap　the　substance　of　a　confidential　conversation　with　Sir　Robert　Peel；　and；　having　read　them　aloud　to　him；　asked　him　to　append　his　signature；　Sir　Robert；　who　never　liked　to　commit　himself；　became　extremely　uneasy；　upon　which　the　Prince；　understanding　that　it　was　necessary　to　humour　the　singular　susceptibilities　of　Englishmen；　with　great　tact　dropped　that　particular　memorandum　into　the　fire。　But　as　for　Palmerston；　he　never　even　gave　one　so　much　as　a　chance　to　read　him　a　memorandum；　he　positively　seemed　to　dislike　discussion；　and；　before　one　knew　where　one　was；　without　any　warning　whatever；　he　would　plunge　into　some　hare…brained；　violent　project；　which；　as　likely　as　not；　would　logically　involve　a　European　war。　Closely　connected；　too；　with　this　cautious；　painstaking　reasonableness　of　Albert's；　was　his　desire　to　examine　questions　thoroughly　from　every　point　of　view；　to　go　down　to　the　roots　of　things；　and　to　act　in　strict　accordance　with　some　well…defined　principle。　Under　Stockmar's　tutelage　he　was　constantly　engaged　in　enlarging　his　outlook　and　in　endeavouring　to　envisage　vital　problems　both　theoretically　and　practicallyboth　with　precision　and　with　depth。　To　one　whose　mind　was　thus　habitually　occupied；　the　empirical　activities　of　Palmerston；　who　had　no　notion　what　a　principle　meant；　resembled　the　incoherent　vagaries　of　a　tiresome　child。　What　did　Palmerston　know　of　economics；　of　science；　of　history？　What　did　he　care　for　morality　and　education？　How　much　consideration　had　he　devoted　in　the　whole　course　of　his　life　to　the　improvement　of　the　condition　of　the　working…classes　and　to　the　general　amelioration　of　the　human　race？　The　answers　to　such　questions　were　all　too　obvious；　and　yet　it　is　easy　to　imagine；　also；　what　might　have　been　Palmerston's　jaunty　comment。　〃Ah！　your　Royal　Highness　is　busy　with　fine　schemes　and　beneficent　calculations　exactly！　Well；　as　for　me；　I　must　say　I'm　quite　satisfied　with　my　morning's　workI've　had　the　iron　hurdles　taken　out　of　the　Green　Park。〃
  The　exasperating　man；　however；　preferred　to　make　no　comment；　and　to　proceed　in　smiling　silence　on　his　inexcusable　way。　The　process　of　〃brushing　on　one　side〃　very　soon　came　into　operation。　Important　Foreign　Office　despatches　were　either　submitted　to　the　Queen　so　late　that　there　was　no　time　to　correct　them；　or　they　were　not　submitted　to　her　at　all；　or；　having　been　submitted；　and　some　passage　in　them　being　objected　to　and　an　alteration　suggested；　they　were　after　all　sent　off　in　their　original　form。　The　Queen　complained；　the　Prince　complained：　both　complained　together。　It　was　quite　useless。　Palmerston　was　most　apologeticcould　not　understand　how　it　had　occurredmust　give　the　clerks　a　wiggingcertainly　Her　Majesty's　wishes　should　be　attended　to；　and　such　a　thing　should　never　happen　again。　But；　of　course；　it　very　soon　happened　again；　and　the　royal　remonstrances　redoubled。　Victoria；　her　partisan　passions　thoroughly　aroused；　imported　into　her　protests　a　personal　vehemence　which　those　of　Albert　lacked。　Did　Lord　Palmerston　forget　that　she　was　Queen　of　England？　How　could　she　tolerate　a　state　of　affairs　in　which　despatches　written　in　her　name　were　sent　abroad　without　her　approval　or　even　her　knowledge？　What　could　be　more　derogatory　to　her　position　than　to　be　obliged　to　receive　indignant　letters　from　the　crowned　heads　to　whom　those　despatches　were　addressedletters　which　she　did　not　know　how　to　answer；　since　she　so　thoroughly　agreed　with　them？　She　addressed　herself　to　the　Prime　Minister。　〃No　remonstrance　has　any　effect　with　Lord　Palmerston；〃　she　said。　〃Lord　Palmerston；〃　she　told　him　on　another　occasion；　〃has　as　usual　pretended　not　to　have　had　time　to　submit　the　draft　to　the　Queen　before　he　had　sent　it　off。〃　She　summoned　Lord　John　to　her　presence；　poured　out　her　indignation；　and　afterwards；　on　the　advice　of　Albert；　noted　down　what　had　passed　in　a　memorandum：　〃I　said　that　I　thought　that　Lord　Palmerston　often　endangered　the　honour　of　England　by　taking　a　very　prejudiced　and　one…sided　view　of　a　question；　that　his　writings　were　always　as　bitter　as　gall　and　did　great　harm；　which　Lord　John　entirely　assented　to；　and　that　I　often　felt　quite　ill　from　anxiety。〃　Then　she　turned　to　her　uncle。　〃The　state　of　Germany；〃　she　wrote　in　a　comprehensive　and　despairing　review　of　the　European　situation；　〃is　dreadful；　and　one　does　feel　quite　ashamed　about　that　once　really　so　peaceful　and　happy　country。　That　there　are　still　good　people　there　I　am　sure；　but　they　allow　themselves　to　be　worked　upon　in　a　frightful　and　shameful　way。　In　France　a　crisis　seems　at　hand。　WHAT　a　very　bad　figure　we　cut　in　this　mediation！　Really　it　is　quite　immoral；　with　Ireland　quivering　in　our　grasp　and　ready　to　throw　off　her　allegiance　at　any　moment；　for　us　to　force　Austria　to　give　up　her　lawful　possessions。　What　shall　we　say　if　Canada；　Malta；　etc。；　begin　to　trouble　us？　It　hurts　me　terribly。〃　But　what　did　Lord　Palmerston　care？
  Lord　John's　position　grew　more　and　more　irksome。　He　did　not　approve　of　his　colleague's　treatment　of　the　Queen。　When　he　begged　him　to　be　more　careful；　he　was　met　with　the　reply　that　28；000　despatches　passed　through　the　Foreign　Office　in　a　single　year；　that；　if　every　one　of　these　were　to　be　subjected　to　the　royal　criticism；　the　delay　would　be　most　serious；　that；　as　it　was；　the　waste　of　time　and　the　worry　involved　in　submitting　drafts　to　the　meticulous　examination　of　Prince　Albert　was　almost　too　much　for　an　overworked　Minister；　and　that；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　the　postponement　of　important　decisions　owing　to　this　cause　had　already　produced　very　unpleasant　diplomatic　consequences。　These　excuses　would　have　impressed　Lord　John　more　favourably　if　he　had　not　himself　had　to　suffer　from　a　similar　neglect。　As　often　as　not　Palmerston　failed　to　communicate　even　to　him　the　most　important　despatches。　The　Foreign　Secretary　was　becoming　an　almost　independent　power；　acting　on　his　own　initiative；　and　swaying　the　policy　of　England　on　his　own　responsibility。　On　one　occasion；　in　1847；　he　had　actually　been　upon　the　point　of　threatening　to　break　off　diplomatic　relations　with　France　without　consulting　either　the　Cabinet　or　the　Prime　Minister。　And　such　incidents　were　constantly　recurring。　When　this　became　known　to　the　Prince；　he　saw　that　his　opportunity　had　come。　If　he　could　only　drive　in　to　the　utmost　the　wedge　between　the　two　statesmen；　if　he　could　only　secure　the　alliance　of　Lord　John；　then　the　suppression　or　the　removal　of　Lord　Palmerston　would　be　almost　certain　to　follow。　He　set　about　the　business　with　all　the　pertinacity　of　his　nature。　Both　he　and　the　Queen　put　every　kind　of　pressure　upon　the　Prime　Minister。　They　wrote；　they　harangued；　they　relapsed　into　awful　silence。　It　occurred　to　them　that　Lord　Clarendon；　an　important　member　of　the　Cabinet；　would　be　a　useful　channel　for　their　griefs。　They　commanded　him　to　dine　at　the　Palace；　and；　directly　the　meal　was　over；　〃the　Queen；〃　as　he　described　it　afterwards；　〃exploded；　and　went　with　the　utmost　vehemence　and　bitterness　into　the　whole　of　Palmerston's　conduct；　all　the　effects　produced　all　over　the　world；　and　all　her　own　feelings　and　sentiments　about　it。〃　When　she　had　finished；　the　Prince　took　up　the　tale；　with　less　excitement；　but　with　equal　force。　Lord　Clarendon　found　himself　in　an　awkward　situation；　he　disliked　Palmerston's　policy；　but　he　was　his　colleague；　and　he　disapproved　of　the　attitude　of　his　royal　hosts。　In　his　opinion；　they　were　〃wrong　in　wishing　that　courtiers　rather　than　Ministers　should　conduct　the　affairs　of　the　country；〃　and　he　thought　that　they　〃laboured　under　the　curious　mistake　that　the　Foreign　Office　was　their　peculiar　department；　and　that　they　had　the　right　to　control；　if　not　to　direct；　the　foreign　policy　of　England。〃　He；　therefore；　with　extreme　politeness；　gave　it　to　be　understood　that　he　would　not　commit　hi