every thing approaching to license, which were very remarkable at his early age; and this without weakening the devotion to the purest and best principles of constitutional freedom, of which his whole after life in England gave such repeated proof.

The love of art, too, which was natural to the Prince, received, his tutor adds, a great stimulus from the beauty of Brussels, and the study of the art treasures which that city contains.

On their way home the princes passed a few weeks with their aunt and cousins at Mayence, and during that time attended the swimming-school which forms part of the military establishment there. They made so much progress that, before they left, they swam down the stream from the bridge of Mayence to Biberich, a distance of three miles. Soon after their return, Prince Albert writes as follows to his father:

"Rosenau, 21st September, 1832. "DEAR PAPA,-Let me assure you that we are perfectly well. I am sorry that, since the day of your de parture till yesterday, the weather has not always been fine. It must have spoiled some of your nice shootingparties.

"We have also had very bad weather here, rain and cold winds; but this has disturbed us very little, for we were all the better able to devote our time to our studies. We are working with the greatest diligence, in order to make up for what we may have lost on our journey. The weather, however, has not prevented us from amusing ourselves out of doors; we are working very industriously at our fortifications, and have already made

great progress, so that I am sure that you will give us full credit for our industry in this respect when you re

turn.

"Yesterday we had a windy, but, at the same time, a warm, bright day.

"Besides what I have told you, nothing has taken place worthy of notice. Pray give my respectful love to dear grandmamma, and hoping soon to see you again, I recommend myself to your loving remembrance.

"Your dutiful son,

ALBERT."

In the autumn of this year the duke remarried. The new duchess was his own niece, being the daughter of his sister Princess Antoinette, married to Duke Alexan-der of Würtemberg.* In November the brothers accompanied their father to the Castle of Thalwitz, in Saxony, there to await the arrival of the princess from Petersburg. Thence they escorted her to her new home.

The Prince was now in his fourteenth year, and was fast developing that power of thinking and judging for himself which distinguished him so greatly in after life.

The ardent desire for the acquisition of knowledge, always so characteristic of the Prince, as well as his love of order and method, show themselves, even at this early age, very remarkably, in a programme drawn up by himself at this time for his guidance in the prosecution of his studies. We here see in the boy the same feeling which led him to rebel later against the interruption of his

*NOTE BY THE QUEEN.-Princess Mary of Würtemberg, born September 17th, 1799. She was consequently one year older than the duke's first wife, mother of the princes.

work at the Rosenau,* and to complain of the want of method which marked, he thought, the course laid down for him in the study of English law.†

This programme is given, as written out in the Prince's own handwriting, at the end of an interesting Memorandum by his old tutor, Counselor Florschütz, in which he (the counselor) records his recollections of the Prince as a boy, and gives an account of the nature of his studies and the manner in which they were regulated. It will be seen that, though not neglected, classics and mathematics did not hold the prominent, not to say the exclusive place in their system of education which these branches of study occupy in England. The study of modern languages, of history, of the natural sciences, of music, and generally of those accomplishments which serve to embellish and adorn life, had many hours in each week devoted to them.

The amount of work which the Prince thus traces for himself would probably not only seem excessive to the most studious English school-boy (and we must remember that the Prince at this time was only of the age of a school-boy), but was such as a hard-reading man at one of our universities might almost have shrunk from. Be it also remembered that the principal parts of these studies are what his tutor describes as "self-imposed." From six o'clock in the morning to one in the afternoon, and on two days of the week till two o'clock, there was continuous work, excepting, of course, the time required for breakfast. From one to six was given up to outdoor exercises and recreation, dinner, etc.; and the day

* See pages 175, and 176.

† See Chap. XIV.

concluded with two hours' more work, from six to eight.

It must not be supposed, however, that this programme was strictly carried into effect. It will be seen from the Memorandum how much their tutor complained of the interruptions caused by the frequent changes of residence, and by the system of breakfasting in the open air at different places, and sometimes at a considerable distance from home; but as a scheme of study laid down by the young Prince himself, and, as far as was possible, adhered to, it may well command our admiration. It may also be remarked that, though their tutor in this paper seems only to lament the interruption occasioned to their studies, he elsewhere mentions the frequent changes of residence as "advantageous rather than otherwise, and as tending to encourage the habit of observation and to enlarge their minds."

The Memorandum is as follows:

"In May, 1823, when I first undertook the care and education of Prince Albert, he was still so young and little that he willingly allowed me to carry him up and down stairs.

"Every grace had been showered by nature on this charming boy. Every eye rested on him with delight, and his look won the hearts of all. I thus entered enthusiastically upon the discharge of my important task, the more so that I met with the entire confidence of his parents a confidence never impaired or withdrawn from the beginning to the end of the Prince's education. To the confidence thus reposed in me the success of my labors was mainly due, for without it no uniform plan

could have been followed, no certain system observed, but differences of opinion, and an uncertain and fluctua. ting course of education would inevitably have followed.

"Difficulties indeed there were which showed themselves at the very outset, and, but for the love and confidence with which the young princes attached themselves from the first to their tutor, the peculiar circumstances of the time would doubtless have exercised a pernicious influence.

"Among these difficulties was the partiality shown in the treatment of the children by their mother. Endowed with brilliant qualities, handsome, clever, and witty, possessed of eloquence and of a lively and fervid imagination, Duchess Louise was wanting in the essential qualifications of a mother. She made no attempt to conceal that Prince Albert was her favorite child. He was handsome, and bore a strong resemblance to herself. He was, in fact, her pride and glory. The influence of this partiality upon the minds of the children might have been most injurious; and to this was added the unfortunate differences which soon followed, and by which the peace of the family was disturbed; differences that, gradually increasing, led to a separation between the duke and duchess in 1824, and a divorce in 1826.

"It is a satisfaction to me to reflect that these sad events did not interfere permanently with the happiness of my beloved pupils, and that with the cheerfulness and entire innocence of childhood, they retained their respectful and obedient love for their parents.

"Thus deprived of a mother's love and care, the children necessarily depended more entirely on that shown