keenest conception of the moral responsibilities of the Sovereign.

This was the atmosphere in which King Edward's boyhood passed. His father's German blood and upbringing lent to his character and activities a thoroughness which in most Englishmen is lacking. This thoroughness was never more manifest than in his watchful care over the education of the Prince of Wales. It is almost painful to look back upon the days and nights of worry and anxiety spent by the Queen and the Prince over the minutest details of the physical, intellectual and moral training of their children, and especially of their eldest son. Nothing-not the smallest thing-was left to chance. The Prince of Wales was not only a part, but in some respects the most significant part of that great trust which had been committed to these two young Sovereigns by the Almighty. Some day he would be the King. It was a terrible, a haunting thought, and it was never through long years absent from the minds of his father and mother. Not a week, not a day, not an hour of the time of this precious youth could safely or properly be wasted. Other lads might occasionally run loose in the spring time, and for other boys it might be legitimate to plunge into the region of romance. But for this boy the pages even of Sir Walter Scott were closed, and he must concentrate, ever concentrate upon 'modern languages,' upon history,' upon the sciences,' in short, upon laying solidly the intellectual and moral foundations which, in the eyes of his conscientious and high-minded father, alone could safely bear the mighty superstructure of the Throne. Daily, almost hourly, the Queen and the Prince kept watch and ward over those entrusted with the care of their son. Within the walls of Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle letters and notes constantly passed, and have been carefully and elaborately preserved. They record the Queen's anxious solicitude that no boyish longing for excitement should interfere with the Prince's' adherence to and perseverance in the plan both of studies and life' laid down by his father, and the untiring efforts of his tutors to maintain the strict regimen imposed upon them and their charge.

When the Prince of Wales was fifteen he was given

a moderate allowance-a sum which would probably be thought mean by many an Eton boy in these plutocratic days-out of which he found his own hats and ties and the small trifles indispensable to a boy's toilet, and for which he accounted to the Queen. It was the first step along the road to independence. The next step was the 'privilege' to choose his own dress (but not to pay for it), a freedom accorded by the Queen with some misgiving. 'Dress' (she writes) 'is a trifling matter which ought not to be raised to too much importance in our own eyes. But it gives also the one outward sign from which people in general can and often do judge upon the internal state of mind and feeling of a person, for this they all see, whilst the other they cannot see. On that account it is of some importance, particularly in persons of high rank. I must now say that we do not wish to control your own taste and fancies, which, on the contrary, we wish you to indulge and develop, but we do expect that you will never wear anything extravagant or slang, not because we don't like it, but because it would prove a want of self-respect and be an offence against decency, leading -as it has often done before in others-to an indifference to what is morally wrong. It would do you much harm by giving the impression to others that you belonged to the foolish and worthless persons who are distinguished and known by such dresses. Don't believe that I say this because we do not trust your doing what is right in this respect, but to show you at the outset where the right and wrong lies, in order that you may clearly see it and never be in doubt about your choice.

'We have such confidence in your good and right and dutiful feelings that we feel certain that you will never abuse the confidence which we place in you by giving you this power --and that you will ever understand that, to receive and seek the advice of those one loves and respects in no way lessens one's independence.'

At no time in his life did King Edward in reality require this excellent counsel. His instincts were always true. As a child he disliked brilliant colours, and detested a certain poplin' frock in which he was painted by Winterhalter.

Those who knew him in later years were always conscious of his strong liking for neatness and order. These qualities were in his view kingly attributes as

essential as punctuality. His rooms were a model of tidiness. If anything was out of place he put it straight, and neither books, papers, nor any things of his were ever left in disorder. Nothing was more noticeable in him, and sometimes the fact has been lightly spoken of, than his careful and quick eye for irregularity in dress. Superficial and priggish minds have thought it a failing, indicative of a narrow intelligence, which it sometimes accompanies, although no detail ever escaped the eyes of Napoleon or Frederick the Great. In point of fact, the King's own dress throughout his life was a pattern of neatness, and he exacted similar care from others. Subconsciously he carried out the precepts of the Queen and the Prince, and though he can hardly have remembered his father's definite and well-reasoned ideas upon this, as upon all matters which concerned the character and demeanour of his children, yet they bore fruit in later years, and no one lived up to or demanded from others a higher standard of decorum than King Edward. To him it was the external token denoting the inner man, orderliness of mind, observation and carefulness, without vulgarity and without display.

On his birthday in 1858, among the gifts which the Prince of Wales received was the following memorandum signed by the Queen and by the Prince. He was just seventeen, he had been appointed a colonel in the Army, and the Order of the Garter had been bestowed on him by his mother and Sovereign.

Memorandum.

(The Queen and Prince, for the Prince of Wales.)

"The period at which you have arrived will make an important change in your position. Mr Gibbs, who has watched your childhood, will leave you, you receive rank in that most honourable profession, the British Army-enter into the confraternity of the selected few who wear St George's Cross on their shoulder as members of the Order of the Garter in token "of the Christian fight which they mean to sustain with the temptations and difficulties of this transient life"-and you are placed under the supervision and guidance of a Governor selected from among the members of the aristocracy and the superior officers of the Army.

What has been asked hitherto from you to be done for your education by the tutor to whom you were responsible will be demanded henceforth as a duty, for the due performance of which you will be answerable to yourself and to your parents, whose express wishes will be indicated and interpreted to you by the Governor.

Life is composed of duties, and in the due, punctual and cheerful performance of them the true Christian, true soldier, and true gentleman is recognised.

'You will in future have rooms allotted to your sole use, in order to give you an opportunity of learning how to occupy yourself unaided by others and to utilise your time in the best manner, viz.: such time as may not be otherwise occupied by lessons, by the different tasks which will be given to you by your director of studies, or reserved for exercise and recreation. A new sphere of life will open for you, in which you will have to be taught what to do and what not to do, a subject requiring study more important than any in which you have hitherto been engaged. For it is a subject of study and the most difficult one of your life, how to become a good man and a thorough gentleman.

The Equerries will take and receive their orders from the Governor. You will never leave the house without reporting yourself to him, and he will settle who is to accompany you, and will give general directions as to the disposition of the day.

'Your personal allowance will be increased; but it is expected that you will carefully order your expenditure so as to remain strictly within the bounds of the sum allowed to you, which will be amply sufficient for your general requirements.

To the servants and those below you, you will always be courteous and kind, remembering that by having engaged to serve you in return for certain money payments, they have not surrendered their dignity which belongs to them as brother men and brother Christians. You will try to emancipate yourself as much as possible from the thraldom of abject dependence for your daily wants of life on your servants. The more you can do for yourself and the less you need their help, the greater will be your independence and real comfort.

"The Church Catechism has enumerated the duties which you owe to God and your neighbour-let your rule of conduct be always in strict conformity with these precepts, and remember that the first and principal one of all, given us by our Lord and Saviour Himself is this: "that you should love

your neighbour as yourself, and do unto men as you would they should do unto you."

'WINDSOR CASTLE,

'November 9, 1858.'

'(Signed)
'(Signed)

V. R.

A.

Care for their son's guidance at this critical period of his life was not confined by his parents to personal direction. His companions were selected after endless trouble and consultation with men in the higher spheres of education and of social life. The Prime Minister was not excluded from these deliberations, and indeed there was no important occasion during the Prince of Wales's minority when the most capable of her Ministers was not consulted by the Queen before any decision was finally taken affecting the career of the future King.

This was the ever-present idea, the haunting refrain, the dominant consideration, in everything relating to the Prince of Wales. He was not primarily in their view only the eldest son of the Queen. He was the eldest of the Children of England-les enfants d'Angleterre-as their old governess called them; and consequently his education was no private matter. It was a State question of first-rate importance, and merited grave consideration, in the gravest style, by grave statesmen. If boy companions were to be selected for the holidays or for a tour in the Highlands, emissaries were sent to the public schools, and head-masters were taken into counsel. If 'gentlemen' were to be appointed to wait on the Heir to the Crown, endless trouble was taken to see that the best possible choice was made, and that the persons chosen were adequately seized of their responsibility and duties. It is worth while to quote at length one of these 'papers of instruction' in order to show once more the care bestowed upon this precious charge.

Memorandum.

(Confidential: for the guidance of the gentlemen appointed to attend on the Prince of Wales.)

'It appears to be desirable upon the first appointment of the gentlemen to attend upon the Prince of Wales, that their attention should be called to certain points, in which the sphere of their usefulness may be extended beyond the usual