The rulers of the earth are not always happily mated. Many a match is made solely on diplomatic grounds. The question is not asked, Do the parties love each other? but, Will it strengthen certain dynasties? The marriageable monarchs of Europe are limited in their choice of a wife or husband to a small circle. And among this small circle, but a very few can be selected on political grounds. These heartless alliances produce a world of woe. Think of Napoleon's sweet Josephine, from whom, as he says, "The political interests of my monarchy," required him to be separated. She had to listen to the reading of the articles, annulling their marriage contract, "while the warm tears fell like rain from her quivering lids." Not for the loss of a crown did she weep, but because she was spurned from a heart that had won her own-spurned that her lawful husband might the more successfully gratify his greed for dominion. If any one would have an idea of the hollowness of many royal marriages, let him read the history of Henry VIII, who had six wives; one he executed, from four he was divorced, and Catharine Parr survived him.

Victoria married from love. Some of the monarchs of Europe tried to secure a husband for her, against which efforts her heart secretly rebelled. So ardently did she love Prince Albert, that, as she is said repeatedly to have declared, she would never have married any one else. Although Albert was very greatly her inferior in rank, she often fretted that he had to sacrifice so much in becoming the husband of the Queen of England. On his first visit to England she says in her diary, that "he was already very handsome, but very stout. He was most amiable, natural, unaffected, and merry, full of interest in everything-playing on the piano with the princess, his cousin." She well remembers "how intently he listened to a sermon preached in St. Paul's." It is indeed rare to see a prince, not yet seventeen years of age, bestowing such earnest attention on a sermon. Perhaps she could hardly have said as much for herself. Her attention to Albert's devotion would scarcely have allowed this.

Three years later Albert and his brother paid the queen a second visit. It seems their baggage came late. She says; "Their clothes not having arrived, they could not appear at dinner, but came in after, in spite of their morning dresses." On this visit the queen proposed to Albert. Her rank as the Sovereign of England, made it necessary that the usual order of "popping the question" should be reversed. Think of a modest blushing maiden, a princess or queen though she be, proposing marriage to her friend. To many a timid lover, it would be a great relief to have this delicate duty performed by his lady love.

On a certain day during this visit, Albert was out hunting. On his return at noon, the queen invited him to her room, where he found her alone. After a few minutes conversation on other subjects, perhaps so as not to reveal her love too abruptly, she told him why he had been sent for, doubtless meanwhile blushing beautifully; perhaps even stammering over her studied proposal in awkward broken sentences.

"While the dimple and blush, starting soft to her cheek,
Told the tale that her tongue was too timid to speak."

The manly, chivalrous Albert was easily won.

Wooed he had been,

which was half the battle. Now his tender heart is touched by the sweet breath of articulated love, as is the Eolian lyre touched by the gentle breeze, and responds in melodious sounds. His mute attention must have told her:

If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully;
Or, if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
I'll frown, and be perverse, and say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo, but else not for the world.

The Queen says, that Albert received the offer of her hand without any hesitation, "and with the warmest demonstrations of kindness and affection. How I will strive to make him feel as little as possible the great sacrifice he has made! I told him it was a great sacrifice on his part, but he would not allow it."

At this time, Albert wrote to a friend: "I write to you on one of the happiest days of my life, to give you the most welcome news possible.' After telling what had taken place, he proceeds: "Victoria is so good and kind to me, that I am often at a loss to believe that such affection should be shown me. More or more seriously, I cannot write to you; for that at this moment I am too bewildered."

Das Auge sieht den Himmel offen,

Es schwimmt das Herz in Seligkeit.

The Queen writes to her uncle: "I told Albert this morning of it. The warm affection he showed me on learning this gave me great pleasure. He seems perfection, and I think I have the prospect of very great happiness before me. I love him more than I can say, and shall do everything in my power to render this sacrifice as small as I can. These last few days have passed like a dream to me, and I am so much bewildered by it all, that I know hardly how to write, but I do feel very happy. I wish to keep the dear young gentleman here till the end of next month."

To his grandmother Albert writes: "Dear Grandmamma :-I tremble as I take up my pen; for I cannot but fear, that what I am about to tell you, will at the same time raise a thought which can not be otherwise than painful to you, and oh! which is very much so to me also, namely that of parting." In similar language he writes to his mother, showing his pious filial affection. For when he united himself with Victoria, he had to part from home and parents. He adds:

The Queen sent for me alone to her room, a few days ago, and declared to me, in a genuine outburst of love and affection, that I had gained her whole heart, and would make her intensely happy, if I would make her the sacrifice of sharing her life with her; for she said she looked on it as a sacrifice; the only thing which troubled her was that she did not think she was worthy of me. The joyous openness of manner, in which she told me this, quite enchanted me, and I was quite carried away by it. Since that moment Victoria does whatever she fancies I should wish or like, and we talk together a great deal about our future life, which she

promises me to make as happy as possible. Oh, the future! Does it not bring with it the moment, when I shall have to take leave of my dear, dear home, and of you?

"It was on the 15th of October, that Victoria made me this declaration, and I have hitherto shrunk from telling you; but how does delay better the matter? I ask you to give me your grandmotherly blessing in this important and decisive step in my life; it will be a talisman to me against all the storms the future may have in store for me."

All this seems beautifully natural. There is no concealment or affectation. Just like ordinary mortals do these royal lovers woo, win, and wed. And they, too, must experience, that "the course of true love never runs smooth." Albert writes: "You know how matters stood when I last saw you here. After that the sky was darkened more and more. The Queen declared to my uncle of Belgium, that she wished the affair to be considered as broken off, and for four years she could think of no marriage. I went, therefore, with the quiet, but firm resolution, to declare on my part, that I also, tired of the delay, withdrew entirely from the affair. It was not, however, thus ordained by Providence; for the second day after our arrival, the most friendly demonstrations were directed towards me, and two days later I was secretly called to a private audience, in which the Queen offered me her hand and heart. The strictest secrecy was required. It was only at our departure, that I could communicate my engagement to my mother."

On the morning of his wedding day, Albert wrote the following tender lines:

"Dear Grandmamma :-In less than three hours I shall stand before the altar with my dear bride. In these solemn moments I must once more ask your blessing, which I am well assured I shall receive, and which will be my safeguard and my future joy. I must end. God help me. Ever your faithful GRANDSON."

Their marriage ceremonies were attended with all the parade and pomp usual at royal weddings. The ceremony was performed at St. James' chapel. The reporter of the occasion says: "Victoria was enthusiastically cheered as she passed through the crowd, with which she seemed highly gratified; but her countenance was extremely pale, and appeared to betoken considerable anxiety." "As the Prince moved along, he was greeted with loud clapping of hands from the gentlemen, and enthusiastic waving of handkerchiefs from the assembled ladies. He wore the uniform of a field-marshal in the British Army. Over his shoulder was hung the Collar of the Garter, surmounted by two white rosettes. His appearance was attractive and much improved since his arrival on Saturday, and with his pale and pensive looks, he won golden opinions from the fair coterie, near which we were sitting. Albert walked up the aisle, carrying a book in his right hand, repeatedly bowing to the peers in the body of the chapel, and took a seat on the left of the altar. Afterwards came Victoria with her royal attendants. She walked up the aisle, followed by her train-bearers; after kneeling on her foot stool, and performing her private devotion, she sat down in her chair of state."

"After the lapse of a few seconds, her Majesty rose and advanced with

his Royal Highness, Prince Albert, to the communion table, where the Archbishop of Canterbury immediately commenced reading the service in the following words:

"Albert, wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness, and in health; and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

In a firm tone he replied, "I will.”

"Victoria, wilt thou have Albert to be thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep in sickness, and in health, and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

In a firm voice, and a tone audible in all parts of the chapel, she replied, "I will."

The Archbishop then said, "Who giveth this woman to this man?" The Duke of Essex, who occupied a seat on the left of her Majesty, now advanced, and taking her hand said, "I do.”

The Archbishop then laid hold of her hand, and pressing it in that of her bridegroom, pronounced these words, which Albert repeated aloud after him:

"I, Albert, take thee, Victoria, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I plight thee my troth."

Victoria repeated the same formula, with the corresponding change of a few words referring to herself and Albert.

The Archbishop then took a plain gold ring from Albert, and placing it on the fourth finger of Victoria's right hand, returned it to his Royal Highness. Albert put it on his finger, repeating these words after the Archbishop: "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."

While they remained standing, the Archbishop prayed as follows:

"O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life, send Thy blessing upon these Thy servants, Victoria and Albert, whom we bless in Thy name, that as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made (whereof this ring, given and received, is a token and pledge), and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together, and live according to Thy laws, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen."

"Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." After this, the park and tower guns fired a salute, and the Archbishop concluded the services.

A series of festivities followed the marriage ceremonies, in which Albert's father, the Duke of Coburg, and his brother Ernest, took part. Their departure for home was a painful trial to Albert. He told Victoria that she "had never known a father (her's died when she was an infant),

and could, therefore, not feel what he did. His childhood had been very happy." He said: "Ernest was now the only one remaining here of all his earliest ties and recollections; but if she continued to love him as she did now, she could make up for all." He rarely shed tears, yet when two of his intimate friends, Alvensleben and Kolowrath, who had accompanied him to his wedding, left him, they cried so much that he was quite

overcome.

Victoria says: "Oh, how I did feel for my dearest, precious husband at this moment! Father, brother, friends, country-all has he left, and all for me; God grant that I may be the happy person, the most happy person, to make this dearest, blessed being happy and contented. is in my power to make him happy, I will do."

What

And a blessed and blessing wife she was to Albert. Both were born in the same year, (1819). Their marriage was blessed with sons and daughters. How her oldest daughter was espoused, Victoria tells us in her Journal (September 29, 1855):

"Our dear Victoria was this day engaged to Prince Frederick William, of Prussia, who had been on a visit to us since the 14th. He had already spoken to us on the 20th of his wishes; but we were uncertain on account of her extreme youth, whether he should speak to her himself, or wait till he came back again. However, we felt it was better he should do so. And during our ride up Craig-na-Ban, this afternoon, he picked a piece of white heather (the emblem of good luck), which he gave to her, and this enabled him to make an allusion to his hopes and wishes, as they rode down Glen Girnoch, which led to this happy conclusion."

Indeed, the self-forgetting devotion of this goodly, godly Queen to her Albert, is a touching instance of sincere affection. She looks up to him as her superior. All he does seems perfect to her loving eye. They read their letters to each other, and she thinks Albert reads his so beautifully. Edinburg derives for her, new charms, from Albert's opinion; who, though "he had seen so much," found it "unlike anything he ever saw." In his absence she feels sad. In his presence all is joy. Her arrival at Dartmoor Forest is hailed with applause. Yet she says, "I feel so shy and put out without Albert." Returning from the chase, her loving eye sees that he is "dreadfully sunburnt and a good deal tired." Thus most tenderly she speaks to herself about her Albert, as her heart finds record in her journal.

This Victoria we take to be a royal woman, in the highest and most humane sense, with a heart that is an honor to her sex. A lady she is, worthy to be crowned as the Queen of womankind. Indeed, to the women of England she is a model woman, wife, and mother, whose beautiful life thousands of the gentler sex are aiming to imitate. The nurseries of Britain abound with sweet stories from the life of the Queen mother, and to England's daughters she is evermore commended as the loveliest living exemplar of their sex.

A PARADOX.-The further a man advances in Christianity, the more he secs of the ignorance, selfish baseness, and corruption of mankind; and yet the more he loves them. The wisdom from above cannot account for this seeming impossibility.