BOOKS.

THE LIFE OF PRINCE CHRISTIAN VICTOR.*

THE Memoir of Prince Christian Victor, which Mr. Warren has compiled with such sympathy and skill, was worth writing,

if only to show how far Monarchical institutions can be recon- ciled with the essentially democratic character of our social system. Prince Christian was a keen and capable soldier who had seen active service in Egypt, India, West and South Africa, he was the grandson of the Queen, and yet he only held the rank of Brevet-Major at the time of his death, when he was thirty-three years of age. Such a record is an excel-

lent answer to those who hold that promotion in the Army is largely a matter of social influence and aristocratic connec- tions. Indeed, it might be fairly contended that his rank, if it exerted any influence at all on his career, was quite as much

an obstacle as an advantage. His successes were won fairly on his merits. Perhaps the greatest disappointment of his life was his failure to secure a place in the Oxford eleven, a distinction which his fine school record seemed to make a certainty, and to which his subsequent achievements showed that he was fairly entitled. But he failed to do himself justice in the trial matches, and was excluded just like any ordinary undergraduate. He had—to quote a classic phrase—" rank bad luck"; but there is no indication that he ever said so, or com- plained of the decision of the authorities. Indeed, there is

every reason to believe that he was far better pleased to be rejected on his merits than accepted for his rank. He had learned to "play the game," inlhe best sense of the phrase, and continued to do so to the end of the chapter.

Of the Prince's happy childhood at Cumberland Lodge Mr. Warren gives us a charming picture. The child in him was

eminently father to the man ; he was from the very first "distinguished by his perfect straightforwardness, and what goes with straightforwardness, courage" :—

" From his father he learned the three lessons of the Persian- boy of old, to ride, to shoot straight, and to tell the truth ; he learned, also, from him German, and a soldier's tradition. . . . . From his mother he learned sympathy and consideration for all ranks, especially for the humble and poor ; before all, kindness and attention to the old and the sick of whatever station ; and from both courtesy to each and every one, diligence in work,_ order in play, and punctuality in keeping appointments and writing letters."

This estimate is fully borne out by the testimony of his tutors and associates at all stages of his life. Mr. F. W. Bourdillon, who was resident tutor at Cumberland Lodge from 1876-79, speaks of his enviable immunity from the less pleasing weak.

nesses of boyhood, such as greediness, selfishness, or the-desire • Christian Victor: the Story of a Yosiew Soldier. By T. H. Warren, ICA»

Freatdent of Magdalen College, Oxford. London: John Murray. [MA • •

to torment. "He was high-spirited, and had occasional, but rare, fits of boyish passion ; but there was never a trace of meanness, or malice, or unforgivingness in his character. He was readily moved to sympathy by any story of want or suffering, and never cruel to animals, even thoughtlessly."

Perhaps the most interesting part of this record, however, is that which treats of his life at Wellington College. It was an experiment, since he was "the first member of the Royal Family to enter and go through a public school in the ordinary regular way," and it was completely justified by results. He began at the bottom of the ladder, and rose to be successively dormitory prefect, head of his house, a member of the sixth form, and captain of the school eleven. He sub- mitted with perfect loyalty to school restraints and discipline, never gave himself any airs, and, without laying claim to any inhuman excellence of behaviour, was as good and healthy. minded a boy as one could wish to meet. His worst fault seems to have been that at times he was too much interested in games; but he readily responded to any urgent appeal from his parents or masters, and when the time came for his examination for the Army, made enough marks to have easily gained him a creditable place in the open competition. As regards conduct and character, and the sense of his responsi- bilities as prefect and head of the house, the evidence of his masters leaves nothing to be desired. But it is from one of his many school friends, Mr. Croome, that we get the most vivid explanation of the secret of his great personal popularity:

"He was treated from the first and always exactly like an ordinary boy, and expected no other treatment, so much so that many, including the cricket professionals, did not take in who he was. In his first cricket season he was placed on fourth side, and in consequence—it was before the days of Tom Hearne as ground man—he had to play on bad wickets. On these the hard hitter fared best, and the Prince, who was one of the smallest and youngest boys playing, had no chance at that game. Still, he scored a good many runs, because he could 'cut' pretty well even then, and the field was not placed in anticipation of any one making a cut. The other great merit of his batting style was that he never ran away from a ball coming on his legs. In lower- boy games this merit is not without its disadvantages. The bowler appeals whenever he gets one by the bat, and the 'next man in' stands umpire. The batsman only survives an appeal when the umpire's liking for him is greater than his fear of the bowler or his desire to have an innings himself. The Prince survived many appeals."

Even more significant is the tribute to his excellence as captain of the school eleven :— "He had the whole side absolutely under control, because they believed in his judgment, and because his great personal popu- larity made them work for him If he was one of the most successful Captains the school ever had, it was not merely because he made runs himself, but because, firstly, he was on the best of terms with all his side; and secondly, he always took them into the field to win. One secret of his successful captaincy was that he was the last man in the world to spoil another's efficiency by letting him see that he was unpopular. Often in school teams there is a boy to whom the rest of his side grudges runs, and they let him know their feelings. Thus at Wellington in the Prince's time there was a boy in the Eleven, a fine natural cricketer, but with an unfortunate manner. Other boys disliked him and practically told him so, but the Prince, who had better oppor- tunities of judging, stuck up for him, and by example and precept rubbed off his angles and made quite a good chap out of him."

No wcnder that the Prince made many friends at school, and kept them throughout his life.

The fine qualities of his nature, which took a characteristic impress from the best influences of a public-school training„ only ripened and developed in the subsequent phases of his career. At Oxford it was characteristic of him that he declined to join the fashionable Bullingdon Club, feeling much more at home at Vincent's amongst his cricketing and athletic friends. As a soldier he served successively in both the Black Mountain Campaigns, in Ashanti, at Omdurman, and right through the trying phase of the operations of Natal, and won golden opinions not only for his courage and coolness in action, but for his unfailing cheerfulness, his readiness to undertake any task assigned to him, his business- like ways, and his consideration for his men. His good sense and prescience are attested by his pregnant comments on the relative values of musketry and drill, and he was—so Captain Percy Scott says—one of the first to recognise the efficacy of heavy long-range guns in the field. .He mixed on friendly terms, without affectation or condescension, with all sorts and con-

ditions of men, and corresponded with equal regularity with the Queen and a non-commissioned officer.

With his excellent natural abilities, his varied experience of active service, and his aptitude for administrative work, Prince Christian Victor seemed destined for high distinction in the calling which he had followed with unobtrusive but single. minded devotion for some twelve years. But though it was ordained otherwise, and an attack of enteric carried him off at Pretoria in October, 1900, he deserved as well of his country as if he had fallen in any of the numerous actions in which he bore himself with such imperturbable calm. He was buried where he died, in deference to the wish expressed to his mother each time before he went on active service ;—"If anything happens to me, please don't have me brought home. It is so unfair on the men if the officers are brought home, as they have to be left out. What's good enough for the men is good enough for me." The last sentence might be taken as the motto of this blameless, unselfish life, now worthily recorded by Mr. Warren, who has handled the valuable materials supplied by the Prince's family with the skill of a literary artist and the affection of a friend.