A Nation's Loss.

should not in any way connect himself with any party in the State , the Prince abstained from becoming a Mason ; Sir Robert , who was not a Mason , evidently having formed an erroneous impression of our Order , and not being aware how studiously Ereemasons , as such , keep themselves aloof from politics .

In 1844 , Prince Albert was made an LL . D . of Cambridge University ; and , in 1847 , on the death of the Duke of Northumberland , elected Chancellor of the same University , a- position which he continued to hold until the time of his death .

Prince Albert was styled by royal warrant of June 25 , 1857 , " Prince Consort , " to give him precedence inforeign Courts . He was allowed the title of " Royal Highness " 6 th Eebruary , 1840 ; was appointed Eield-Marshal Sth Pebruary , 1840 ; was Colonel of the 11 th Hussars from 30 th April , 1840 , to 26 th April , 1842 ; Colonel of the

Scots' Fusiliers from April , 1842 , to September , 1852 ; Colonel-in-Chief of the 60 th Rifles from August , 1850 , to September , 1852 ; was nominated C ' oIonel-in-Chief of the Rifle Brigade , and Colonel of the Grenadier Guards , September 29 , 1842 ; Grand Ranger of Windsor Park , 1841 ; Knight of the Golden Fleece of Spain , 1841 ;

Grand Master of the Order of the Bath , 1843 ; Governor of Windsor Castle , 1843 ; Lord Warden of the Stannaries , 1842 ; High Steward of Plymouth , 1843 ; Master of the Trinity House , 1852 ; President of the Zoological Society , 1850 ; of the Horticultural Society , 1858 ; of the British Association , 1859 ; and Knig ht of

the Seraphim ( of Sweden ) , 1856 . By the peculiar position in which his Royal Highness was placed as the consort of a Queen reigning over a nation , the people of which are ever sensitively jealous of their constitutional privileges being interfered with by

foreigners , he had from the time of his marriage with the Queen , and especially after the death of the Duke of Sussex , a very difficult task to perform , that of giving to her Majesty sound aud constitutional advice , whilst he abstained from interfering with politics or identifying himself with either party in the state ; and it says much

for the Prince ' s acumen and good sense that one of his first acts upon coming to England was to engage the services of an eminent Queens' Counsel to teach him the constitutional law of his adopted country . How well His Royal Highness has kept himself from politics and party strife is now generally acknowledged , though

there was a short time , about 1853 and the beginning of 1854 , when his popularity suffered a temporary eclipse in consequence of some supposed interference with the changes in administrations , and his desire to become Coniraander-in-Chief of the army , industriously circulated by what is called the extreme

liberal section of the press ; and on the opening of Parliament 'in 1854 , his Royal Highness was very unfavourably received hy the crowd . The result was that the Prince ' s conduct was ably vindicated by Lord Derby and Lord Aberdeen iu the House of Lords , and Lord John Russell and Mr . Walpole in the House of

Commons , and the quiet and unobtrusive conduct of his Royal Highness himself soon lived down his temporary unpopularity , and from that time not a word has been whispered against his Royal Highness . But if the Prince was debarred from taking any revy

active part in politics , he soon found that there was a large field of usefulness in other , and to him congenial , pursuits— -the promotion of the arts and sciences , and above all the social improvement of the position of the people-, and model lodging-houses and model farms

found no wanner fi-iend , not only in words but in munificent acts , than in his Royal Highness Prince Albert . He was attached to agriculture , and as an intelligent practical agriculturist was a very successful exhibitor at the Smithfield Club shows , the last of which under his presidency closed only a few hours before his death . His model farm at Windsor is understood to

have been profitably managed under his direction , and has been a subject of great curiosity to every foreigner of distinction who visited this country , whilst it has excited the admiration of some of our most eminent practical agriculturists . As a patron of art and science his Royal Highness

was deservedly held in the highest esteem ; his judgment of painting being derived from a thorough practical acquaintance with the art , and his acquirements in science being such as to win the approbation of our leading scientific men , our Owens and Earadays , whose

friendship he was proud to enjoy . Indeed he was probably more gratified at his selection as President of the British Association in 1859 than of many of his orders , and his official address was regarded by his colleagues and the public as most admirable . The Prince ' s speeches were collected in 1857 , on the suggestion of Lord Ashburton ,

and published under the auspices of the Society of Arts ; Lord Ashburton having remarked that the Prince had done his best " to induce the tired mechanic to study

beyond the hours of rest , by assigning to science and high art their due place in the hierarchy of society , by encouraging the scientific institution ( of the Society of Arts ) , and by himself attending its meetings . " His Royal Highness first spoke at length in public on May 18 , 1848 , on the improvement of the condition of the

labouring classes , and insisted that the interests of all classes were identical , and the writer of this notice , who was present , as indeed he has been upon most of the occasions when his Royal Highness has appeared in public life , well recollects the impression which he made by the clearness and terseness of his argument—the ease of his

delivery—and the mastery which he appeared to have acquired over the language , although to the last , he always spoke with a slightly foreign accent . The next year ( May 16 ) he eloquently pleaded the cause of the domestic servants out of place . His speeches

at the Royal Agricultural Society of York ( July 13 , 1848 ) , at laying the first stone of Great Grimsby Docks ( April 18 , 1849 ) , at Merchant Taylors' Hall ( June 11 , 1849 ) , and on presenting colours to the Royal Welsh