The Duke of Cumberland, on the other hand, suffered a corresponding eclipse:  his claws had been pared by the Reform Act.  He grew insignificant and almost harmless, though his ugliness remained; he was the wicked uncle still—­but only of a story.

The Duchess’s own liberalism was not very profound.  She followed naturally in the footsteps of her husband, repeating with conviction the catchwords of her husband’s clever friends and the generalisations of her clever brother Leopold.  She herself had no pretensions to cleverness; she did not understand very much about the Poor Law and the Slave Trade and Political Economy; but she hoped that she did her duty; and she hoped—­she ardently hoped—­that the same might be said of Victoria.  Her educational conceptions were those of Dr. Arnold, whose views were just then beginning to permeate society.  Dr. Arnold’s object was, first and foremost, to make his pupils “in the highest and truest sense of the words, Christian gentlemen,” intellectual refinements might follow.  The Duchess felt convinced that it was her supreme duty in life to make quite sure that her daughter should grow up into a Christian queen.  To this task she bent all her energies; and, as the child developed, she flattered herself that her efforts were not unsuccessful.  When the Princess was eleven, she desired the Bishops of London and Lincoln to submit her daughter to an examination, and report upon the progress that had been made.  “I feel the time to be now come,” the Duchess explained, in a letter obviously drawn up by her own hand, “that what has been done should be put to some test, that if anything has been done in error of judgment it may be corrected, and that the plan for the future should be open to consideration and revision...  I attend almost always myself every lesson, or a part; and as the lady about the Princess is a competent person, she assists Her in preparing Her lessons, for the various masters, as I resolved to act in that manner so as to be Her Governess myself.  When she was at a proper age she commenced attending Divine Service regularly with me, and I have every feeling that she has religion at Her heart, that she is morally impressed with it to that degree, that she is less liable to error by its application to her feelings as a Child capable of reflection.”  “The general bent of Her character,” added the Duchess, “is strength of intellect, capable of receiving with ease, information, and with a peculiar readiness in coming to a very just and benignant decision on any point Her opinion is asked on.  Her adherence to truth is of so marked a character that I feel no apprehension of that Bulwark being broken down by any circumstances.”  The Bishops attended at the Palace, and the result of their examination was all that could be wished.  “In answering a great variety of questions proposed to her,” they reported, “the Princess displayed an accurate knowledge of the most important features of Scripture