giving him lectures on
chemistry in relation to manufactures and, at the close of each special
course, he visits the appropriate manufactory with him so as to explain
its practical application. Dr. Schmitz gives him lectures on Roman
history. Italian, German and French are advanced at the same time; and
three times a week the Prince exercises with the 16th Hussars who are
stationed in the city." It was of this period that Sir Wemyss Reid, in
his biography of Lord Playfair, tells an amusing story. The Prince and
Dr. Playfair were standing near a cauldron containing lead which was
boiling at white heat. "Has Your Royal Highness any faith in science,"
said the Professor and the reply was, "Certainly." The latter then
carefully washed the Prince's hand with ammonia and said:

"Will you now place your hand in this boiling metal and ladle out a
portion of it?"

"Do you tell me to do this?" asked the Prince.

The answer was in the affirmative and the Prince instantly put his hand
into the boiling mass and ladled out some of it without sustaining any
injury. Following this period of study at Edinburgh University came the
celebration of the Prince's nineteenth birthday and a hunting party in
the Highlands. Thence the Prince went to Oxford for a time and was
admitted a member of Christ Church College where he joined freely in the
social life and sports of the institution. On January 16, 1861, after
his return from Canada, he became an under-graduate of Trinity College,
Cambridge, and was allowed, by special favour, to live in a neighbouring
village with his Governor--Colonel Bruce. Here lectures were again given
to the Prince by Canon Kingsley and the young man was kept pretty close
to his studies during the winter of that year. In the summer he went on
military duty in Ireland and the Queen thus recorded in her _Diary_ a
visit paid to him at Curragh on August 26th: "At a little before three
we went to Bertie's hut which is, in fact, Sir George Brown's. It is
very comfortable--a nice little bedroom, sitting-room, drawing-room, and
a good sized dining-room where we lunched, with our whole party. Col.
Percy commands the Guards and Bertie is placed specially under him. I
spoke to him and thanked him for treating Bertie as he did, just like
any other officer, for I know that he keeps him up to his work in a way,
as General Bruce told me, that no one else had done; and yet Bertie
likes him very much."

DEATH OF THE PRINCE CONSO