or the improvement in all
classes was never-ending, and from him his wife learnt many lessons
which proved of the greatest value to her in later life when she stood
alone and her husband was no longer there to aid her with his
unfailing wise advice.

A second Exhibition was held in 1862, and so far as decorative art
was concerned there were distinct signs of improvement. 'Art
manufacture' had now become a trade phrase, but manufacturers were
still far from understanding what 'Art' really meant. As an instance
of this, one carpet firm sent a carpet to be used as a hanging on
which Napoleon III is depicted presenting a treaty of Commerce
to the Queen. Particular attention had apparently been paid to the
'shine' on Napoleon's top boots and to the Queen's smile!

The Prince's great wish was to restore to the workman his pride in
the work of his hands, to relieve the daily toil of some of its
irksomeness by the interest thus created in it, and, where the work
was of a purely mechanical nature, and individual skill and judgment
were not called for, he wished the worker to understand the
principles upon which the machine was built and the ingenuity with
which it worked.

His schemes for the building and equipment of Museums of Science and
Art were arranged with the purpose in view that both rich and
poor should have equal opportunities of seeing what improvements had
been made throughout the ages, and how vast and far-reaching the
effects of such improvements were on the lives of the whole nation.

It was under his direction that the pictures in the National Gallery
were first arranged in such a manner as to show the history and
progress of art. In his own words: "Our business is not so much to
create, as to learn to appreciate and understand the works of others,
and we can never do this till we have realized the difficulties to
be overcome. Acting on this principle myself, I have always tried
to learn the rudiments of art as much as possible. For instance, I
learnt oil-painting, water-colours, etching, lithography, etc., and
in music I learnt thorough bass, the pianoforte, organ, and
singing--not, of course, with a view of doing anything worth looking
at or hearing, but simply to enable me to judge and appreciate the
works of others."

It is interesting to note how closely the views of the Prince agreed
with those of John Ruskin in matters of art and literature. Ruskin
declared that it was the greatest misfortune of th