Read Online Censoring Queen Victoria by Yvonne M. Ward - Free Book Online

decipher the handwriting and idiosyncratic expressions of multiple people, from letters held in tightly bound volumes.
    Dr Eugene Oswald was hired as a researcher. After Benson’s first meeting with Oswald, he reported to Esher that although he found Oswald to be ‘discreet, cautious and competent … I think he is rather an old slow-coach. However, I will spur him on.’ A fortnight later he wrote in his diary, ‘Dr O. is my bugbear just now. What I want is a rapid searcher who will frisk out a few salient extracts; but he goes fumbling along.’ Later, Benson found he needed more particular assistance: for German and French translations he consulted two experts, Mr C.C. Perry and Mr G. Hua, and to check all the ‘ historical statements’ he chose a ‘shining light of Modern History at Cambridge’, J.W. Headlam. Each of these appointments had ultimately to be authorised by the King.
    In February 1904, Benson visited Esher in London, hoping to get the work underway. They decided the thing to do was ‘simply to attack the papers and find out what they are’. The next day, Benson was taken to Windsor and given a key to the ‘strong room’. Work was finally to begin. Neither Benson nor Esher, however, recorded any firm decisions concerning topics to be included or excluded.
    Over the first days, Benson’s spirit dipped and soared. He began to regret accepting the job, lamenting that he was now ‘more tied down than ever’. Benson was given to hypochondria and disliked uncertainty and lack of routine. In anticipation of hard work, he had taken a holiday in Cambridge after Christmas before coming to Windsor; when he found he was unable to begin, he was downcast. ‘I am (not unnaturally) rather depressed & miserable just now … I want to get settled into regular ways … I seem to have no end of small ailments.’ Three days later his enthusiasm was restored. He went to the castle and found that his room had been prepared for him. He was captivated by the ‘quaint’ interior of the Tower:
    â€¦ odd passages with oak arches and an area of open space in the centre … My own room is a big room hung with Hogarth engravings and good furniture – a white chair with pink satin on wheels was used by the Queen . I did not use [the room] today as it was not ready, but worked in the strong room and went through an interesting volume of Melbourne’s letters – beginning with one on the morning of the Accession. His writing is very hard to read. It was odd to sit in this big room, all surrounded with shelves, with the deep embrasure filled with ferns … The wind roared and the rain lashed the windows. I was amused and happy.
    Although the next day was Saturday, he hurried back to read more of Melbourne’s letters. However, Sunday brought
    a very bad hour of despair on waking, about the book. I had roughly catalogued the volumes on Saturday and found that there were about 460 ! and out of this we are to make quite a little book.
Que faire!
And how am I to know what is interesting and what is not – However my course is at present: to go ploughing on with the papers & then decide.
    Benson found himself enjoying the view from the Tower, especially of the Long Walk with its row of elms, and he sketched it in his diary. He even felt that he began to ‘see the light – to issue a volume at a time, and to cut out a definite subject. It is the thing to do. Hope returns.’
    Benson’s mood swings – from confusion to despair and then resolve – were in direct contrast to Esher’s steady character. Benson’s resolutions frequently had little chance of success, being ill formed and premature, and therefore doomed to lead to further despair. Throughout the editing process, Benson would ‘get a rush of blood,’ confident that the task was nearing completion, only to be confronted with some new obstacle.