The Shadow of Great Britain

In conclusion, it’s about telling students to behave and not cause trouble; the free constitution of Hanover is already being drafted.

However, he never imagined that his lecture notes had already made their way to Bonn University and were even quoted by Professor Fichte in class.

Now, Sir Arthur’s long-bowed spine in the field of natural philosophy finally stood tall in the social sciences.

Albert, seeing Arthur scratching his head in embarrassment, not only didn’t laugh out loud but seriously took out a small notebook from his pocket, which he carried as a personal study journal.

”You may not remember, but I once jotted down a sentence from your lecture notes: ’Security is not the goal of governance but the premise of legitimacy.’ In Professor Fichte’s philosophy class, we often discuss the source of state power: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau... Everyone can recite them fluently. But I’ve always felt that their theories each have flaws, either being too abstract and rational or lacking a real understanding of how institutions operate.”

At this point, Albert paused: ”But you suggested that institutional legitimacy must be built upon the unity of ethical authority and legal justice, using England’s 1689 Bill of Rights and the 1679 Habeas Corpus Act as examples. I always thought Britain’s constitutional system relied on customs and gentlemanly agreements, but you made me realize that it was actually a consensual ethical framework gradually established over hundreds of years.”

Seeing Albert intending to continue, Sir Arthur Hastings, now on par with Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, quickly raised a hand to interrupt: ”It seems my lecture notes... have spread wider than I expected. But if you are really interested, perhaps when I return to London, I can organize the relevant lecture notes and mail them to your residence.”

Albert, hearing this, promptly nodded in agreement: ”Then I’d be grateful to you.”

Arthur, hearing that the young man genuinely wanted it, was a bit unsure if he was truly interested or just being polite, so he simply changed the topic: ”However, Prince Albert, philosophy is, after all, an abstruse thing, and merely reading books can easily lead to armchair theorizing. I’m curious, apart from reading and attending lectures, what else do you do? Don’t get me wrong; I’m not testing your extracurricular achievements; I just want to know what you genuinely love.”

Albert had obviously not expected Arthur to ask him this, especially since Uncle Leopold had reminded him yesterday that Sir Arthur was no romanticist and exuded practicality from inside out.

It’s said that this former police officer once set a Scotland Yard record for working two consecutive months without a day off.

How could such a workaholic be interested in leisurely pursuits?

Moreover, even entertainment and leisure have to yield achievements in Sir Arthur’s eyes.

You see, the man can play the piano so well that it became all the rage in London; he can study electromagnetism to the point of becoming Faraday’s protégé; even his casual writing of the Hastings Case Files stirred a trend among the British middle class.

For a moment, Albert was at a loss for words, but he still answered honestly: ”Well... I usually practice a bit of violin and enjoy sketching, though I’m not very good at it and usually only dare to draw flowers or corners of buildings. As for sports, I would ride horses and row boats while in Coburg, and try skiing in the winter, although attending school in Bonn gives me fewer opportunities. At school, I’m mainly involved in the fencing club.”

At this point, Albert, worried about being looked down upon by Arthur, added: ”I know these might not sound like traditional gentlemanly training subjects, but I do enjoy the quieter things... I guess it’s perhaps due to my mother’s influence when I was young.”

”Not necessarily.” Arthur’s tone lightened somewhat as he switched hands holding the cane: ”How many kings haven’t decided on taxation while pruning in the garden? I would say being able to peacefully draw an orchid or play a piece on the violin at least shows that you’re not someone who acts rashly.”

Receiving Arthur’s recognition, Albert’s tension unwound a bit, and he spoke shyly: ”But... even during summer vacations, I insist on learning something every day. Uncle Leopold arranged for Mr. Adolphe Ketler as my summer tutor.”

”Adolphe Ketler?” Arthur couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing that: ”The gentleman who invented the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale?”

Albert asked: ”You know Mr. Ketler?”

”Yes, I remember he is now the director of the Brussels Observatory, right?” Arthur responded with a smile: ”A few years ago when the British Association for the Advancement of Science was founded in York, I had the pleasure of meeting him at the conference. He is an exceptionally brilliant astronomer and statistician; it was indeed insightful of His Majesty Leopold to appoint him as your tutor.”

At this, Arthur couldn’t resist making a joke: ”If you get the chance to introduce Mr. Ketler’s Body Mass Index to Her Majesty the Queen, who knows, she might realize the importance of controlling appetite.”

Albert understood that Arthur was hinting at him.