The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 108

The accounts of poor dear Alexandrine's eyes continue _very bad_; she cannot write at all, or go out, or do anything.

Say everything proper from us to the whole family, and pray believe me, always, your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 93: The Princess Augusta of Cambridge, who was married to Frederic William, afterwards Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in the following June.]

[Pageheading: HISTORICAL STUDIES]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL, _20th October 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs leave respectfully to acknowledge your Majesty's of the 15th inst., which he received here the day before yesterday.

Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that your Majesty is reading with the Prince. Hallam's work[94] certainly requires much consideration and much explanation, but it is a fair, solid, impartial work, formed upon much thought and much reading. St Simon's[95] is an excellent work; he has some prejudices, but was a good honest man, and his book is full of useful information. If your Majesty wishes for a book relating to what pa.s.sed from one hundred to two hundred years ago, Lord Melbourne would strongly recommend the Private Memoirs of the Lord Chancellor Clarendon (Edward Hyde), not the great work, _The History of the Rebellion_, though that is well worth reading, but the _Memoirs_, and Bishop Burnet's History of his own time. The reigns of Charles II., James II., and the Revolution are very curious in the latter. During Queen Anne's reign the Bishop was not so much consulted, and his work is therefore not so interesting. If your Majesty wishes to turn your attention to more recent events, Professor Smyth's[96] lectures upon Modern History, and particularly upon the French Revolution, seem to Lord Melbourne sound, fair, and comprehensive. Lord Mahon's[97] is also a good work, and gives a good account of the reigns of George I. and George II. He has been thought by some in his last volume to have given too favourable a character of the Chevalier, Charles Edward Stuart.

Lord Melbourne is much touched by what your Majesty says of the Princess Royal, and the delight and comfort which your Majesty finds in her, as well as by the whole picture which your Majesty draws of your domestic happiness. When your Majesty refers to what pa.s.sed three years ago, your Majesty may be a.s.sured that it is with no small pleasure that Lord Melbourne recalls any share which he may have had in that transaction, and congratulates himself as well as your Majesty and the Prince upon results which have been so fortunate both for yourselves and for the country. Lord Melbourne ventures to hope that your Majesty will convey these feelings to the Prince, together with the a.s.surance of his respectful remembrance.

[Footnote 94: The _Const.i.tutional History_, published in 1827.]

[Footnote 95: Louis Rouffroy, Duc de Saint-Simon, author of the celebrated _Memoires_, published 1829-30.]

[Footnote 96: William Smyth (1765-1849), Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge.]

[Footnote 97: Afterwards fifth Earl Stanhope: the book referred to is his _History of England from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Versailles_.]

[Pageheading: WALMER CASTLE]

_The Duke of Wellington to Sir Robert Peel._

WALMER CASTLE, _26th October 1842._

MY DEAR PEEL,--Arbuthnot has shown me your letter to him respecting this house.

Nothing can be more convenient to me than to place it at Her Majesty's disposition at any time she pleases....

I am only apprehensive that the accommodation in the Castle would scarcely be sufficient for Her Majesty, the Prince, and the Royal children, and such suite as must attend....

It is the most delightful sea-residence to be found anywhere, particularly for children. They can be out all day, on the ramparts and platforms quite dry, and the beautiful gardens and wood are enclosed and sheltered from the severe gales of wind. There are good lodgings at Walmer village and on Walmer beach at no great distance from the Castle, not above half a mile. Believe me, ever, yours most sincerely,

WELLINGTON.

If the Queen should send anybody here, I beg that he will write me a line, that I may have an apartment prepared for him.

[Pageheading: LETTER FROM QUEEN ADELAIDE]

_Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria._

CANFORD HOUSE, _31st October 1842._

MY DEAREST NIECE,--A thousand thanks for your very kind dear letter of yesterday with its enclosures, which I have just received. Your opinion respecting George of Hanover's[98] marriage is quite my own, and I regret that the King does not seem to be inclined to settle it and fix a day for the celebration of it. I do not know his reasons against it, for I have not heard from him for a long, long time. I am so sorry to find that the accounts of his health are so indifferent, and fear he is not careful enough.

I am happy to hear that you thought the Cambridge visit went off well, and that the affianced[99] looked and seemed happy. I hope it will always be the same, and that the marriage will not be delayed too long. I always had imagined that the Duke of Cambridge was rich and would give a fortune to his daughters, but I have lately heard that it is not the case. I do not know what is the usual marriage portion of an English Princess given by the country. In Germany those portions are called _die Prinzessin Teuer_.

We received 25,000 Fl. each when we married, and 10,000 Fl. for our _trousseaux_ each.

If the young couple are to live in future with the Grand Duke they will not want any Plate, but if they are to have a separate _menage_, then they will want it. I shall find it out by and by. I wonder that the d.u.c.h.ess likes to part with her fine sapphires. I thought the turquoises had been intended for Augusta.

I wish you could see the Convent to which I went the other day. The nuns belong to the Order of the Cistercian _Trappists_. They are not allowed to speak amongst themselves--what a relief my visit must have been to them!--and they neither eat meat, nor b.u.t.ter, nor eggs--nothing but milk, vegetables and rice. They look healthy, and there were several young rather pretty ones amongst them. One, the best-looking of them all, Sister Marie Josepha, took me affectionately by the hand and said, "I hope the air agrees with you here and that you feel better?" and then she added, "Come again--will you, before you leave this country again?" She told me that she was born in Ireland and had a German grandfather. She seemed to be the favourite amongst them all, for when I bought of their works and asked them to make up my bill, they called Marie Josepha to summon it up, and she said to me, "Do not stay for that; we will send you your things with the bill." Two hours after my visit to them I received my things, with a wreath of flowers besides as their gift to me; on the paper attached to it was written, "To the Queen-Dowager, from the Reverend Mother and her Community."

This old Reverend Mother, the Abbess, was very infirm, and could not get up from her chair, but she spoke very politely and ladylike to me in French. She has been forty years in her present _situation_, and comes from Bretagne. The chaplain of the Convent is also an old Frenchman, and there are several other French nuns amongst them--one who had been condemned to be guillotined in the Revolution, and was set at liberty just at the moment the execution was to have taken place. I should like to know whether these good nuns resumed again at once their silence when I left them, or whether they were permitted to talk over the events of that day.... Your most affectionately devoted Aunt,

ADELAIDE.

[Footnote 98: Afterwards King George V. of Hanover. He married Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, 18th February 1843.]

[Footnote 99: Princess Augusta of Cambridge. _See_ p. 434.

(Ch. XI, Footnote 93)]

[Pageheading: LORD MELBOURNE'S ILLNESS]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_1st November 1842._

... Many thanks for your most kind and amiable letter of the 28th, which I received yesterday. The prospect of the possibility of dearest Louise's spending some time with us _quite enchants_ us, and I hope and trust that you will carry your plan into execution. Our plans, which we only settled last night, are as follows:--the scarlet fever is on the decrease at Brighton, but not sufficiently so to justify our going there immediately; so we therefore intend going to Walmer with the children, but a very reduced suite (as the house is considerably smaller than Claremont), on the 10th, and to stay there till the 22nd inst., when we shall go to Brighton and remain there till the 13th of December. Now if dearest Louise would meet us there then, and perhaps come back with us here for a little while _then_? Windsor is _beautiful_ in December.

The news of Lord Melbourne, I am thankful to say, are _excellent_, and he improves rapidly under Dr Holland's care, but his first seizure was very alarming.[100] I shall not fail to convey your kind message to this worthy friend of ours.

I am so pleased at your account of Nemours and poor Helene.

Tatane[101] is not your favourite, is he?

Lord Douglas's[102] marriage with Princess M. of Baden _is_ settled; _I_ shall of course treat her as a Princess of Baden--I can't do otherwise (it is like Aunt Sophie,[103] and Princess M. of Wurtemberg who married Count Neipperg[104])--and him as Lord Douglas, which won't please him.