The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 35

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL,[21] _1st April 1839._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has just received your Majesty's letters, for which he returns many and warm thanks. Nothing could be more prosperous than his journey down, although it rained hard the greater part of the way. Lord Melbourne slept well, and has walked out this morning, although it was still showery. Nothing is so fatiguing as the first exposure to the air of the country, and Lord Melbourne feels the influence of it.

Lord Melbourne returns the letters of the King of the Belgians. He accounts very naturally for the conduct of the poor d.u.c.h.ess,[22] but she should have recollected the extreme disadvantage and discredit which attaches to a change of religion. _Un gentilhomme ne change jamais la religion_, was the saying of Napoleon, and is very just. It is difficult to understand the movements and motives of parties in a foreign country, and therefore Lord Melbourne does not feel able to p.r.o.nounce any opinion upon the transactions in France. Lord Melbourne had seen G----'s letters, a pert jackanapes, who always takes the worst view of every subject, and does as much mischief as he can....

Lord Melbourne is just starting for Panshanger.[23] The evening is better than the morning was, but cold.

[Footnote 21: Lord Melbourne's house on the Lea, about three miles north of Hatfield. Its construction was begun by Sir Matthew Lamb, and completed by his son, Sir p.e.n.i.ston, the first Lord Melbourne.]

[Footnote 22: Princess Alexander of Wurtemberg. On her death-bed, she had expressed a wish to her husband that he should join the Roman Catholic Church.]

[Footnote 23: Panshanger, not far distant from Brocket, the house of Lord Melbourne's brother-in-law, Lord Cowper, and celebrated for its pictures, was bought by Lord Chancellor Cowper, _temp._ Queen Anne.]

[Pageheading: ENGLAND AND BELGIUM]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _9th April 1839._

MY DEAR UNCLE,--... I regret to learn you are still not easy about your own affairs, but trust all will now be speedily adjusted. You always allow me, dear Uncle, to speak frankly to you; you will, therefore, I hope, not be displeased if I venture to make a few observations on one or two parts of your letter.

You say that the anger of the Belgians is princ.i.p.ally directed against England.[24] Now, I must say you are very unjust towards us, and (if I could) I might be even a little angry with you, dear Uncle. We only _pressed_ Belgium for her _own_ good, and _not_ for ours. It may seem hard at first, but the time will come when you will see that we were right in urging you not to delay any longer the signature of the treaty.

I think that you will see in this frank expression of my sentiments no wish to annoy or hurt you, but only an anxious desire to prove to you that England is Belgium's sincere friend, and that my Government are ever desirous of doing what is in their power for the welfare, security, and prosperity of yourself and your kingdom.

I regret much the state of affairs in France,[25] which cannot but make us all somewhat anxious; you will, I hope tell me what news you hear from Paris.

Pray, dearest Uncle, receive my best, my very warmest, wishes for many happy returns of dear Leopold's birthday, and also, though somewhat late, for Philippe's birthday.

Give my love to my dear Aunt, and believe me, always, your most devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 24: He had written on 5th April:--"The feeling is strongest against England, in which the people expected to see a support, and only found a strong determination to decide _everything against them_ and at _their expense_. If there was a great explosion in France, it would not be astonis.h.i.+ng to see the people here join it; it would rather be astonis.h.i.+ng to see it otherwise, after the kind treatment they received from the Powers."]

[Footnote 25: The King was for a time without any Ministry, and the meeting of the Chambers had to be postponed.]

[Pageheading: PRINCE ALBERT IN ITALY]

_Baron Stockmar to Queen Victoria._

NAPLES, _16th April 1839._

MADAM,--As it is some time that I had the honour to address your Majesty, I hope that a further account of our crusades will meet with a favourable reception.

It is now somewhat better than a month that we left Florence, I may say with regret, for we were there very comfortably in every respect.

On our route to Rome we enjoyed the beautiful sight of the cataract at Terni, the place where Queen Caroline sojourned for some time. We were particularly fortunate that day, as the brightest suns.h.i.+ne heightened its picturesque effects beyond description. We found old Rome very full, and to see it and its ecclesiastic governors to advantage, the Holy Week is certainly the properest time. From morning to noon the Prince was at seeing sights, and he made so good a use of his time, that I don't think that something really remarkable was left unseen.

Upon this very principle, we paid our respects to the Holy Father,[26]

of which interview the Prince made so admirable a sketch, so very worthy of H.B.,[27] that I am very much tempted to send it for the inspection of your Majesty. We a.s.sisted at the Church ceremonies of the Holy Week from the beginning to the end. The music of the Sistine Chapel, which is only vocal, may be well considered as unique, and has not failed to make a lasting impression upon a mind so musical as the Prince's....

I never think of your Majesty--and I take the liberty of thinking very frequently of you--without praying for health, serenity of mind, comfort and success for you, and I can well say that I am from my heart, your Majesty's sincerely attached and devoted Servant,

STOCKMAR.

[Footnote 26: Gregory XVI.]

[Footnote 27: Initials adopted by Mr Doyle, father of Richard Doyle, in his _Reform Caricatures_.]

[Pageheading: BELGIUM]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

_19th April 1839._

... I am glad I extracted some spark of politics from your dear Majesty, very _kindly_ and _nicely_ expressed. I know that your generous little heart would not have wished at any time but what was good for a country in which you were _much beloved_. But the fact is, that certainly your Government have taken the lead in maintaining a condition which time had rendered difficult to comply with. Physicians will tell you that often an operation, which might have been performed at one time, could not, without great danger for the patient, be undertaken some years later. We have not been listened to, and arrangements _are forced_ on us, in themselves full of seeds of danger, when by consulting the _real interests_ of Holland and Belgium, both countries might have been placed on a footing of _sincere peace_ and good neighbourhood. This country feels now humbled and _desenchante_ with its _soi-disant_ political independence as it pleased the Conference to settle it. They will take a dislike to a political state which _wounds their vanity_, and will, in consequence of this, _not wish it to continue_. Two things will happen, therefore, on the very first opportunity, either that this country will be involved in war to better a position which it thinks _too humiliating_, or that it will voluntarily throw up a nominal independence in which it is now hemmed in between France and Holland, which begins on the North Sea, and ends, of all the things in this world, on _the Moselle_!

I think old Pirson, who said in the Chamber that if the treaty was carried into execution I was likely to be the first and last King of the country, was not wrong. Whenever this will happen, it will be _very awkward_ for England, and _deservedly so_. To see, after eight years of hard work, blooming and thriving political plantations cut and maimed, and that by those who have a real interest to protect them, is very melancholy. I do not say these things with the most distant idea of bringing about any change, but only because in the high and very responsible position in which Providence has placed you, it is good to tell you the truth, as you ought to have weight and influence on the affairs of Europe; and England, not being in the possibility of making territorial acquisition, has a real and permanent interest in the proper maintenance of a balance of political power in Europe. Now I will leave you to enjoy the beginning of Spring, which a mild rain seems to push on prodigiously. Believe me ever, my dear Victoria, your very attached Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Pageheading: JAMAICA]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_26th April 1839._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs to inform your Majesty that the result of the Cabinet has been a decision to stand by the Bill as we have introduced it, and not to accede to Sir Robert Peel's proposal. The Bill is for suspending the functions of the Legislative a.s.sembly of Jamaica, and governing that island for five years by a Governor and Council.[28] If Sir Robert Peel should persist in his proposal, and a majority of the House of Commons should concur with him, it will be such a mark of want of confidence as it will be impossible for your Majesty's Government to submit to.

[Footnote 28: _See_ Introductory Note, _ante_, p. 141. ( to Ch. VIII)]