The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 113

Hallam has not written a History of the Church, but in all his books there is necessarily much about the Church, and much that is worthy of mention. A short History of the Church is, Lord Melbourne fears, not to be found, the subject is so large and so difficult that it cannot be treated shortly. Dr Short[2] has written and published a clever, brief, and distinct summary, but it relates princ.i.p.ally to the Church of England, and in order to be fully understood, requires to be read by one who has already some acquaintance with the subject.

The book which your Majesty remembers Lord Melbourne reading is the production of Dr Waddington,[3] whom your Majesty, under Lord Melbourne's recommendation, made Dean of Durham, which dignity he now holds. It is a very good book.

Adolphus's[4] History is by no means a bad book, and will give your Majesty the facts of the beginning of the reign of George III. well and accurately enough. The Duke of Suss.e.x once told Lord Melbourne that he had asked his father whether Adolphus's account of the beginning of his reign was correct, and that the King had replied that substantially it was so, but that there were some mistakes, and that what had been done by one person was often attributed to another.

Adolphus's History will receive some ill.u.s.tration from Horace Walpole's letters of that period....

Lord Melbourne thinks that he is really getting rid of the gout, and gathering strength. He still has some doubt whether he shall be able to go up for the meeting of Parliament. Lord Melbourne begs to renew to your Majesty the warm and respectful a.s.surance of his grat.i.tude and attachment.

[Footnote 2: Bishop, then of Sodor and Man, afterwards of St Asaph. His book, a _Sketch of the History of the Church of England_, was published in 1832.]

[Footnote 3: George Waddington (1793-1869), Dean of Durham, published in 1833 the _History of the Church from the Earliest Ages to the Reformation_.]

[Footnote 4: John Adolphus, barrister, wrote a history of England from 1760 to 1783.]

_Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria._

CANFORD HOUSE, _Friday, 13th January 1843._

MY DEAREST NIECE,--... As you take so kind an interest in our dear Thesy,[5] I send you a letter which I have received from her mother-in-law, with an excellent account of her and her infant. Her happiness is a great blessing, and I thank G.o.d that she is so well this time. Can you imagine her with _two boys_? It seems so odd, for it is but a short time since she was here with us. How time flies rapidly. I own I was not a little surprised to find that you are probably the G.o.dmother; or is the little boy only to be named after you? I remember well what you said to me when I was asked to be the G.o.dmother of the first boy, "_that I could not accept it_," as I must not take the responsibilities attached to a sponsor with a Roman Catholic child. On that ground alone, and having learned your opinion which sanctioned my own, I refused it then at the risk of offending the dear parents. Now, after all that was said on the subject, if _you have accepted_ the offer of becoming sponsor to this little _Victor_, YOU, as the Head of the English Church, give to understand that _I_ was wrong in my notions of the duties which our Church imposes upon sponsors, having refused what you accepted. I tell you fairly and openly that it has vexed me, but of course I say this only to _yourself_, dearest Victoria, and not to any one else, for it does not become me to find fault with what you please to do. But I could not entirely pa.s.s it over in silence, and regret that my former refusal must now become doubly annoying to my relations. I beg your pardon for thus frankly stating my feelings to you on a subject which I shall now despatch from my mind, and I trust you will not take it ill, and excuse me for having mentioned it to you _alone_.... Your most attached and devoted Aunt,

ADELAIDE.

[Footnote 5: Princess Therese, daughter of the Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfurst, and wife of Prince Frederick Charles of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg.]

_Queen Victoria to Queen Adelaide._

CLAREMONT, _15th January 1843._

I am at a loss to comprehend, my dear Aunt, what you mean by saying that you refused being G.o.dmother to Thesy's first child, as _I_ had sanctioned your doing so. I never remember even _talking_ to _you_ on the subject, but only heard from Mamma that _you_ had refused doing so--which I was surprised at. I therefore felt no hesitation in accepting the offer of Thesy, particularly as I am already G.o.dmother to one of the children of Prince Esterhazy's daughter. I am grieved, dearest Aunt, that this occurrence should annoy you, but I can _a.s.sure_ you that I do not remember _ever_ having spoken to you on the subject at all.

[Pageheading: GOVERNOR-GENERALSHIP OF CANADA]

_Lord Stanley to Queen Victoria._

DOWNING STREET, _19th January 1843._

Lord Stanley, with his humble duty, submits to your Majesty that in pursuance of the permission which your Majesty was pleased to give him personally, he has this day offered to Sir Charles Metcalfe[6] the Governor-Generalship of Canada; and Lord Stanley has much satisfaction in adding that the offer has been readily and thankfully accepted.

This appointment, Lord Stanley is convinced, is, under the circ.u.mstances, the best which could have been made, and he believes not only that it will be generally approved, but that Sir Charles Metcalfe's long experience and tried discretion will afford the best prospect of conducting the affairs of Canada safely and successfully through the present crisis. As Sir Charles Metcalfe will naturally be anxious previous to his embarkation (which, however, will probably not take place for at least six weeks) to have the honour of being presented to your Majesty on his appointment, Lord Stanley hopes he may be honoured by your Majesty's commands as to the time when it may be your Majesty's pleasure to admit him to an audience. Perhaps Sir Charles's attendance after the Council at which your Majesty's Speech on the opening of the Session has to be settled, may give your Majesty as little trouble as any time that could be named.

The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's most, dutiful Servant and Subject,

STANLEY.

[Footnote 6: Metcalfe had had a long Indian career, and for a year had been Provisional Governor-General, when he removed the restrictions on the liberty of the Press. He was created a peer in 1845, but never took his seat. He resigned his post at the end of that year, and died soon after.]

[Pageheading: a.s.sa.s.sINATION OF MR DRUMMOND]

_Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert._

WHITEHALL, _20th January (1843)._

SIR,--I have the painful duty of acquainting your Royal Highness that Mr Drummond, my Private Secretary, was shot at this day about quarter past three o'clock, in the neighbourhood of Charing Cross.[7]

Two pistols were discharged, the first close to Mr Drummond's back, the second after the a.s.sa.s.sin had been seized by a policeman.

The ball entered in the back and has been extracted, after pa.s.sing round the ribs. I have just left Mr Drummond's house. No vital part appears to have been injured, and there is no unfavourable symptom whatever.

The a.s.sa.s.sin gives his name _MacNaghten_, and appears to be a Glasgow man.

Two five-pound notes were, I understand, found upon his person, and a receipt for 750 given to Daniel MacNaghten, confirming, therefore, the man's account of his name.

We have not hitherto been able to discover that this man had any alleged grievance or complaint against the Treasury or any public office.

He has been loitering about the public offices for the last fortnight, and being questioned, I understand, some days since, by the Office Keeper of the Council office, said he was a policeman. This, of course, for the purpose of evading further enquiry.

The policeman who apprehended the man, says that he heard the man exclaim after firing the shots: "He or she (the policeman is uncertain which) shall not disturb my peace of mind any more."

These are all the particulars I have heard or learned. I am afraid I have given them to your Royal Highness in a hurried manner. I have thought it better to convey this information to Her Majesty, through the kind intervention of your Royal Highness, than by a direct communication to the Queen.

I have the honour to be, Sir, with sincere respect, your Royal Highness's most faithful and humble Servant,

ROBERT PEEL.

[Footnote 7: Edward Drummond had been Private Secretary to Canning, Ripon, and Wellington, as well as to Peel, and was very popular; he was in his fifty-first year. He had just left his uncle's Bank at Charing Cross, when he was shot.]

[Pageheading: MISTAKEN FOR SIR ROBERT PEEL]

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

WHITEHALL, _21st January 1843._