The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 49

[Pageheading: DEATH OF LORD MELBOURNE]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL, _25th November 1848._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has to state that Viscount Melbourne was released from further suffering at about six o'clock yesterday afternoon. His bodily strength had been rapidly declining during the last few days, and it was only at intervals that he retained any degree of apparent consciousness.

The last transition took place quietly and with almost imperceptible gradation.

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

PEMBROKE LODGE, _26th November 1848._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty: he sees no political objection to a visit to Osborne on the part of the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Nemours. The election of a President in France is so completely absorbing attention that any mark of regard to the Duke of Nemours may well pa.s.s unnoticed.

Lord John Russell had the honour of seeing Louis Philippe in this house on Friday. He was in much better spirits, owing to the convalescence of the Queen; but the illness has been a very serious one.

Lord John Russell had understood that the affairs of property belonging to the Orleans family were arranged, and that Louis Philippe would ultimately be possessed of more than a million sterling.

Louis Philippe expressed his opinion in favour of Louis Bonaparte as a candidate for the Presidency. He feels confident that France cannot go to war on account of the state of her finances.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _21th November 1848._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Thank G.o.d! that the news from Berlin are better. It is to be hoped that this may have a good effect elsewhere.

In France there ought really to be a Monarchy before long, _qui que ce soit_.

Our poor old friend Melbourne died on the 24th. I sincerely regret him, for he was truly attached to me, and though not a firm Minister he was a n.o.ble, kind-hearted, generous being. Poor Lord Beauvale and Lady Palmerston feel it very much. I wish it might soften the _caro sposo_ of the latter-named person.

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: LETTER FROM THE POPE]

_Pope Pius IX. to Queen Victoria._[49]

To the Most Serene and Potent Sovereign Victoria, the Ill.u.s.trious Queen of England, Pius Papa Nonus.

Most Serene and Most Potent Queen, Greeting! Your Royal Majesty has already learned what a subversion of public affairs has taken place at Rome, and what utterly unheard-of violence was, on the 16th of the late month of November, offered to us in our very Palace of the Quirinal, in consequence of a nefarious conspiracy of abandoned and most turbulent men. Hence, in order to avoid more violent commotions and more serious dangers, as likewise for the purpose of freely performing the functions of our apostolic Ministry, we, not without the deepest and most heartfelt sorrow, have been constrained to depart for a time from our Holy City, and from the whole state of our pontifical dominions; and in the meanwhile we come as far as Gaeta, where, as soon as we had arrived, our first care was to declare to our subjects the sentiments of our mind and will, by a public edict, a copy of which we transmit to your Royal Majesty, together with these our letters. Without doubt, through your own wisdom, you will perfectly understand, Most Serene and Potent Sovereign, that amongst the other most cruel difficulties by which we are pressed, we must be chiefly solicitous concerning those subject to our temporal rule and the rights and possessions of the Roman Church, which, moreover, your august Uncle and the other Princes of Europe protected with so much zeal. But we do not in the least doubt that, in conformity with your exalted magnanimity, your justice, and your known desire to maintain order in public affairs, you will by no means suffer this same to be wanting to us at this most lamentable time. Trusting indeed in this hope, we do not cease, in the humility and affliction of our heart, from earnestly beseeching G.o.d, the All Good and All Great, that He may heap upon your Royal Majesty and your whole House all true and solid prosperity, and that He may unite you with us in perfect charity.

Given at Gaeta, the 4th day of December 1848, in the third year of our Pontificate.

PIUS PP. IX.[50]

[Footnote 49: Official translation.]

[Footnote 50: This letter was suitably acknowledged in general terms. _See_ p. 210.]

[Pageheading: LOUIS NAPOLEON]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _13th December 1848._

MY BELOVED UNCLE,--Pray accept my warmest and _best_ wishes for _many, many happy_ returns of your birthday--a day so _dear_ to so many, and which will be hailed with such joy in Belgium. You have indeed reason to look with satisfaction on all around you, though it is a painful thing to think how many have been ruined and made miserable since this day twelvemonths. Let us hope that another year may bring many things round again.

The weather is beautiful, and I wish much we could fly over to pay our respects to you on your dear birthday.

The papers are just come, and I see there is no doubt of Louis Napoleon's election, which I am very glad of, as it is a sign of better times. But that one _should have to wish for him_ is really wonderful.

Now good-bye, dearest Uncle. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _19th December 1848._

MY DEAREST, KINDEST UNCLE,--Your dear letter, full of interesting topics, which I received yesterday, gave me great pleasure, and I thank you much for it. The success of Louis Napoleon[51] is an extraordinary event, but valuable as a universal condemnation of the Republic since February.

It will, however, perhaps be more difficult to get rid of him again than one at _first_ may imagine. Nemours thinks it better that none of themselves should be _called_ into action for some time to come.

I fear that _he feels_ now that they _ought_ to have _foreseen_ the dangers in February, and _ought not_ to have yielded; when I said to him that the Pope had declared that he would _never_ quit Rome, and _did so do_ the _very next day_, he said: "Ah! mon Dieu, on se laisse entrainer dans ces moments." Louise said to me that _her Father_ had so _often declared he would never quit Paris alive_, so that when she heard of his flight she always believed it was untrue and he must be dead....

[Footnote 51: He was elected President on the 10th of December, by an immense majority.]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN AND PALMERSTON]