The aspect of the Cabinet was, on the whole, very good.
Gladstone, active and energetic for Peace; Argyll, Herbert,
C. Wood, and Granville, all in the same sense. Newcastle,
not quite so much so, but good; Lansdowne, not so warlike
as formerly; Lord John warlike enough, but subdued in
tone; Palmerston urged his views perseveringly, but not
disagreeably. The Chancellor said little, but was cordially
peaceful. Molesworth was not present, there having been some
mistake in sending the notice.

On the whole, therefore, yesterday passed off well enough;
but we shall see what to-day will bring us. Not a syllable was
said in the Cabinet on any other subject. Lord John seemed
in good humour; he came to see me a few minutes before the
Cabinet. I told you that I had spoken to Gladstone very
fully; but I did not press any decision respecting _domestic_
matters, as it would at this moment be quite unseasonable.
Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten altogether. Yours,
etc., etc.,

ABERDEEN.]

[Pageheading: LORD STRATFORD'S INSTRUCTIONS]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

BALMORAL, _11th October 1853._

The Queen has received Lord Clarendon's letter. She had written to
Lord Aberdeen that she felt it her duty to pause before giving her
consent to the measures decided on in the Cabinet, until she should
have received an explanation on the views which dictated that
decision, and of the ulterior steps involved in it; and Sir James
Graham is gone up to Town, verbally to explain more fully the Queen's
feelings. She has now received and read the Despatches, which have
in the meantime been sent off to their points of destination without
having received her sanction!

The draft to Vienna the Queen thinks very ably argued, and justly to
define the present position of the question at issue.[27]

The instructions to Lord Stratford,[28] on the other hand, appear to
her very vague, and entrusting him with enormous powers and a latitude
of discretion which is hardly to be called safe. As matters have now
been arranged, it appears to the Queen, moreover, that we have taken
on ourselves in conjunction with France all the risks of a European
war, without having bound Turkey to any conditions with respect to
provoking it. The hundred and twenty fanatical Turks constituting the
Divan at Constantinople are left sole judges of the line of policy
t