au c[oe]ur de votre Majeste que j'en appelle,
c'est a Sa bonne foi et a Sa sagesse que je m'en mets qu'Elle daigne
de decider entre nous.

Devons nous rester, comme je le souhaite ardemment, dans une bonne
intelligence egalement profitable a nos deux Etats, ou juge-t-Elle,
que le pavillon Anglais doive flotter pres du croissant, pour
combattre la croix de Saint Andre!!!

Telle que soit la determination de votre Majeste, qu'Elle veuille etre
persuadee de l'inalterable et sincere attachement avec lesquels je ne
cesserais d'etre, de votre Majeste, le tout devoue frere et ami,

NICOLAS.

Je prie votre Majeste de vouloir bien faire mes amities a Monseigneur
le Prince Albert.

[Footnote 30: Greville calls the writing of this letter an
unusual step; but in sending it to Lord Aberdeen and Lord
Clarendon, the Queen observed that its despatch was an
important and advantageous fact, as it both committed the Czar
personally, and enabled her to state certain truths to him,
as well as to explain privately the views which guided her own
and her Ministers' conduct.]

[Pageheading: LORD STRATFORD'S PROPOSAL]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _5th November 1853._

Although the Queen will have the pleasure of seeing Lord Aberdeen this
evening, she wishes to make some observations on the subject of Lord
Stratford's last private letters communicated to her yesterday by Lord
Clarendon.[31] They exhibit clearly on his part a _desire_ for war,
and to drag us into it. When he speaks of the sword which will not
only have to be drawn, but the scabbard thrown away, and says, the war
to be successful must be a "_very comprehensive one_" on the part of
England and France, the intention is unmistakable, and it becomes a
serious question whether we are justified in allowing Lord Stratford
any longer to remain in a situation which gives him the means of
frustrating all our efforts for peace. The question becomes still
graver when it is considered that General Baraguay d'Hilliers seems
from Lord Cowley's account of his conversation with him equally
anxious for extreme measures.

The Queen must express her surprise that Lord Stratford should have
coolly sent on so preposterous a proposal as Redschid Pasha's note
asking for a Treaty of Alliance, the amalgamation of our Fleets with
the Turkish one, and the sending of our surplus ships to the "_White_"
Sea (!) without any hesitation