ly settled in the
country. Of course events _might_ arise which would change this,
and which would render it inadvisable, and then the Queen would
communicate with Lord John, and ask his advice again upon the subject.
All she has suggested refers to the present state of affairs, and,
of course, merely to _strictly_ private visits, and on _no state
occasion_. This is a long letter about such a subject, but the Queen
wishes to be quite safe in what she does, and therefore could not have
stated the case and her opinion in a smaller space.

[Pageheading: AFFAIRS IN LOMBARDY]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _4th June 1848._

The Queen returns the enclosed draft. She has written upon it,
in pencil, a passage which she thinks ought to be added, if the
draft--though civil--is not to be a mere refusal to do anything for
Austria, and a recommendation that whatever the Italians ask for ought
to be given, for which a mediation is hardly necessary.[26] The Queen
thinks it most important that we should try to mediate and put a stop
to the war, and equally important that the boundary which is to be
settled should be such a one as to make a recurrence of hostilities
unlikely. The Queen has only further to remark that Lord Palmerston
speaks in the beginning of the letter only of the Cabinet, and adverts
nowhere to the proposition having been submitted to her.

[Footnote 26: War was now raging in Lombardy between the
Austrians under Marshal Radetzky and the Piedmontese under the
King of Sardinia.]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

CHESHAM PLACE, _14th June 1848._

Lord John Russell presents his humble duty, and thanks your Majesty
for the perusal of this interesting letter.

An Emperor with a rational Constitution might be a fair termination
of the French follies; but Louis Napoleon, with the Communists,
will probably destroy the last chance of order and tranquillity. A
despotism must be the end.

May Heaven preserve us in peace!

[Pageheading: SIR HENRY BULWER]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _15th June 1848._

The Queen has received Lord Palmerston's letter explaining his views
as to the reparation we may be entitled to receive from the Spanish
Government. She considers them as quite fair, but does not wish to
have Sir H. Bulwer again as her Minister at Madrid, even if it should
be necessary that he should repair ther