88, note 35.]

[Footnote 41: Lord Palmerston's object, in which he ultimately
succeeded, was, by obtaining the French Government's
co-operation in mediating between Austria and Piedmont, to
prevent the aggressive party in France from maturing any
designs on Italy.]

[Pageheading: AUSTRIA AND ITALY]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

ON BOARD THE _Victoria and Albert,_
ABERDEEN, _7th September 1848._

The Queen must send the enclosed draft to Lord John Russell, with a
copy of her letter to Lord Palmerston upon it. Lord Palmerston has as
usual pretended not to have had time to submit the draft to the Queen
before he had sent it off. What the Queen has long suspected and often
warned against is on the point of happening, viz. Lord Palmerston's
using the new _entente cordiale_ for the purpose of wresting from
Austria her Italian provinces by French arms. This would be a most
iniquitous proceeding. It is another question whether it is good
policy for Austria to try to retain Lombardy, but that is for her and
not for us to decide. Many people might think that we would be happier
without Ireland or Canada. Lord John will not fail to observe how very
intemperate the whole tone of Lord Palmerston's language is.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BALMORAL CASTLE, _13th September 1848._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I yesterday received your dear and kind letter of
the 9th (it having arrived in London only the day before), which
is very quick, and I thank you much for it. The Schleswig affair at
Frankfort is _very_ unfortunate, and there seems a lamentable want of
_all_ practical sense, foresight, or even _common_ prudence.[42]

The poor Austrians seem now to accept the (to me _very_ doubtful)
mediation. It reminds me of the wolf in the lamb's skin. _Nous
verrons_, how matters will be arranged....

My letter to Louise will have informed you of our voyage and our
arrival here. This house is small but pretty, and though the hills
seen from the windows are not _so_ fine, the scenery all around is the
finest almost I have seen anywhere. It is very wild and solitary,
and yet cheerful and _beautifully wooded_, with the river Dee running
between the two sides of the hills. Loch Nagar is the highest hill in
the immediate vicinity, and belongs to us.

Then the soil is the driest and best known almost anywhere, and all
the hills are as sound and hard as the road. The climate is also d