l, early in December, what was
thought to be influenza developed, and the Prince was confined to
his room. By the 11th his condition, though not hopeless, had become
grave, and the serious nature of the illness was made public; and,
although on the 12th the Queen could write hopefully to King Leopold,
the malady continued to increase. On the evening of the 13th, a rally
took place, and encouraging reports were brought hourly to the Queen
through the night; but congestion of the lungs supervened on the
following day, in the closing hours of which, to the inexpressible
grief both of the Queen and her subjects, the Prince passed peacefully
away. The letters of the Queen to King Leopold and Lord Canning
express, in language to which nothing can be added, the intensity of
her grief, and, no less, the noble and unselfish courage with which
she resolved to devote her life to her children and country.

CHAPTER XXX

1861

[Pageheading: CONSERVATIVE OVERTURES]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

BROADLANDS, _1st January 1861_.

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs
to be allowed to wish your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Prince
Consort many prosperous returns of New Year's Day, with increasing
happiness to your Majesty and the Royal Family, and progressive
advantage to the Nation who have the good fortune to have your Majesty
for their Sovereign; and to adopt the language of Pope, he would say,

"May day improve on day, and year on year,
Without a pain, a trouble, or a fear."

This Autumn and Winter, however, have been productive of events in
three of the four quarters of the Globe, which future years are not
likely to repeat. The capture of Pekin in Asia by British and French
troops; the Union in Europe of nearly the whole of Italy into one
Monarchy; and the approaching and virtually accomplished Dissolution
in America of the great Northern Confederation, are events full
of importance for the future, as well as being remarkable in time
present.

Viscount Palmerston submits two letters which your Majesty may feel an
interest in seeing. With regard to that from Lord John Russell stating
a half-formed wish to go to the House of Lords, Viscount Palmerston
does not expect that the desire will be repeated when the Session
begins, although Lord John said last year that he felt attendance in
the House of Commons in addition to the labour of his office, more
than h