our ce peuple bizarre que nous avons
force a entrer en relations avec le reste du monde.

Il nous a fait bien du plaisir de voir l'Imperatrice et d'entendre
depuis que son voyage en Angleterre lui a fait tant de bien.

Agreez l'assurance de la parfaite amitie avec laquelle je suis, Sire
et mon Frere, de votre Majeste Imperiale, la bonne S[oe]ur,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: ITALIAN AFFAIRS]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

BROADLANDS, _10th January 1861_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has
many apologies to make for not having sooner answered your Majesty's
previous communications. He is glad to be able to say that Lady
Jocelyn's youngest boy, whose illness has been the cause of very great
anxiety, is now in the course of gradual, but favourable recovery.

Viscount Palmerston returns to your Majesty the letter of the Emperor
of the French, and your Majesty's excellent answer; it is to be hoped
that he will profit by the sound advice which that answer contains.

Upon the subject of Italy your Majesty reminds Viscount Palmerston
that he stated last summer that it would be better for the interests
of England that Southern Italy should be a separate Monarchy, rather
than that it should form part of an united Italy. Viscount Palmerston
still retains that opinion; because a separate kingdom of the Two
Sicilies would be more likely, in the event of war between England and
France, to side, at least by its neutrality, with the strongest Naval
Power, and it is to be hoped that such Power would be England. But
then it would be necessary that the Two Sicilies as an independent and
separate State should be well governed, and should have an enlightened
Sovereign. This unfortunately has become hopeless and impossible under
the Bourbon Dynasty, and no Englishman could wish to see a Murat or a
Prince Napoleon on the Throne of Naples.[4] The course of events
since last summer seems to have finally decided the fate of Sicily and
Naples, and there can be no doubt that for the interest of the people
of Italy, and with a view to the general balance of Power in Europe,
a united Italy is the best arrangement. The Italian Kingdom will never
side with France from partiality to France, and the stronger that
kingdom becomes the better able it will be to resist political
coercion from France. The chief hold that France will have upon the
policy of the Kingdom of Italy consists in the re