ybody, but who looked to the
interests of England, were attached to the French Alliance and to the
Sovereign of France because peaceful relations with that country were
of the utmost importance to England. France was the only country in
Europe that could do England harm, and on the other hand England was
the only country that could injure France--the late war with Russia
had not the slightest effect upon France except costing her money, but
a war with England would set every party in France into activity each
with its own peculiar objects, but all of them against the existing
order of things--_l'ordre social serait bouleverse_ and the Empire
might perish in the convulsion.

The result of this and other conversations appears to be an earnest
desire of the Emperor to come to England on a private visit to
the Queen, if possible at Osborne, and at any time that might be
convenient to Her Majesty. M. de Persigny describes him as being
intent upon this project, and as attaching the utmost importance to
it in order to _eclairer_ his own ideas, to guide his policy, and to
prevent by personal communication with the Queen, your Royal Highness,
and Her Majesty's Government the dissidences and _mesintelligences_
which the Emperor thinks will arise from the want of such
communications.

I fear that such a visit would not be very agreeable to Her Majesty,
but in the Emperor's present frame of mind, and his evident alarm lest
it should be thought that the Alliance has been in any way _ebranlee_,
I cannot entertain a doubt that much good might be done, or, at all
events, that much mischief might be averted by the Emperor being
allowed to pay his respects to Her Majesty in the manner he proposes.

I have discussed the matter after the Cabinet this evening with Lord
Palmerston, who takes entirely the same view of the matter as I have
taken the liberty of expressing to your Royal Highness. I have the
honour to be, with the greatest respect, Sir, your Royal Highness's
most faithful and devoted Servant,

CLARENDON.

[Footnote 16: A difference had arisen as to the future of the
Principalities--France, Sardinia, and Russia favouring their
union, while England, Austria, and Turkey held that a single
state, so formed, might become too Russian in its sympathies.]

_The Prince Albert to the Earl of Clarendon._

OSBORNE, _21st May 1857_.

MY DEAR LORD CLARENDON,--I have shown your letter to the Queen, who
wishes me