owing Thursday the Emperor and Empress; and after them for _one_
night, the Queen of Holland,[29] whose activity is astounding--and she
sees everything and everybody and goes everywhere; she is certainly
clever and amiable....

Now, with our children's affectionate love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

Pray offer my kind regards to _all_ your visitors, even to those whom
I do _not_ know. I only hope my dearest husband will tell me _all_
about everything. Vicky is constantly talking and thinking of
Charlotte.

[Footnote 28: Of the Princess Charlotte to the Archduke
Ferdinand Maximilian at Brussels.]

[Footnote 29: Sophia Frederica, born 1818, daughter of King
William I. of Wuertemberg.]

[Pageheading: THE MILITIA]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

OSBORNE, _2nd August 1857_.

The Queen has to thank Lord Palmerston for his letter of the 27th
July.

The embodying of the Militia will be a most necessary measure, as
well for the defence of our own country, and for keeping up on the
Continent of Europe the knowledge that we are not in a defenceless
state, as for the purpose of obtaining a sufficient number of
volunteers for the Army.

The Queen hopes, therefore, that the Militia to be embodied will be
on a proper and sufficient scale. She must say, that the last accounts
from India show so formidable a state of things that the military
measures hitherto taken by the Home Government, on whom the salvation
of India must mainly depend, appear to the Queen as by no means
adequate to the emergency. We have nearly gone to the full extent of
our available means, just as we did in the Crimean War, and may be
able to obtain successes; but we have not laid in a store of troops,
nor formed Reserves which could carry us over a long struggle, or meet
unforeseen new calls. Herein we are always most shortsighted, and have
finally to suffer either in power and reputation, or to pay enormous
sums for small advantages in the end--generally both.

The Queen hopes that the Cabinet will look the question boldly in the
face; nothing could be better than the Resolutions passed in the House
of Commons, insuring to the Government every possible support in the
adoption of vigorous measures. It is generally the Government, and not
the House of Commons, who hang back. The Queen wishes Lord Palmerston
to communicate this letter to his Colleagues.

[Pageheading: THE NAVY]

_Queen Victoria