signal mark of your Majesty's favour,
with which he has this morning been honoured. Encouraged by your
Majesty's gracious confidence, he does not hesitate to submit himself
to your Majesty's pleasure, and will address himself at once to the
difficult task which your Majesty has been pleased to entrust to him.
He fears that he can hardly hope, in the formation of a Government,
for much extrinsic aid; as almost all the men of eminence in either
House of Parliament are more or less associated with other parties,
whose co-operation it would be impossible to obtain. Lord Derby will
not, however, hesitate to make the attempt in any quarters, in which
he may think he has any chance of success. With regard to the filling
up of particular offices, Lord Derby would humbly beg your Majesty to
bear in mind that, although among his own personal friends there will
be every desire to make individual convenience subservient to the
public interest, yet among those who are not now politically connected
with him, there may be some, whose co-operation or refusal might
be greatly influenced by the office which it was proposed that they
should hold; and, in such cases, Lord Derby must venture to bespeak
your Majesty's indulgence should he make a definite offer, subject, of
course, to your Majesty's ultimate approval.

As soon as Lord Derby has made any progress in his proposed
arrangements, he will avail himself of your Majesty's gracious
permission to solicit another Audience.

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _21st February 1858_.

The Queen has just received Lord Derby's letter, and would wish under
all circumstances to see him at six this evening, in order to hear
what progress he has made in his plans. The two offices the Queen is
most anxious should not be prejudged in any way, before the Queen has
seen Lord Derby again, are the Foreign and the War Departments.

[Pageheading: MR GLADSTONE AND LORD GREY]

_The Earl of Derby to Queen Victoria._

ST JAMES'S SQUARE, _21st February 1858_.

Lord Derby, with his humble duty, submits to your Majesty the two
letters which he has this evening received from Lord Grey and Mr
Gladstone.[9] The reasons contained in the latter do not appear to
Lord Derby to be very conclusive; but he fears the result must be that
he cannot look, in the attempt to form a Cabinet, to much extraneous
assistance. With deep regret Lord Derby is compelled to add that he
fin