ons that your Majesty
may be pleased to make.

[Footnote 89: First Lord of the Admiralty.]

[Footnote 90: Barrow had been made second Secretary in 1804
by Dundas; he was a self-made man, and a most indefatigable
traveller, writer, and promoter of Arctic exploration.]

[Footnote 91: Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn
(1772-1853), First Naval Lord.]

[Pageheading: QUEEN ISABELLA]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

_27th September 1842._

Lord Aberdeen, with his most humble duty, lays before your Majesty a
letter which he has received from Mr Aston, respecting the marriage
of the Queen of Spain, and which, after what has already passed, may
perhaps cause your Majesty some surprise.

Lord Aberdeen is humbly of opinion that the language hitherto employed
by your Majesty's Government upon this subject ought not to undergo
any change, and that it ought to be treated entirely as a Spanish
question.

Great Britain would naturally regard a marriage with a son of the King
of the French as injurious to Spain and menacing to Europe, but would
probably not feel it necessary to give such an opinion respecting any
other alliance. While this might be plainly stated, and the Spanish
Government exhorted to act according to their own independent view
of the real interests of the country and of the Queen, Lord Aberdeen
would humbly propose that the Regent should be explicitly informed by
Mr Aston that he must not expect to receive any assistance from your
Majesty's Government in promoting a marriage with a Prince of the
Netherlands.

Lord Aberdeen believes that the difficulties in the way of such an
alliance will be found to be very great, and especially that the
religion of the Prince will present an obstacle which in Spain must be
nearly insurmountable.

[Pageheading: LORD MELBOURNE ON SCOTLAND]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL, _29th September 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has to
acknowledge your Majesty's letter of the 25th inst., which he had the
honour and pleasure of receiving here on the 27th. Lord Melbourne is
well aware how much your Majesty's time must have been occupied by the
number of visitors at the Castle. We are much rejoiced here that your
Majesty saw the Prince and Princess Liechtenstein.[92] The latter is a
great favourite of Lady Beauvale's, to whom she was always very kind,
and who des