for my health; I shall take
_good_ care of it. I beg your advice on the enclosed paper.

Ever your devoted and grateful Niece and affectionate _Child_,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 57: At that time rendered necessary by the demise of
the Crown.]

[Pageheading: DELIBERATION ADVISED]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _27th June 1837._

MY DEAR CHILD,--... Now I must touch on another subject which is of
vital importance for you and your comfort, viz. the habits of business
which you will contract now. The best plan is to devote certain hours
to it; if you do that, you will get through it with great ease. I
think you would do well to tell your Ministers that for the present
you would be ready to receive those who should wish to see you between
the hours of eleven and half-past one. This will not plague you much,
and will be sufficient in most cases for the usual business that is to
be transacted.

I shall add to this a piece of advice. Whenever a question is of some
importance, it should not be decided on the day when it is submitted
to you. Whenever it is not an urgent one, I make it a rule not to let
any question be forced upon my _immediate_ decision; it is really not
doing oneself justice _de decider des questions sur le pouce_. And
even when in my mind I am disposed to accede, still I always keep the
papers with me some little time before I return them. The best mode
for you will be, that each Minister should bring his box with him,
and when he submits to you the papers, _explain them to you_. Then you
will keep the papers, either to think yourself upon it or to consult
somebody, and either return them the next time you see the Minister
to whom they belong, or send them to him. Good habits formed _now_ may
for ever afterwards be kept up, and will become so natural to you that
you will not find them at all fatiguing.

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

KENSINGTON PALACE, _29th June 1837._

The Queen has received Lord Melbourne's communication, and thinks,
as Prince Ernest of Hesse goes to the funeral, it would be proper the
Prince of Leiningen should do just the same. The Queen requests that
Lord Melbourne will be so good as to take care that the Prince of
Leiningen is informed as to the proper dress he ought to wear on the
occasion.

Lord Albemarle mentioned yesterday to the Queen, that all the ladies'
saddle-horses, including the Queen-Dowager's own favouri