ages_.

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

NEUILLY, _20th July 1838._

I feel most grateful for your dear kind letter of the 10th inst.,
which I received a few days ago. I hear that the review was something
_most splendid_, and I feel always some regret at having been deprived
of the happiness of seeing you _en fonction_, which you do in a degree
of rare perfection. May the remembrance of all this long remain in
your mind, to cheer and strengthen you when occasionally there will be
a darker sky....

[Pageheading: LORD DURHAM]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_10th August 1838._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. The very
difficult and embarrassing situation in which Lord Durham and the
Canadas and the Ministry are left by the vote of the House of Lords
of last night, requires that a Cabinet should be held to-day, and Lord
Melbourne has directed one to be summoned at two. Lord Melbourne will
wait upon your Majesty either before that hour or after, about four
o'clock. The vote of last night and the Bill of Lord Brougham[24] is
a direct censure upon Lord Durham. Lord Durham's conduct has been most
rash and indiscreet, and, as far as we can see, unaccountable. But to
censure him now would either be to cause his resignation, which would
produce great embarrassment, and might produce great evil, or to
weaken his authority, which is evidently most undesirable....

[Footnote 24: This Bill (which emphasised the illegality of
Lord Durham's ordinance) was read a second time by 54 to 36.
On the following day Lord Melbourne announced to the Peers
that Ministers had resolved to advise that the ordinance
should be disallowed.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_10th August 1838._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs to
inform you that the Cabinet have determined to advise your Majesty
to disallow Lord Durham's ordinance, and to announce the same to the
House of Lords.[25]

This is absolutely necessary, but very disagreeable, and will be very
much so to Lord Durham.

[Footnote 25: _See_ Introductory Note for the year, _ante_, p. 102.
(Introductory Note to Ch. VII)]

_The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

_25th September 1838._

MY MOST BELOVED VICTORIA,--I can never thank you enough for the dear
letter which I found on my table on arriving here, Sunday evening. It
was