ir John Colborne,[27] in
whose hands it may be very safely left for the present.

If Ireland should be vacant, there is a strong feeling amongst many
that it would be nice to name the Duke of Sussex. It is said that it
would be popular in Ireland, that the name of one of the Royal Family
would do good there, and that it would afford to O'Connell a pretext
and opportunity for giving up his new scheme of agitation. It is also
added that the Duke would suffer himself to be guided on all essential
matters by the advice of his Chief Secretary, and that he would
content himself with discharging the ceremonial duties. Here are the
reasons for it--your Majesty is so well acquainted with the reasons on
the other side, that it is unnecessary for me to detail them.

I am afraid that times of some trouble are approaching, for which
your Majesty must hold yourself prepared; but your Majesty is too well
acquainted with the nature of human affairs not to be well aware
that they cannot very well go on even as quietly as they have gone on
during the last sixteen months.

[Footnote 26: "Ben" Stanley, afterwards Lord Stanley of Alderley,
Secretary to the Treasury.]

[Footnote 27: Field-Marshal Sir John Colborne, afterwards Lord Seaton,
had been Military Secretary to Sir John Moore, had commanded a brigade
with much distinction in the Peninsula, and had contributed greatly to
the success of the British arms at Waterloo.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_4th November 1838._

Lord Melbourne is very well, but Sir James Clark,[28] a Scotchman and
a physician, and therefore neither by country nor by profession very
religious, detained him from Church in order to go through the report
upon the state of Buckingham Palace. This is not a very good excuse,
but it is the true one. Lord Melbourne is very grateful to your
Majesty for your enquiries, and having some letters to submit, will be
happy to attend upon your Majesty.

[Footnote 28: Physician-in-Ordinary to the Queen.]

[Pageheading: DEATH OF LADY JOHN RUSSELL]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _6th November 1838._

MY DEAR UNCLE,--.... We have all been much distressed by the
melancholy and untimely death of poor Lady John Russell,[29] which
took place on the 1st. She was safely confined on the 20th of October
with a little girl, who bears my name, and seemed to be going on very
well; but on Wednesday she began to sink fro