orporating in the treaty the terms of the
Protocol of 22nd March 1829.]

[Pageheading: A THREATENED CRISIS]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._[31]

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th September 1840._

This is certainly awkward; but the latter part about Peel is most
absurd; to him I can never apply, we must do everything but that. But
for God's sake do not bring on a crisis;[32] the Queen really could
not go through that _now_, and it might make her _seriously ill_ if
she were to be kept in a state of agitation and excitement if a crisis
were to come on; she has had already so much lately in the distressing
illness of her poor Aunt to harass her. I beseech you, think of _all_
this, and the consequences it might cause, not only to me, but to all
Europe, as it would show our weakness in a way that would be seriously
injurious to this country.

[Footnote 31: The letter, to which this is a reply, seems not
to have been preserved. The Queen's letter, having been shown
to Lord John Russell and copied by him, has hitherto been
supposed to be a letter from Lord Melbourne to Lord John
Russell. _See_ Walpole's _Russell_, vol. i., chap. xiii.]

[Footnote 32: The Cabinet met on the 28th to consider
the Oriental Question. The Government was on the verge of
dissolution, as Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell were in
conflict. The meeting was adjourned till 1st October.]

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND THE EAST]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th September 1840._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I have unfortunately very little time to-day, but
I will try and answer your kind letters of the 13th and 19th briefly.
You know now that the sufferings of good excellent Aunt Augusta
were terminated on the 22nd of this month. I regret her _very, very_
sincerely, though for herself we are all most thankful for the release
of such unexampled sufferings, borne with such unexampled patience.
Almost the last thing she said when she was still conscious, the day
before she died, was to Mr More (the apothecary), who wrote me every
morning a Report: "Have you written to my darling?" Is this not
touching? The Queen-Dowager had her hand in hers when she died, and
closed her eyes when all was over; all the Family were present.

I have seen your letters to Palmerston, and his answer to you, and I
also send you a paper from Lord Melbourne. I assure you that I _do_
give these a