ten to you about
the favourable turn which the Oriental affairs have taken, and of the
proposition of France, which is very amicably received here; Austria
and Prussia are quite ready to agree, but Brunnow has been making
already difficulties (this is in confidence to you). I hope and
trust that this will at length settle the affair, and that peace, the
blessings of which are innumerable, will be preserved. I feel we
owe _much_ of the change of the conduct of France to the peaceable
disposition of the dear King, for which I feel grateful.[48] Pray,
dear Uncle, when an opportunity offers, do offer the King my best,
sincerest wishes for his health and happiness in _every_ way, on the
occasion of his birthday; may he live many years, for the benefit of
all Europe!...

[Footnote 48: The King of the French was alarmed at the
warlike language of his Ministers. He checked the preparations
for war which Thiers was making; he went further, and on
the 24th of October he dismissed the Thiers Ministry, and
entrusted the management of affairs to Soult and Guizot,
who were pacifically inclined and anxious to preserve the
Anglo-French _entente_.]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S INFLUENCE]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _16th October 1840._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I received your kind but anxious letter of the
10th, the day before yesterday, and hasten to reply to it by the
courier who goes to-day. Indeed, dearest Uncle, I have worked hard
this last week to bring about something conciliatory, and I hope and
trust I have succeeded. Lord Melbourne, who left Claremont on the
same day as we did, was confined to the house till yesterday, when he
arrived here, by a lumbago and bilious attack; but I had a constant
correspondence with him on this unfortunate and alarming question, and
he is, I can assure you, fully aware of the danger, and as anxious as
we are to set matters right; and so is Lord John, and Palmerston, I
hope, is getting more reasonable. They have settled in consequence of
Thiers' two despatches that Palmerston should write to Lord Ponsonby
to urge the Porte _not_ to dispossess Mehemet Ali finally of Egypt,
and I believe the other foreign Ministers at Constantinople will
receive similar instructions; this despatch Palmerston will send to
Granville (to-night, I believe) to be communicated to Thiers, and _I_
have made Palmerston _promise_ to put into the despatch