._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--A few lines I must write to you to express to you
my _very great_ delight at the certainty, God willing, of seeing you
all _three_ next week, and to express a hope, and a _great hope_, that
you will try and arrive a little earlier on Wednesday.... I must again
repeat I am so sorry you should come when Society is dispersed and at
sixes and sevens, and in such a state that naturally I cannot at the
moment of the elections invite many Tories, as that _tells_ so at the
elections. But we shall try and do our best to make it as little dull
as we can, and you will kindly take the will for the deed.

We came back from Nuneham yesterday afternoon. Albert came back
at half-past five on Tuesday from Oxford, where he had been
enthusiastically received, but the students ... had the bad taste to
show their party feeling in groans and hisses when the name of a
Whig was mentioned, which they ought not to have done in my husband's
presence.

I must now conclude, begging you ever to believe me, your devoted
Niece,

VICTORIA R.

My Coiffeur will be quite at Louise's disposal, and he can _coiffer_
in any way she likes, if her dresser tells him how she wishes it.

[Pageheading: LORD BROUGHAM]

[Pageheading: LETTER FROM LORD BROUGHAM]

_Lord Brougham to Queen Victoria._[58]

GRAFTON STREET, _19th June 1841._

MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN,--I crave leave humbly to approach your
Majesty and to state in writing what I should have submitted to your
Royal consideration at an Audience, because I conceive that this
course will be attended with less inconvenience to your Majesty.

In the counsel which I ventured with great humility, but with an
entire conviction of its soundness, to tender, I cannot be biassed by
any personal interest, for I am not a candidate for office; nor by any
Parliamentary interest, for I have no concern with elections; nor by
any factious interest, for I am unconnected with party. My only
motive is to discharge the duty which I owe to both the Crown and the
country. Nor am I under the influence of any prejudice against your
Majesty's servants or their measures; for I charge your Majesty's
servants with nothing beyond an error, a great error, in judgment, and
I entirely approve of the measures which they have lately propounded
(with a single exception partially applicable to one of them), while I
lament and disapprove of the time and manner of propounding them, both
on account of the G