ord[61] ever was radical; God knows! I
wish everybody now was a little so! What _is_ to come hangs over me
like a baneful dream, as you will easily understand, and when I am
often happy and merry, comes and damps it all![62]

But God's will be done! and it is for our best, we _must_ feel, though
we can't feel it. I can't say _how_ much we think of our little visit
to you, God willing, next year. You will kindly let our good old
Grandmother[63] come there to see her dear Albert _once again_ before
she dies, wouldn't you? And you would get the Nemours to come? And
you would persuade the dear Queen[64] to come for a little while with
Clementine?

Now farewell! Believe me, always, your most devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 60: The house of Earl Cowper.]

[Footnote 61: The Duke, who had formerly been M.P. for
Bedfordshire, was inclined to go further in the direction of
Reform than Lord John, yet he applauded the latter's attitude
on the occasion of the speech which earned him the nickname of
"Finality Jack."]

[Footnote 62: Alluding to the Ministerial defeat at the
polls.]

[Footnote 63: The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.]

[Footnote 64: Marie Amelie, Queen of the French.]

[Pageheading: LORD MELBOURNE AND THE GARTER]

_Memorandum by Mr Anson._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _7th August 1841._

I went to Lord Melbourne this morning in his room as he had desired
me. He said: "The Prince has been urging me to accept the Blue Riband
before I quit office, and I wished to tell you that I am very anxious
that this should not be pressed upon me by the Queen; it may be a
foolish weakness on my part, but I wish to quit office without having
any honour conferred upon me; the Queen's confidence towards me is
sufficiently known without any public mark of this nature. I have
always disregarded these honours, and there would be an inconsistency
in my accepting this. I feel it to be much better for my reputation
that I should not have it forced upon me. Mr Pitt never accepted
an order, and only the Cinque Ports on being pressed to do so. Lord
Grenville accepted a peerage, but never any other honour or advantage,
and I wish to be permitted to retire in like manner. If I was a poor
man, I should have no hesitation in receiving money in the shape of
place or pension; I _only don't wish_ for place, because I do not
_want_ it."

In the course of conversation Lord Melbourne said