e exertion, and
therefore thinks that he shall establish himself for the present
at Melbourne, where he will be within reach of Trentham, Beau
Desert,[137] Wentworth,[138] and Castle Howard,[139] if he likes to
go to them. The only annoyance is that it is close to Lord and Lady
G----, whom he will be perpetually meeting.

[Footnote 132: A daughter of George Canning, the Prime
Minister.]

[Footnote 133: Afterwards Lord Lytton, the novelist.]

[Footnote 134: The famous country gentleman, "Mr Coke of
Norfolk."]

[Footnote 135: Hugh, second Earl, K.G.]

[Footnote 136: The Right Hon. Edward Ellice, M.P. ("Bear"
Ellice).]

[Footnote 137: Near Lichfield, a seat of Lord Anglesey.]

[Footnote 138: Lord Fitzwilliam's house, near Rotherham.]

[Footnote 139: Lord Carlisle's house, near York, built by
Vanbrugh.]

[Pageheading: HOLLAND AND BELGIUM]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _22 October 1841._

... In France there is a great outcry that a Bourbon must be the
future husband of the Queen of Spain, etc. I must say that as the
Spaniards and the late King changed themselves the Salic custom which
Philip V. had brought from France,[140] it is natural for the rest of
Europe to wish that no Bourbon should go there. Besides, it must be
confessed that the thing is not even easy, as there is great hatred
amongst the various branches of that family. The King of the French
himself has always been _opposed_ to the idea of one of his sons going
there; in France, however, that opinion still exists, and Thiers had
it, strongly.

I confess that I regret that Queen Christina was encouraged to
settle at Paris, as it gave the thing the appearance of something
preconcerted. I believe that a wish existed that Christina would
retire peaceably and _par la force des circonstances_, but now this
took a turn which I am sure the King does not like; it places him,
besides, into _une position ingrate_; the Radicals hate him, the
Moderates will cry out that he has left them in the lurch, and the
Carlists are kept under key, and of course also not much pleased. I
meant to have remained in my wilds till yesterday, but my Ministers
were so anxious for my return, there being a good many things on the
_tapis_, that I came back on Tuesday, the 19th....

Here one is exactly shut up as if one was in a menagerie, walking
round and round like a tame bear. One breathes her