l Highness his thanks for all
the kindness shown him at Windsor. He was very happy to find himself
there again and in your Majesty's society. He has seen many fine
places and much fine country, but after all there is nothing like
Windsor and the Park. Twenty very fine places might easily be made out
of the latter. Lord Melbourne as he drove to Bagshot was very glad to
see the plantations at and about Cumberland Lodge and onwards so well
and judiciously thinned. He had a very prosperous journey here. It is
a lovely place, with the greatest beauty that a place can have, a
very swift, clear, natural stream, running and winding in front of the
house. The whole place is much improved since Lord Melbourne saw it
last; a great deal of new pleasure-ground has been made. The trees,
cypresses, elders, planes, elms, white poplars and acacias are very
fine indeed....

Lord Melbourne thinks of staying here six or seven days, and then
returning to London and going to Brocket Hall and Panshanger, but
he has not fixed his plans decidedly, which he is never very fond of
doing.

Lord Melbourne was delighted at thinking that he left your Majesty
in good health, which he earnestly hopes and fervently prays may,
together with every other blessing, long continue.

[Footnote 1: The house of Lord Palmerston in Hants.]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _6th January 1842._

... Sir Robert Peel has informed Lord Aberdeen that he had mentioned
to your Majesty the suggestion of the King of Prussia to confer the
Order of the Black Eagle[2] upon the Prince of Wales, immediately
after the christening of his Royal Highness. Lord Aberdeen therefore
abstains from troubling your Majesty with any observations on this
subject.

[Footnote 2: Founded by Frederick I. in 1701.]

[Pageheading: DISASTERS IN AFGHANISTAN]

_Lord Fitzgerald to Queen Victoria._

_8th January 1842._

Lord Fitzgerald, with his most humble duty to your Majesty, begs
leave humbly to inform your Majesty that despatches have been this
day received at the India House from the Earl of Auckland,
Governor-General of India, which most officially confirm to too great
an extent the disastrous intelligence contained in the public journals
of yesterday, the particulars of which the editors of these journals
had received by express messengers from Marseilles.[3]

This intelligence is of a most painful character, and though the
details