d. The formal
announcement that the King was seriously ill was not made until within a
few days of the sovereign's death. Even when regular bulletins began to
be issued, they were so sparing of their information, and {290} so
carefully guarded against any suggestion of alarm, that the outer public
had really very little to go upon, except the bare fact that the King was
growing to be an old man, and that he was liable to fits of illness just
as he had been for years before. It would appear that it was William's
whim to dictate the bulletins himself, and that he was very anxious not
to allow a word to go forth which might convey a knowledge of his actual
condition. The poor old sovereign was apparently inspired by the full
conviction that the prolongation of his life was of the utmost importance
to the welfare of his people, and it may be fully believed that his
unwillingness to admit the imminence of danger to his life came from an
honest sort of public purpose. He gave his attention to the business of
the State almost to the very last. All the time those who were
immediately around the sinking sovereign knew quite well that the end was
close at hand, and were already consulting earnestly and constantly as to
the steps which ought to be taken to prepare for the new reign, even as
to the matter of mere ceremonials which were to accompany the accession
of a woman as sovereign. On June 16 Greville says: "Met Sir Robert Peel
in the Park, and talked with him about the beginning of the new reign.
He said that it was very desirable that the young Queen should appear as
much as possible emancipated from all restraint, and exhibit a capacity
for the discharge of her high functions. That the most probable as well
as the most expedient course she could adopt would be to rely entirely on
the advice of Melbourne, and she might with great propriety say that she
thought it incumbent on her to follow the example which had been set by
her two uncles, her predecessors, George the Fourth and William the
Fourth." Each of these had retained the ministers whom he found in
office, although not quite of his own pattern. There were some fears, at
the time, that Leopold, King of the Belgians, might hasten over to
England, and might exercise, or at least be suspected of exercising, an
undue influence over the young Princess Victoria. Headers at the present
day will notice, perhaps with peculiar interest, the observation made by
{291} Gre