The Letters of Queen Victoria, Volume 1 (of 3), 1837 to 1843)

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[Footnote 6: Princess Sophia, daughter of George III.]

_Prince Leopold_[7] _to the Princess Victoria._

PARIS, _20th April 1829._

MY DEAREST LOVE,--Though in a few days I hope to have the happiness
of seeing you, still I wish to recall myself even before that time to
your recollection, and to tell you how delighted I shall be to embrace
my dearest little child. I have travelled far over the world and shall
be able to give you some curious information about various matters.

Stockmar, who was very ill, and whom I despaired of seeing here, did
arrive before yesterday,[8] and you may guess what pleasure it gave
me. Now I will conclude; _au revoir_, and let me find you grown,
blooming, and kind to your old and faithful Uncle,

LEOPOLD.

[Footnote 7: Afterwards King of the Belgians.]

[Footnote 8: I.e. _avant hier_.]

[Pageheading: BIRTHDAY LETTERS]

_The Princess Hohenlohe[9] to the Princess Victoria._

[_May 1829._]

If I had wings and could fly like a bird, I should fly in at your
window like the little robin to-day, and wish you many very happy
returns of the 24th, and tell you how I love you, dearest sister, and
how often I think of you and long to see you. I think if I were once
with you again I could not leave you so soon. I should wish to stay
with you, and what would poor Ernest[9] say if I were to leave him so
long? He would perhaps try to fly after me, but I fear he would not
get far; he is rather tall and heavy for flying. So you see I have
nothing left to do but to write to you, and wish you in this way all
possible happiness and joy for this and many, many years to come. I
hope you will spend a very merry birthday. How I wish to be with you,
dearest Victoire, on that day!

I have not thanked you, I believe, for a very dear letter you have
written to me, which gave me the greatest pleasure. Your descriptions
of the plays you had seen amused me very much. I wish I had seen your
performance too. Your most affectionate Sister,

FEODORE.

[Footnote 9: The Princess Feodore of Leiningen, the Queen's
half-sister, had married, in January 1828, the Prince (Ernest)
of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.]

_The Duchess of Clarence to the Princess Victoria._

BUSHEY PARK, _14th August 1829._

A thousand thanks to you, dear Victoria, for your very nice and
well-written letter full of good wishes, which I had the pleasure to
receive yesterday; and many thanks more for the pretty gifts your dear
Mamma has sent me in your name. I wore them last night for your sake,
dearest child, and thought of you _very often_.

It gives me great satisfaction to hear that you are enjoying the sea
air and like the place which you now occupy. I wish I could pay your
Mamma a visit there and see you again, my dear little niece, for I
long to have that pleasure, and must resign myself at being deprived
of it some time longer. Your Uncle desires to be most kindly
remembered to you, and hopes to receive soon also a letter from you,
of whom he is as fond as I am. We speak of you very often, and trust
that you will always consider us to be amongst your best friends....

God bless you, my dear Victoria, is always the prayer of your most
truly affectionate Aunt,

ADELAIDE.

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

BRUSSELS, _22nd May 1832._

MY DEAREST LOVE,--Let me offer you my _sincerest_ and _best_ wishes on
the return of the anniversary of your birthday. May heaven protect and
prosper you, and shower all its best blessings on you.

Time flies: it is now thirteen years that you came into the world
of trouble; I therefore can hardly venture to call you any longer a
little Princess.

This will make you feel, my dear Love, that you must give your
attention more and more to graver matters. By the dispensation of
Providence you are destined to fill a most eminent station; to fill
it _well_ must now become your study. A good heart and a trusty and
honourable character are amongst the most indispensable qualifications
for that position.

You will always find in your Uncle that faithful friend which he
has proved to you from your earliest infancy, and whenever you feel
yourself in want of support or advice, call on him with perfect
confidence.

If circumstances permitted my leaving Ostend early to-morrow morning,
I should be able to place myself my birthday present into your fair
hair; as this happiness has not fallen to my lot, your excellent
mother has promised to act as my representative.

You will probably have little time to spare. I therefore conclude with
the assurance of the sincere attachment and affection with which I
shall ever be, my dearest Love, your faithful and devoted Friend and
Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN,[10] _31st August 1832._

MY DEAREST LOVE,--You told me you wished to have a description of your
new Aunt.[11] I therefore shall both mentally and physically describe
her to you.

She is extremely gentle and amiable, her actions are always guided by
principles. She is at all times ready and disposed to sacrifice her
comfort and inclinations to see others happy. She values goodness,
merit, and virtue much more than beauty, riches, and amusements. With
all this she is highly informed and very clever; she speaks and writes
English, German and Italian; she speaks English very well indeed.
In short, my dear Love, you see that I may well recommend her as an
example for all young ladies, being Princesses or not.

Now to her appearance. She is about Feodore's height, her hair
very fair, light blue eyes, of a very gentle, intelligent and kind
expression. A Bourbon nose and small mouth. The figure is much like
Feodore's but rather less stout. She rides very well, which she proved
to my great alarm the other day, by keeping her seat though a horse of
mine ran away with her full speed for at least half a mile. What she
does particularly well is dancing. Music unfortunately she is not
very fond of, though she plays on the harp; I believe there is some
idleness in the case. There exists already great confidence and
affection between us; she is desirous of doing everything that can
contribute to my happiness, and I study whatever can make her happy
and contented.

You will see by these descriptions that though my good little wife is
not the tallest Queen, she is a very great prize which I highly value
and cherish....

Now it is time I should finish my letter. Say everything that is kind
to good Lehzen, and believe me ever, my dearest Love, your faithful
Friend and Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 10: The Royal Palace, four miles from Brussels,
which Napoleon owned for many years. A monument to King
Leopold now stands there.]

[Footnote 11: Louise Marie, Princess of Orleans, daughter of
King Louis Philippe of France, was married to King Leopold on
9th August 1832.]

[Pageheading: A BIRTHDAY LETTER]

[Pageheading: VALUABLE ADVICE]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN, _21st May 1833._

MY DEAREST LOVE,--To make quite sure of my birthday congratulations
reaching you on that day, I send them by to-day's messenger, and
confide them to the care of your illustrious mother.

My sincere good wishes for many happy returns of that day which
gave you, dear little soul, to us, will be accompanied by some few
reflections, which the serious aspect of our times calls forth.
My dearest Love, you are now fourteen years old, a period when
the delightful pastimes of childhood must be mixed with thoughts
appertaining already to a matured part of your life. I know that you
have been very studious, but now comes the time when the judgment must
form itself, when the character requires attention; in short when the
young tree takes the shape which it retains afterwards through life.

To attain this object it is indispensable to give some little time _to
reflection_. The life in a great town is little calculated for such
purposes; however, with some firmness of purpose it can be done.

_Self-examination_ is the most important part of the business, and
a very useful mode of proceeding is, for instance, every evening to
recapitulate the events of the day, and the motives which made one act
oneself, as well as to try to guess what might have been the motives
of others. Amiable dispositions like yours will easily perceive
if your own motives _were good_. Persons in high situations must
particularly guard themselves against selfishness and vanity. An
individual in a high and important situation will easily see a great
many persons eager to please the first, and to flatter and encourage
the last. Selfishness, however, makes the individual itself miserable,
and is the cause of constant disappointment, besides being the surest
means of being disliked by everybody.

Vanity, on the other hand, is generally artfully used by ambitious and
interested people to make one a tool for purposes of their own, but
too often in opposition with one's own happiness and destruction of
it.

To learn to know oneself, to judge oneself with truth and
impartiality, must be the great objects of one's exertion; they are
only attainable by constant and cool self-examination.

The position of what is generally called great people has of late
become extremely difficult. They are more attacked and calumniated,
and judged with less indulgence than private individuals. What they
have lost in this way, they have not by any means regained in any
other. Ever since the revolution of 1790 they are much less secure
than they used to be, and the transition from sovereign power to
_absolute want_ has been as frequent as sudden.

It becomes, therefore, necessary that the character should be so
formed as not to be intoxicated by greatness and success, nor
cast down by misfortune. To be able to do so, one must be able to
appreciate things according to their real value, and particularly
avoid giving to trifles an undue importance.

Nothing is so great and clear a proof of unfitness for greater and
nobler actions, than a mind which is seriously occupied with trifles.

Trifling matters may be objects of amusement and relaxation to a
clever person, but only a weak mind and a mean spirit consider trifles
as important. The good sense must show itself by distinguishing what
is and what is not important.

My sermon is now long enough, my dear child. I strongly recommend it,
however, to your reflection and consideration.

My gift consists in a set of views of the former Kingdom of the
Netherlands, out of which you will be able to discover all those of
the present Belgium.

Let me soon hear from you; and may God bless and preserve you. Ever,
my dear Love, your affectionate Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Pageheading: VISIT TO HEVER CASTLE]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

TUNBRIDGE WELLS, _14th September 1834._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Allow me to write you a few words, to express
how thankful I am for the very kind letter you wrote me. It made me,
though, very sad to think that all our hopes of seeing you, which we
cherished so long, this year, were over. I had so hoped and wished to
have seen you again, my _beloved_ Uncle, and to have made dearest
Aunt Louisa's acquaintance. I am delighted to hear that dear Aunt has
benefited from the sea air and bathing. We had a very pretty party to
Hever Castle yesterday, which perhaps you remember, where Anne Boleyn
used to live, _before she lost her head_. We drove there, and rode
home. It was a most beautiful day. We have very good accounts from
dear Feodore, who will, by this time, be at Langenburg.

Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your very affectionate and
dutiful Niece,

VICTORIA.

[Pageheading: HISTORICAL READING]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN, _18th October 1834._

MY DEAREST LOVE,--I am happy to learn that Tunbridge Wells has done
you good. Health is the first and most important gift of Providence;
without it we are poor, miserable creatures, though the whole earth
were our property; therefore I trust that you will take great care of
your own. I feel convinced that air and exercise are most useful for
you. In your leisure moments I hope that you study a little; history
is what I think the most important study for you. It will be difficult
for you to learn human-kind's ways and manners otherwise than from
that important source of knowledge. Your position will more or less
render practical knowledge extremely difficult for you, till you get
old, and still if you do not prepare yourself for your position, you
may become the victim of wicked and designing people, particularly at
a period when party spirit runs so high. Our times resemble most those
of the Protestant reformation; then people were moved by religious
opinions, as they now undoubtedly are by political passions.
Unfortunately history is rarely written by those who really were
the chief movers of events, nor free from a party colouring; this
is particularly the case in the works about English history. In that
respect France is much richer, because there we have authenticated
memoirs of some of the most important men, and of others who really
saw what passed and wrote it down at the time. Political feelings,
besides, rarely created _permanent_ parties like those in England,
with the exception, perhaps, of the great distinctions of Catholics
and Protestants. What I most should recommend is the period before the
accession of Henry IV. of France to the throne, then the events after
his death till the end of the minority of Louis XIV.; after that
period, though interesting, matters have a character which is more
personal, and therefore less applicable to the present times. Still
even that period may be studied with some profit to get knowledge of
mankind. _Intrigues_ and _favouritism_ were the chief features of that
period, and Madame de Maintenon's immense influence was very nearly
the cause of the destruction of France. What I very particularly
recommend to you is to study in the Memoirs of the great and good
Sully[12] the last years of the reign of Henry IV. of France, and the
events which followed his assassination. If you have not got the work,
I will forward it to you from hence, or give you the edition which I
must have at Claremont.

As my paper draws to a close, I shall finish also by giving you my
best blessings, and remain ever, my dearest Love, your faithfully
attached Friend and Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 12: Maximilien, Duc de Sully, was Henry's Minister
of Finance. A curious feature of the Memoirs is the fact that
they are written in the second person: the historian recounts
the hero's adventures to him.]

[Pageheading: THE PRINCESS'S READING]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

TUNBRIDGE WELLS, _22nd October 1834._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--You cannot conceive how happy you have made me, by
your very kind letter, which, instead of tiring, delights me beyond
everything. I must likewise say how very grateful I feel for the kind
and excellent advice you gave me in it.

For the autographs I beg to return my best thanks. They are
most valuable and interesting, and will be great additions to my
collections. As I have not got Sully's Memoirs, I shall be delighted
if you will be so good as to give them to me. Reading history is one
of my greatest delights, and perhaps, dear Uncle, you might like to
know which books in that line I am now reading. In my lessons with the
Dean of Chester,[13] I am reading Russell's _Modern Europe_,[14] which
is very interesting, and Clarendon's _History of the Rebellion_. It
is drily written, but is full of instruction. I like reading different
authors, of different opinions, by which means I learn not to lean on
one particular side. Besides my lessons, I read Jones'[15] account
of the wars in Spain, Portugal and the South of France, from the year
1808 till 1814. It is well done, I think, and amuses me very much. In
French, I am now in _La Rivalite de la France et de l'Espagne_, par
Gaillard,[16] which is very interesting. I have also begun Rollin.[17]
I am very fond of making tables of the Kings and Queens, as I go on,
and I have lately finished one of the English Sovereigns and their
consorts, as, of course, the history of my own country is one of
my first duties. I should be fearful of tiring you with so long an
account of myself, were I not sure you take so great an interest in my
welfare.

Pray give my most affectionate love to _dearest_ Aunt Louisa, and
please say to the Queen of the French and the two Princesses how
grateful I am for their kind remembrance of me.

Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your very affectionate, very
dutiful, and most attached Niece,

VICTORIA.

[Footnote 13: The Rev. George Davys. See _ante_, p. 15.
(Ch. II, Footnote 4)]

[Footnote 14: This _History of Modern Europe_, in a series of
letters from a nobleman to his son, 5 vols. (1779-1784),
deals with the rise of modern kingdoms down to the Peace of
Westphalia (1648).]

[Footnote 15: Sir John Thomas Jones, Bart. (1783-1843), a
Royal Engineer, who served in the Peninsular War.]

[Footnote 16: Gabriel Henri Gaillard (1726-1806), Member of
the French Academy.]

[Footnote 17: The _Histoire Ancienne_, by Charles Rollin
(1661-1741), Rector of the University of Paris.]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

ST. LEONARDS, _19th November 1834._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--It is impossible for me to express how happy you
have made me by writing so soon again to me, and how pleased I am to
see by your very kind letter that you intend to write to me often. I
am much obliged to you, dear Uncle, for the extract about Queen Anne,
but must beg you, as you have sent me to show what a Queen _ought not_
to be, that you will send me what a Queen _ought to be_.[18]

Might I ask what is the very pretty seal with which the letter I got
from you yesterday was closed? It is so peculiar that I am anxious to
know.

Believe me always, dear Uncle, your very affectionate, very dutiful,
and very attached Niece,

VICTORIA.

[Footnote 18: King Leopold had sent the Princess an extract
from a French Memoir, containing a severe criticism of the
political character of Queen Anne.]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN, _2nd December 1834._

MY DEAREST LOVE,--You have written a very clever, sharp little letter
the other day, which gave me great pleasure. Sure enough, when I show
you what a Queen ought not to be, I also ought to tell you what she
should be, and this task I will very conscientiously take upon myself
on the very first occasion which may offer itself for a confidential
communication. Now I must conclude, to go to town. I must, however,
say that I have given orders to send you Sully's Memoirs. As they have
not been written exclusively for young ladies, it will be well to have
Lehzen to read it with you, and to judge what ought to be left for
some future time. And now God bless you! Ever, my beloved child, your
attached Friend and Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Pageheading: A NEW YEAR GREETING]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

ST. LEONARDS, _28th December 1834._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I must again, with your permission, write you a few
lines, to wish you a very happy new year, not only for _this_ year,
but for _many_ to come. I know not how to thank you sufficiently for
the _invaluable_ and precious autographs which you were so very kind
as to send me. Some of them I received a few days ago, and the others
to-day, accompanied by a very kind letter from you, and a beautiful
shawl, which will be most useful to me, particularly as a favourite
one of mine is growing very old. I wish you could come here, for
many reasons, but also to be an eye-witness of my extreme prudence in
eating, which would astonish you. The poor sea-gulls are, however,
not so happy as you imagine, for they have great enemies in the
country-people here, who take pleasure in shooting them.

Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your very affectionate and most
grateful Niece,

VICTORIA.

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

KENSINGTON PALACE, _2nd February 1835._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I know not how to thank you sufficiently for
the most valuable autographs you were kind enough to send me. I am
particularly delighted with that of Louis Quatorze, "le grand Roi,"
and my great admiration.... You will not, I hope, think me very
troublesome if I venture to ask for two more autographs which I should
very particularly like to have; they are Mme. de Sevigne's[19] and
Racine's; as I am reading the letters of the former, and the tragedies
of the latter, I should prize them highly. Believe me always, my
dearest Uncle, your most affectionate and dutiful Niece,

VICTORIA.

[Footnote 19: Marie de Rabutin Chantal, Marquise de Sevigne,
born 1626. At twenty-four she was left a widow, and devoted
herself to her children's education. When her daughter married
the Count de Grignan, she began that correspondence with her
on which her reputation chiefly rests. She died in 1696, and
the letters were first published in 1726.]

[Pageheading: THE PRINCESS'S CONFIRMATION]

[Pageheading: HONESTY AND SINCERITY]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

CAMP OF BEVERLOO (in the North of the Province of Limburg), _3rd
August 1835._

MY DEAR LOVE,--By your Mother's letter of the 31st ult^o., I learned
of the serious and important action in your young life[20] which has
passed recently, and I cannot let it pass without saying some words
on the subject. I am perhaps rather strangely situated for a
preaching--somewhat in the style of those old camp preachers who held
forth to many thousand people on some heath in Scotland. I am also
on an immense heath, surrounded by 16,000 men, mostly young and
gay, cooking, singing, working, and not very like the stern old
Covenanters; however, I shall try. First of all, let me congratulate
you that it passed happily and well off. Secondly, let me entreat you
to look with a serious and reflective mind on the day which is past.
Many are the religions, many the shades of those religions, but it
must be confessed the principles of the Christian religion are the
most perfect and the most beautiful that can be imagined.... There is
one virtue which is particularly Christian; this is the knowledge of
our own heart in _real humility_. _Hypocrisy_ is a besetting sin of
all times, but _particularly of the present_, and many are the wolves
in sheep's clothes. I am sorry to say, with all my affection for old
England, the very _state of its Society and politics_ renders many in
that country _essentially humbugs and deceivers_; the _appearance_ of
the thing is generally _more_ considered than the _reality_; provided
matters go off well, and opinion may be gained, the _real good is
matter of the most perfect indifference_. Defend yourself, my dear
love, against this system; let your dear character always be true
and loyal; this does not _exclude prudence_--worldly concerns are
now unfortunately so organised that you _must be cautious_ or you may
injure yourself and others--but it does not prevent the being sterling
and true. Nothing in persons gives greater reliance, greater weight,
than when they are known to be _true_. From your earliest childhood
I was anxious to see in you this important virtue _saved_ and
_developed_, and Lehzen will still be able to recollect that. If it is
God's pleasure that you should once[21] fill the arduous situation to
which you seem destined, you will find the importance of what I now
say to you. And when others may tremble to have at last their real
character found out, and to meet all the contempt which they may
deserve, your mind and heart will be still and happy, because it will
know that it acts honestly, that truth and goodness are the motives of
its actions. I press you now against my heart; may God bless you as
I wish and hope it, and may you always feel some affection for your
sincerely devoted camp preacher and Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 20: The Princess was confirmed at the Chapel Royal,
on 30th July 1835.]

[Footnote 21: King Leopold not infrequently uses "once" like
the Latin _olim_, as referring to any indefinite date in the
future as well as in the past. "Some day" is what is intended
here.]

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

TO CHAPTER V

THE year 1836 was not an eventful one at home; the Whig Ministry were
too weak to carry measures of first-rate importance, and could hardly
have maintained themselves in power against the formidable opposition
of Sir Robert Peel without the support of O'Connell. Parliament was
chiefly occupied by the consideration of the Secret Societies in
Ireland, Tithes, Municipal Corporations, and such matters; the
Marriage Act, and the Act for the Registration of Births have probably
been the most important measures of the year to the country. Troubles
which were destined to become more acute arose in Lower Canada and
Jamaica, both taking the form of disputes between the executive and
the legislature.