is indeed much to be pitied. Ever,
dearest Uncle, your devoted and unhappy Niece and Child,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 6: The Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha died on 29th
January.]

[Footnote 7: The Grand Duchess Constantine of Russia,
sister of the Duchess of Kent and of the deceased Duke of
Saxe-Coburg.]

[Pageheading: BEREAVEMENT]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _13th February 1844._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I received your dear, kind but sad letter of the
8th on Sunday, and thank you much for it. God knows, poor dear Uncle,
you have suffered _enough_ in your life, but you should think, dearest
Uncle, of _that blessed_ assurance of _eternity_ where we shall _all
meet again never_ to part; you should think (as we constantly do now)
that those whom we have lost are far happier than we are, and _love
us_ still, and in a far more perfect way than _we can_ do in this
world! When the first moments and days of overwhelming grief are over
these reflections are the greatest balm, the greatest consolation to
the bleeding heart.

I hope you will kindly let me have a few lines of _hope_ by the
Tuesday's messenger. Ever your truly devoted Niece and Child,

VICTORIA R.

_P.S._--O'Connell's being pronounced guilty is a great triumph.[8]

[Footnote 8: He had been indicted with Charles Gavan Duffy and
others for seditious conspiracy.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _3rd April 1844._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, with many
thanks for your Majesty's note of the 28th ult. Lord Melbourne
believes that your Majesty is quite right in saying that Lord
Melbourne has still some health left, if he will but take care of
it. Lord Melbourne told Dr Holland, without mentioning your Majesty's
name, that this had been said to him by a friend, and Dr Holland
immediately said that it was very just and true, and very well
expressed, and quite what he should have said himself. At the same
time, the change from strength to weakness and the evident progress
of decadence is a very hard and disagreeable trial. Lord Melbourne has
been reading Cicero on old age, a very pretty treatise, but he does
not find much consolation after it; the principal practical resources
and alleviations which he recommends are agriculture and gardening, to
both of which, but more particularly to the latter, Lord Melbourne has
already had recourse.