ces
navales de la France_. The Prince de Joinville wrote as follows to the
Queen: "Le malheureux eclat de ma brochure, le tracas que cela donne
au Pere et a la Reine, me font regretter vivement de l'avoir faite.
Comme je l'ecris a ton Roi, je ne renvoie que mepris a toutes les
interpretations qu'on y donne; ce que peuvent dire ministre et
journaux ne me touche en rien, mais il n'y a pas de sacrifices que je
ne suis dispose a faire pour l'interieur de la Famille."]

[Pageheading: THE CZAR NICHOLAS]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen._

_29th May 1844._

If Lord Aberdeen should not have read the Prince de Joinville's
pamphlet, the Queen recommends him to do so, as one cannot judge
fairly by the extracts in the newspapers. Though it does not lessen
the extreme imprudence of the Prince's publishing what must do harm
to the various French Governments, it certainly is _not_ intentionally
written to offend England, and on the contrary frankly proves _us_ to
be immensely superior to the French Navy in every way.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _4th June 1844._

MY BELOVED UNCLE,--I gave Louise a long and detailed description of
the Emperor,[13] etc. The papers are full of the details. A great
event and a great compliment _his_ visit certainly is, and the
people _here_ are extremely flattered at it. He is certainly a _very
striking_ man; still very handsome; his profile is _beautiful_, and
his manners _most_ dignified and graceful; extremely civil--quite
alarmingly so, as he is so full of attentions and _politesses_. But
the expression of the _eyes_ is _formidable_, and unlike anything I
ever saw before. He gives me and Albert the impression of a man who is
_not_ happy, and on whom the weight of his immense power and position
weighs heavily and painfully; he seldom smiles, and when he does
the expression is _not_ a happy one. He is very easy to get on with.
Really, it seems like a dream when I think that we breakfast and walk
out with _this_ greatest of all earthly Potentates as quietly as if we
walked, etc., with Charles or any one. We took him, with the dear good
King of Saxony,[14] who is a great contrast to the _Czar_ (and with
whom I am _quite_ at my ease), to Adelaide Cottage after breakfast.
The grass here is just as if it had been burned with fire. _How_ many
different Princes have we not gone the same round with!! The children
are much admired by the _Sovereig