he would return immediately--"for that, if
the Queen wished it, he was ready to serve under a Corporal"!
Conduct like this is very gratifying, and will only add to Sir Colin
Campbell's high name; but, as by Lord Hardinge's and Lord Panmure's
advice, the Queen has obtained from him this _sacrifice_ of _his
own_ feelings to _her_ wishes, _she_ feels personally bound _not_
to _permit_ him to be passed over a _second_ time should the Command
again become vacant.

The Queen has had a good deal of conversation with him, and from what
he told her, as well as from what she has heard from others, there
seems to be a good deal of laxity of discipline--particularly as
regards the officers--in the Army in the Crimea; and she thinks Lord
Hardinge should give an order to prevent so many officers coming home
on leave except when _really ill_. The effect of this on the French
is very bad, and the Prince had a letter only two days ago from the
Prince of Prussia, saying that every one was shocked at the manner in
which our officers came home, and that it lowered our Army very much
in the eyes of foreign Armies, and generally decreased the
sympathy for our troops. We deeply regret the death of poor General
Markham.[92]

[Footnote 92: He commanded the 2nd Division of the Army at
the attack on the Redan, and after the fall of Sebastopol, his
health, already shattered, broke down completely; he returned
home, and died on the 21st of November.]

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND AUSTRIA]

[Pageheading: THE NEUTRALISATION CLAUSE]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _23rd November 1855_.

The Queen has received Lord Clarendon's letter, and returns the very
satisfactory enclosures from Lord Cowley. Count Walewski remains true
to himself; yet the admission that the Neutralisation Clause ought to
be part of the European treaty, and not an annex, which _he makes_, is
the most important concession which we could desire. That the Sea
of Azov is to be dropped the Queen is glad of, as it would appear so
humiliating to Russia that Austria would probably decline proposing
it. What the Queen is most afraid of, and what she believes actuates
the Emperor also, is the consideration that Austria, made aware of
the intense feeling for Peace _a tout prix_ in France, might get
frightened at the good terms for us she meant to propose to Russia,
and might long for an opportunity given by us, in any unreasonable
de