your opinion of them.

[Footnote 5: Some interesting observations on these events may
be read in Borrow's _Bible in Spain_.]

[Footnote 6: Don Juan Alvarez y Mendizabal (1790-1853),
Spanish politician and financier.]

[Footnote 7: Miguel Ricardo di Alava (1771-1843), Spanish
General; he acted as the representative of Spain at Paris, at
the Court of the Bourbons; he was a great friend of the Duke
of Wellington, and was with him at his headquarters during the
Peninsular War.]

[Footnote 8: The Queen Regent, Christina.]

[Footnote 9: Then six years old; she died in 1904.]

[Footnote 10: This was in reference to the trial at Strasburg
of the confederates of Prince Louis Bonaparte (afterwards
Napoleon III.) in his abortive attempt to establish a military
despotism on 30th October. The Prince was permitted to go to
the United States, being conveyed in a French frigate; the
other conspirators were acquitted.]

[Footnote 11: Leopold, born in 1835, afterwards Duke of
Brabant, the present King of the Belgians.]

[Pageheading: PARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

CLAREMONT, _30th January 1837._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,-- ... I am very sorry that the Portuguese news are
still so very unfavourable; I trust that, in time, things will come
right. The Portuguese are, as you say, a most inconceivable set of
selfish politicians.

Our friend, Mr Hume,[12] made a most violent speech at a dinner given
to him and old George Byng[13] at Drury Lane last week.[14] He called
Sir R. Peel and some other Tories "the cloven foot," which I think
rather strong. I think that _great_ violence and striving such a pity,
on both sides, don't you, dear Uncle? They irritate one another so
uselessly by calling one another fools, blockheads, liars, and so
forth for no purpose. I think violence so bad in everything. They
should imitate you, and be calm, for you have had, God knows! enough
cause for irritation from your _worthy_ Dutch neighbours and others.
You will, I fear, laugh at my _politics_, but I like telling _you_ my
feelings, for you alone can put me right on such subjects.

[Footnote 12: Joseph Hume, leader of the Radical party, was
now M.P. for Middlesex.]

[Footnote 13: George Byng, for many years Member for
Middlesex, was great-grandson of William Wentworth, Earl of
Strafford, of the 1711 cr