is life will be devoted to this important task; and
whatever may be the more lively disposition of the Duke of Orleans,
great part of his reign if he comes to the throne, and perhaps the
_whole_ of it, will, _bon gre mal gre_, take the same turn. That it
should be so _is very natural_, because of _what use_ would be some
_foreign provinces_ if they would only add to the difficulty of
governing the old? Therefore, knowing as I do all the proceedings
of the King and his Cabinet, even more fully than I do those of your
Government; seeing constantly in the most unreserved manner the whole
of the despatches; knowing as the nearest neighbour the system that
they constantly followed up towards us, I must say that no one is
more against acquiring influence in foreign States, or even getting
burthened with family aggrandisement in them, than he. He rejected
most positively the marriage of Joinville with Donna Maria because he
will not have anything to do with Portugal. He rejects a _mille_ times
the idea of a future union of the Queen of Spain with Aumale, because
he will not have a son where it _is not_ his intention to support him.

His fear of being drawn into a real intervention has been the cause
of his having been so anxious not to have a French Legion in Spain. He
may be right or wrong on this subject--I do not decide this, as I was
of a different opinion last year; but his fear of being drawn too
far, like a man whose clothes get caught by a steam-engine, is natural
enough. His dislike to the ultra-Liberals in the Peninsula is also
very natural, because they uphold principles of Government which
render Monarchy impossible, and the application of which to France
would be the ruin of the King. England, from the peculiarity of
its position, can do many things which in France would upset
everything.... I must close my letter, and shall answer yours
to-morrow. God bless you! Ever, my dearest Victoria, your devoted
Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 71: French Premier and Foreign Secretary.]

[Footnote 72: 1830.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

PAVILION, BRIGHTON, _25th October 1837._

... Now, dearest Uncle, I must speak to you _un peu de Politique_.
I made Lord Melbourne read the _political_ part of your letter. He
wished me to communicate to you part of the contents of a letter of
Lord Granville's which we received yesterday. Lord Granville complains
a good deal of Mole,[73] and says, that th