exander[72] your Majesty
will see corrected in the _Morning Chronicle_ of that morning, but of
course your Majesty will not expect that this contradiction will put
an end to bitter and offensive remarks. It will now be said that,
knowing the true religion, he has given over his children to the
false, and that he has sacrificed their eternal welfare to his own
worldly objects.[73] There is nothing which cannot be turned in an
hostile and malignant manner by malignant and perverted ingenuity.

Can your Majesty inform Lord Melbourne what is the arrangement
respecting King Leopold's children? They are, Lord Melbourne presumes,
to be brought up Roman Catholics.

Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes to hear that your Majesty is better and
more free from pain. He is himself very well.

[Footnote 72: Prince Alexander of Wuertemberg.]

[Footnote 73: See _ante_, p. 150. (Ch. VIII, Footnote 22)]

_Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _27th November 1839._

_The English are very jealous of any foreigner interfering in the
government of this country, and have already in some of the papers
(which are friendly to me and you) expressed a hope that you would not
interfere. Now, though I know you never would, still, if you were a
Peer, they would all say, the Prince meant to play a political part._
I am certain you will understand this, but it is much better not to
say anything more about it now, and to let the whole matter rest.
The Tories make a great disturbance (saying) that you are _a Papist_,
because the words "_a Protestant Prince_" have not been put into the
Declaration--a thing which would be quite unnecessary, seeing that I
_cannot_ marry a _Papist_....

_Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert._

_29th November 1839._

I had a talk with Lord Melbourne last night. He thinks your view about
the Peerage question quite correct. Uncle seems to me, after all, much
more reasonable about it. We had a good talk this morning about
your arrangements for our marriage, and also about your official
attendants, and he[74] has told me that young Mr. Anson (his Private
Secretary), who is with him, greatly wishes to be with you. I am very
much in favour of it, because he is an excellent young man, and very
modest, very honest, very steady, very well-informed, and will be of
_much use_ to you. He is not a member of the House of Commons, which
is also convenient; so long as Lord Melbourne is in office he re