will learn with delight that the most
interesting part of the speech from the throne {81a} to both Houses of
Parliament, and the country at large, will be the announcement of Her
Majesty's intended marriage. The happy object of Queen Victoria's choice
is Prince Albert, son of the reigning Duke of Saxe Coburg, and cousin of
Her Majesty. Prince Albert is handsome, and about 22 years of age. He
has resided, for some time, in this country, on a visit to his Royal
relatives. How soon the happy event is to take place, we are not
prepared to say, but our readers may depend upon the authenticity of our
information.'--_The Sun_. Has not some wag been hoaxing the editor? We
suspect so, though, at the same time, we do not profess to have any
knowledge on the subject."

* * * * *

Indeed, it was about time that the Queen married, and got out of the
leading strings of the women folk who surrounded her. Had she been
married, we should, probably, have never heard of the sad episode of Lady
Flora Hastings.

This lady, who was highly accomplished, and the authoress of some pretty
poems, {81b} which were published after her death, was the eldest
daughter of Francis, Marquis of Hastings, and Flora, Countess of Loudon,
and was lady of the bedchamber to the Duchess of Kent. Two old
busybodies, the Ladies Portman and Tavistock, spread the vile and
unfounded rumour that the unfortunate lady was _enceinte_, and the Queen
forbade Lady Flora to appear at Court until she had submitted to the
indignity of a medical examination. The case called forth some very
strong feeling--and a vast quantity of correspondence was published on
the subject, especially the indignant letters of the poor lady's mother
to the Queen; but, perhaps, the most temperate account of the whole
affair, is in a letter from Lady Flora's uncle, Mr. Hamilton Fitzgerald,
which was published in the _Examiner_ of Sunday, 24th of March, and,
afterwards, copied into all the daily papers.

"SIR,--Many false and contradictory reports of the deplorable insult
which has been lately offered to my niece, Lady Flora Hastings, at
Buckingham Palace, having appeared in the public papers, I, as her
ladyship's nearest connection, feel it my duty to request of you to
publish the following account of the transaction, for the correctness
of which I vouch.

"Lady Flora arrived, some weeks since, from Scotland, very unwell.