imperfect explanation of my views.

"I saw Her Majesty on Thursday, and verbal communications took place on
this subject. As I stated before, into the nature of those
communications I shall not now enter in the slightest degree. I shall
merely read the two letters which passed; one conveying the impressions
of Her Majesty, and the other my own. The letter which I had the honour
of receiving from Her Majesty is dated May the 10th, 1839. I received it
at an early hour on Friday morning, and it is as follows:

"'Buckingham Palace.--May 10, 1839.

"'The Queen, having considered the proposal made to her, yesterday,
by Sir Robert Peel, to remove the Ladies of her Bedchamber, cannot
consent to adopt a course which she conceives to be contrary to
usage, and which is repugnant to her feelings.'

"Immediately--that is, in two or three hours after having received the
letter from Her Majesty, I addressed to Her Majesty a letter, of which
this is a copy:

"'Whitehall.--May 10, 1839.

"'Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has
had the honour of receiving your Majesty's note of this morning.

"'In respectfully submitting to your Majesty's pleasure, and humbly
returning into your Majesty's hands the important trust which your
Majesty had graciously pleased to commit to him, Sir Robert Peel
trusts that your Majesty will permit him to state to your Majesty his
impression with respect to the circumstances which have led to the
termination of his attempt to form an Administration for the conduct
of your Majesty's service.

"'In the interview with which your Majesty honoured Sir Robert Peel,
yesterday morning, after he had submitted to your Majesty the names
of those whom he proposed to recommend to your Majesty for the
principal executive appointments, he mentioned to your Majesty his
earnest wish, to be enabled, with your Majesty's sanction, so to
constitute your Majesty's household, that your Majesty's confidential
servants might have the advantage of a public demonstration of your
Majesty's full support and confidence; and that, at the same time, as
far as possible, consistently with that demonstration, each
individual appointment in the household should be entirely acceptable
to your Majesty's personal feelings.

"