You see, dear Uncle, how much interest I take in Portugal; but I must say that I think every one who knows dear Ferdinand, and particularly who loves him as I do, must feel a very deep interest as to the fate of the unhappy country in which he is destined to play so prominent and difficult a part.
I have been reading to-day a very clever speech of Sir Robert Peel's (not a political one) to the University at Glasgow, on the occasion of his being elected Lord Rector of that college.

There is another speech of his at the dinner at Glasgow which _is political_, but which I have not yet read....[4] [Footnote 1: Sylvain Van de Weyer (b.

1802) was, in 1830, Belgian Plenipotentiary at the Conference of London.

He returned to his own country and became Foreign Minister.
His exertions contributed greatly to render successful the candidature of Prince Leopold for the throne of Belgium.

The King appointed him Belgian Minister in London, to which post he returned in 1851, and held it till 1867.