He comes on purpose to see me; you know he is my second cousin--his mother[65] was sister to Queen Caroline and daughter to my grand-aunt.[66] I shall give the King a large dinner on Friday and a little concert after it....
[Footnote 65: Queen Augusta of Wuertemberg.] [Footnote 66: Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick, sister of George III.] _Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._ ENDSLEIGH, _15th August 1837._ Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to lay before your Majesty a general statement of the result of the elections, which, with the exception of one or two doubtful counties in Ireland, may be said to be completed....
It is not to be denied that this near balance of parties makes the task of conducting the government difficult for any Ministry.

On the other hand, the circumstances of the country do not present any extraordinary difficulty, and were any such to arise, the general composition of the new House of Commons affords a security that the maintenance of the Constitution and the welfare of the country would be permanent objects to the majority of its Members.[67] Lord John Russell had some time ago the honour of stating to your Majesty that the return of Mr Fox Maule for Perthshire, and of Mr Hume for Middlesex, were hardly to be expected.

In this as in many other instances the superior organisation of the Tory party have enabled them to gain the appearance of a change of opinion, which has not in fact taken place.
Lord John Russell is sorry to add that bribery, intimidation, and drunkenness have been very prevalent at the late elections, and that in many cases the disposition to riot has only been checked by the appearance of the Military, who have in all cases conducted themselves with great temper and judgment.
[Footnote 67: While the extreme Radicals were in several cases defeated, the number of O'Connell's followers was decidedly increased.

The general balance of parties was not much affected, though the complaint made by Mr Roebuck, the Radical Member for Bath, in the last days of William IV.'s reign, that there was no Government, and that the machinery of legislation was at a dead stop, was no longer warranted.] [Pageheading: LEAVING WINDSOR] _Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._ ENDSLEIGH, _21st August 1837._ Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has the honour to submit to your Majesty a letter from the Earl of Coventry requesting an Audience.
It is usual for the Sovereign to receive any Peer who may be desirous of an Audience, without any other person being present.

But if the Peer who is thus admitted to the honour of an Audience should enter upon political topics, it has been the custom for your Majesty's predecessors merely to hear what is offered, and not to give any opinion, or to enter into any discussion or conversation upon such topics.
Should your Majesty be pleased to grant Lord Coventry's request of an Audience, perhaps the most convenient course will be that the Lord-in-Waiting should signify to him, direct from Windsor, your Majesty's pleasure.
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._[68] WINDSOR CASTLE, _19th September 1837._ (_20 m( inutes) p( ast) 11._) MY DEAREST, MOST BELOVED UNCLE,--One line to express to you, _imperfectly_, my thanks for all your _very_ great kindness to me, and _my great_, _great_ grief at your departure! God knows _how sad_, _how forlorn_, I feel! _How_ I _shall_ miss you, my dearest, dear Uncle! _every, every where_! _How_ I shall miss your conversation! _How_ I shall miss your _protection_ out riding! Oh! I feel _very_, _very_ sad, and cannot speak of you both without crying! Farewell, my beloved Uncle and _father!_ may Heaven bless and protect you; and do not forget your most affectionate, devoted, and attached Niece and _Child_, VICTORIA R.
[Footnote 68: Written on the conclusion of a visit of the King of the Belgians to England.] _Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians_.
WINDSOR CASTLE, _3rd October 1837._ MY BELOVED UNCLE,--...