The Life of Florence Nightingale, vol. 1 of 2Cook, Edward Tyas, Sir
History
The Life of Florence Nightingale, vol. 1 of 2
Cook, Edward Tyas, Sir
Nightingale, Florence, 1820-1910
Now there has been enough and too much of musical news, but
political news is scarce.... London was in a perfect whirlwind of
excitement for the few days that the Melbourne ministry was out,
but that is stale already. Our little Queen, who was sadly
unpopular when we first came to England, recovered much of her
former favour with the Whig party after the firmness she showed in
this affair. She was cheered and called forward at the opera, which
had not been done for months, and again returning from chapel. And
the birthday drawing-room was overflowing, whereas at the two first
she gave this season, there were hardly _forty_ people! The story
of this last fracas is that on Tuesday, the day of Lord Melbourne's
resignation, the Queen dined upstairs with her mother, Baroness
Lehzen, and Lady F. Hastings, which she had never done since her
accession, and it is supposed that the _amende honorable_ was then
made to Lady Flora, and that in this _partie carrée_ was also
arranged the course which was to be pursued with Sir Robert Peel.
The poor little Queen was seen in tears by several people who told
us in the course of the three days, and struggled for her Ladies,
as you see, manfully. However matters may turn out now, it is said
that she has taken so tremendous a dislike to Sir R. Peel in this
affair, that she will never send for _him_ again.
Since that, the House has been adjourned for a fortnight and only
met last Monday when the Speaker was elected, Abercromby going up
to the House of Peers. We are rejoicing in the election of Shaw
Lefevre, by a majority of eighteen; rather less than was expected,
however, Spring Rice arriving half an hour too late to vote, which
has made rather a commotion. Shaw Lefevre is a great friend of
ours, and a very agreeable man, which is his chief qualification
for the chair. Macaulay is not likely to come into the Ministry;
Lord Melbourne says that it is impossible to get on with a man who
talks so fast. So he is now writing history, and saying that it is
the only thing worth doing, except, however, standing for Edinburgh
in Abercromby's room against Crawford. Macaulay has made an
admirable speech in favour of ballot there.
The Queen is vibrating between popularity and unpopularity, and it
is not yet known which way the scale will turn between the two
parties; she was very much applauded, and Lord Melbourne too, at
Ascot yesterday. He is likely to keep the upper hand, as the Tories
have not such a man as Lord John Russell in all their party, and
the _nine_ obstreperous Radicals have had a sop and give in their
adhesion for the present. Papa is shocked to hear that M. Guizot
has declared himself so anti-English....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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