The Late Prince Consort.

but has been distributed , and that Lord Eaglan has been successful in procuring the means of hutting for Ms men . " Lord Eaglan cannot think how much we suffer for the Army , and how painfull y anxious we are to know that their privations are decreasing . " In what more effective language can a Sovereign , intently anxious for her soldiers as for her people , address a Minister of War , then Lord Panmure 1—

" The Queen is very anxious to bring before Lord Panmure the subject which she mentioned to him the other day—viz . , hospitals for the sick and wounded soldiers . These are absolutely necessary , and now is the moment to have them built , for no doubt there woidd be no difficulty in obtaining the money requisite for the purpose , so strong is the feeling now existing in the public mind for improvements of all kinds connected with the Army and the well-being and comfort of the soldier .

"Nothing can exceed the attention paid to these poor men in the barracks at Chatham , or rather Fort Pitt and Brompton , and they are in that respect very comfortable ; but the buildings are bad , the wards more like prisons than hospitals , with the windows so high that no one can look out of them , and the most of the wards are small , with hardly space to walk between the beds . There is no dining-room or hall , so that the poor men must have their dinners in the same room in which they sleep , and in

which some may be dying , or at any rate suffering , while others are at their meals . " The proposition to have hulks prepared for their reception will do very well at first , but it woidd not , the Queen thinks , do for any length of time . A hulk is a very gloomy place , and these poor men require then' spirits to be cheered as much as to have their jmysical sufferings attended to . The Queen is particularly anxious on this subject , which is , she may sayconstantly in her thoughtsasindeedis everything connected

, , , , with her beloved troops , who have fought so bravely and borne so heroically all their sufferings and privations . " How very touching , too , is this kindly message of sympathy to a widowed woman , the sorrowing wife of Sir George Cathcart : —

" I can let none but myself express to you all my deep feelings of heartfelt sympathy on this sad occasion , when you have been deprived of a beloved husband , and I and the country of a most distinguished and excellent officer . I can attempt to offer no consolation to you in your present overwhelming affliction , for none but that derived from reliance on Him who never forsakes those who are in distress can be of any avail ; but it may be soothing to you to know how highly I valued your lamented husband , how much confidence I placed in him , and how very deeply and truly I mourn his loss . Sir George died as he had lived , in the service of his Sovereign and his country , an example to all who follow him . "

If , amid childish prejudices and party hostility , we wished for a fair account of Napoleon III ., where can we better find it than in these artless yet well-balanced words : — " I have since talked frequently with Albert , who is naturally much calmer and particularly much less taken by people , much less under personal influence , than I am . He quite admits that it is extraordinary how very much one becomes attached to the Emperor when one lives with him quite at one ' s ease and intimatelas we have done

y , during the last ten days , for eight , ten , twelve , and to-day even fourteen hours a day . He is so quiet , so simple , naif , even so pleased to be informed about things he does not know " ( of which , be it said in passing , according to the Prince , there were very many ) , " so gentle , so full of tact , dignity , and modesty , so full of respect and kind attention towards us , never saying a word or doing a thing which could put me out or embarrass me . I know few people whom I have felt involuntarilmore inclined to confide in and

y speak unreservedly to . I should not fear saying anything to him . I felt—I do not know how to express it—safe with him . " We shall all agree with the great good sense of the Queen , as shown fuller in her letter to Lord Aberdeen about the Day of Humiliation : — "She is rather startled at seeing Lord Aberdeen ' s answer to Lord Eoden upon the subject of a Day of Humiliation , as he has never mentioned the subject to her , and