Prince, the Duchess of Kent, Duke and Duchess of Saxe Coburg, thinking of course of little else—­and almost equally of course, full of nothing but indignation against the French nation and Guizot, nothing but pity for the King and Queen and royal family, and nothing but fears for the rest of Europe from the infection of such an example.  I sat next the Duke of Coburg, who more particularly took this class view with very little reasoning and a great deal of declamation.  Said he should not care if Guizot lost his head, and much in the same spirit.  The Queen spoke with much good sense and good feeling, if not with perfect impartiality.

    Lady John Russell to Lady Mary Abercromby

    LONDON, March 3, 1848

How anxious you must be as to the effect which the extraordinary events in France will have upon Italy.  They have been so rapid and unexpected that all power of reasoning upon them has been lost in wonder.  Some pity must inevitably be felt for any man “fallen from his high estate”; but if, as I trust, the report of Louis Philippe’s safety and arrival in England is true, his share of it will be as small as ever fell to the lot of a King in misfortune; for the opinion that he has deserved it is general.  It is seldom that history gives so distinct a lesson of retribution.  You know what London is in a ferment of exciting events, and can therefore pretty well imagine the constant succession of reports, true and false, from hour to hour, the unceasing cries of the newsmen with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th editions of all the newspapers, the running about of friends to one another’s houses, the continual crossing of notes in the streets, each asking the same questions, the hopes and fears and the conjectures one hears and utters during the course of the day, and the state of blank, weary stupidity to which one is reduced by the end of it.  What I mind most in it all is the immense additional anxiety and responsibility it brings upon my poor husband, who feels it even more than he would have done any other year from being still, I grieve to say, less strong and well owing to his influenza still hanging about him.

    Lady John Russell to Lady Minto

    PEMBROKE LODGE, March 29, 1848

John returned to dinner, but some hours later than I expected him, which in times like these, when each hour may bring an account of a new revolution somewhere, or worst of all, of a rebellion in Ireland, is a trial to a Minister’s wife.  However, the reason was simply that Prince Albert had detained him talking. ...  Of course we talked a great deal with our visitors of France, Italy, Germany, and Ireland; but happily, engrossing as these topics are, the bright sun and blue sky and shining river and opening leaves and birds and squirrels would have their share of attention, and give some rest to our minds.

    Lady John Russell to Lady Mary Abercromby