TO THE DUKE OF COBUrg.

"Ostend, Sept. 1, 1836.

"DEAR PAPA,-Thank you a thousand times "for your dear letter, and for the pretty ring "which I received in your name from the "Rath' when I awoke on the 26th. I have

not taken it off my finger since I got it, and "it shall always remain there and remind me of "you when I am not with you.

"How sorry I was to spend this happy day " without you, and to be so far from you!"

In the same letter the Prince speaks of having been out shooting with his brother, and of their having killed some seagulls.

"(Sunday) we made an excursion to Waterloo, and went on foot all over the field of battle. "Colonel von Wiechmann, who had been at the battle, was our cicerone. We found, to "our great indignation, that the French, who "marched over the field on their way to the siege of Antwerp, had knocked off the iron cross of the monument.

66

To THE DUKE OF COBURG.

"Brussels, Nov. 29, 1836.

"DEAR PAPA,-We should be so glad to accept your invitation to go to Coburg for a

few days, and to spend Christmas there. But "if we are to profit by our stay here, I am "afraid we must deny ourselves that pleasure. 'Such an expedition would require five or six "weeks, and our course of study would be quite "disturbed by such an interruption. We told "dear uncle the purport of your letter, and he "said he would write to you on the subject."

We do not often find a young man of eighteen objecting to a holiday, because it would interrupt his studies!

THE young Princes were now to enter upon their academical career. In April 1837, they left Brussels for Bonn, at which university, with the exception of the usual vacations, they remained for the next year and a half. A small detached house had been taken for them, not far from the Cathedral and overlooking the alley that leads up to the Kreutzberg; and here they resided with their tutor, M. Florschütz, who bears witness to the diligence and steadiness with which they applied themselves to their studies. Of our Prince more particularly, he says that "he maintained the early 'promise of his youth by the eagerness with

"which he applied himself to his work, and by "the rapid progress which he made, especially "in the natural sciences, in political economy, "and in philosophy." "Music also," he adds, "of which he was passionately fond, was not neglected, and he had already shown con"siderable talent as a composer." 1

were

2

Their principal instructors at the university Messrs. Bethman - Holweg, Schlegel, Fichte, Löbell, Kaufmann, Perthès, d'Alten, &c., of most of whom the Prince retained throughout life the most affectionate recollection.

Amongst the students who were at Bonn at this time were the present reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prince William of Löwenstein-Werthheim, and Count Erbach, a relation of Prince Leiningen's. With these, from their connection with them, the Princes naturally lived

1 The Prince also excelled in manly exercises, and at a great fencing-match, in which there were from twenty-five to thirty competitors, carried off the first prize, as recorded by an English student at the university, now holding a Government situation in Dublin, and who himself obtained the second prize.

2 See extract of letter from M. Perthès on the occasion of the Prince's marriage, quoted from Memoirs by his son, chap. XIII. p. 295.

on terms of the greatest intimacy, and, indeed, with their fellow-students generally they seem always to have been on the most cordial and friendly footing. With none, however, did Prince Albert form so close and intimate a friendship as with Prince William of Löwenstein, who has lately sent the Queen an account, which will be found at the end of this chapter, of his recollections of their college life. He has also sent several letters, written to him by the Prince at various times after they left the university, which will be found inserted in their place, and which, particularly those written about the time of the marriage, will be read with much interest.

Since the visit of the Princes to England in the preceding year the idea had become very general that a marriage was in contemplation between Prince Albert and the Princess Victoria; and during their late residence in Brussels reports to that effect had become still more prevalent, though most prematurely, as nothing was then settled. Prince Albert's letters to his father at this time are chiefly interesting from their allusion to England and the young Queen. The first is dated from

3 Memorandum by the Queen.