The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria.
ATTEMPT ON LOUIS PHILIPPE
LAEKEN, 17th October 1840.
My dearest Victoria,—You will, I am sure, have been very much shocked on hearing that on the 15th there was a new attempt made to kill the poor good King at Paris.50 The place was cleverly chosen, as the King generally puts his head out of the carriage window to bow to the guard. I join the letter which he had the goodness to forward us through an estafette.51 May this melancholy attentat impress on your Ministers the necessity of aiding the King in his arduous task.... You will have the goodness to show this letter to Albert.
Louise was much alarmed when it arrived at such an unusual hour; it was ten o'clock. At first we thought it might be something about poor little Paris, who is not yet so well as one could wish.
We have gloomy miserable weather, and I feel much disgusted with this part of the world. Ever, my beloved Victoria, your devoted Uncle,
Leopold R.
Footnote 50: The King was fired at as he was leaving the Tuileries, by Darmes, a Marseillais. As Croker wrote to Lord Brougham on the 31st of October 1840:—"Poor Louis Philippe lives the life of a mad dog, and will soon, I fear, suffer the death of that general object of every man's shot."
Footnote 51: Express messenger.