My impression is, that in all these apparently inexcusable acts, he has invariably been guided by the belief that he is fulfilling a destiny which God has imposed upon him, and that, though cruel or harsh in themselves, they were necessary to obtain the result which he considered himself as chosento carry out, and not acts of wanton cruelty or injustice for it is impossible to know him and not to see that there is much that is truly amiable, kind, and honest in his character. On the other hand, his kindness and gratitude towards all those, whether high or low, who have befriended him or stood by him through life, and his straightforward and steady conduct towards us throughout the very difficult and anxious contest in which we have been engaged for a year and a half, show that he is possessed of noble and right feelings. On the one hand, his attempts at Strasbourg and Boulogne, and this last after having given a solemn promise never to return or make a similar attempt-in which he openly called on the subjects of the then King of the French to follow him as the successor of Napoleon, the Coup d’État of December 1851, followed by great … severity and the confiscation of the property of the unfortunate Orleans family, would lead one to believe that he is not. How far he is actuated by a strong moral sense of right and wrong is difficult to say. He is evidently possessed of indomitable courage, unflinching firmness of purpose, self-reliance, perseverance, and great secrecy to this should be added, a great reliance on what he calls his Star, and a belief in omens and incidents as connected with his future destiny, which is almost romantic-and at the same time he is endowed with wonderful self-control, great calmness, even gentleness, and with a power of fascination, the effect of which upon all those who become more intimately acquainted with him is most sensibly felt. That he is a very extraordinary man, with great qualities there can be no doubt-I might almost say a mysterious man.
In reflecting on the character of the present Emperor Napoleon, and the impression I have conceived of it, the following thoughts present themselves to my mind: A remarkable combination of circumstances has brought about the very intimate alliance which now unites England and France, for so many centuries the bitterest enemies and rivals, and this, under the reign of the present Emperor, the nephew of our greatest foe, and bearing his name, and brought about by the policy of the late Emperor of Russia, who considered himself as the head of the European Alliance against France! to this country is a most curious page of history, and gives rise to many reflections. The recent visit of the Emperor Napoleon III. III.-1854-1861 LONDON, JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. Memorandum by Queen Victoria Extract from THE LETTERS OF QUEEN VICTORIA: A SELECTION FROM HER MAJESTY’S CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE YEARS 18 PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING, EDITED BY ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER BENSON, M.A.
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