Deixo-lhes aqui uma carta curiosa da Rainha Vitoria ao Rei dos Belgas em que ela não sei bem porquê "desanca" nos meus antepassados. Fico com a maior curiosidade em saber porquê, e tenho esperança que alguém me possa elucidar da raiva dela aos Ficalhos e Mellos.
Um abraço
Zé Tomaz
The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
_23rd January 1837._
MY DEAREST UNCLE,-- ... The affairs of the Peninsula are indeed very
distressing, and what you tell me in your letter of the 20th, as
also in the former one, is highly interesting and, alas! but too true.
I trust, not withstanding what you say, I may yet live to see Spain
and Portugal settled. But I greatly fear that the time is far distant.
Do you know Mendizabal?[6] I saw him at our house in 1835. Alava[7]
presented him to us; he is a tall, dark, fine, and clever-looking man.
I remember his being so much struck with my likeness to Donna Maria,
which I was not aware was the case. Pray, dear Uncle, may I ask you a
silly question?--is not the Queen of Spain[8] rather clever? You know
her, and what do you think of her? And do you know what sort of people
are about poor little Queen Isabel?[9] Poor, good Donna Maria! I feel
much for her; her education was one of the worst that could be. As
long as those Ficalhos and Melos remain about her, nothing can be
done. Could they not be got rid of in time?