27May1867, Royal Babies

LONDON, May 27th, 1867.
—A little Teck princess, and a Dudley son-and-heir are just born ; the latter a good deal the biggest event of the two [FN: So perhaps it seemed at the time. But the "little Teck princess" is now Queen of England.]. I believe I have never mentioned Princess Helena's son, who is just christened Christian Victor : it sounds like "Pilgrim's Progress" ! The little Wales Princess is Louise . They were in great alarm for her eyesight at first : something wrong from her mother's fever ; but it is said to be all right now. Certain Fenian ringleaders have been tried and condemned for high treason, with the old hurdle and quartering sentence : there is much feeling in the country that they should be let off with penal servitude for life, and the Queen is against hanging them. But this precious Government first sat upon the Queen to carry out the sentence, she, of course, yielding, as is her constitutional duty ; and now, after giving out authoritatively that the man was to be hung, they have chopped round on the strength of a large deputation.