The early court of Queen Victoria

book in breeches. This, of course, Melbourne repeated to the Queen,

so for a long time after whenever she saw her Secretary at War she went into fits of laughter. She once at Windsor offered him a horse to ride, drawing from him the remark, “If I ride anything, it must be an elephant”--thus alluding to his inability to remain on a horse if he once mounted. After dining at the Palace...