Europe is now profoundly at peace as predicted by psychometry, and the
dreary history of royal government assumes a more pleasing aspect
to-day. Victoria is an improvement on her predecessors, for she has
but drifted along with parliamentary government, and doing neither
good nor harm, has behaved with decorum, and preserved the devoted
loyalty of her subjects.
The old Emperor William, too, has a loyal nation, and has led a life
which does not attract censure. He is fond of military parades, but
seeks to avoid war.
As Austria and its rulers do not receive much attention from American
journals, I thought it well to look into the royal sphere by
Psychometry, and having a photograph of the emperor, I placed it under
the hands of Mrs. Buchanan, who pronounces without seeing the object
investigated. The following is her language:
"This is a male. There is a good deal of character and
intellect, and he carries with him a good deal of power. I think
he has been sometimes engaged in some great public movement. He
is philanthropic. He has power to sway and carries force with
the people both from his position and his ability.
"I think he is a foreigner with a very high rank. He seems a
magnate of great distinction. He has about as high an office as
can be given, like an emperor or czar.
"There is a good deal of forgiveness in his nature; he forgives
wrongs; he has no cruelty. He is not as selfish as men of his
rank generally are. He is more with the people, less
aristocratic and proud. It is difficult to tell his
nationality--Servia and Austria come into my mind. There is a
great empire about him. There seems to be some dissatisfaction
in the country, some apprehension of invasion and disturbance.
There's a good deal of trepidation. They do not want to go to
war, though there is no cowardice there. They are uneasy and
suspicious of other nations. He is not ambitious for war. I do
not feel that there will be any war. The difficulty is about
some question of territory.
"It is an agricultural country, with a loyal peasantry. They are
not well educated, but naturally intelligent. It is a pleasant,
temperate climate.
"He does not desire to show off kingly power. There's a good
deal of modesty. He is not aggressive. He is quite advanced in
science, but is not a spiritualist. He is orthodox in religion,
but liberal to science."
If she had known the subject of these remarks, and studied European
politics and travelers' descriptions, she could not have been more
correct.
The Emperor of Austria has introduced a great improvement in royal
deportment. The _London Times_ says of him:
"One or two days a week his Majesty receives all comers who have
applied to be received, and he receives them alone. Every
applicant takes his turn. A master of ceremonies opens a door,
the visitor walks in and finds himself face to face with the
Emperor, who is unattended. The door closes and the petitioner
may say to the Emperor what he likes.
"There is no chamberlain or secretary to intimidate him. The
Emperor stands in a plainly furnished study, in undress uniform,
without a star or grand cordon, and greets everybody with an
engaging smile and a good-natured gesture of the hand which
seems to say: 'There is no ceremony here. Tell me your business,
and if I can help you I will.'
"There is nothing petty or evasive in him. He is a monarch who
replies by 'Yes' or 'No,' but always with so much courtesy that
the humblest of his subjects receives from him at departing the
same bow as he vouchsafes to ambassadors. A most lovable trait
in him is that whenever he sees anybody nervous at his presence
he makes the audience last until, by his kind endeavors, the
nervousness has been completely dispelled."
There is nothing like this elsewhere in royal courts, nor anything
like their religious observances, which will probably astonish my
readers. The following statement appears to be authentic, and was
given in the _Sun_:
On Holy Thursday the Emperor and Empress of Austria, in the
presence of their whole court, of the Privy Council, the
Diplomatic Corps, and the superior officers of the Vienna
garrison, washed the feet of twenty-four poor old men and women,
having previously served these venerable paupers with a
plentiful meal, placing the several dishes before them with
their own hands. After the old people had partaken of the good
things provided for them by the imperial bounty, the tables were
cleared by imperial archdukes and ladies of honor. Subsequently
a purse containing thirty pieces of silver was presented by the
Emperor to each of the old men, and by the Empress to each of
the venerable dames, one of whom had all but attained her
hundredth year, while the youngest of the twelve was a hearty
octogenarian.
This religious rite is rarely seen in this country. It was
celebrated on the twenty-first of August by the Primitive
Baptists of Hillsville, Va., a mountainous region of South West
Va. There were about 800 present, some coming from hundreds of
miles. "The preliminary exercises were singing and exhortation
or discussion, the speaker first announcing some point of
doctrine or religious thought. The hymns were lined by reading
one line only at a time. The arrangements for administering the
ordinances were circles of seats, those allotted to the sisters
being in a double row and facing the brothers, who were seated
in a single row. Within the circle was another seat for the
ordained and officiating elders. There was a table with bread
and wine, and under it were buckets of water, basins, and
towels. The bread and wine were first passed around by the
officers of the church, after which came the feet-washing. The
elder who began the ceremony drew off his coat and vest, and
girded a towel around his waist. He then began on the right,
washing and wiping the feet of the brother at the head of the
line, who in turn arose and remaining barefooted, performed the
office to the one next him, and so on until the feet of all had
been washed. The elder who was the first to perform the rite was
the last to receive it. The sisters performed the rite in the
same manner as did the brothers. At the conclusion the elders,
while singing, passed around and shook the hands of all the
brothers and sisters."
King Humbert, of Italy, and his wife, are making themselves quite
popular by their unassuming manners and sympathy with the people.
King Humbert objects to taking his pleasures at shows and exhibitions
as a solitary; he likes his people to be present and share them with
him. At the opening of the exhibition at Venice the king gave
expression to his disappointment at the loneliness and emptiness of
the halls. An official told him that the public had been kept out from
loyal consideration for the comfort of himself and the queen. "I am
sorry for this," said his majesty, "though you have done it in good
part; it is my belief that the king belongs to the people as well as
the people to the king." Before leaving the exhibition he recurred to
the subject, again expressing his deep regret. "I hope that none of
you believe," said he, "that I am the sort of man who is shy of being
seen among the people. I have no grounds whatever for such a feeling."
King Humbert, according to an _American Register_ correspondent, is
known for his temperance in all things except that of smoking. It has
often been noticed what an exceedingly small eater the King had shown
himself on all occasions, and as to drink, his guests may have it in
plenty, but his favorite "tipple" is water. His one great weakness was
(for it is a thing of the past) a good cigar. He was a formidable
smoker, but he abused his taste in that line to such an extent that he
has taken a new departure and has "sworn off" from the fragrant weed.
His nerves had begun to suffer, he had asthmatic turns, could sleep
but little, and then had to be propped up by plenty of pillows. Some
weeks ago his physician told him what was the matter, and King Humbert
said: "From this day forth I will not smoke another cigar, or anything
in the shape of tobacco." His majesty has kept his word, and the result
has been a most noticeable improvement in his health. King Humbert is
a man of iron will, and no one doubts that he will keep his self-made
pledge.
His wife, Queen Margaret, is soon to figure as an author--with stories
founded on the legends of the Middle Ages. She speaks several
languages and reads English literature, keeping herself posted on
English views and politics. She is described as being devout but
liberal, lovely and graceful, quite attractive, and much idolized by
the Roman people.
The Queen of Roumania is a poetess of romantic sentiments, and lately
underwent examination for a diploma, giving her a right to do certain
teaching in the schools. In fact, all the continental queens are much
brighter than Victoria.