Page:Early Reminiscences.djvu/104

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EARLY REMINISCENCES

sacrificed him, and strives to stultify him." And again, later, "A splendid youth, at whose development you would be astounded, for he ripens every three or four weeks, so as continually to excite one's admiration. Oh! if he were only free, or rather, if he were allowed the power, what would this prince achieve." But he was the victim of mistrust and intrigue by the whole Court party that dreaded his liberal views, and his abilities. "Look here," said the Emperor Francis, "it doesn't do to know too much; it gives headaches."

In 1818 the Archduke was morganatically married to Anne Blochel, daughter of a postmaster near Gratz, to the great wrath of his brother the Emperor. Not till 1849 was she elevated to the state of Countess of Brandhofen, and in 1850 to be Countess of Meran, with the title to descend to her son Francis, who was a Major in the Austrian army. The Archduke died in 1859.

A morganatic marriage is one that takes place between an "immediate" or a royal prince or sovereign and one of a lower rank. There are a considerable number of princesses who have thus fallen out of rank, as ladies of the families of Arco, Bentheim, Bismarck, Fürstenberg, Hamilton, Leiningen, Pless, Thurn and Taxis. The Almanach de Gotha for 1885 gives seventy-two mésalliances of royal and mediatized princes. The offspring of these unions like to come to England for recognition which would not be accorded them in their own land.

The King of Saxony is a convinced Roman Catholic. Before he came to the throne, when Hereditary Crown Prince, he vowed a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. His father, the King, forbade the journey. The King himself was old and infirm, and his son must not run the chance of being abroad in the event of the father's death. The Prince was in perplexity. His vow was made to God. But he owed the duty of obedience to his father: and, further, there was risk of a revolution and his throne being menaced should he be away from Dresden at such a time. So he consulted his Confessor. "It can be managed," said the priest. "You shall keep your word to God, and obey your father at the same time. Paste up at the end of your gallery a placard on which the word Jerusalem is inscribed in capital letters, then ascertain the proportion which your long gallery bears to the distance from Dresden to Jerusalem, and pray God to accept your walking up