PEACEFUL INDICATIONS.
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.