FREDERICK WILLIAM AUGUST VICTOR ERNEST.
No less than five long names belong to the little baby Prince who nestles so cozily here on his great-grandfather's lap. The soldierly looking old gentleman is the Emperor William of Germany. The babe is also the great-grandson of the good Queen Victoria, but the little fellow is too young to know to what honors he is born. His father, who stands on the right, is himself the son of the Crown Prince, who will be the successor of the sturdy old Emperor William when he shall have passed away.
"Hurrah! Four Kings!" was the joyous cry with which the royal babe was greeted when he was first presented to the Emperor. You may look at the four in our artist's beautiful picture, and then, perhaps, you will be interested to hear about the christening, which took place in a gallery of the Marble Palace at Potsdam, on the afternoon of June 11, 1882.
This was the anniversary of the Emperor's wedding. Himself and the Empress Augusta, his wife, the Crown Prince and Princess, and the youthful father and mother, stood together before the clergyman, the Emperor receiving and holding the babe in his own arms. Around this group were clustered a great number of stately royal personages, brilliantly dressed, and blazing with jewels and decorations. Among the godfathers and godmothers were included not only Kings, Queens, and Princes, but, to their delight no doubt, the youthful uncles and aunts of the pretty baby.
The minister preached a sermon suitable to the occasion, from the text, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
Three years ago, when the Emperor's golden wedding was celebrated, the same preacher spoke from the same text, which is certainly a very beautiful one, especially when we remember that charity as here used means love.
Very likely some of you are wondering how the baby Prince behaved during the ceremony. For a while he was very good and patient, but by-and-by he grew very restless, and presently screamed as loud and cried as heartily as though he had been some little peasant Fritz, and not a royal little Frederick William. All the same, the baptismal water was sprinkled on his brow, and he received the blessing from the lips of the good minister. He was called Frederick William August Victor Ernest. These names have long been borne by the Kings of Prussia. May he wear them worthily! After the christening there was a magnificent musical service by the choir, and then the great people sat down together to an imperial dinner. The tired little Prince was taken to his nursery, and put to sleep with many a kiss.