The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-22 00:00:00

CORONATION

THE KING OF PRUSSIA.

(now oci erzasi. cosarsposossr.)
KONIGSBERG. THURSDAY.
. _

The reception of the ambassadors occupied the
whole of yesterday morning, and very much inter-
, rupted the ordinary traffic of venerable Konigsberg.
What with the narrowness of the street*, the uu-
I utterable horrors of the open drains, the perpetual
lumbering along of the antediluvian carriages, the
soldiers, and the crowd, the stranger finds the
greatest difficulty iu getting about, especially as the
natives show the most inviucible perverseness of
understanding when addressed ou the most ordinary
subject. They are well-grown, robust, honest,
cheerful, and obliging, but certainly nut bright or
ready, as I hare seen other continental people, in
understanding imperfectly expressed requests. With
all this they repose in the must unlimited conviction
of their own superiority its all things pertaining to
civilisation, and speak with a neat provoking air
o patronising pity when they allude to the mediaeval
backwardness of the British Wands. Well, every
one has his own ideas of civilisation. The Germans
understand it to mean a great deal of book learning
and fuligiuous philosophy, Kant and Schlegel at
home, and &bagel Shakspeare, au author about
whom they tell us coolly the English people are iu
a most unhappy state of ignorant*. I, on the
other heed, put down civilisation as being
at least indicated by the material progress which
intellect always employs itself in creating.
1 read it in rapid and punctual travelling, good
clothes, wholesome food, well-built houses, proper
drainage, and a score of other matters which are at-
tendesl to in the poorest houses in England, but
which here you will find deficient in dwellings of
Stalest palatial character. I read it in the good
and various coloured clothing of the passers
by, every one able to dress him or
her self according to fancy, and not condemned
by protective tariffs to the dull monotonous
textures and colours which are displayed every-
where here even on festive occasions. When I see
young peasant women going to be married in rusty
black gowns, and ladies appearing in thousands at
balls in only cheap muffins and without a single
jewel, I think there must be something wanting in
the much boasted civilisation, and that a little
more free trade, equitable tariffs, and ready money
might do very well, even if there were not so many
yosin.,, clerks who could recite Schiller, or fre-
quenters of the caPs who could expose the igno-
rance of Englishmen with respect to Shakspeare.
I dare say that there are many things here which
strike me unfavourably, which the people tolerate
merely because, they are used to them, and have
never seen anything else ; but which they would
perhaps be ready to reform if they were only
pointed out to them. I hope, therefore, my kind
German friends who behave so well to me will not
feel offended if I take the liberty of a friend, and
point out a few matters which they could easily
mend, but which at present must interfere very
much with their own comforts.

There is, fur example, the execrable pavement.
I mean to may that a properly really civilised
people would not stand that pavement for
a ',Mole day, if it were only for the money loss it
entails in the de-patch of out-door business. Next,
in this town of Konigsberg, we find the sluggish
river Pregel winding slowly like a serpent through
the streets, and the open drains everywhere, not
pouring, but dropping into it, matters which eaaily
account for the sad pre-eminence this town obtains
in cholera times. An English engineer, who,
.r.lispe, bad never read a word of Kant or
Schiller, would soon find a way of quickening the
pace of the lazy river, of covering up the drains,
awl of macadamizing the pavements. Another
thing with which the non-civilised Englishmen is
struck, is the extraordinary shape of the omni-
buses. Each of these pre-Ademite machines
looks like the cylinder of some monstrous stuam-
engine perched upon a high carriage, and perfo-
rated at the diameter with little holes that psis for
windows. The draught must be tremendous on
the patient horses, and the discomfort dreadful to
the impatient passengers. I have never had cou-
rage to venture into one of these Noah's arks
myself, but I always point to them, lumbering
along like heavy artillery, and knocking
the people inside against each other, as
if they were so ninny nine-pins, whenever auy
German friend endeavours to couvince MP of the
superiority of fatherland to England awl all other
countries in matters of civilization. But Germany
has national pride, has a flue stalwart people, and,
what is not at all to be despised, plenty of silver
tbalers. Why does not Germany, then, shut up
Kant awl Schiller for a while, cut itself down to
about twenty cigars a day, and take time to look
about it, and see whether something may not be
done for civilisation in the way of smooth pave-
ments, light, useful vehicles, town drainage, and
improved fiscal regulations 1 It is not my function I
to enter deeply into politica, or I might suggest
other matters, but that is the leas necessary, be-
came it is very easy to see that the proper. spirit is
abroad, the holy flame of free opinion is alight,
although still small and trembling, but it will blaze
by-and-bye, not, I trust, in fierce fighting revolu-
tion, but in gradual amelioration of everything that
Is objectionable, under the united efforts of
an honest constitutional King, and a calm,
fearless, intelligent, and determined people.
The Germans, as I have before said, do
everything at their leisure, andat their leisure they
will obtain that perfection of free institutions which
they admire so much in England. It was but a
straw, but it was a straw that showed the way in
which the wind blew, the putting down the Huldi-
gung—l think they call it—nonsense. They will
have no more " Huldigunga," but a responsible
government through the medium of King, Lords,
and Commons, as with us.
I have been led into this long digression, in con-
sequence of the train of thought which rose in my
mind as I watched in the crowded streets yesterday
the plumage of the various ambassadors en route to
the Old &blase, to be in turn presented to the King.
For all, equipage* were provided from the royal
stables, except the Great Duke of Magenta,
that " Boy of the Mutilations," as they call him in
Ireland, who is perhaps the real lion of the corona-
tion. Things may be overdone, and I think there
is something questionable in the taste which has led
a mere embassy into a rivalry even with royal state,
and shows the people how it was possible for a
French marshal to appear abroad in greater
state than their own King, whom it
was their duty to admire and reverence
before all the world. The duke has the
whole first floor of one of the largest hotels in
Europe, for expense is no consideration. He has
no parliament to go to with the bill, and no mem-
ber for Lambeth to probe remorselessly into the
items. The magnificence of the whole turn-out
recalls forcibly the days of the ran our Cerfa, and
the style in which things are done semis to have
been carefully studied and copied from the memoir
writers of the eighteenth century. The portals of
the hotel Pre always surrounded by a mute and
admiring crowd, who can see within the grand
staircase lined with lacqueys in grand liveries, and
ever and anon an aide comes to the door and shouts
out to the state coachman the time at which the
" three equipages," laying great emphasis on the
" three," requimd. I remember once a
man who, becoming suddenly rich, bought a magni-
ficent gold watch, and the sure to his heart
and favour was to say to him, " y Mr.
what's the time by your gold watch ?" I wonder
have these simple aides auy notion of pleasing the
duke in the same manner 1 If they have, I don't
think they will succeed, for the hero of Magenta
looks anything but a fool; be is a grave

stern iron man, something of the "great Duke"
school of warrior, and seems to be dreadfully bored
with the curiosity and homage of the crowd. As
the " three" equipages started off for the presenta-
tion the crowd rushed up to the carriages, and
every man took off his hat, but there was no cheer-
ing. It certainly looked very grand, and quite like
what one reads of the magnificence of the French
court in the times immediately preceding the great
revolution. The carriages of course were modern,
but the horses were loaded with burnished trap-
pings as iu old times, and behind each rode a ser-
vant in three-cocked hat, old-fashioned but splen-
did white livery coat, red velvet breeches, and jack-
boots. They looked just the send men that would
be ready to ride down a crowd of ramillc at the
bidding of their lord ; but hero they rode tranquilly
and politely, and I have no doubt «moldered them-
selves to be by far the most important peraouages
in the cavalcade. I suspect that the Koingsbergers
thought so too, for they admired them im-
mensely. The reception was like all their
almost obsolete forms, rather slow and stupid.
The ambassadors were received in the order
of their arrival, and this arrangement
gave the first place to the Duke d'Ossima, who,
although known to be one of the wealthiest nobles
in Europe, had the good taste nut to enter into any
rivalry of display with his brother ambassadors, or
to attempt to eclipse the state of a great sovereign
amongst his own people. There was some difficulty
about the reception of the Italian ambassador, but
" where there's a will there's a way ;" and it argues
well for the good will of the King of Prussia
towards the new Italian kingdom that his Majesty
hit upon a very ingenious way of getting out of the
difficulty of his rather embarrassing position. The
Count de la Rocca was received as the ambassador
of King Victor Emmanuel to King Frederick Wil-
liam. Nobody could deny the kingship on either
side, and nobody could object. I give no details
about the presence chamber, because I am in the
predicament of Canning's knifegriuder with Lis
story—l have nothing to telL The room was a
chamber of very humble pretensions ; but then we
must remember it was a room in which the great
Frederick bail received his friends. As usual on
such occasions, every ambassador was delighted
with hia reception, and eternal friendship between
the Kings and people whom they represented was
the order of the day.

The hall of the province of Konigsberg to their
Majestiesjwhich commenced at the very proper time
of six in the evening, was a magnificent affair. As
the tickets were 30 thalers each, and the visitors
upwards of 4,000, it may be concluded, making
every deduction for invited guests, that Konigsberg
cannot be at present exactly on the verge of bank-
ruptcy. It is looked upon as a great evidence of
thP wealth of London that it can sometimes furnish
a genuine audience of 30,000 persons to the Great
Palate, but I think that, comparing the size of the
two places, the ball of last night was a greater
effort for Konigsberg. No building in the town
was capable of containing the numbers invited, so
that a temporary wooden pavilion had to be erected
on an elevated open part of the upper town. This,
although professedly temporary, had all the solidity
'which the Germans give to everything they make.
It was not very lofty, but of great extent, contain-
ing several immense compartments, divided by
rows of wooden pillars tastefully decorated, and
the pointed arches made by the intervening
rafters were studded closely with the Black Eagle
of Prussia. One parallelogram devoted to royalty
was surrounded by a gallery, and was much more
elaborately decorated than the rest of the building.
At its upper end was a dais or estrade, extending
quite *cruse, like the stage in a theatre, and at the
back was a rich crimson curtain concealing for a
time what shall be mentioned lowerdown. On this
dais were chairs and taborets for the King, Queen,
and court, and as easy flight of five or six steps
descended into the royal ball-room.

The court arrived at about 8 o'clock, followed by
the ambassadors, and took their places, whilst the
people gave the one loud cheer which is the method
of salutation in this part of the Continent. The
King looked " every inch a king" in his military
uniform—tall, strong, and soldierlike. His Majesty
was in the best spirits, and moat condescending in
his greetings of everyone who from his rank was
privileged to approach him. On arriving at the
dais, his Majesty went over to the left side, where
stood our ambesnador, Lord Clarendon, in his
gorgeous court uniform, and wearing the ribbon of
the Garter. The King gave his lordship a most
friendly greeting, and commenced a conversation
which lasted for several minutes. The Queen, who
wore white, with a tiara of diamonds, looked, I re-
gret to say, pale and ill ; but the Crown Princess
was in the beet health and spirits, and looked
charming in her simple white muslin and wreath
of flowers.

Ou the arrival a/ the court all other portions of
the vast interor were of course deserted, and every
one crowded into the royal ball-room. I had, there-
fore, a good opportunity of seeing the Prussian
uniforms, the majority of which appeared to me to
be very appropriate, tasteful, and not overlaid with
tawdry tinsel. There was a great appearance of
reality and appropriateness given by this simplicity,
which induces me strongly to recommend it for
imitation ehewbere. The cuirassiers wore white
tunics and silver helmets, the infantry dark blue
well-fitting frocks, with shells on the shoulders,
and the Milani; green—the last-named a handsome
uniform. The hussars wore white, and red, and

blue, acconling to the regiments, not forgetting
" Brunswick's Black Hussars," each with his sable
shako grimly decorated with the skull and cross-
bones. The officers of the King's body guard wore
royal scarlet, quite plam ; and I think that when I
have mentioned them I have left none of the mili-
tary uniforms unrecorded.
1 must not forget, however, certain grim but
honest-looking giants, who stood, each solitary
and alone, at remote corners. Each of these men
wore a tremendous beard, and wielded a tremen-
dous axe. I thought at first they might be part
of the pageant, like the Cent Gerdes at Vermilles,
but I subsequently ascertained that they were there
for a much more useful purpose. They ware the
fire brigade, and stood there to see that the myriads
of wax lights with which the place was illuminated
did no more mischief than spoil the coats of those
who stood beneath them.

It was a very brilliant spectacle : the King,
Queen, and court grouped on the dais, with the
great crimson curtain for a back ground ; the gal-
lery filled with ladies, and decorated with foliage
and flowers ; the area of the ball-room packed
with brilliant uniforms and graceful ball-dresses,
and the band thundering forth "I'm a Prussian ;
don't you see my colours 1" inceasently overhead.
The other preliminary tune which they played was
the Prussian Hymn, the air of which is the same as
our National Anthem, so that when I beard it, and
saw the Crown Princess and Lord Clarendon on
the platform I could hardly realise the fact that I
was stai.ding then at a distance of 1,000 miles from
Loudon, and. that I was not looking at some pageant
of our own court.

After a short interval the royal chamberlains
rushed down from the dais in a body, and with tbeir
ponderous staves of office cleared a passage very
effectually, but very good-humouredly, their plan
being to keep incessantly " grounding arms" with
such a bang, that men with corns, who stood
twenty yards off, jumped into the air in ima-
ginary agony. The Bing then descended, leading
the Crown Princess, followed by the Crown Prince
leading the Queen ; the court and ambassadors
followed, conspicuous among the latter being the
tall and dignified figure of Lord Clarendon, pre-
senting, I must say, a most creditable type of the
English nobleman and gentleman. Nous Anglaii,
who stood looking on, were, I assure you, not a
little proud of our representative.
The royal promenade, or Polonaise, opened the
ball, but during the dances which followed there

was such a crowd and premure--and remember,
• the Prussians are tall fellows, you can/t crane over
their heads as in other places—that I could only
guess at the more distinguished dances. I thought
that I should have been made certain by this morn-
ing's local paper, but I find that, by. an admirable
arrangement, each morning's paper is finished off
and printed on the evening before, so that the
"Elect intelligence"
is not the thing to be looked
for.

I think that the Crown Princess danced with the
Prince of Bate Weimar, and with the Russian
Grand Duke, but further than that I cannot be
positive. The crowd and pressure was very great,
and nobody pressed forward to see the royal quad-
rilles more eagerly than scores of shrivelled old
men in all varieties of civil or bureaucratic uniform,
and who wore as many decorations as if they had
been in every battle in the world from Arbela
down to &liana°. You might as well undertake
to learn Bradshaw's " Railway Guide" as to find
out what could possibly be the functions of these
bedizened old men. I suppose they know them-
selves, and the country which has to pay them. At
about eleven, came the signal for the royal supper,
• signal which we were all very glad to hear, for
until that grand affair had been disposed of, the
various buffets were kept close, and champagne was
a prohibited article. Perhaps this was a measure
of police, as it certainly was not one of stinginess or
inhospitality, for there was abundance of every-
thing, and when the buffets were opened, the per-
formance both by natives and strangers was pro-
digious.
At the welcome signal the crimson curtain at the
back of the dais was drawn up, and disclosed • ban-
quet which Sardanapalua might have sat down to.
There were the gold and silver vases, the flowers,
the wine, and the viands. At the back was a well
painted landscape, inchtding the summer residence
of the Crown Prince and Princess, near Potsdam,
and, when the whole of the grand company took
their seats, the sight was one worth looking at.
The masticating process was carried on with great
vigour, and with judicious silence for some
time by the came de /a crime, after which the King
rose and gave the only toast of the evening,
" Prosperity to the Province of Konigsberg and the
Unity of Fatherland." His Majesty's speech was
the briefest possible, but it was delivered with a
fine voice and capital elocution ; the one solemn
rather unearthly cheer followed, and then the dis-
tinguished company fell to again, an example
which the rest of the visitors very rapidly imitated,
by deploying off to the different buffets, where
abundance of refreshments and wine were dis-
tributed by active and polite attendants. The
dancing now began to be general, and the German
officers waltzed as well as they. would, I have no
doubt, fight, if there was occasion, and I cannot
think of any higher eulogium. The King and
court remained late, and, to use a well-known
phrase, " the festivities did not terminate until a
late or rather early hour in the morning."

THE CROWNING.
KONIGSBERG, Ocr. 18.

Following the course adopted by me in the
case of the public entry, I avail myself of the short
period elapsing between the termination of the
coronation ceremony and the closing of the post to
inform you that King Wilhelm descended from the
Presence Chamber in the " Schloss" at half-past
ten this morning, clad in a mantle of crimson
velvet, and followed by the procession described in
the programme. The point of egress was a magni-
ficent open gallery, in crimson and gold, from
which a Hight of steps led down to the covered way
connecting the " Schloss " with the " Kirche."
The day was beautiful, and the quadrangle,
filled with soldiers d'4lite, carrying the banners of
every regiment in the Prussian army, and with the
honest burghers of Konigsberg classed and bri-
gaded according to their different trades, presented
a magnificent and exhilarating picture. A hundred
bands played the Prussian Hymn, the same air as our
own National Anthem, and subsequently and for
the first time Meyerbeer's Coronation March, com-
posed expressly for the occasion.
The church was full but not over-crowded, and
the most intense interest was exhibited as the King,
the Queen, the Crown Prince and Princess passed
slowly up the centre, followed by their several
suites. Chairs of state, nutter canopies of crimson
velvet and gold, were prepared for the King and
Queen immediately opposite the altar, and the re-
mainder of the privileged personages grouped round
the altar rails. The liturgical service was read by
Dr. Snethlago, principal minister of the Dom at
Berlin ; and the musical arrangements included the
special compositions of Meyerbeer. The King ap-
proached the altar, and having placed the crown
(of diamonds) on his own head, turned to the
people, and successively grasping the sceptre and
the naked sword, took the coronation oath.
The prayer which followed was responded to with a
loud " Amen" by the whole congregation. Subee-
quently the Queen approached, when the King
placed the crown on her Majesty's head and saluted.
Some minor ceremonies followed, after which their
Majesties resumed their places in the chairs of
state, and received the congratulations of their illus-
trious relatives. The Crown Prince first approached
and kissed his father's hand ; the King kissed him
on both cheeks, when his royal highness retired,
and the Crown Princess advanced. The King de-
scended two steps to meet her royal highness, and
his Majesty's greeting was most affectionate and
paternal. The relatives of the King followed ac-
cording to their degree, and were saluted by the
King. This terminated the proceedings in the
church.

A procession was then formed, headed by the
King, wearing the crown and his Majesty's splen-
did state mantle of crimson velvet and gold,
trimmed with ermine, and bearing the sceptre. As
he however returned through the quadrangle, the
bands again struck up the national anthem, the
troops presented arms, the artillery thundered
forth a royal salute of 101 guns, and the people,
who were massed in thousands, cheered tremen-
dously. It would be impossible to imagine a greater
success than the whole proceeding, the fineness of
the weather, the completeness and splendour of
the arrangements, and the enthusiastically loyal
demeanour of the people leaving nothing
to be desired. The special ambassadors occu-
pied the royal Loge, immediately opposite the
grand altar. When the royal procession had passed
into the "Schloss" a herald demanded in a loud
voice whether any one was prepared to dispute the
title of King Wilhelm to the throne of Prussia;
and I am happy to add that the challenge re-
mained unanswered. The greatest courtesy was
shown, and the best accommodation given, to the
representatives of the London press.

THE BRITISH MOSSIIIIL —A notice WM posted
c= d.i
at the entries to the reading room of the
isms to the effect that, complaints having been
mode that silence is not observed in the reading room, any
person iatringisg the regulations will forfeit their privilege
el &atheism.

CILYSTAL PALLCZ.—DAR tilmunto
TIMM ASCINT OF M. BLONDOL—MONDLT, OCT. 21.
Untold'y ea payment. 3,96 d ; ditto sy Hews tickets,
1,021 ; total viAon, 4,965.

DRAMA.

OLYMPIC.

Playgoers in England are so thoroughly broken
in to the dramatic rule that all must end well, that even
when they hear of a man being married to a woman whom
he has never seen, they accept with a submissive mo-
rality the otherwise improbable result, that on first meeting
he falls desperately in love with her. In France, on the
other hand, there is nothing at all extravagant, on or off
the stage, in the notion that matrimony, brought about by
any but spontaneous methods, should terminate in an ama-
tory romance. That in that socially worn-out land honest
affection can be hoped for, except by the roundabout means
of spurious excitement, is a state of things too familiar to be
more than accepted and regretted. Sothat, in trawderring from
the Paris to the London boards a play which turns upon
such a situation, extremes meet in a singularly striking
manner. What your Frenchman thinks "just as I should
like it to be," your Englishman welcomes rapturously es
" just what it ought to be."
Perhaps the practical paradox bas made it easy for Mr.
Morten to adapt " from the French" the comedietta which
was performed last evening at the Olympic, called Wooing
Ones Wife. A whim—it does not appear to us more—of
King Frederic has forced s loyal subject, Major Karl Von
Wthitein (Mr. H. Neville), to sign a blank paper which, by
being subsequently Mled up, makes him the husband of Ger-
trude (Miss Higbee), to whom he is completely unknown,
save by reputation as " rather wild." They meet in a dili-
gence : he sleeps and is silent, but breaks the weariness
of travel by occasionally squeezing her hand- an attention
which she seems to appreciate until she discovers her lover
to be her husband. She of course—otherwise how could
there be any plot or any interest?—imagines that he is
ignorant that he is making love to his own wife, and sees in
him only a dangerous Lothario gifted with powers
for breiling every heart, her own included. The
usual ordeal is submitted. Count Muffenbausen
(Mr. Horace Wigan), who is madly enamoured
of Gertrude, presuming her to be single, is fooled into the
belief that, though very lovely, she is very deaf, and now
fulminates his ridiculous suit in Stentorian tones, now ges-
ticulates it in the abracadabra of the deaf-and-dumb
alphabet. The husband overhears the former, and loves
nut only well but wisely. At last Gertrude discovers that
whilst she has been proving the qualities of the husband
whom she had nut chosen, he has been taking advantage
of his by her presumed ignorance as to their real relation-
ship, and has been using those winning ways by which
every woman worth the name insists upon being wooed, if
she is to be won. Won she is, and so there's an end.
The story is slight, and yet not over distinct. Such as
it is, it is very decently written, and very well acted.