The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-16 00:00:00

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES.

An ILLUSTRATION of the SPIRIT of HUMBUG
and of the way in which the great and small vulga
agree to can about what they do not believe.
(From "Danish Fairy Legends," by Hans Christian
Anderson )
M:ny years ago there was an Emperor, who was so
excessively fond of new clothes that he spent all his
money in dress. He did not trouble himself in the least
about his soldiers ; nor did he care to go either to the
theatre or the chase, except for the opportunities then
afforded him for displaying his new clothes. He had a
different suit for each hour of the day ; and as of any
other King or Emperor, one is accustomed to say, " He
is sitting in council," it was always said of him, "The
Emperor is sitting in his wardrobe."
Time passed away merrily in the large town which
was his capital ; strangers arrived every day at the
court. One day, two rogues, calling themselves weavers,
made their appearance. They gave out that they knew
how to weave stuffs of the most beautiful colours and
elaborate patterns, the clothes manufactured from which
should have the wonderful property of remaining invisi-
ble to every one who was unfit for the office he held, or
who was extraordinarly simple in character.
" These must indeed be splendid clothes !" thought
the Emperor. " Had I such a suit, I might, at once,
find out what men in my realms are unfit for their office,
and also be able to distinguish the wise from the foolish!
This stuff must be woven for me immediately." An d
he caused large sums of money to be given to both the
weavers, in order that they might begin their work
directly.
" So the two pretended weavers set up two looms, and
affected to work very busily, though in reality they did
nothing at all. They asked for the most delicate silk
and the purest gold thread : pit both into their own
knapsack; and then continued their pretended work at
the empty looms, until late at night.
" I should like to know how the weavers are getting
on with my cloth," said the Emperor to himself, after
some little time had elapsed ; he was, however, rather
embarrassed, when he remembered that a simpleton, or
one unfit for his office, would be unable to see the manu-
facture. " To be sure," he thought " he had nothing to
risk in his own person ; but yet he would prefer sending
somebody else to bring him intelligence about the
weavers and their w ork before he troubled himself in the
affair." All the people throughout the city had heard
of the wonderful property the cloth was to possess ; and
all were anxious to learn how wise, or how ignorant their
neighbour might prove to be.
" I will send my faithful old Minister to the weavers,"
said the Emperor, at last, after some deliberation, he
will be best able to see how the cloth looks ; for he is a
man of sense, and no one can be more suitable for his
office than he is."
So the faithful old Minister went into the hall, where
the knaves were working with all their might at their
empty looms. " What can be the meaning of this ?
thought the old man, opening his eyes very wide. " I
cannot discover the least bit of thread on their looms !"
However, he did not express his thought aloud.
The impostors requested him very courteously to be
so good as to come nearer their looms ; and then asked
hilt' whether the design pleased him, and whether the
colours wero not very beautiful ; at the same time
pointing to the empty frames. The poor old Minister
looked and looked, he could not discover anything on
the looms, fur a very good reason—viz., there was no-
thing there. " What !" thought he again, " is it pos-
sible that I am a simpleton ? I have never thought so
myself ; and no one must know it now, if I am so. Can
it be, that I am unfit for my office P No, that must not
be said either. I will never confess that I could not see
the stuff."
" Well, Sir Minister," said one of the knaves, still
pretending to work, " you do not say whether the stuff
pleases you."
" Oh, it is excellent !" replied the old minister, look-
ing at the loom through his spectacles. " This pattern,
d the colours—yes, I will tell the Emperor without
delay how very beautiful I think them."
" We shall be much obliged to you," said the im-
postors, and then they named the different colours and
described the pattern of the pretended stuff. The old
minister listened attentively to their words, in order
that he might repeat them to the Emperor; and then
the knaves asked for more silk and gold, saying that it
was necessary to complete what they had begun. How-
ever, they put all that was given them into their knap-
sacks, and continued to work with as much apparent
diligence as before at their empty looms.
The Emperor now sent another officer of his court to
see how the men were getting on, and to ascertain whe-
ther the cloth would soon be ready. It was just the
same with this gentleman as with the minister ; he sur-
veyed the looms on all sides, but could see nothing at
ail but the empty frames.
" Does not the stuff appear as beautiful to you as it did
to my Lord the Minister?" asked the impostors of the
Emperor's second ambassador; at the same time making
the same gestures as before, and talking of the design
and colours which were not there.
"I certainly am not stupid!" thought the messenger.
" It must be, that I am not fit for thy good, profitable
office! That is very odd; however, no one shall know
anything about it I" And accordingly he praised the
stuff he could not see, and declared that he was delighted
with both colours and patterns. "Indeed, please your
Imperial Majesty," said he to his sovereign, when he re-

tprned, " the cloth which the we,.vers are preparing is
extraordinarily magnificent."
The whole city was talking of the splen id c!oth
which the Emperor had ordered to be woven at his cwn
expense.

And now the Emperor himself went to see the costly
manufacture whilst it was still on the loom. Accom-
panied by a select number of officers of the Court, among
whom were the two honest men who had already ad-
mired the cloth, he went to the crafty impostors, who,
as soon as they were aware of the Emperor's :Approach,
went on working more diligently than ever ; although
they still did not pass a single thread through the.looms.
"Is not the work absolutely magnificent ? " saacd the
two ofl,cers of the Crown already mentioned. "Ifsreur
Majesty will only bepleased to look at it! What a splendid
design!What glorious colours !" and at the same time
they pointed to the empty frames ; for they imagined
that every one else could see this exquisite piece of
workmanship.
" How is this ?" said the Emperor to himself, " I can
see nothing ! this is indeed a terrible affair ! Ana I a
simpleton, or am I unfit to be an Emperor ? that w.auld
be the worst thing that could happen." "Oh ! :the
cloth is charming," said he, o
aloud. "It has my cm-
plete approbation." And he smiled most gracioulily,
and looked closely at the empty looms : for on no ac-
count would he say that he could not see what two of
the officers of his Court had praised so much. AIR his
retinue now strained their eyes, hopirg to Elisc•aver
something on the looms, but they could see no re ore
than the others ; nevertheless, they all exclaimed,
" Oh,. how beautiful,!" and advised his Majesty to have
some new clothes made from this splendid material, for
the approaching procession. " Magnificent ! charmtog!
excellent !" resounded on all sides, and every one 'was
uncommonly gay. The Emperor shared in the ge-
neral satisfaction ; and presented the impostors w ith
the riband of an order of knighthood, to be worn in
their button-holes, and the title of " Gentlemen
Weavers."
The rogues sat up the whole of the night before the
day on which the procession was to take place, and had
sixteen lights burning, so that every one might see how
anxious they were to finish the Emperor's new suit.
They pretended to roll the cloth off the looms; cut the
air with the scissors; and sowed with needles without
any thread in them. "See," cried they at last, " the
Emperor's new clothes are ready!"
And now the Emperor, with all the grandees of his
Court, came to the weavers; and the rogues raised
their arms, as if in the act of holding something up,
saying "Here are your Majesty's trowsers I here is the
scarf! here is the mantle! The whole suit is as light as
a cobweb; one might fancy one has nothing at all on
when dressed in it ; that, however, is the great virtue of
this delicate cloth.

" Yes, indeed," said all the courtiers, although not
one of them could see anything of this exquisite ma-
nufacture.

" If your Imperial Majesty will be graciously pleased
to take off your clothes, we will fit on the new suit in
front of the looking-glass."
The Emperor was accordingly undressed, and the
rogues pretended to array him in his new suit : the
Emperor turning round, from side to side, before the
looking-glasy.
" How splendid his Majesty looki in his new clothes!
and how well they fit !" every one cried out. " What a
design ! what colours ! these are, indeed royal robes !"
" The canopy which is to be borne over your Ma-
jesty in the procession iS waiting," announced the master
of the ceremonies.

" I am quite ready," answered the Emperor. "Do
my new clothes fit well ?" asked he, turning himself
rc.und again before the looking-glass, in order that he
might appear to be examining his handsome suit.
The Lords of the Bed-chamber, who were to carry his
Majesty's train, felt about on the ground, as if they were
lifting up the ends of the mantle, and pretended to be
carry ing something ; for they would by no means betray
anything like simplicity, or unfitness for their office.
So now the Emperor walked under his high canopy in
the midst of the procession, through the streets of nis
capital, and all the people standing by, and those at the
windows, cried out, " Oh, how beautiful is our Empe-
ror's new clothes ! what a magnificent train there is to
the mantle, and how gracefully the scarf hangs !" in
short, no one would allow that he could not see these
much•admired clothes, because in doing so he would
have declared himself either a simpleton, or unfit for his
office. Certainly, none of the Emperor's various suits
had ever made so great an impresbion as these invisible
ones.

"But the Emperor has nothing at all on!" said a
little child. " Listen to the voice of innocence!" ex-
claimed his father; and what the child had said was
whispered from one to another.
"But he has nothing at all on!" at last cried out all
the people. The Emperor was vexed, for he knew that
the people were right; but he thought the procession
must go on nowl And the lords of the bedchamber
took greater pains than ever to appear holding up a
train, although, in reality, there was no train to hold,

IHE SILVER MINES OF MEXICO.
The following anecdotes of the secrecy with which
the Indians of Mexico preserve the knowledge of the
silver mines with which their country abounds are told
by a German traveller :—The Indians have discovered
that their silver mines have made their condition rather
worse than better. They determine, therefore, to keep
secret their knowledge of some rich veins of silver not
yet explored by Europeans. Traditions of these mines
have been handed down, it is supposed, from father to
son, through centuries. Even brandy, which will open
the Indian's mouth on any other subject, fails in this
case. A few years ago, there lived, in the large village
of Huancayo, the brothers Don Jose and lion Pedro
Irriarte, who were among the wealthiest mine proprie-
tors of Peru. As they had reason to suspect the exist-
ence of rich unexplored veins among the neighbouring
hills, they sent out a young man in their employ to examine
the country, and use the likeliest means of discovery.
Accordingly, he repaired to a village where he found
lodgings in the hut of an,lndian shepherd, from whom
he concealed his object. In the course of a few months,
an attachment had grown up between the young ad-
venturer and the shepherd's daughter ; and, at last, the
young man succeeded so far in his object as to win from
the girl a promise that she would pint out to him the
mouth of a rich silver mine. She directed him to follow
her, at some distance, ow a certain day when shs should
go out to tend her flock on the hills ; and to notice where
she dropped her manta,' (woollen shawl). There she
told him, he would find the entrance of the mine. The
young agent obeyed her directions ; and after same
digging, found his way into a moderately deep shaft,
which led to a rich vein of silver. He was busily
engaged in breaking off some specimens of the ore,
whn he was surprised by the old shepherd, who con-
gratulated him on the discovery, and offered assistance.
After working together for some hours, they rested ;
and the Indian offered to the young man a cup of chica,
which he drank. Soon after drinking, he felt unwell ;
and, as a suspicion of being poisoned Mashed upon his
mind, he instantly -packed the specimens of ore in his
wallet, hastenrd back to the village, and thence rode to
Huancayo. He had only time to explain his adventure
to his employers, and point out, as well as he could,
the locality of the mine ; for he died in the night. An-
other exploring party was immediately sent into the
neighbourhood, but without success ; the Indian and his
family had vanished from the place, and no trace of the
mine could be discovered.
Another story is the following :
A certain Franciscan monk, a passionate gambler,
lived at Huancayo. By his friendly offices he had be-
come a favourite among the Indians, to whom he often
applied when in want of money. One day, when he
had suffered losses at the hazard-table, he begged of an
Indian, who was his relative, to help him out of hia
poverty. The Indian promised assistance on the follow-
ing evening, and arrived punctually at the appointed
time, with a bag full of silver ore for the monk. This
process was repeated several times, until the still needy
monk earnestly prayed that he might be favoured with
a view of the source from ‘Nhieh his wants had been
so often supplied. This request also was granted
by the friendly relative; and, accordingly, on
the appointed night, three Indians came to the
house of the Franciscan—desired that he Waled
allow them to bandage his eyes—and, he as-
sen ting, carried him away, ou their shoulders,
some miles along the mountains. There, they fitted him
down—conducted him down a shaft of considerable
depcb—and displayed to him a rich and shining vein
of silver. When he had amply feasted his sight, and
had taken ore enough for his present necessities, his eyes
were again bandaged, and he was carried home on the
shoulders of his guides. On the road, he slily untied
his rosary ; and dropped a bead here and there, that he
might have a clue to the- mine. Arrived at home, he
lay down to rest, in the comfortable hope of exploring
the path to wealth on the following day; but in the
course of about two hours, the Indian, his relative,
came to the door, with his hand full of beads—" Father,"
said he, as he gave them to the monk, "you lost your
rosary on the road I"

EXTRAORDINARY ATTEMPT AT SUICIDIC.-At the
meeting of the loyal Humane Society on Tuesday, Mr. Mu-
ller mentioned the following strange instance of attempted
suicide :—A woman left her house, determined to drown her-
self, on a frosty winter night. Not finding .113, place where
she could drown herself, she placed her head under a spout,
from which the icicles were thawing, end there remained
until she was reduced, both by the fall of water from the spout
and by the cold, to such a state of insensibility, that two
hours elapsed before the most powerful stimulants restored
suspended animation:
CASE OF POISONING AT LITTLE CHELSEA.--OR Thurs-
day morning, Mr. G. Mills, the deputy coroner for Middlesex,
held a lengthened inquiry at the Somerset Arms Tavern,
Fulham-road, Little Chelsea, on view of the body of Mr.
William Newton Wansbrough, assistant to Mr. Joseph
Lanksheep, a practising surgeon, residing at No. 5, Sea-
more-place, Little Chelsea. The suss of a long investigation
is recorded in the following verdict:—" That the deceased
had died from taking a certain narcotic poison; but as to the
state of his mind at the time there was not sufficient evidence
to show."

MCRDER OF A CHILD.—On Tuesday Mr. Joseph
Payne resumed an inquest commenced on Friday, at the
Crown and tihears, Sparrow-corner, Minories, on the body o f
a newly-born male child, which had been murdered by
forcing a piece of rag down its throat, and then burying it in
the soil of the privy. The first part of the evidence impli-
cated the mother in the death of the child. The only addi-
tional evidence heard was that the mother, ➢Lary Ann Net-
tlefield, had admitted the child was her's, but denied that
she had murdered it. After a long deliberation, the jury
returned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against Mary Ann
Nettlefield

MELANCHOLY DROWNING CASE.—At Carlisle, 011
Se-
turday last, Mr. Petty, a gentleman who had for some time
retired from the business of a draper, whilst walking on the
banks of the River Caldew, arm-in-arm with an amiable
daughter, made a sudden stop, and asked her to take hold
of his walking-stick till ho went down to the river to wash
his bands, which she of course did ; but, instead of washing
his hands, he plunged headlong into the stream and disap-
peared. The body had unt be found when this scout
left Carlisle. - -