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

things, that if the doctrine had been of much consequence,
it would have been the Bishop's first care to have seen it
enforced ; but for years he went on, attending to his
own matters and the matters of his housshcld, extiting
his sons and the husbands of his daughters in the
Church, before he directed his attention to these things;
and though it is no business of ours to interfere with the
authority of our right reverend diocesan, and to discuss
points of theology with the old gentleman, we must say
we think he is pushing matters rather inconsiderately,
in making the enforcement of these doctrines a stum-
bling block in the way of the faithful.

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES.

An ILLUSTRATION of the SPIRIT of HUMBUG,
and of the way in which the great and Ball vulgar
agree to can: about what they do not believe.
(From "Danish Fairy Legends," by Hans Christian
Anderson.)
Many 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 I" 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." And
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 : put 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 wearers are getting
on with my cloth," said the Emperor to hiraseLf, 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 hint intelligence about the
weavers and their work 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
him whether the design pleased him, and whether the
colours were 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, for a very good reason—vis., there was no-
thing there. " What !" thought he again, "is it pos-
sible that lam a simpleton ? I have never thought so
myself ; and no one must know it now, if lam so. Can
it be, that lam unfit for my office ? 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,
and 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
all 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 my good, profitable
office! That is very odd; however, no one shall know
anything about it !" 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-
turned, " the cloth which the weavers are preparing is
extraordinarily magnificent."
The whole city was talking of the splendid cloth
which the Emperor had ordered to be woven at his own
expense.
And now the Emperor himself went to see the costly
manufacture whilst it was still on the loom. Accom-
panied isy 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 ? " said the
two officers of the Crown already mentioned. "If your
Majesty will only be pleased to look at What a splendid
design ! What glorious colours I" 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 I this is indeed a terrible affair I Am I a
simpleton, or am I unfit to be an Emperor ? that would
be the worst thing that could happen." "Oh ! the
cloth is charming," said he, aloud. "It has my com-
plete approbation." And he smiled most graciously,
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. All his
retinue now strained their eyes, hoping to discover
something on the looms, but they could see no more
than the others ; nevertheless, they all exclaimed,
" Oh, how beautiful 1" and advised his Majesty to have
some new clothes made from this splendid material, for
the approaching procession. " Magnificent I charming !
excellent !" resounded on all sides, and every one was
uncommonly gay. The Emperor shared in the ge-
neral satisfaction ; and presented the impostors with
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,
slawcyaherioenfbnlgwahe're'berHs;eseeiodrsnetienhareimetmyaonutrie.N!lajesty's trowsers ! here is the
The whole suit is as light as
thi,s,
ydeelsi.caintedeceldot;h, a
tfancy, however,
is t nothingh e
great
virtue
eof
i;ghtht
'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-glass.
" How splendid his Majesty looks in his new clothes!
and how well they fit !" every one cried out. " What a
design I what colours ! these are, indeed royal robes I"
" 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
rA.
Majesty's
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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
o is
capital, and all the people standing by, and those
attn
the
windows, cried out, " Oh, how beautiful is our Empe-
ror's new clothes ! what a magnificent train there istothe mantle, and how gracefully the scarf hangs 1" in
short, no one would allow that he could not see these
touch-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 impression as these invisible
ones.

" But the Emperor has nothing at all our 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 ho 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 now! 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.

Mr. Moreno the) Minister from Buenos Ayres, trans-
acted business yesterday at the Foreign-office.