The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-21 00:00:00

A DEATH-BED SCENE.

The Royal Castle at Sans-Souci is at this =men
the centre of many intrigues ; and many an exciting
scene is passing within its walls. An aged despot,
paying the forfeit of excesses that have acquired for
him soubriquets and ridicule throughout Europe,
lies there in helpless prostration, his physical ener-
gies wasted, his mind wandering, still making a
sickening effort to maintain the haughty counte-
naece of arrogant kingcraft, while his faltering
hands refuse to grasp the sceptre he is so loath to
relinquish. Around his couch are gathered an eager
knot of speculating palace creatures, like a pack of
hungry hounds. They watch with eye and ear every
symptom of that sick man's affliction, calculating
the chances the while with the keenest anxiety. At
the chamber door, again, another crowd of cour-
tiers, with stealthy tread and bated breath, are wait-
ing the result. For they, too, are doubtful which is
the most prudent course to pursue—whether the
disease-stricken King or the next in succession is the
best investment for their loyalty and allegiance.
To these poor parasites the moment is a critical one
—their position full of doubts and difficulties. They
behold before them a positive King, it is true, but
a wreck in mind andbody. Yet to desert him is not
very safe treachery, for he has moments when he is
lucid enough to make the intriguing crew that fill
his palace tremble before him.
It is said that, in the intervals he experiences
from the torpor that is spread over his mental
faculties, he threatdus fiercely enough any who
ehould dare to lay hands to his crown. He then
menaces them with punishments commensurate
with his notion of offences against the Right Divine.
He promises to visit them with the full measure of
his Royal wrath—a wrath to appease which has
already cost the sacrifice of many a man's life and
liberty. This wild howl of anger may, perchance,
be the last flickering of a despot's soul. Still it has
its effect upon the abject crowd to whom it is ad-
dressed. Though fain wishing to bring about the
abdication of the King, and the immediate installa-
tion of the Prince as Sovereign of Prussia, their
courage is yet restrained -by grave misgivings.
Thev doubt whethdr it is safe to already broach to
Ftellerick William the neosssity of his withdrawal
from government. They fear he may recover after
all, and inflict signal chastisement on those who
took the first opportunity to abandon his fortunes.
In this state of things the business of the kingdom
is rather allowed to fall into neglect than any strong
measure adopted to overcome the obstinacy of the
insane tyrant. Already for upwards of three
months, we are told, the St
ate machine has been
almost at a stand-still through the inability of the
King to attend to affairs. Yet further delays are
to take place, because " a favourable moment"
must be waited for to cajole the tenacious Sove-
reign into a signature of his abdication ! A grati-
fying illustration, truly, of l'Etat, c'est moi.
Here we have one side of the necessities of monarchi-
cal rule.
Another not less remarkable feature in it is, the
fraternal attitude which continues even now to be
manifested by the King and the Prince towards
each other. Those acquainted with the state of
things at the Court of Berlin know full well that
the two brothers have through life been distin-
guished rather for their undisguised animosity to
each other than for any amiable feelings of relation-
ship they have exhibited. The origin of their mu-
tual hate is simply jealousy and ambition. In age
almost equal, in absolutistic temper the same, in
lust of power of like disposition, the one has been
' ever striving to keep the other away from the reins
of Government. The natural consequence of this
was, that the ambition of the man who was thus
held back daily grew in proportion to his inability
of gratifying it. No wonder a deep estrangement
ensued, the reigning King ever fearing a palace
coup d Rat on the part of his relation, to which fear
the suseicious doings of the latter have sometimes
lent a colour.
With such jealousies waxing stronger year by,
year, it was not at all probable, according to
monarchical sentiments, that a reconciliation would
take place between the two brothers, even when
one of them was almost in the grasp of death. And,
indeed, we are informed that the fact of the King's
' life being in danger has only added to the intensity
of the feud, Frederick William IV. franticallyre-
fusing to see the relative he knows to be so im-
patient for the crown he wears. The truth is, the
exhausted Sovereign, in his excited stare, seems to
dread the approach of his brother as that of some
fiend about to snatch the dearly-prized diadem
from his brow... It appears as though he appre-
hended that, if he granted au interview, some chi k
deed might be perpetrated, such as Russian palaces
have often witnessed. Neither a reconciliation
has, therefore, taken place between King and
Prince, nor have they ever seen each other since
the prostration of the health of the former. Al-
though other persons have been admitted to the
sick chamber of the Monarch after his partial re-
covery, the door has remained closed again t the
expectant brother ! This is one of the many ple 's-
ing incidents wish which the course of dtspotic
dynasties is diversified. The sacred ties of copse
guinity are among them generally to he found the
most potent cause for mutual hatred and suspicion.
Another recent incident, worthy of note, is the
manner in which the Prince of .Prussia behaved
when called upon by the Ministers to assume for
a time the conduct of affairs until the King's
health should be re-established. The Prince, Z.!;-4
our readers are aware, refused to comply with this
request. The motives he urged on this o ccas-ou
are memorable enough, for they exhibit his
absolutist character in the clearest light pos-
sible. Treating with studied con tempt the re-
quest of the Ministers, lie declared them
to
that they had no right to call upon him to
assume the administration of the kingdom, but
that he, in his Royal pleasure, would decide when
the fitting moment for such a course on,, his part
"He neither wanted, said lie,
should arrive.
"any invitation from the servants of the Crown,
nor from any other body in the kingdore_ffical_
ino-, by this latter allusion, the Chambers, who, ac-
co'rding
to the Constitution, are to appoint a Re-
gency in case of the King being incapacitated from
conducting the a.fyrs.of the country. "The only
thing. necessary. is, ' said the Prince, "a declaration
of his Majesty's physicians. to the effect that heisiii-
, capable .of continuing to reign. As soon as this
declaration shall be given, I intend assuming tee
Regency, t,y virtue of my Sovereign prerogative.
but should such medical opinion be withheld, I
will set myself to work to obtain the King's sign,:-
titre for my appointment as Regent. Ministered
invitations, cr other Constitutional forms, ale not
requite! !"
This brusque tone fully character'see the Prince,
and confirms the sketch we have formerly drawn, of
his career. It now only requires tit be seen wee
ther he will succe d, in " a favourable moment,"
to overcome both the personal te, ip:it the hiee of.
this
urotlier and the tenacity with which 1. ter
clings to the purple. Perhaps even the next few
days may apprise us of the issue of this struggle by -
tweeu the medirevalist romantic despot Frederick
William IV., and his equally tyrannic, but 1, ss
impressionable brother William, who rejoices,
throughout Germany,
.y, in the well-earned cognomen
of Kartaetshen-Pror, o.r Prince of the Grape-
shot.A dverhser.
" —Morning