Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-09-05
EUROPEAN COURTS.
AN INTERVIEW WITH BERNADoTTE:

and reduces life and manners 10 an insipid mo-
notony. If his be true, courts must De very
far removed from an advanced sage oil civil-
z,lion; for they differ widely from each othrr'
and, in the revolution of few years, they differ
as widely from themselves. The hndrs are
no, more dlsiuc, f,om Kensington Gardens,
than The Courts of England, France, Vienna.
Naples, Sweden, and Russia, ar" from each
other. The mo al tone and substantial splen-
dor Of the cour. of George the thirh,-the hea'
w grandeur Of he old Du ct court,-the Ella
bora magn,fcence Of hat OF Napoleon,-'he
simple busn. ss-like and family air of that OF
Sws den the all consuming mill airy air OF ths:
of Russa,-and the languid lasciviousness OF
that Of Naples, are as distinct as 'ae courts OIL
Francis the FRS, and Henry the Eishth,-ot
Queen Ell z,brth and Qnera Mary,-of WASH
lngton and The Empress Catharine. What an
anti,hesis!
The faculty Of recoecting faces, so often a.
trihu.ed 10 sovereigns. ! once experienced. ]
was Introduced at the court OF Amsterdam IN
1898; but i, was common introduction and,
as one in the rank and file OF the introduced,
mere passed the throne, bowing to The stad''
holder. was Offended al the manner in which
was slurred with the innumei able host
Of nonti, scrip emigrants which poured into all
holder was comatose-he nodded like Chi
prse Mandarin Five years alter, | met The
S,adtholder, an exile, walking in The Mall Of
ST. James, Park, his hands behind him under
his coat, drowsy and iuseusible. should, of
course have passed him, only taking care to
get out of his way, which was heavy and roll.
ing; he Sc, med uncons ious Of all things he
might tread under his feet But TO my aston
ishment, he stopped and looked a. me IN man
ntr which a man ACCUSTOMED 10 courts can
read-ii meant, approach.
When got near him he took of his hat. and
said, aColnnel, wle last had the pleasure OF
SEEING YOU. you were going 10 serve III India
am confident your services must have been
useful TO your sovereign: trust they have been
prof able TO yourself" The profitable was a
Dutch Phrase; but my astonishment was. how
the Stakeholder could have recollec'ed me |
bowed to him in sudden feeling of respect for
misfortune. In 1898 had seen HIM sovrr
eign on hi, thrones five years after met him
a melancholy exile in St James's Park.
The courts most charac eristic, and which,
after The peace Of 1914, differed he most from
all other courts Of Europe, were thos" Of S"e
den AID Russia Nap9lron, a parvenu, Was,
with respect 10 his court, student, AND, as il
afterwards proved, vicIm Of etiquette.
Bernado,le held and holds his throne only by
his ility TO he na,on,-u'iIiIy of the indi.i-
dn al or of he Office is The only stability Of his
exisence 9ernado'te feels this. and knows
hat upon this principle alone he can hope to
establish his son IL he sovereignty. He has
but one class Of ideas-.hose Of business; but
manner III whicn he imparts his knowlrds e,
and conftsses his ignorance, the anxiet, with
which he looks fhr information, are IN striking
contrast with all l have witnessed at other
courts.
B' ruadote once gave me private audience,
and he evinced his regard for the convenience
of others, by sending me a note il the morn
Ing, saying he could not see M until hall an
hour after The time he had appointed | wen,
10 The palace, saw but one sentry, wandered a.
bout arcades, passages, halls, ard, at las found
my way up he rnagnih :ent staircase Enter
ing superb ves'bule was still a, loss for
not a soul could see in any dire cton Por-
phyry, amber, jaspar, marble vases, statues,
and paintings, surrounded me; but l. seemed
polace of the dead, for nothing animate could
b. hold, ill at length saw fco,man pass in
blue and silver livery, with the kings cypher
He conducted mr. 10 room, where rad he
2lrasure OF gossiping with a number OF m itary
officers. had almost forgo en- the king, when
chambt rlain entered and passing me through
tie council Chamber, where all he grea, officers
ot state were assembled, he conducted M to
the presence chambr--a long gallery full 4
paintings ond ,culp ure Here he lei, me sans
es'en'o"e His NJ jrsry, dism'.si hree gen,
'h"tn win whom ~ WIS conversing at the
Other rnd. Came up 10 me with unafi c ed ia
millarity, AID commenced lively bushes, like
conversation, free from The common place pro
gramme questions upon such occasl ms. He
spoke OF our army and navy,-of the la Lord
L"ndondefry's calmnrss in debate, > Of his sue
cessfu adminisra,ion,-oi his not having de-
manded rnnusf. for England al the peace of
1915. He 'hen spoke OF Sweden: "You viii
see ne happy st~'e of my country; you will
meet with no taxgalhcrers, e1cisrmen, scarce.
'y any custom house offers, and hardly a gen.
darme. NV people are moral, contentrd, aud |
pr ac' able; he conscripio ion is cal~d out in a |
pra'ra he way, being merely summoned IN the
c churches The time f'r paying tex is noti-