Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-11-06
THRONES AT A DISCOUNT.

going mad for the sovereignty, and each Richard,
fast as he Stays the sembance of rival, finds ten
other " Richmonds in the field" the lust of dia-
dems seems growing far less eager among the Eu-
ropean Royalties What eclipse, ominous TO Kings,
is, as Milton says,
''With fear of ch1nge
Perplexing monarchs,"
we are not sufficiently gazers into the Heaven of
power to tell but perhaps the astronomers of our
court or the come-catchers of our observatory, or,
lastly, the political amanac-makers of the Union
can explain to us the phenomena mentioned in the
following paragraph Of Liverpool paper:
"CaowSs GoING Observation-Disclosures the history
of Europe there existed similar examples of many
soveregns threatening resign their thrones the present
No fewer than three four poenates declared
to entertain serious intentions OF abdcang their power and
authority The Of Russia stands highest in political
Importance He is said to be suffering great mental anxiety
from planned and, having provided the
of supporting himself literally during life by bera
in the English and French funds under color of
great financial operation, he Intends it is said to retire
Italy, and there pass the remainder of his days The King
of Wunemberg the athern-law OF the Prince of Orange,
has repaired the Hague solely for the purpose Of dssuad
ing the Prince Of Orange from the decided resolution which
he has taken to the of Holland The King
OF the Begians to be equally afflicted He has return
ed TO the palace Laecken at Brussels, from Paris such
mentally debated state that he is unequal the of
government and all parties at loss to conceive what
will be the upshot Turning Spain last
Madrid state that the Queen has expressed her Ministers
her resoute intention TO abdate the throne and
ported that special council summoned deliberate upon
the subject.-WiLner d Smith"
In addition to the foregoing, our readers may re-
collect that we lately mentioned in our chronicle of
Italian affairs the reported intention of the Ex-Em-
press MARIA LOUISA to resign her pocket princi-
patty Of Parma, and las our members of Congress
or of City Councils say when they can no longer
be re-eected retire to the shades of private lfe''
| nf hos, ls Ia
than once to be sick with surfeit of the sceptre
and even the "Citlzen King" LOUIS PHILIPPE, has
been several times suspected of intended abd-
1 cation.
The particular case OF MARIA LOUISA has how
ever, certain poetcal illustrations, of which il may
not be unamusing TO our readers to be reminded.
They are found in Byron's rather angry Ode to
Napoleon written at the time Of his first abdca-
ton and in the cage OF Bronze" produced when
| the Ex-Empress and ex-wiie attended the Congress
of Verona, and was seen in public giving her arm
10 him who had overthrown her lord, the Duke of
| WELLINGTON. In the following verses the poet
seems to have though, it quite possible that the
\ princess, for whom the great warrior had divorced
the loving Josephine, would display, though vulgar,
the virtue of little conuga fidelity:
And she, proud Austra's mournful flower
Thy still imperial bride,
How bears her breast the toruring hour
Still clings she to thy side
\ Must she too bend Must she too share
Thy late repentance, long despair,
Thou throneless homicide
If still she loves thee, hoard that gem,
IT'S worth thy vanished diadem
This expectation was, however, not entirely re-
allied. 1t is needless 10 say that this consort con-
| scented, with admirable equanimity, TO become a
dowager before her husbands death, and to accept
the mimic sovereignty of Parma as the price of a
double divorce-separaton from her and repu-
diation mensa Ell hOro Of the very memory of
| her mighty husband; who, by fortunate error,
seems from his conversations, to have cherished,
to the last moment of his captivity and fe the per-
suasion of her sympathy and affection. At St. He
| lena he spoke often with fondness of her. 81
have" he said, possessed, during my life, two
women of very different characters the one 10
sephne) was all art and grace: the other Maria
louisa all innocence and simple nature. Again,
when suffering all the humiliatng rigors practised
on him by Sir Hudson Lowe-unworthy seventies
at which all Europe rang with Indignation, and
which are now well known to have reached all the
WHILE the indifferent ears of his ex-consor-he said
to the faithful friends who shared his captivity, Be
assured that, if the Empress makes no strong eff
fort to tighten what suffer, ii is because she is
beset by spies, who hinder her from knowing what
is done to me- for Maria Louisa is virtue ITSELF"
Meantime were occurring scenes and facts which
gave rise, on the part of the great poet already
cited-himself not very fortunate in the domestic
relations, and perhaps making an unavowed parallel
between the great conqueror's case and his own
to second commentary in verse; as follows near
the close of his sage Of Bronze He is speaking
of the Congress Of Verona, which was attended by
the Duchess-one can hardly imagine for what OBJ
ject unless merely to merit such poetic Indignation
Her I" martial chamberlain" Of the "not hundred
eyes is the Count Neipperg, somewhat OBJ
scure one-eyed General, whom she first saw a few
days after her Emperor's abdication, and with
whom she consoled herself, as her chamberlain and
husband. He died in 1928, at the age of ST.
Enough Of this sight more moumful woos
The averted eye Of the reluctant muse
The imperial daughter, the imperial bride,
The imperial yictm-sacrifce TO pride;
The mother Of the heros hope, the boy
The young Asyanax Of Modern Troy
The still pale shadow of the loftiest queen
That earth has yet to see, or eer hath seen
She fits amidst the phanoms of the hour,
The theme Of pity, and the wreck of power.
Oh, cruel mockery Could not Austria spare
daughter What did Frances widow there
Her filter place by St HeIen's wave
Her only throne is in Napoeon's grave
But no-she still must hold petty reign,
Flankd by her formidable chamberlain
The martial Argus, whose not hundred eyes
Must watch her through these patry pageanres.
What though she share more and shared in vain,
sway surprising that Of Charlemagne,