Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-10-11
Royalty.

zone of the superb little apartments which
Eugene, empress Of the French, has created,
is called the Charm of the Evening" 1t is
ftted>up with hangings of amber satin, over
which are suspended draperies of the finest
lace, (Which &C course has cost an enormous
sum of itself;) another is hung with crimson
damask, with gilded cornices and every be-
witching trihe that could be brought together;
a third, called Days Delight" &c Borhew
du jour- Is hung with the richest possible blue
silk. having pannelings of solid silver, which
material, partly chased, partly Furnished, and
carved with the most consummate art, replaces
the usual wood work in every part of the
room, wainscot, cornice, mantlepiece, window
frames and doors being all of this metal"
The above is good picture of the sham
royalty which prevails in these later times.
1t is picture big with jest, and has instruc-
ton in it, too, if we would only take the
trouble to look for it. Royalty was once
something real. Kings were really leaders of
men, in old times. They slept on rushes, sat
on deal benches, dined from wooden platters,
and led their warriors on the hardest marches
and into the hottest fights. Their wives staid
at home, if the fortune of war allowed them
to do SO; and they spun and woye their royal
household cloth. The only distinctions they
possessed from other people weresuperior wis.,
dom, patience and valor. Their royalty was
essential. They could never cease to be royal
until they ceased to be altogether. One of
the old God made kings would have despised
himself, if he could not have endured priva-
tons and tolls better than any of his subjects.
One of your modern kings would consider
himself undone if any of his subjects should
exhibit, in his house or person, so much of
the upholsterers barber's, or tailor's skill as
he. Kings and Queens, nowadays, seem to
be gotten up for the amusement of babies
long ago, they rose to guide and govern men.
A glance into Eugenie's boudoir shows
what the employments of that royal lady are,
the fitting up of apartments with expensive
fnery and elegant trihes-while Cholera and
Starvation stalk through the faubourgs of
Paris, filing the trenches of MomtmGrtre and
Pere Ia Chaise with the fostering dead. A
true empress would be out, like brave wo-
man, devising salutary plans for the preser-
walton of Gods poor, and working out her
plans. One of Barnum's wax figures would
illustrate royalty as respectfully as the French
imperial bravo's wife does.
But, if the present theatrical monarchy of
France is poor caricature of that of CLOVIS
or Charlemagne, we must confess that our
own government has also fallen into degen-
crate and feeble hands. Every form of gov
eminent in the world seems to have outlived
its period Of earnest strength, and to have be-
come farce. Perhaps the reactive, regenera-
tive forces of government are concealed be-
hind the silken curtains and gorgeous tapes
tries of these royal and presidential les Bon
heurs dst jour, and only bide their time when
they shall come out in their terrible array to
drive all sharns down to Genus, and to build
ur the good and the true in their places.