The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-06-11
CHARLES XII. OF SWEDEN.

Blackwood's Magazine for May contains
review of the personal Memoirs of Thom-
as liearne, of Oxford, England born 1870:
died 1875. He thus describes Charles the
MI, Of Sweden. lie certainly fails to sus
tain the fancifal periec,ions which modern
romnncists havethrown around that remark.
able general and king:
81 will tell you, rs particular friend
that even without leave (Which ought TO
have been had) did venture the other day
TO ramble into Saxony, TO satisfy my curl.
osiiy IN seeing those different things, and
penetrating as far us | could, how matters
stood there, aud how our fate is like TO he
determined by that Gothick hero, who.
with handful Of men, makes himself dread
ed and courted by all the powers of Europe.
As for his person, he did not dcmentir tho
description | had of him. He is n tall
handsome gentleman, but immoderatelv
dirty and slovenly. His behaviour and
carriage more rustick than YOU can
imagine IN SO young n man should be; and
that the outside OF his quarters should not
belye the inside, he has chosen the dir,iest
place OF all Saxony, and one Of the sadlcst
houses. The ceanest place is the court be.
fore the house, where everybody is to alight
oil his horse, and is up 10 tue knee in dirt.
where his horses stand with hardly any
halters, and sackings instead Of cloaths
without either racks or managers. The
horses have rough coats, thick bellyes, thin
buttocks, and switch tails. The grooms
that look after them seem not TO be better
cloathed nor kept than their horses, ono Of
which stands always ready sadlcd for tie
mighty monarch, who runs out commonly
alone, and Oestrides his stcel, and away lie
Sa.Iops before any one else is able TO follow
him. Sometimes lie will 90 ten or twelve
OF these country miles in day, which i.
forty or fifty Of our English miles, now In
the wintcrtimc, despatched, all over with
dirt like Posullion. | should make luy
letter too long, if should tel. you lis dros,,
his eating, drinking, and sleeping; bu. not
to let j. entirely alone, will tell you bis
coat is plain blew, with ordinary bras but
tons, the skirts pinned UP behind ana be.
fore, which shows his majesly'a oil lcatluru
"asicoai and brccches, which, they t.,lms,
Wc sometimes so greasy thJ. tAcy L.r BE-
tryeIi JU, when ! saw him, thew were II
most now, for ho had been q gallant Il it'll.
before. lie had been 10 soc King Auu.
tuss queen, upon her return to Lcipsiek.
and TO be fine, Ao had yet or those new
ieaIhern breeches, spoke not above three
words TO her, but 10 talk to foolish dwarf
she had about n quarter Of an hour, then
left her. llo wears u blacl, Grape craya,l,
but the cape Of his coat bultonel SO close
about it that YOU cannot sec wholhor he has
any or no. Ills shirt and wristbands arc
commonly very dirty, for lie wears no ruf-
fles or gloves but on horseback Tshanls
are commonly Of the same colour rs his
wristbands, SO that you can hardly disGn-
guish them. His hair is light brown, very
greasy, and very short; never combol but
with his fingers. lie sits upon any chair
or stool he finds in tho house, without any
ceremony, to dinner, aud begins with
great piece Of bread.and butter, having
stuck his napkin under his chair; then
drinks, with his mouth full, out Of a great
silver old fashioned beakcr, small bear,
which is his only liquor. At every meal
he drinks about two English bottles full,
Tor he emptyes his beaker twice Between
every biI of meat he eats a piece of bread
and-butter, which hespreads with his thumb.
lie Is never more than quarter of an hour
"I olnhefi eats like horse; speaks not one
wofd all the while. As soon rs ho rises.
ms lileguards sit down At tho same table
10 'hC same victuals Iii bod chamber