New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-02
Bayard Taylor in Southern Europe
No. Xix.
THE COURT OF RIEG OHIO.

bur . n,escn,a,;on in order that | might attend toe
u;r,ar h.n. a, the Palace which furnish much The
ut onr,o,tnntv Of seeing the Greeks of the pres
eut day. The preliminary formahties were easily
ARRANGED. Our Consul, the Rev. DIR. King, called
.. the Grand Marshal Of the Palace No,aras, on
rrsesday morning, and the same afternoon received
~ invitation 10 the NewY Years ball last evening
(O1 Stye).
As, according to the etiquette Of larger courts,
which is strictly copied IN this little one, a Consul
sannot present strangers, this duty ia performed ny
No Grand Marshal whom, therefore, it ncces-
sary that should previously know company Of
Americans, some four or five years ago, made ibem-
selves ridiculous, by asking for presentation, and
Then staying away at the appointed hour, on the
childish plea that this regulation was intended as a
natioEal insult DIR. King was Kind enough 20 ac-
company me to the Palace, where we were usbered
into the Grand Marshal's chamber-s large bare
poom, with a table sofa and half dozen chairs,
scarcely warmed by fire of olve-roots. Notaras
h large, heavy man. of abOu. sixty, with promi-
Dent eyes, q broad face and thick lips. He wore the
hpstaDella and a jacket covered with silver en-
bscidey. Singularly enough, for person holding
Ms Office he does not understand any language but
Of Or. King, what was necessary for me to DO.
"COme 10 the Palace, said he, Ego where y"u
go the others go, and when the King and Queen
come in, get into the circle around them. Then,
when the time for presentation arrives, will do
(msking a sign with his handy, and You viii step
frward." All this was clear aud satisfactory. and
We departed.
DIR. King had stated in his note that had trav-
e3ed extensively and was the author of some books.
II was intimated by the Marshal that be would do
well 10 send list Of the same to the Palace. At
his request therefore, l furnished such a list in
French, the purpose of which ascertained when
The time for presentation arrived. | could not but
wonder how much Of the reputation which au-
fhsr fancies be has achieved is made up in this
way You meet with Dr. Pitkins at party on a
Steamboat, or anywhere else. Somebody whispers
10 you: I" He is the author Of a work on the dra-
matte poetry Of the Tartars.' By-aud.by you are
Introduced to him: you start literary topic, and
sOOn take occasion TO say, Your Tartar studies,
DR.. Pitkins make you al authority on this sub
ject" OF course, the DIR. is delighted TO find that
bis fame has gone before him, and, if he accepts
your invitation to call upon you, will find copy of
Ms work. three pages of which you have read, con
spicuously displayed upon your parlor table. Now,
] was perfectly aware that King Otho knew no
more of me or my books than of the Cherokee Ian
guage, and when he said, We have heard Of yOu
as great traveller" &c, l was neither surprised
nor Aattered, and was polite enough not 10 suggest
whence bis information had been derived.
Az the ordinary full dress of European society is
sufficient for admttance into the Palace there was
no further difficulty. The company were directed
b assemble at quarter before nine, but as all |
Athens was invited, and the city furnished but one
carriage TO every ten guests, was obliged to 60
carly so that the vehicle might be used 10
carry Others 1t was one of the coolest aud windi-
est nights of the Winter, and, when the north wind
blows, Attica is as dreary as Lapland. The yesti
bule of the Palace s too depressed to answer even
the promise of its mediocre exterior and the stair |
case narrow, and with grades of inconvenient hight
"a single one being too little and two taken to-
eether too much for the foot-is so clumsy that
suspects that the original plans of tho architect,
Who was no less than Leo Won Klenge, cannot have
been carried out. 1t is pitifu to see bad taste
bodied in Pentelic marble.
Twas therefore surprised and delighted on enter
ing the bathrooms, which are large, nobly planned,
and decorated with excellent taste. | have not
seen, in any of the palaces of Europe-not even in
the famous NeHe Residen., in Munich-apartments
st the same time so imposing and so cheerful as
these. There three in all, connected by lofty
Ionic dOorwsys of white marble, the fets and vO-
ates Of the capitals relieved by gliding. The length
and breadth Of the halls is proportionate TO their
hight which is full sixty feet The walls of
scaghOla, with ornamental frieze at half their
hight above which they are painted in the Pom
peian style. Chromatic decoration is also intro
dnced in the sunken panel-work of the ceiling, the
predominant colors being red and dead d-goden
The general effect is wonderfully rich and harnon
sss, without being in the least glaring. Add to
his the immense bronze chandeliers and candela-
BRA, which pour food of soft Light upon the walls
and inlaid fOors and you have the picture of fes-
i've hall the equal of which can scarcely be found
oatside of st. Petersburg. The Greeks are proud
q it; but could not keep back the reflection,
What avails this single fash of imperial spendor, in
land which has not single road where there is
10 permanent security for life and property, and
whose treasury is hopslessy bankrupt
There were not more than dozen guests when
arrived, and their scattered figures were quite
lost In the vast, brilliant space, so that l had
quarter Of an hour of comparative solitude, which
il thing to be enjoyed in such places One is thus
hmiharized to the anaccustomed pomp, is toned np
20 it (so to speak,, and long finds himself com
Sortably at home and selfpossessed. Presently,
however, full stream poured into the main ha-a