New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-02-19
slth Orleans Dailp Crescent.
The King 81 the Mountain.

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One Of the most bizarre Of French hovelists, Mons
Edmond About. exhibits in his romance OF " III
King Of the Mountains all those wild and startling
almost lndicrous extravagances, which constitute tb
great distinction between Anglo and Gallo literature
And yet N. About is eminently very interesting h
his details rs well as extremely ingenious in his plot
and peculiarites as will be from the following
abstract:
Greece at time when Hadj Stavros, the King Of
the Mountaius,n was the hero of Athens aud the
sc0nfgc Of Aitica. The Of Greek priest, be had
made pilgrimage to Jerusalem when twenty years
Of age, and thus secured the title Of Hadj. On his
return home be was taken prisoner BY pirate, and
took TO that profession himself The Greek Insured
ton furnished him the opportunity ior fishing in
troubled waters. He never knew exactly whether he
was q brigand or an insurgcnt, commander Of
thieves or partisans. His hatred for the Turks did
not blind him SO that he declined to plumber Greek
villages Such wise impartiality rapidly augmented
his fortune. The peasants focked to his banner :
Lord Byron dedicated an ode to him the poets and
orators OF Paris compared him 10 Epaminondas, and
even to Aristides Flags were embroidered for him
in the Fanbourg st. German; subsidies were sent TO
him. He received money from England, from France,
from Russia probably, too, from Turkey for be was
q true Pskar. At the close Of the war he was be-
sieged 10 tie Arpolis OF Athens with several other
chiefs earh keeDng his treasure by the side Of his
bed Saddenly lie roof fell in and killed every one
except Hadj Siayros, who putting his nargilleh
in the open air. he succeeded to the property Of bis
companions, and all thought he deserved It.
An unfortunate event, however, destroyed Stavrosi
calculations peace was made aud the powers that
had liberated Greece tried to convert it into king
dom. HEsounding words, such as government army
public order, buzzed round the Of the Pallikar
He laughed loudly when told that his estates were
comprised in a soasprefecturs, but became serious
when the collector called for the taxes. He put him
out Of the door quietly after easing him Of what be
had already collected The Government picked
tci Iuflf and tn fnnk "a
once more. He summoned band around him, and
then married rich heiress of st tie best families
in Laconia, thus becoming allied To- highest per-
sonages in the realm. His wife 9a after giving
birth TO daughter, and Had travelled in the pursuit
Of knowledge and TO anass ro'Rl dover for his
daughter. He formed an assoclzeonof brigandage
(iimiied Liability be travelled In England. and was
present at an election ia Yorkshire which inspired
him with profound reflections upon the blessings OF
a constitutional government. On his return home
he put bis new knowledge to good profit; he burnt a
great number Of villages in the service Of the 0ppo-
sifion, and destroyed others for the Conservative
interest When 1t was considered advisable to over
throw ministry, it was sufficient to apply 10 Had
be proved by incontestabe arguments that security
could only be obtained by change OF, cabinet AS
was natural, so great man was cOurted by oil par
ties. and was offered place in government and the
rank OF brigadergeneral His country had to de-
poTe his refusal Of such offers; be too old for
service and through the mere force Of habit feared
that II he bad to command troops the sight Of the
uniform would compel him to fire at them. This
great man falsely accused of cruelty to his prso
ners, but that was very unjust. When ransom was
unpaid, he cut off the heads Of prisoners as purely
commercial transaction: that was bis way OF pro
testing BILL 1t is true that he murdered in cold
blood two girls OF fourteen because their mother did
NOT pay their ransom In time but then he killed
them AZ a warning, and the proof is that ransOms
have been regularly paid ever SINCE Is it surprising
we ask, that the modern Greeks should regard Hadj
SaErOs one OF the greatest heroes of their country?
III Schulz was destined to form a closer acqnaint-
ffa rrff
obtain by hearsay reports ia Athens. The Athens
Steele announced officially that the king had suffered
defeat, aud had been chased by the troops into the
marshes Of Marathon. This news caused great joy
among the visitors TO Athens, as they could now
make excursions in the vicinity with safety. Among
Others who went out with NJ. Schultz, were Mrs.
Eimons m English lady, and her daughter. Need
we add that or the purposes Of our story, they fell
into the hands OF Hadi Stavros, whose defeat was a
scheme to procure prisoners, just as Rembrandt
killed himself TO augment the value Of his pictures
The following sketch is picturesque;
g Hadj Stavros was seated, tailor fashion, on a
square carpet in the shade of willow four secreta
ries and two servants were grouped around him a
lad OF some sixteen years necessarily occupied in
filing lighting, and cleaning his masters ehbuks.
He bore at his girdle tobacco. pouch embroidered
with gold and ine pearls and pair Of silver pin
GERS TO take up coal Another servant spent the
day IN preparing cups OF coffee, glasses OF water and
confectionery to refresh the royal mouth The seere-
talies, seated on rock, wrote their knees with
cut reeds. Each OF them had within reach copper
box containing reeds, knife. and writing materials
Some tin cylinders like those in which our soldiers
keep their THROUGH served depots for the archives
The paper was not Of native manufacture, for good
reason-each sheet bore the word Bath In large let
tiers. The king was a handsome old man, in a mar
yelious state OF preservation upright thin supple
watch.sprng, clean, and shining as new sabre His
long white monstacbes being down beneath his chin
like two marble staaefites. The rest of his face was
sernpulonsy shaved and the head bare as far as the
crown, where large tress Of white hair rolled round
his cap The expression OF his features appeared to
me calm and thoughtful A pair Of small light blue
eyes, and sqnarely cut chin. announced an inflexbe
WILL His face was long, and the set OF the wrinkles
rendered il still longer He the dress Of the ma
tiyes OF the Archipelago His red cap formed large
crease at It's base round bis forehead His attire con
sisted OF vest Of black cloth, bound with black silk
huge trousers absorbing more than twenty yards of
blue cotton and long Russia leather boots supple and
solid. The only rich part Of his costume was waist
belt embroidered in gold and stones worth about one
hundred pounds. 1t contained in its folds purse of
embroidered cashmere, q kandjar of Damascus in q
silver sheath, long pistol mounted in gold and
ruhies. and the ramrod belonging 10 it Had St2vros
stood motonless among his servants, only moving the
extremity of his fingers and his lips the latter to
dictate bis correspondence, and the former to count
the beads Of his rosary 1t was one OF those hand
some rosares made oil cl0nded amber which are not
used 10 keep account of prayers but TO amnse the
solemn indoience OF the Turks"
The correspondence on which the king was en- |
gagged, and which NJ Schultz was compelled to listen
was to Messrs. Barley & Son. Of London, bankers re-
atg to the management Of f25 600 be had entrusted
70 them; among other items. be ordered the sale OF
his shares in the Royal British Bank, which he |
thought was going wrong. The next was to his |
daughter, then at school In Athens announcing the
arrival OF Sir Walter SCOTS works and the steel |
machine 10 make her dress stick out closing with
an injunction her To learn foreign language sedu-
lousy for the king adds, you are not born to live
In this small, absurd country and would sooner see
you dead than married to Greek. The daughter OF /
King can only marry prince | do not mean |
oontraband prince, like all Fanarotes who boast
their descent from the emperors Of the East and |
whom would not have for my servants, but reign
ing and crowned prince Some very suitable ones |
can be found Ia Germany and my fortune will allow
me 70 select Que for you. Ii the Germans have been
able 10 come and reign among us, do not see why /
yon should not 60 and reign among them" The last
document was Report Of the Operations of the |
National Company Of the King OF the Mountalnsn |
IL was addressed to the shareholders and after alud
ing to the unpleasant interference the foreign troops
which checked the expansion OF domestic industry. |
Il showed dividend OF eightytwo pef cent. The |
concluding paragraph is gem Such, gentlemen, |
are the results OF our last campaign. You can now
judge Of the future served for us on the day when
foreign occupation TO weigh heavily on our
country and our occupations
The king then found time to attend to his prison
erss and fixed the ransom Of the ladies at 4000.
fortunately they related 30 the house of Messrs
Barley, and paid their ransom out of the monarch's
OsVn nuda A..