The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-16
GEORGE THE FIR ST


lady who had been asked in marriage bv Horace
Walpole; who had been patted on the head by
George |. This lady had knocked at Johnson's
door; had been intimate with Fox, the beautiful
GeOrgiana of Devonshire, and that brilliant
Whig society OF the reign OF George III; had
known the Duchess of Queensberry, the patro.
ness OF Gay and Prior, the admired young
beauty of the court of Queen Anne often
thought, as | took my old friends hand, no "
with 1t held on to the old society OF wits and
men Of the world | could travel back for
seven score years OF hme-have glimpses of
Brummell, Selwyn, Chesterfield, and the men
of pleasure; of Walpole and Conway; of johnson
REYNOLDS, Goldsmith; OF North, Chatham. New
castle; Of the fair maids Of honor OF George II,s
court: of the German retainers of George Us; (;
where Addison was Secretary of State; where
Dick, Steele held place; whittier the great
Marlborough came with his fiery spouse; when
Pope, and Swift, and Bolingbroke yet lived and
wrote. OF a society so vast, busy, brilliant, it
is impossible IN four brief chapters to give
complete notion; but we may peep here and
there into that bygone world of the Georges,
see what they and their courts were like; glance
at the people round them look at past manners
fashions, pleasures, and contrast them with our
own. have TO say thus much by way of pre-
face, because the subject OF these lectures has
been misunderstood and | have been taken to
task for not having given grave historical trea.
tlses, which 1t never was my intention to attempt
Not about battles, about politics, about states
men and measures of state, did | ever think to
lecture you; but 10 sketch the manners and life
OF the Old World; to amuse for a few honrs with
talk about the old society; and with the result
ofmany days and nights pleasant reading, to
try and while away a few winter evenings for
my hearers.
Among the German princes who sat under
Luther at WittenOerg was Duke Ernest of Celle
whose younger son, William Of Luneberg, was
the progenitor of the illustrious Banoyerior
house at present reigIiug In Great Pritain
Duke william eErid his court at Celie, a little
tYWn 9! ten thousand people that lies on the
railway line between Hamburg and Hanover
in the midst OF great plains of sand, upon the
river Aller. When Duke William had it, it was
q very humble woodruff place, with a great
brick church, which he sedulously frequented,
and IN which he and Others of his house lie
buried. He was very religious lord, and
called William the Pious by his small circle of
subjects, over whom he ruled till fate deprived
him both of sight and reason. Sometimes in
his latter days, the good Duke had glimpses of
mental light when he would bid his musicians
play the psalm tunes which he loved. One
thinks of descendant of his, two hundred years
afterwards, blind old, and lost of wits singing
Handel in Windsor Tower.
William the Pious had fifteen children, eight
daughters and seven sons, who, as the property
lett among them was small, drew lots to deter
mine which one of them should marry and con-
tinue the stout race of the Guelphs. The lot fell
on Duke George, the sixth brother. The others
remained single, or contracted lefthanded mar
Tiages after the princely fashion of those days.
1t is queer picture-that of the old prince
dying in his woodruff capital, and his seven
sons tossing up which should inherit and trans
init the crown of Brentford. Duke George, the
lucky prizeman, made the tour of Europe,
during which he visited the court of Queen
Elizabeth; and in the year 1917 came back and
settled at Zell, with q wife out of Darmstadt
His remaining brothers all kept their house at
Zen, for economy's sake. And, presently, in
due course, they all died-all the honest dukes
Ernest, and Augustus, and Magnus, and George,
and John-snd they are buried in the brick
church OF Brenttord yonder, by the sandy banks
of the Aller.
DR.. yehse gives a pleasant glimpse of the
way of life OF our Dukes in Zell. "When the
trumpeter on the tower has blown, Duke Chris
tian orders-viz., at 9 O'Clock in the morning
and IN the evening, every one must be present
at meals, and those who are not must go with.
out. None of the servants, unless IL be knaVe
shall eat or drink in the kitchen or cellar; or,
without special leave, fodder his horse at the
princes cost. When the meal is served in the
courtroom, page shall goround and bid one be
quiet and orderly, forbldding all oursing, swear
ing, and rudeness; all throwing about OF bread
bones, or roast or pocketng of the same.
EVery morning at Z, the squires shall have their
morning soup, and along with which, and din
ner, they shall be served with their under-drlnk
every morning except Friday morning, when
there was no sermon and no drink Every
evening they shall have their beer, ann at night
their sleep;dIink. The butler is especialIy
warned not to allow noble or sim nIe to go IN
the cellar: wine shall only be served at the
princes or councillors table: and every Mondov
Lne uOnest Olu luke christian Ordains the ac-
counts shall be ready, and the expenses in the
kitchen, the wine and beer cellar, the bakehouse
and stable, made out.
Duke George, the marrying duke, did not ston
at home to partake of the beer aud wine and
the sermons. He went about hghting wbereva,
there was profit to be had. He served as gene
raj in the army Of the circle of Lower saxonyN
the Protestant army; then he went over to fhf
Emperor and fought in his armies in Germany
and Italy; and when Gustavus Adolphus an
peared in Germany, George took service as
Swedish General, and seized the Abbey of Hill
desheim as his share of the plunder. Here il
the year l64l Duke George died, leaving fou
sons behind him, from the youngest of whom
descended our royal Georges.
Under these children of Duke George, tn
old, Godfearing, simple ways of Zell appear t
have gone out OF mode. The second brothe
was constantly visiting Venice, and leading
iolly, wicked life there. IL was the most j0via
of ali places at the end of the seventeenth cen
tury; and military men, after campaign, rushe
thither as the warriors OF the Allies rushed Il
Paris In 1914, to gamble and rejoice, and pan
take of all sorts of goddess delights. This prince
then. loving Venice aud its pleasures, brough
oniet old Zell, and worse still, demeaned him
seiS nv marrying q French lady of birth quit
interior to his oWn-Eleanor d0lbreuse, fron
I1hom onr Queen is descended. Eleanor had
nreitv daughter, who inherited great fortune
IVhich inAamed her cousin, george Louis O
Hanover. with a desire TO marry hers and so
with her beauty and her riches, she came 70
n is too long TO tell how the four sons Q
nnte George divided his territories anon
49, orS Gow finally they came IN posses