Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1868-10-16
A I'en aud T,th Sketch Of Queen
{SUbeLCf.

PARIS, Sept. 23, 1868
am sure you will read with interest
| pen and ink portrait OF tho last Bourbon
that sits ON on European throne. It was
contributed above four weeks since to
| French newspaper
| Spain requires at this moment a great
king, or o great statesman, or lacking the
latter, great people. II has only generals
| who conspirc, princes who are exiled, a
| qneen delivered over TO every contradiction
aud to the protection of all the saints in
| Heaven. The Queen of Spain is only thir-
| ty-eight years old she looks older. She
has the common Characteristic of the whole
| Bourbon family, caused either by regimen,
| or excessive appetite, or by both these
causes together, namely, all the family 60
from early youth TO middle age without
any other transition than rapid obe sity aud
premature wrinkles. The portraits of Isa--
bella H., Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, Eer-
dinand VII, ard Of Louis Philippe, repre-
sent all OF them young and brilliant in their
youth, or tbckeDed by maturity aud almost
suddenly old. Queen Isabeila's face is
round, her features are strongly Marked.
her nose is slightly turned, her eyes are
small and blue, her hair chestnut, her COM
plexion highly colored. Fortunately fer
her, nature repudiated from her paternal
Inheritance the enormous, unusual nose of
her father, bot, unfortunately, she does not
possess the enchanting grace OF her mother,
Qneen Christine. She has nothing which
reminds one OF her parents, she has nothing
which reminds one Of Spain. Tue radiA-
tion OF thought Is lost or belied on that un-
meditativs face. Her voice is strong. slight
ly boarse, almost masculine. Her manners,
are those Of shop Keepers wife, familiar
and without originality. hous XVI, an
eEcellcnt locksmith Charles w., a good
furniture maker Christine BealOns ANA
teur Ot painting, and possesses rare skill in
embroidery Z Queen Isabella has 40 taste
whatsoever for letters or the fine arts. or
for the manual arts. She dresses richly as
becomes queen, but che looks like queen
In Sunday iinery, and not like woman who
adds the coqnetry of her sex to the attrac-
tion OF her office. While her mother reign
ed, she gave her name to a color, "Christine
blue" No cloth, no ornement, no color
has ever in Spain borne Isabells's name
Her way Of lne is convenient, hut not ex.
aetly in accordance with the laws of hygi-
eneh She sleeps longer than is reasonable.
She breakfasts glutonously as Louis XVI,
eats between ore and two O'clock. She
worry often hears mass at 4 O'clock p. NJ,
which makes the post Of Court Amoner
very dangerous for the health. According
to the doctrine Of the Church of Rome no
priest can cele brate mass except fasting, no
morsel Of food shall pass bis lips until
mass shall have been celebrated. To fast
from the previous midnight until 4o'clock
P. NJ, must tell on the health. Towards
evening the Queen takes drive in tho re-
tired portion of the Retro, and sometimes
in the most freqnented avenues of the ia,
voritp Madrid drive. Saturday she goes TO-
Atocha Church 10 play. Whenever she
publicly leaves the palace she goes out In q
state and followed by four or six immense
coaches drawn hy mules, such coaches as
thuse cardinals .. Rome ride in. At night
fall the Queen returns 10 the palace and
eats with as much appetite as in the morn.
ing. She is sometimes seen at the perform
ances Of the Theatre Royal and of the opera
and, although the theatre is only gunshot
from the palace, she goes there with the in
evitable procession OF cavalry, horses, mules
coaches, and lackeys wearing flesh -colored
stockings and those immense hats worn by
the grooms of the Pontiical court. After
the performance the Queen presides over
the Council of Ministers and then the secret
eamarilds, after which she is free and dis
appears.