Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-24
DON HENRY OF BOURBON.
Curious Particulars of His Life
His Engagement to an American
Lady. 1EU - leh4y

gu q q DIES JUICES de Berlin is a
old French proverb, applied wheneyl
some unusually absur d decision is give
in court of Justice. Taking the Mad
rid Epoco as authority, there must
some singular varieties of the genus
Spain, for in the judicial investigation I
the lates duel between Don Henry
Bourbon, and the Duke of Montpensier
the Judge of Gegate has "decided, fros
competent testimony, that the E5sfunt
was accidentally killed by the discharg
of pistol which he was trying
Anecdotes respecting the parsonage
connected with this fatal affair are hear
in all the salons, and as the two duke
were important characters in their way
some of these may not be uninteresting
Everybody knows that Montpensier i
the Regency candidate for the Spanisl
crown, but it only transpired, at the FIJI
neral of his adversary, that the latter wa
to have been the choice of the RepubIi
can party for the Office OF President oi
the Confederation which 1t hopes to es
tablish.
Montpensier's seconds wanted to de-
clare that their principals honor was sat
isfed, after the exchange of the second
shot, but Messrs. Rubio and Ortiz decided
that 'sblood must be shed, " so the French
man, before firing for the last time. ex-
claimed in loud voice: ''Since these
gentlemen insist upon bloodshed, they
shall be satisfied"
Except among the violent Spanish Radi-
Gals, Don Henry's fate has met with little
sympathy. lie was a conspirator by ma
ture, and could never keep out of plots of
some kind. Although owing everything
to his brother, disreputable Isabella's
husband, his participation in a Carlist
movement, in 1867, led to his degradation
from his title of Infinite of Spain, and
from his rank of Vice Admiral Of the
Spanish fleet, after which he removed to
France and began to write political
pamphlets. The one addressed to his
sister-in-law, few months before her de-
thronement, was small in size, but large in
vituperation. As French paper
has said, it would have been
necessary to translate it into Latin before
it could be put into general circulation.
When Isabella was no longer an enemy
worthy of his plume, the Prince made
overtures to the Republican party, and
turned his attention to the Montpensiers,
whom he abused with such violence that,
notwithstanding the repeated interference
of the Count of Paris, the Duke finally
lost patience, and, under the pretense of
visiting a thermal establishment in the
cnvirons of Madrid, returned to Spain to
settle the quarrel.
Don Henry inhabited Rome for some
time, and in 1647 was married there to
one of the COrdova family, who died in
1868, leaving four children, the eldest of
whom, a youth of twenty-five, declines
to prosecute his fathers murderer, acting
under the advice of his uncle, Don Fran
els D'Assissi, who has adopted the or
phans.
The Duke of Sagontum or Seville, for
he assumed both names, was an eccentric
person, ordinarily very amiablc, but Civ
ing way at times to outbursts of temper
only equalled by his extraordinary incon-
sistency. One of his friends, remarldng
on this, said to him on one occasion, that
the more he converscd with him, the more
he became convinced that he was never
sure of his opinion on any subject.
"Bah !" replied the other, gayly; 81
don't know, Count, if am perfectly sure
of it myself. -.-
He lived for several years in Toulouse,
quite modestly, going in grand gala rcgu-
larity once every twelve months, followed
by a number of equiPages and powdered
footmen hired for the occasion, and his
cortege always proceeded to the Church
of st. Sernin for the baptism Of one OF
his children; this over, he retired again
into obscurity.
His great mania was to abuse the Bour-
bon family, and endeayOr to account fol
his own mental impcrfections by ascrib.
ing them to his descent from a race
which, by It's royal attributes, had bee
Obliged to live out of the ordinary cOEdI
tions of humanity. To some one who
asked the cause sof his obstinate silence
whenever he was in the society of mer
of genius, he answered: ''1t would bt
presumptuous for one of his origin t.
hazard an opinion before those who
thanks to the energy of their ancestors,
were able now to think like men.
When in Paris, as well as in Rome, III
was very fond of going into the shops
and, after the purchase of some tril1inl
article, would enter into long converse
lions with the clerks, always giving hi
name and titles before leaving.
IL 10
scension, p" he said to some one who ex
pressed surprise at this peculiarly: 81
is good policy. People generally belieT
that all the Bourbons are idiots, and | an
trying to convince them of the contrary
1t is the most efficient propaganda know
| and yet my family will never be gratefu
for it,
He professed unbounded admiration TO
our republican institutions, and was anX
| ious to marry one of our countrywomen
| Indeed, a Boston lady had nearly mad
up match for him with an American
| when he decided to return to Spain. tn
last interview he had with this lady
seemed to shadow forth his presentimer
that his journey would be fatal. "Don
let Miss - refuse any good offer on m
account" he said; "my highest ambitio
is to wed daughter of your great IL
public, but have a conviction that, b.
fore long, bullet will put an end to a
the vagaries of my poor cracked brall
Tenez, Madame" he added, 81 am
sure that violent death is in store IL
me, that l implore you to transfer all tn
interest you profess for me to my poo
little girl whom | have left at a CONVEX
in the Faubourg st. German.
| He passed the night preceding the el
| counter in writing his testamental
wishes and letters of farewell to his chi
dren and friends, among whom was I'll
Duke of Banos, to whom he had sa
that it was not probable he would ey
come back to France. On the groun
lust as he was taking his place for t
third shot, at eight PAGES, he handed /
watch to the surgeon, and Whispered
Montpensier shoots well; IL l don't
him now l am dead man. g."
There is a singular report connect
with this duel. Don Henry was a Fro
mason, and, as such, it seems, W
Obliged to obtain permission from t
Masonic authorities before he could figl
Every one knows that Masonry, bel
founded on the principles of univer
fraternity, docs not sanction duelling; |
: it appears there are exceptions to the ru
and the license was granted and publish
in one of the Masonic newspapers,
RepuJLicn Tbc,icd. La aettoriSaci
was given to the Duke of Seville to set
his quarrel en- CT teyTe'eo de los cab
S Lcros-on the ground of gentlemen;
e the moment it becomes a question
gentility in Spain, everything is perm
sible, even fight with knives.
f The fatal issue of the combat. VIII
{ they had hoped would terminate in
death of the French Duke, will probal