Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-07-31
An Eccentric King.

The eccentricities of the young King
Louis III. of Bavaria have of late become
such that the question whether or not the
present representative of the house of
Wittelsbach is insane, is more anXiously
agltateI at Munich, and especially at the
Imperial Court at Berlin, than ever be
fore. The former curious freaks of the
King have all been forgotten; his expend-
iture of six million dollars for initiating
at his castle of HOhenschwangan the
hanging gardens of Queen Semiramis !;
his attempt to build pyramid like that
of King Cheops on the famous Lechfeld j.;
and his numerous flirtations with royal
princesses, whom he Tilted most uncere-
moniously when they had most reason to
look for an offer of his heart and hand.
But that which engrOsses at the present
time the attention of the good burghers of
Munich is the singular mania of the
young king in regard to theatrical affairs
1t is well-known fact that King Louis
IL. looks upon the theater as the prime
source Of popular education; that he CON
SlderS Friedrich Won Schiller and
" ollere the two dramatists without whom
the stage could never have acquired its
present eminence; and that he, the Wit
telsbach ruler himself, has written a play
which he not only, as might be expected
values very highly, but which, in his
opinion, is combination of all that is
praisewOrthy both in Schiller and in
Moliere. This wonderful play is entitled
The Fan of the Marchioness," and there
exists but single manuscript copy of it.
1t contains three acts, and is written in
AleXandrine verse That is all that is
known about it. No profane critic has
yet cast his eyes upon it, but one person
has seen it performed on the stage, and
yet the whole company of the Royal
Theater of Munich knows it by heart; and
the play has been performed upward of a
dozen times with scenery and decorations
such as have rarely been bestowed upon
the tragedies Of the greatest masters
The explanation of all this is a very
simple one. King Louis H. is a man of
the most retiring character. Most of the
time he lives in utter seclusion The
pomp and splendOr of royalty are most
distasteful to him, and rather than appear
at gala review of his army, he will
plead sickness, or, without cause, bury
himself in the Alpine retreats of the Ba-
varian Highlands The stage is his favor
ite pastime, but to witness public per
formances when everybody rises in his
seat and bows to him as soon as he makes
his appearance, is so distasteful to him
that for years he has not set foot in his
own theater at Munich, except on the oc-
casiOns which we are about to specify.
About four months ago the actors of
the ROYAL Theater in the aforementioned
city received from the manager of the
stage the cast OF a play entitled The Fan
Of the MarchiOness," whose author, he
said, wished to remain unknown, but
which was to be rehearsed Immediately.
\ week atterward the rehearsal took place,
and few days later the actors and ac-
tresseS who were to appear in it were
startled by the notification that they were
to play the piece after midnight on the Sd
Of March. The most rigorous secrecy
was enjoined upon them and immediate
dismissal was threatened to those who
should talk about the affair.
Who had ever heard of such a theatri-
cal performance The actors were all
there, and when the curtain went up they
vainly looked for an audience No one
was present to witness their performance
but young man dressed in a loose suit of
gray, his handsome face adorned with
small. well-trimmed mOustache. The
young man was seated in the left prosce-
mum box, and he seemed to follow the
performance with rapt attention. The
experienced actors did their best to play
heir parts well. None Of them had ever
performed under more singular, not to say
iiscouraging circumstances. Applause
here was none The curtain went down,
md it went up again, before dark and
empty house. The only spectator present
vas, to all appearance, highly interested,
put not even once did he clap his hands.
Finally, just as the neighboring clock
If St. Catharine's Church struck four, the
play was over, and the actors went home.
This singular performance has been re-
,eated since then a dozen times. The
actors are almost in state of revolt, for
t seems unnatural for them to play to no
audience, without marks of applause or
lisapproval; simply before one young
nan who, If he wears a crown, profits by
lis royal prerogatives in curious man.
1er.-V Vienna Press.