, 1873-07-27
AN ECCENTRIC KING.


From, tAe Vienna F7<ssc.
The cooontricitios OF tho young King Louis
H., OF Bayaria, hnye OF late become such TINT
tho question whether or not tho present ropro-
sentative Of tho House of Wittolsbach is insane,
Is moro anxiously agitatod at Munich, and ospeo-
tally at tho Imperial Court at Berlin, than ever
boforo, The former CURIOUS freaks Of tho King
have all boon forgotten; Lis expenditure Of
$4,000, 600 for initiating at his castle Of Hohon-
Hchwaugon tho hanging gardens Of Queon semir-
a1nis; his attompt to.build 4 pyramid like that
Of King Cheops on tho famous Lecht1eld and
his numerous flirtationH with royal princosaos,
whom he tilted moat unceromoniouHly, when
they had moat reason to look for an offer OF Ills
heart aud hand
But that which ongroascH at tho present ttmo
the attention Of tho good burghers Of Munich is
the singular mania Of tho young King in regard
to theatrical affairs. It is a well-known fact
that Hing Louis II. looks upon tho theatre as tho
primo source of popular education; that he con-
sldorB Frederick Won Schillor aud 1[olioro tho
two dramatists without whom tho stage could
never hare acquired it's present ominence; and
that ho, tho WittelBbach rulor himself. has writ
ten play, which he not only, Us might bo OK
pected, values very highly, but which, i'll hia
opinion, III d combination OF Ill that ia
This wonderful play il entitled "T Tho Fan Of tho
A1nrchionesB," and thero exiHts but single
manuscript copy Of it.. It contains throe acts,
,ntl 1t WAS written in Mexandrino veTsos. Tint
is all that ia known about It, No profanc critic
LaH yot caBt eyes upon it. but ono porson las
seen it performed on tho stage, and yot tho
whole company of the Royal Theatre of Munich
knows 1t by heart aud tho play las, moreover,
boon performed already upward Of a dozen
timos, with Bconory aud decorations such as haya
rsra1p haan beHfoWed hmm the ttaFninR cf Tho
| grontoHs mnstern.
The explanation Of all this Is very simple
| one. King Louis II is man OF tho most rotir-
| ing character. Most Of tho timo he lives in
| atty arc most dBtasteful to him; aud, rather
| than appear at gala ravew OF his army, lie will
pload sickness, or, without cause, bury himseD
| III the Alpine retreats of the Hungarian High
lands. Tho stage ia his favorlte pRstlme, but tc
| witnoss public performances when everybody
| rises from bis scat aud bona 10 him as soon al
ho makes Ills appearance is 80 dlHsastefui to him
| that for years ho las not set foot in his owl
! theatre at Munich, except on the occasions
which we arc about to specify.
| About four mouths ago tho nctors OF the
Royal Theatre, In the above mentioned city. re'
coiyod from the management Of tho stage TIC
cassof aplay entitled :" The Fan Of the hlarcllion
eas," whoHo author, he said, wished to ROMAN
| unknown, but which WAS to bo rehoaraed imme.
dintely. a wook aftorward tho first rehearaa
took place, and few daya later the actors ono
| ActreBHeB who wore to appear IN IT wore staftleC
by tho notification that they woro tt
| play tho pieco after midnight on tht
! cy was enjoined upon them, and i'm
| mediate Dismissal WAS threatened to those wht
should talk about the affair. Who had evel
heard OF such h theatrical performance2 Thu
actors wero all there, and wlon tho curtain wen
| up they yainly looked for al audience. No ont
was proHont to Witness tl,oir performance but
young man dressed in u loose suit Of gray. hi
Laudaomo faco adorned with d small we'll
trimmed moustacho. The young man WAS Hoatet
in tho loft proscenium box, md he soemed tt
follow tho performance with rapt attention
The experienced actors did their best to pla,
their parts well. Mono Of them had ever per
formed under mora singular, not to say diacour
aging, circumstances. Applause thoro waa none
The curtain went down, anu it went up a9ain
before dark aud ompty house. The ouly spec
tator prcsont was to all Appearances, high
Interested, but not oven once did ho clap hi
hauda.
Finally, az tho ncighboring clock OF st. Cath
arine's Church struck 4, tho play was oyor, all
tho actors went homo. This singular perform
anco has beon repeated H'noo thon dozen times
Tho actors arc almost in state Of revolt, for
soo,ns unnatural for thorn to play to no a,,dienc
without marks OF applause or diaapproyal; aim
ply before ono young man, who, il ho woars
crown; profits by Ills royal prerogatiyes In q yor
CURIOUS manner.