The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-07-23
The Spanish Pretender.

A letter writer says "The present
pretender to the throne Of Spain, styled
by his followers Charles VII, and by
the world at large Don Carlos de Bour-
bon, Duke of Madrid, is 25 years OF
age. He is powerful-looking man,
about six feet one, and in his frank but
| somewhat curt manner reminds one OF
the Emperor Alexander of Russia, when
he was some twenty-five years younger.
His face, since he began to wear full
beard, has become quite handsome,
though slightly slobbering aspect of
his mouth, and the deficiency of teeth,
hereditary in the Spanish Bourbon
house, not being in harmony with his
manly physical appearance, spoil the
first pleasing impression. He is easy
of access, and without any trace of
haughtiness. His bearing in private
life resembles that of the younger sons
of the English nobility who have enter
ed the professions. Like them he has
the capacity of enduring for a while any
amount of hardship with great serenity
of temper. Of the sovereign, the
statesman, or the warrior, there is alb
solutely nothing in him. But he is
very fond of playing the part of king
that is to say, of tnou-ing everybody
in the old fashion of Spanish kings, not
excluding even his councillors, some of
whom are thrice his age, and of sur
rounding himself with large number
of chamberlains, aides de- camp, secre-
taries, and similar people, all of whom
have no other merit or duty than that
of fattering his pride. saw genuine
Spanish noblemen carrying away slops
after Don Carlos had washed himself,
and busily engaged in seeing that his
top-boots and spurs were properly pol
ished. He is undoubtedly religious
man but there is much less bigotry
about him than is generally supposed.
Like the majority of Spaniards, he is a
bad horseman, and in about month s
time I saw him ruin three excellent
horses. At the same time he evidently
imagines that he looks a fine cavalier,
with his glistening black beard, his
dark blue hussar uniform, his stars on
the breast, his red trousers, his high
circus boots, and his red cap with the
gold tassel. His political notions seem
to be of very unsettled character. At
all events, each time happened to talk
to him, or listen when he talked to some
one else on political subjects, I was
never able to make out what was the
substance of his views. Sometimes he
seemed quite commonplace liberal of
our own day at other times his utter
ances appeared to be the produce of the
old-fashioned traditions of Spanish alb
solutism. On the whole, 1 think he
would make pretty fair constitutional
king, if properly restricted by law. As
an individual he is brave and kind
hearted he is an excellent father, and
is polite and amiable to everybody. He
sleeps much and smokes much, and is
rather henpecked" by Dona Margari-
ia, Duchess of Parma, whom he mar
ried in February, 1867, and by whom he
has two daughters and son.
"Dona Margarita has the reputation
of being very clever woman. Hand
some she is certainly not, although in
her stature, fair hair, and blue eyes,
there is on the whole something rather
attractive. But surely no one would
take her for Queen of Spain. She
looks much more like German or an
English middle-class lady, of that slim
and delicate appearance 30 often met
with in Northern countries among
women who marry at an early age, and
have more children than they ought to
have. Being year older, and much
richer than her husband, and of a more
decided caste of mind, she exercises,
unfortunately, great influence over Don
| Carlos"