Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-01-07
A QUEENS ROMANCE.

spot on her escutcheon, like that which
doomed her sister, could not be effaced.
Within less than three months after the
death of her husband, Ferdinand VII,
she had been privately married to Fer
dinand Munoz a common soldier, guards
man at the palace, recommended for
nothing but his youth and handsome
person. Although this marriage was
not publicly acknowledged until ten
years afterward when, in 1874 the
guardsman was created Due de Rean-
zeres, yet it was perfectly understood in
court circles. From the moment that
this misalliance was known Queen Chris
tina's moral force departed. Immorah-
ties are forgiven in Spain; taint Of blood
never. Noblesse oblige is rule which
admits of no exceptions. Though the
daughter of a monarch, sister of king,
and mother of sovereign, though the
widow Of Ferdinand VII and Queen
Regent Of the kingdom, her claim to be
enrolled in the royal list where the great
Isabella's name is inscribed, was
gone. She might die in the very
odor of sanctity, but her remains
would never repose in the solemn
shadows of the Escorial Queen
Isabella ii came of bad stock. Her iather
and mother were more remarkable for
dissimulation, falsehood and pruriency
than anything else, and her grandpa
rents on both sides, particularly the Nea-
politan, were even worse. In the sculp.
ture gallery of the British Museum, on
the right hand as you enter, are series
of busts of the Roman Emperors,
which, as physiognomical study are with
out a rival. A discolored one of these,
which, when the light falls in a proper
direction, has wonderful Stimulus of life,
is a remarkable representation of Fran
els | of Naples, Isabella's maternal
grandfather. 1t is the bust of the EN-
peror Nero, and is one of those marvel
lous instances of the same face reap.
pearing after hundreds OF years. More
lustful and avaricious than his proto-
type, he was also a more perfect dissem-
bier. "Qui nescit dissimulare nescit
regnare," was the motto handed down to
the Queen of Spain when she began her
reign in l843 at the age of thirteen years
and one month But she inherited from
the ancestral stock worse vices than dis
stimulation, and from the day of her
marriage she always had, like her mother
and grandfather, her favorite.
IsABELLAs MIsBEHAvING LIFE.
Spaniards have so much of the ori-
entail about them that they are prone to
exasperate their enemies by assailing
the fair fame OF their wives and daugh-
ters; but, alas Queen Isabella COR
seven and twenty years has had no fair
fame to sully. There was never revo-
luton or an outbreak which called troops
into the field during her reign when from
hill to hill and from fortress to battle
ment Soldados de la puta was not scorn-
fully shouted after her soldiers. That
ill-assorted betrothal into which she was
entrapped during the orgies of mid
night ball on August %, 1876; the inde-
cent haste in which public announce
ment of it was made the next morning;
the wicked speed into which events were
spurred on by that cunning old fox at
the Tuileries; the marriage under per
sonal protests from the enraged and dis
gusted girl on the 10th Of October, and
the utter loathing with which she re.
garded the vile transactions that had
made merchandise of her maternal in
stinots and trafiicked with her virture,
have been urged always by her friends
as her excuse 1t was indeed-this
marriage--the turning point of Isabella's
career, the saddest moment of her life.
She reigned twenty-five years after that,
but ever falling lower in the affection
and respect of her people. In Spain
there are always two governments-one
ostensible aud responsible, the other hid
den and irresponsible; one in front of
the Cortes, the other behind the
throne one making laws, the other
preparing hindrances. The former is
the Cabinet; the latter the Camarilla.
They are the chronic diseases of
Spain, these Camarillas. Their move
ments are occult, their intercourse with
the crown Illicit, their action on the ma
ton criminal But they have. existed
ever since the Bourbons first entered
Spain, and Isabella's, composed of Mar
fdri, heF fayorite, the Archbishop of
Trianopolis (Father Cleyet), her con-
fessor-for the ex Queen is very deVo-
tional, and always, when at the Escorial,
heard midnight mass within the horrid
c,hambers, Ell Badridero, of dead soye-
reiens-ani Sister Batrocino, the bleed
ing nun. If the Queen, in 1868, would
have returned to Madrid without Mar
fori. her ministers would have guaran-
teed "the sitgatiGg" She was at her
watering place. Her I've living chill
dren-she has given birth to mae
we're with her. She had been heltatlng
all day. To Madrid without her favoTite;
to Paris with him. So great was her IN,
decision that st pm. part OF the royal
luggage was marked "heagsls apa
part Pamplona."
THE DOWNFALL.
This Archbishop was festive he had
with him church property valued at
81, 100000, stolen from the Esooriall;
Marfori cross-arrogance and hatred
bursting from his visage; the nun weep
ing and praying, and Isabella contempt
uous, look of fallen grandeur visible
on her face. Love Of power triumphed
at last. She decided to Danish her
Csmarilla, return to Madrid, throw the
Prince Of Asturias into the arms of Es-
partero, and appeal to him to save her.
1t was too late. She had been deposed.
Thst very night, at the Zarzuela Theater,
a Himno. of which the following is a
verse, Wss sung amid wild
applause in Madrid:
Down with the Bourkons, down.
Tho very stones do cry;
From end 70 end Of Spain they shout,
Ven cons uer or we'll die.'
Without home shall Vander,
As the scOr1ed Hebrew race,
As An outcast from her country.
She of the shameless face"
The ex-Queen has several times at
tempted d4ripg these last few years to |
recover her bold upon the Spanish peo-
pie. Il has been useless. Instead Of
washing the linge bare" Of her house |
- l l.. n...--..- L Il !. III l