The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-15
''The King Of Rome"-lnteresting Reminis'
cences of the Great Napoleon.

The Greville memoirs contain some in
teresting particulars concerning the SOL
of Napoleon aud Maria Louisa, whicl
Prince Esterhazy told Greville.. II il
known that the poor. boy, who was al
ways called Duke de ReichstadU, died o.
consumption, and many chroniclers have
attributed to his mind weakness il
sympathy with his body's. 1t has beer
proved by better historians, however
that he possessed vigorous intellect, q
deep intensity Of feeling, and would
have played conspicuous part in the
worlds history, had he lived long
enough. Esterhazy's account corrobor
ates this view, saying that the Duke had
uncommon talents and towering ambi
tion. He adored the name Of his father
and resented with bitterness the indltler
ence with which Maria Louisa regarded
the fate of the emperor, by whom hel
shallow nature HAD never been deeply
stirred. The Duke eyinced great atlec
tion and gratitude for his grandfather
Franz l., who endowed him with the
state and revenues ofan Austrian prince
and had him tenderly reared and highly
educated. Although the kaiser scrupu.
lousy observed his obligations to Louis
PHILIPPE, he secretly admired the genius
and ambition which the son had inherit.
ed from Napoleon.
The boy delighted in military exercises,
and had his fathers art OF ingratiatine
himself with the soldiers, who held him
as their idol. His thoughts were inces.
sanity upon France, and he pored day
and night over the history Of the Emper
or's splendid career. When he heard Of
the flight of Louis XVIII, he exclaimed
with poignant regret, "Why was l moi
there TO take my chance?" A single an
ecdote repeated by Esterhazy shows that
the absorbing passion of the Dukes SOU
oyerpowered all the propensities of his
age: SHE was to make his first appear.
ance in public at a ball at Lady Cowley's
(to which he had shown great anxiety to
go), and was burning with impatience tc
amuse himself with dancing and flirting
with the beauties he had admired in tht
prater. He went, but there he met two
French Observation-Disclosures and Maison
He had no eyes or ears but for them
from nine in the evening to five the neXl
morning, he devoted himself to these
Marshals, and conyersed with them with
out ceasing. Though he knew well
enough all the odium that attached tt
Marmont, he said TO him that he was toe
happy of having the opportunity o.
making the acquaintance OF one who haC
been among his fathers earliest com
panions, and who could tell him SO many
interesting details of his earlier days
Marmont subsequently either did give
OF was to have given him lessons il
strategy"
Most touching are the last, despairin(
words of the boy, addressed to his moth
er as he lay dying in the palace OF Schon
brunn: "1ch gehe unter, meine mutter
meine mutterW Pm going under, m,
mother, my mother!) 1t was for this tina
Napoleon broke the heart of Josephine
and married Maria Louisa, that he nigh
have q son who should be king of Rome
and his successor onthe throne of France
And the boy was taken from him at {
tender age, almost too soon to recognize
him, and brought up among his enemies
with the splendor becoming Kings son
in reality fettered like a prisoner, ant
closed his short, cramped, fettered ca
reer at the imperial tomb in Vienna
which opened TO receive him few
months after he had attained his major
| ity.