The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-05
NUMBER 4.
short years nj most lie down in the
grave and leave it all forever Young
man, yon have no canse 10 envy me-"
THE TROUBADOUR KING.
Anecdotes and Ecccefricities Of Louis
OF Bavaria.

OF BaYarin.
Lucy Hooper writes from Paris to APP
pleion's Journal: Vitor Tisrot has just
issned the second series of hia "Voyagc
an des Milliard-" under the title Of the
Prus-ianz in Germany" From the new
volume we will cite a few yasrages rela-
ting to the most romantic living mon
archs, King Louis, of Bavaria. An en-.
tire chapter is devoted to description
of the six castles owned by the roi trou-
badour. beginning with the two palaces
at Munich. II the freaks and follies
related therein are true, His Majesty
must certainly have n bee in his bonnet
OF most uncomm"n Dimensions, but ~
the writer is "A Frenehman telling about
Germany, his statements are, of course,
To he taken with grain Of salt. One of
the six castles is thus described:
The castle Of Hohenschwangau is
Pictnrerqnely perched upon a rock peak
All around rise lofty mountains covered
with gloomy forests Of pine, and at the
foot Of the rock there il a romantic lake
peopled with swans. The King harness.
~ these swans TO gilded bark shaped
like a shell, and is drawn over tie sur.
face Of the water, while band of sing
erS, CROPPED npon the bank, execute frag-
ments of 'LOhrnRrin,' and the moon H.
Eliminates with its pale beams the fan
tastic march of stuffed stags, which are
moved by means Of internal mechanism.
"At the time of the last eruption Of
Nesusins the King became envious, and
wanted To have one too. He summoned
to HoheBscwanKan the two professors of
geology of the University, and ordered
them TO get him up a volcano They
sat TO work at once. mountain wa
followed out, and the hole was filled up
with powder. sulphur, coal and petrole-
um. The sight was magnificent. The
fire engines were brought thiiher from
miles around. it was thought that the
royal castle had been mined by the
Prnssians and had been blown mp.
The King also wanted tempests on the
Lake of HoheBsch wangau. An enor-
nous machine har been constructed, pro-
vided with prodigious wheels which
raiSe great waves with q terrible noise.
Whether he .nhaLit- his castle Of
Berg. of Lindrnhof. or Of Munich. there
ar 4.
c"nfnrt-his piano and hi moonlight.
WilhGnt a pii.no the day wogld seem to
him century long. aud wiiLont mJon-
light II il impossible for him to sleep.
When Providence refuses to lighi for
him the celestial lamp. he j. forced to
have recourse 10 fabricated moonlight.
special apparatus for producing the
electric light has been in-tall, in each ol
the royal bed chambers. At Munich
the ceiling il pierced with n thousand
minute holes, behind which are placed
gas jets. They represpnt very fairly n
starry sky. While travelling the King
makes Use Of an economical and p0rta.
bie moon, which can be hung up like an
asfral lamp.
This strange Character-fhis soul Of
i child in the body Of a man. this king
born 10 reign over nation Of poets and
mnsicians-is not snited TO our century
Of soldiers and Of brute fnrce. Lnni.
ii. would have been n charming soyer.
eign in the days of the minuiesiuyers
and of dreamy ehatelaines; to-day no
one understands him; he seems to e
long TO a legend and not TO history. lie
who is SEATED upon throne has no right
To use it as a piano stool, for if Orpheu-
himself were to return to earth he would
not take Tyre, but gun with all the
modern improvements"
Here is an anecdote relating to the
Kings sojourn at his royal Chateau de-
Berg:
"Under penalty of fine and arrest, il j.
forbidden to any one to enter the paths
reserved for the King. One day His
Majesty met. face TO face, a stout young
fellow, who was promenading there very
unceremoniously. The King stopped
him, and asked who he was.
al am from Switzerland he answer
ed, and ] am student at the Munich
university
"'Ab! you are a Swiss?' said the King,
with kindly air. 'You ought to know
SchilIer's William Tell by heart
81 could recite to you whole acts Of
itr
Admirable! ] am charmed to have
met you. Come to the castle with me
and we will play William Tell"
But, sir, the castle belongs TO the
King!'
"'No matter. am his most intimate
friend. Come. you will see that we shall
he permitted To enter
LET us try then, sir, since you desire
TO do So
They set out together.
"'Do you like Mnnich?'
"'No; it is a stupid city, and the best
proof of that is the King is never there. >
"'And what do they say Of the King?'
"'Oh, thew say he is right good fel
/ low at heart
Louis q. could not help smiling
"'Have.yOu never seen him?'
Never! ! am Republican, cir,
but am told he is very handsome, and
that the women are wild about him.
Would you like To dine with him.
"'You are making game Of me, are
| you not?'
"'Not at all-since invite you my
self
"'Since then, sire-oh pardon-per-
hap~ you are the king?'
"'Iou are right, and you are my pris-
oner'
They had reached the chateau, and
the sentinels presented arms
after dinner the king seated himself
at his piano and played the overture 10