The Grange advance., 1876-10-04

r. yGrandcourt had an intense, satisfac-
tion in leading his wife captive after
this fashion it gave their life on
small scale royal representation and
publicity in which everything familiar
was got rid of, and everybody must do
what was expected of them, whatever
might be their private protest-the
protest (kept strictly private) adding
to the Spiquancy of despotism.
Lady's Description Of the Prince of Mon
: NJ tenegr0. 49, 49,
Presently an individual, evidently
high in Office, introduced himself as Aid
de-camp of the Prince. He told us that
apartments had been prepared for us
in the old palace, where we were to be
the guests of royalty. ''If you wait a
moment here" he added, 'syou will
see his Highness pass" We did so.
and were rewarded by as romantic a
sight as this prosy nineteenth cen.
ture has to show. It was like scene
out of a medieva} romance. The
Prince and all his ''Perianikes, or
bodyguard, were in their beautiful
National dress ; the Prince being dis
tinguished from his retainers by a
light.blue mantle thrown over his
shoulders. All of them-and they
numbered hundred-were splendid
looking fellows, but none of them sur.
passed their chief. He was man of
about thirty-five, six feet four in
height, and acknowledged as the
strongest and most muscular person in
his domonions, which is saying great
deal. His face was open and frank,
and usually wore very sweet smile,
which conferred on it look Of singu.
lar gentleness. ''E bello, il nostro
principe e-eh g. said our. guide, in
broken Italian, and we certainly agreed
with him. AS we passed the Prince
and his bodyguard, they saluted us
with distinguished courtesy, and we
continued our route to The hospitable
quarters prepared for us, right glad
to sit by warm stove and forget the
deep SHOWS and bitter cold outside.
After an hour of this luxury, however,
we summoned up courage and deter.
mined to sally out and see some of the
sights of the place.
Close to our quarters, and over
shadowing the public fountain, stands
the ''Tree of Justice,'' for Montenegro
is happy country, that knows neither
Parliament nor law court, and where
the people address all their appeals
and grievances to the ear of the Prince
himself, who sits underneath the tree,
and either decides between the disput-
ants or refers them to the Montenegrin
code of laws. During fine and open
weather, people come from all the
country round to consult their Prince.
his decision on any point, we are told,
never being disputed. Capital punish
ment in the form Of shooting is in
flicted for murder. 1t was: Instituted
dette which existed, and which was
transmitted from father to son, and
from family to family. Imprisonment
follows theft and acts of violence
but the longest term is seven years,
during which time the condemned are
allowed to go about in the day time,
and although marked men, they are
trusted to go even as far as Cattaro.
They have to pay so much a day for
their keep, and are sometimes en-
ployed on public works. The women
receive no education, but are never
| theless subject to the same penalty
and incarceration as men. Their ideas
of morality are extremely. strict, and
any breach of decorum is visited with
the greatest severity. Next morning
we were awakened betimes by violent
storms of ram and wind, for a SOU
| wester had set in, bringing with it a
thaw. Nothing more dreary could be
imagined than the view that greeted
us from our bedroom window. A thick
mist hung over everything, only allow
ing glimpses now and then Of the wild
looking hills that surround the plain.
To the left lay the new palace, the
residence Of the Prince, with it's small
piece of garden reclaimed from the
surrounding waste, but presenting at
that moment only the aspect of mud.
just imagine what were our feelings
when, under such circumstances, we
received an invitation, which was
equal to command to dine with the
Prince that evening! How were we
possibly to get across the flooded
streets en- grand tenue? For such a
thing as carriage has never been seen
in Cettinje. AS we were in Montenegro,
however, we felt we must do as the
Montenegrins do. So, Drawing the ell
ements, we mounted the little horses
that had taken us up the Scala, and
trotted across to our destination in
time for our seven o clock dinner. We
were soon in the well-lighted comfort
able hall of the palace, where, with
great difficulty we disengaged ourselves
of waterproofs and ulsters thence we