Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-09-07
An Eccentric King.


A Frelch writer gives the follow
ing description of one Of the six cas-
ties owrrd by the eccentric King
Louis OF Bavaria: The castle of
Hohensciwangan, is picturesquely
perched upon a rocky peak. All
around rise lofty mountains, covered
with gloomy forests of pine, and at
the foot Of the rock there is roman
tic lake peopled with swans. The
king harnesses these swans to gilded
bark shaped like a shell, and is
drawn over the surface of the water,
while band of singers. grouped upon
the bank, execute fragments of "Lo-
hengrin," and the moon Eliminates
with its pale beams, the fantastic
march OF stuffed stags, which are
moved by means of internal mech
anism.
Attic time of the last eruption of
Vesuvius, the king became envious
and wanted to have one too. He
summoned to Hohensch wangan, the
two professors of geology of the
university, and ordered them to get
him up volcano They set to work
at once. A mountain was followed
out, and the hole was filled with pow
der, sulphur and petroleum. The
fire. engines were brought thither for
miles around. 1t was thought that
the royal castle had been mined by
the Prussians and had been blown
up.
The king also wanted a tempest on
the lake of Hohenschwangan. An
enormous machine has been construct
ed, provided with prodigious wheels,
which raise great waves with a terri
BILE noise.
Whether he inhabits his castle OF
Berg, of Linderhoof, or of Munich,
there are two things that are ind!s.
pensable to his comfort his piano and
his moonlight. Without a piano the
day would seem to him century
long, and without moonlight it is
impossible to sleep. When provi-
dence refuses to light for him the
celestial lamp, he is forced to have
recourse to a fabricated moonlight.
A special apparatus for producing the
electric light has been installed in
each of the royal bedchambers. At
Munich the ceiling is pierced with
thousand minute holes, behind which
are placed gas jets. That represents
very fairly a starry sky. While
travelling the king makes use of an
economical and portable moon, which
can be hung up like an astral lamp.
This strange character-th soul
of a child in the body of man, this
king born TO reign over a nation OF
poets and musicians-is not suited to
our century of soldiers and brute
force. Louis II. would have been
charming sovereign IN the Gays Oh tne
minnesingers and Of dreamy chate.
laines; to-day no one understands
him; he seems to belong to legend
and not to history. He who is seated
upon throne has no right to use it as
piano stool, for if Orpheus himself
were returned to earth he would not
take up 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, it
is 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 prone
nading there very unceremoniously.
The king stopped him and asked him
who he was.
81 ain from Switzerland" he answer
ed, 'and | am a student at the Mu.
Mich university"
"Ah! you are SWISS" said the
king, with kindly air. "You ought
to know SchilIer's William Tell by
heart
Il could recite TO you whole acts of
it!''
"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. l am his most init
mate friend. Come, you will see that
we shall be permitted to enter"
"Let us try then, sir, since you
desire to do so"
They set out together.
"Do you like Munich ?"
"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 2"
ooh, they say he is a right good
fellow at heart"
Louis ii. smiled.
"IIave you ever seen him ?"
"Never! I am a republican, sir (;
but | am told he is very handsome,
and that the women are wild about
him.
Would You like to due with him?'
You are making game of me, are
you not?'
Not at all-since invite you my
self
"Since-then, sir-oh, pardon =
perhaps you are the king 2
you are right, and you are my
prisoner
After dinner the king seated him
self at his piano and played the over
ture to william Tell; he then caused