The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-21
PRINCE "MEWRATT' OF BORDEN
T0WN.
How That NapOleOnic Prince Allowed His
Wife to support Him.

Wife to support Him.
philadelphia Bulletinl
A great many people Of middle age, or per-
haps we should say OF old age, who are living
IN Burlington and Mercer counties, In New
Jersey, may have been interested in the cable
nounciDg the death of Prince Charles Joseph
Francois Napoleon Murat. He is remembered
by them rs prince Mewratt," follower Of
Joseph Bonaparte, ex-King of Spain, who,
under the name of the Comte de Survilliers
established home just outside the village Of
Bordentown long years ago, and who is well
remembered by the survivors, now very few
in number, of q generation OF Phila-
delphians, each individual OF which we
are apt IT., to distinguish as "gentleman
handsome, Jolly, fat, Falstaffian, gossIpy
prince, who, when he was young man, had
established himself at Bordentown, so as to
be near his uncle, Joseph Bonaparte, and to
be ready to go with the family when its old
reliable destiny should call it to France. But
Destiny called his uncle Joseph away from
America, and then to another world, over
forty years ago, and left the jovial Lucien to
take care of himself at Bordentown. He had
no visible means OF support, and probably
But he had a lovely, brave-hearted Amer-
can wife, who opened school for girls In the
village by which tosupporta family of pretty
girls and boys, and who used to play the
organ in the little Episcopal church Of the
village, for she came of good old Protestant
family of Scotch descent living in Charleston,
S. g., and has never abandoned her old faith.
even when recognized In the court of the
Second Empire OF France as her Highness
the Princess Murat
While the good lady was thus struggling to
maintain her family, the Prince, her husband,
was "having a good time" at Bordentown, or
Trenton, or Mount Holly, or Burlington, or
somewhere on the road, and not unfrequently
the Micawber and Kelley school of fnanciers.
He believed In debts, and in paying an account
with due-bill, the due-bfll with q note OF
hand, the note of hand with check on a
bank that Tad no funds, or with anything
convertible did not involve ' cash az and
allowed interest to be compounded until
the accumulation grew to proportions OF
such stupendous dignity as to put payment
out Of the question. Antiquaries and auto
venirs of this jolly son Of the ex-Kfng OF
Naples in old ledgers and old files of outlawed
papers that still exist in old inns, livery
stables, or stores in the parts of New Jersey
that used to be honored by his festal visits
But destiny served "Prince Mewratt' a
leon got France into his hands all his
relations flocked thther, his cousin Lucieu
Murat going to him with all his family
which was not a small one. He was made
Senator OF the Empire, ana he and all Of
them became AAesses In.periaLes, with moi
only precedence of all the old-fashioned
nobility, but with magnificent allowances
from the treasury of France. His sons and
daughters made splendid marriages, and all
went well with the prince till the Bonaparte
destiny, which Is a tickle kind of fate, knocked
over the second empire as it had the first
and sent the Murats adrift again, but with
their pockets well filled from the stealings OF
the imperial regime. Some of the sketches OF
the now deceased Prince Lucien that were
made for publication during the second en-.
pire have tried to exalt him as statesman
diplomat, and even as soldier. But those
who knew him best know that he was moth
ing more than a lazy, jolly, good fellow. who
acted as if the world owed him living, ever
il it came by the labor Of devoted, hard.
working but neglected wife.