, 1878-02-02
Victor Emmanuel.

"N Re Gdidntaon,o' was perhaps not
exactly the best soveign that has ever worn
the purple under the shadow OF Aventlne,
but be was for all that man In whom there
was more of good than guile, and although
perhaps numbers of the exiied children OF
the LAND of the Madonna" have but little
cause 10 lament the deceased monarch, yet
his reign mas been marked by many events
which VIII live in history Under the rule
Of Victor Emmanuel has been accomplished
the grand and long deferred revival of a
( United Italy, and the establishment OF the
I seat Of government at the Eternal CIty.
Reforms in civil and municipal affairs have
also been made, taxation has been lghtened,
the evil power Of the priesthood diminished,
and the public condition improved IN many
ways.
The late king was determined opponent
; OF priestcraft, and many years since was ex-
| communicated by the incensed Pontlif, as .
I punishment Tor his suppression OF monastie
Establishments Victor Emmanuel proved
/ himself a brave man alike in the struggle on
: ;he disastrous field of CastozZa, and Ill mo-
,neuts of purely personal danger, as when q
: few wears since he lay at deaths door with a
( painfuI disease. His manly courage on that
occasion, and his polite though sardonlc re-
huff 10 the subtle ecclesiastics who sought to
work upon his presumed Superstitious fears
to the benefit OF the Holy Church, have
never been forgotten; and did mnch to
strengthen his hold on the affection OF his
uesple. The king was all but gwen up by
his physicians, and being, as was supposed,
in erf,ra,iS. numerous Cardinals, MonslgEorl
and other sacerdotal dignitaries gathered
rnrph the couch of the dying hon. To their
cbo&rly exhortations .'U he Ga!oHtHono y
listened wi;h all respect, and even received
the r;a,;crai at their hands, but when the
ranacious ccclesiastics showed disposition
TO touch upon temporal matters, Gentle
men SAID the king, "NOu will find my
ministers in the next apartment. 1t IS with
them you viii have an opportunity OF dis
cussing secular subjects.
very Ni:nrod. "a mighty hunter before
the Lord" was Victor Emmanuel; and
specialIy fond of chamoiS hunting. His
eyploits and escapes while engaged i'll this
nrsuit worrid ill volumes His delight was
to shake off the ceremonial of the court AMI
the cares of state, and retire to some one OF
his hunting boxes III the Alps for weeks to-
cetber His frame was hardy and his con.
stitutian roirst He lived principally on
game and was rough but temperate IN his
habits. His vast preserves of all sorts ol
game, at Astorni, Capodimonte and Caseta
were a veritable paradise for lovers of the
chase. and the royal owner was generous IN
his invitations to strangers to share III the
sport they afforded The present writer has
on more than one occasion enjoyed a boar
hunt at Astorni, AID slaughter of pheasants
al Capotiimonte-
Victor Emmanuel has preceded to the sll-
ent land his arch enemy, the once ''Sover'
eign" Pontiif, and also his rash and impni'
sive, Though splendidly successful friend, thu
old warrior, GGiseppe Garibaidi, both mel
much Older than himself. Both IN the sa
cred halls Of the Vatican. and in the modest
little home at Caprera there viii be vespers
for the departed monarch. The hero oi
Miiazzo, Gaeta and Montana viii mourn the
comra,le by whose side he so often rode to
victory; and Irfallibility, in The person Oi
the feeble and decaying author of thousand
.'Encyclicals, will feel that the removal Of
his audacious foe is but another prcmOnitlor
Of his own end.
The succession to the throne of Italy fall;
to Prince Umberto, the elder son of the late
monarch by the ArchducheSs Marie Adelaide
of Austria Prince Umberto married IL
April, 1868. the Princess Margherita, OF
Savoy, lady Of surprising loveliness and
intelligence, by whom he has one son, the
Prince Victor Emmanuel. born at Naples on
the Ilth Of November, 1859.