The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-10

Grand Duke Ferdinand, OF Tuscany. The House OF
Savoy, OF which no was the head Is ono OF the most
ancient In Europe, taking precedence IN point Of an
tiquty oil the Capets OF France. and holding con-
spicueus position contsmporansous with Canute, OF
England. Until the reign OF Louis XIV, however,
the princes Of Savoy paid doubtful allegiance to the
Emperor Of Germany, but during the reign OF
tho monarch named Victor Amadeus, Duke
OF Savoy, Tor important services rendered
TO the allies rewarded with the Montfcrrat portion
OF Piedmont ana with the Kingdom OF Sicily. subsc-
queny Sicily was taken from him and its place Sar.
DINA SUBSTITUTED tho rank and title of King going
with tho territory acquired For century the lttlc
Kingdom existed in comparative obscurity, when Ma
poleon the Great appeared the aud convused
Europe. A. the close OF tho struggle the House OF
Savoy found itself Increased IN importance by
the addition OF tho famous city OF Genoa aud all
her territories, conferred upon by the handful Of
mon Who following tho example OF the their
armies had finally succeeded In conqucrng gave and
bartered away peoples and territories With mpuniy.
Thus II that the foundation OF the present
kingdom OF Italy was laid.
rnE HOUSE or SAVOY
II Is q somewhat curious fact, which cannot DO left
unrecorded, that although tho ancestors OF Victor
Emmanuel became kings but little more than one hun
dredsand fifty years ago, they have held sngularly
years. The House OF Savoy, In its own sphere and
Its own fashion, IS bel. eyed to have been in
vested with The attributes OF craftsmanship long be
tore, and it 10 only when It's fortunes had already be.
como established that obtain tho FIRST glimpse Of
its dignticx Its territorial position extremely
curious In Tho ancient distribution OF Europe
strip Of country Lett between tho massive king
doms Of Franco tho ono baud and Germany on tho
oiher, VIII ch could hardly be called independent,
aud which was yet without any definite allegiance.
In the North It's principal feature was the Duchy
Of Lorraine; IN tho South a State which was
sometimes called the Kingdom oil Burgundy, and
afterward the Kingdom Of Aries This Kingdom OF
Aries included among lis constituent provinces tho
States OF burgundy. Dauphiny, Provence anu Savoy,
ana would be hard to say TO what superior govern
ment they really belonged In theory, notwthstand-
ing the prevalence OF the French and language
they probably pcrtaned TO the Gcrmanio Empire and
II certainly in that Empire that the Kingdom OF
Aries, ut It's extinction, was presumed to merge.
France however in the end acquired Dauphiny, Bur
gundy and Provence, indeed, N moro recent gan
GRAFTON, acquired also Lorraino but tho Princi.
paliy Of Savoy did not fall 10 tho lot BY good
fortune It escaped absorption altogether, mantainod
Its ground, and in tho carly part OF the eleventh
century produced have said Its first recognized
prince who already represented long limo of nnccs.
tors
CHANGING THE TITLE.
The nrst tito assumed by the house was that OF
Maurienne, which was exchanged, about hundred
years later, TOR that OF Savoy, and may probably
In the alteration Of style extension OF
authority from special district tho whole OF the
province. Hcre then, placed the House OF savoy
territoraliy the French side OF tho Alps politically
In nominal but uncontested dependence on tho Ger.
manic crown. With Italy II had connection save
that OF opportunity or temptations but there was
nothing to DO made out oil France and tue family from
It's lrst establishment was always making something
somewhere, the Counts OF Savoy cast their eyes
ard that fertile plain at tsp loot OF their hills TO
which Its situation bad gwen the name OF
Piedmont. When the Kingdom OF Lombardy
had been broken up into ducal States. Pied.
mont, intervening between the region OF tho
Asnese and the eastern frontier OF Savoy, occu.
pied In great part by the Marquisato of Montferrat
and with this government the Counts OF Savoy srug
gled for ascendanoy Thoy very early gained ground
Before the twelfth century had concluded the Counts
OF Savoy were LORDS also Of Aosts, OF other minor
baronies, and regards tular distinction, OF Pied
mont ITSELF though they wero certainly not then In
possession OF the whole territory. In tho next con-
tory Of the prosperous thriving family
over England to become Archbishop OF Canterbury,
and visit which his brother, tho reigning Count
psd him. leaves traces TO present day In
tho remains Of tho Savoy Palace in the Strand London
As time and the acquisitions o! the house still
continued it currently said In med:eval proverbs
that Europe contained only one king, one duke and
one count-the King OF France, the Duke OF
Burgundy and the Count OF Savoy-no
other specimen OF any Of these orders being
comparable with models excellent Tho House OF
Savoy, however, exchanged this designation for
. higher one. In tho fifteenth century they were
made, by the fiat of the Germanic Emperor dukes
instead OF counts, and dukes they remained till 800
years later they we're transformed into kings.
EDUCATION AND ACCESSION TO THE THRONE.
Having briefly skctchcd tho ancient and dstin gused
ancestry OF the deceased monarch It will DO np-
propriate to explain the events which placed
nm on the throne or United Italy. These events
we're really initiated during the reign OF. Charles
Felix or rather Of his predecessor Victor Emmanuel
l., who resigned tho throne OF Sardinia rather than
place himself in a hostile position toward Austria by
satisfying tho liberal aspirations Of the people,
Charles Felix was no sooner tho throne than he
sought and obtained the aid Of Austria in crushing
the very nsurrection that had elevated him. By tho
aid OF foreign bayoncts he succeeded In maintaining
his authority until 1884, when he diod, and with his
death elder branch OF the house of Savoy became
extinct He was succeeded TO tho throne by his
Cousin Charles Albert, Prince OF Cargnano, who for
seventeen years beied his early prcposscssions by
adhcring to the system OF absolutism reinsated by
Victor Emmanuel l. In 1s4s however, Immediately
subsequent TO the French Revolution, which drove
Louis Philippe from the throne Of France he declared
tho constitution and placed himself forward tho
rcgonorator OF Italy.
Al this time his son, then known 40 the Duke OF
Savoy, was young man oil twsnty-e'sht years Edu
Gated by priesis, he had grown up feeling profound
respect tor tho Catholic clergy and vcnaration for
the Church which Inc never altogether abandoned,
although during the greater and most nome ntous
years OF his no compelled TO ignore But
Notwithstanding hts religious education his tastes
were anything bat those OF tho clOister. As young
he notorious tor bis Affairs oil eallantry, for
his love Of hed sports anc Tor his delight in the
pageantry OF But litte expected from him ny
"Young Italy, he had married 1s42 daughter Of
the House Of Hapsburg Nevertheless, whom, on tho
23d of March, ls4s his father, Charles Abort issued