New-York tribune., 1880-04-09
A STRANGE STORY FROM GERMINY.
THE FIRST WIFE OF WILLIAM THE FOURTH.
From Eepte1 in The Act demM .


From a Eeptetc in The Act demM
In publishing this singular volume, lrollne
crct which h,s been kept nearly century Carnine
Won Lnsing,n this hook tells u.s. u"nc other hah
lam the Fourth. From these OF her urVdc ie-
tess earn tie whole sad story Of her mesaiftn"ce
aud Of The butter grief aud anguish which ensned
ye4 reales Wa born G m Hnovr on Noyem
Der 27 I7Gs. Tier father. General Won Linslngcn. hid
a commission IN the 18TH Hanoverlan Infantry ise@-
sirelitz il most intimate character lie aecrlI-
panied Princess sOuie Charlotte 10 Enelnd On The
occasion OF her 10 King George inc ird, ana
for three years he remained at the English Court The
Qen continued TO SoT TGnd @ p"n s"c nSG a
10 take his daughter Caroline under her care.
onS onS pETIIsc% Of IST ids '' of |ef honor wnSn cSS
had reached ae T ge cd iOulS@ srs@%morS S
however, was unwilling TO allow her granddaughter 10
leave nome until her education nal become in every
Apri Is. 1890, Tie young Prnce william nry, DnHG
Won Lnsine A. WHO had trav, lied win hm from Eng
land He met with very cordial reception certain
Lord Dutton is mcnoned Us being among hi- suitc.
TSere il surely an error here or the limo question
no such person Will be found vi the list OF Engs peers
Duiton is the Of Lord sherboine. and If the
Princes companion member Of THIS family he WAS
probably al that time only tue Hon. Mr.. Duttnn.
Gcorge saUss Ss:oric Sir Brown" The Prince, on
Caroline. staightway lost his art In the ist
iu-law-Car rone tnus tells Of her meeting with the
William came witn my father and brought me let
ter from his royal mother, and shawl-wn vim her
nlI;i hm IN july already That DS deah aon
love could have its en-; No sooner old my eloved
:" each other than he straighway sought to part
himself appealing to the Q.SSn in The natsr Yet Shr
iam took the matter but hghtlv-snc knew nothing o.
sy my er M to lei 1hs ha e
fancy for at tins the most critical perod ms youth
might serve keep his virtue intact None drcIinei
that for two lives meant the utter wreck Of all her
Joy" .-,... 81. .,,o ..oooo,,;,,. o,.o,,.
We cannot do better than quote the sentences whica
the he One herself has written:
entreaties. and. In the presence OF Ernst or boher
and Duttcn we made one at The altar by scotea
was greatly attached 10 William.
deserSe u ana my heart is rent s torni Ony after
tarecn months did disclose our secret 70 my father
rms would not have been done had not others urged
his return 10 England: For the King was aiIne .he
Prince OF Wales sick with "a wasting iever the Duke
OF York. through his exeesses, had earned tie halled
Of both kuaed and nation; Wil,am i! was vino sload
to London himself In two months Wiliiam followei
Formed he obstacle 10 my beloved ones hapr ness AS
Delievedi All! knew too we'll the hear III WEIGH
Il nov became that the two must be separa,
ed. Teas. VOWS. entreaies all were OF no avail ihe
English Court could never recognize marriage OF tns
kind; Ii was tn which tue PrBce's parents wee
wholly blind Caroline was taken eE ~ hcr jatler 10 70
mentaaDguisn which .he snacted resulie IN the still
birth W her CHILD WGie she was at Dri1urS during;
her tbe Prince reppeaIed. TO renew his VOWS Of
eosancy, urSing her 10 10 hrin ana on no account 10
II
that he brought with him, It was PLAIN that the
English Court entirely refused to coanenance The mar.
riase even II they admitted ITS legality with the
Piince's departure the hna leave taking the low
e.s were never meet again. For Caroline, al Joy had
been taken from her lif.. Her illness assumed far
grayer form. and eliminated In trance, fIom which
fhe was restored by q clever young phvsclan, Dr..
Meiueke. Three years later she became his wife: all
recollection Of the Prince was thus ehaeed the ist
marriage was il 1t had not been. Her daughter Jtt-
Last wears penned the greater portion Of these extrOr
nary Wertierlke letters, pitched they truly
hyp rsenmental key Tney reell the great and absorb
Ing romance OF her yonth IN writing them sle hs II
we're reyyes ecstces her early love- At the age
Of forfy-six che died Bapsko January 81, 1915.
ThIs tnei Is biicf Outline Of er history Shall
e beeye it, IL ulse The editor OF these letters
ydeutly has perfect taith iD their authenticity He
seess 10 rank his heroine the rest OF the great
GERMAN women, make her loye-elisode gain the
nv aud admiration OF ALL So far as we arc con-
crned Ns afls The weak point In q whole story, as
romance Il the fact that Caroline naries again with
love suoh rs she assere II 10 nave DePn
sncb a course Was absolutely impossible. To be con-
sstenty great she should have proudly wrapped her
sf ip The mantle her grief thus passing IN m0urniul
s,,epca from the eeepe, This would have been the
soner close TO her le the calm dignity OF snch silence
~a,d have formed the itest rebukc TO the Prince who
sd hasey desere her Yet Caroline dehDeraely taxes
s4otScr husband, just any maiter-o,-iaot elderly
xiSoW might DO Apparently no special compal.ion is
d. she yolantariy accepts Menekr, by whom ene mas
iva childrep, After 80 commonplace proceeding @