Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-16
MEETINGS WITH ROYALTY.
Lecture by Archibald Forbes.

| APPEARANCE AND MANNER OF THE WAR CORES
PoNDENT ON THE PLATFORM-DRsCRIPTIoN OF
MORE THAN DOZEN ROYAL PEOPLE he HAS
| MET.
AS the peals Of the organ died away in Chick
| eriDg Han last night a murmur OF Impatient APP
| plause broke out from the large audience. which
was fully conscious that the time had crept On
| lul, but the applause broke out again with re-
| doubled force as side door opened on the stage
and tai In full evening dress walked
| the audience, and without acknowledging
the applause that greeted him, he quietly
oIeneSd Dbl, his ma manuscript and In a calm
lecture. AS he stood behind the reading stand
the severely plain lines OF his evening dress
showed with fiattering distinctness his wonder
full physique; OF unusual height, with broad
! square shoulders, deep full chest. a long thick
truDk, Clearly cut TANKS and powerful limbs,
the slight est movement showed the possession
or wonderful muscular strength evenly and
1u!ly developed. His square head was uprightly
poised on full, Well-rounded neck. His thin
hair. serupulously parted in the middle, left the
square outlines OF his broad forehead distinctly
! visible. Heavy. almost bushy, eyebrows over
hung deep set, penetrating eyes. A san iy bciSt-
| ling mustache half concealed the drm uaes o
MS mouth. While his massive chin was blr :.
VIII and determination were tmprin5 ed on III
! strong lines of his face. There was a sort o
readily believe in Archibald FORBES Wonderful
| rides over painless w1lds and heroic coliuc
| under fire.
His lecture was delivered very quietly, wit
| hardly single gesture. His deep tones. eaSil
heard were marred only by failing inflectio
| that was constantly used and became soGleWna
monotonous. There was nothing In the leas
| dramatic about bis style; indeed his iec5ur
| was heard almost as though it Were pain
| duty to be gotten through as soon as possible.
But the subject matter was so Int: e'fing. $
full OF brilliant pen pictures and so graphically
tod, that he held his audience perfectly
| throughout.
| at was in July, 1870" quietly began Mr..
| Forbes, that took up the trade of war COR
| respondent, and l have followed it ever since.
| / have served five campaigns In Europe, one In
Asia, one in Africa. visited King Thuoah In Bur
| nah, called on Stanley In Africa, witnessed the
| fighting at the Khiva Pass, been prisoner six
times, been half killed by mob, and mentioned
| In dispatches for saving life, and l therefore
might be pardoned for relating merely personal
| experiences. But instead, have chosen to give
| some account of persons with whom | have
been brought In contact"
! Mr.. Forbes then continued, In substance, as
| follows:
1t was In the Franco-Prussian war; when
| Prince Frederick Charles was marching on
| Metz, that first saw, in the market place of a
fan1 Of BUT gena
| With him were Won Moltke thin, gaunt.
| wrinkled, knowing how to be silent In seven
| languages and the rugged Bismarck looking
| more like soldier than statesman. For two
| hours William stood there, surrounded by Won
| dering cadets from the military school. watch
ing the army dellle before him; now white
| coated, steel. breasted cuirassiers and now files
| OF infantry With their bands. He personally
criticized the dicipline and equipment Of the
| soldiers.
August IS, 1870, at Gravellotte, 1 saw Prince
| Frederick Charles, who had risen at aybreak
and vas consulting with his leaders. He was a
| square shouldered, upright man, with a broad,
square brow, keen eye and a wide mouth. Clad
| in red tunic and mounted on bay horse he
at last brought his hand down on his thigh, ex-
claiming: "Your duty is to march forward, find
| Gnlu Inf 0rn6f rplnf hi
| wherever you find him." During the roar OF
| battle that day, with 5000 men dead or dying,
| the King was sitting leaning against wall
thanked by dead horse and broken wagon,
| with Bismarck near him pretending to be indif-
ferently reading letters. A shout was heard
| Won Moltke galloped up. I'VE have won the
| battle; the victory Is with your majesty"
"God be thanked" exclaimed the Emperor,
| and Bismarck nervously crushed the letter In
| bis hand.
At Sedan the Emperor William sat on hill
| Generals sheridan and Forsyth, when the news
! OF the capitulatioD came, and the French bearer
| OF the flag OF truce was seen riding sadly back:
At dawn the next morning Bismarck, who had
| been drinking champagne and eating sand
witches with officers and myself until 1, and ar
euing terms Of surrender the rest OF the night,
| riding toward Sedan, While we followed. A
| shabby low carriage from which came the
gleam OF gold lace, approached. Bismarck
lined man with disheyellea mustache In the
carriage was Napoleon I'LL Alight1ng at a
down and talked in an undertone, while we
! stood at the garden hedge. the weaver calmly
looked On from his window, and eager
| Then Bismarck rode back to the
Emperor and Napoleon waited alone, walking
back and forth, limping slightly and smoking
Europe was cooling his heels at a weaver's cot
| tage, waiting in attendance on a Prassian.
Soon troop of cuirassiers formed around the
cottage. Bismarck returned, and Napoleon was
| escorted to ruined house in Sedan. Won Moltke
had dispelled the obstinacy Of the French COM
mander by showing him the German cannon,
German monarch came riding down with head
| proudly erect to meet the bent and broken
| Napoleon, who came forward with handker-
ee1 a! ms EYES Te ha race WORKED
| OF twenty minutes was held, then William rode
| away among his troops and Napoleon spent the
night In the bedroom occupied by William the
and the book significantly was Bulwer's LAST
OF the BarOnS."
| 1t was my fortune to be with the Prince Of
Wales in his tour through india where many
| royal persons were met, characterized chiefly
| by profusiOn of salaams, strong odor OF
Spices an abundance OF jewelry, and q strange
| mixture Of ShabbineSS and magn1flcence.
p. Mr.. Forbes then spoke OF his acquaintance
with Alphonso of SPAIN In 1S47, and his journey
with him when he took possession OF the
| Spanish throne.
1.-The shabbiest miscreant,' Mr.. Forbes con-
| tinued, that ever imposed on the European
| pulpit, the gaudiest fraud In this century of
| gaudy frauds was the Shah OF Persia. He was
| sent as an advertisement to assist In raising
| money. l met him at Brussels. He was well
treated In st. Petersburg, given cold welcome
In Berlin because he spat upon the Empress
Augustus dress, and raved about In
England. He had diamond, pearls,
ruby, amethyst and emerald coats and the
! gems were all shams quietly made In Paris a
| year before his arrival lie offered rewards for
| mystical gems lost from his horses tails. HI
and his suite befouled Buckingham Palace so
that 1t is hardly wholesome yet. He patronIzed
| tne !r1ncess OF Wales and Czarlna OF Russia,
keeping them waiting In Covent Garden.
visiting q Manchester cotton mill, five hundred
| girls sang hymn OF welcome and he wanted
10 guy OF the proprietor all his female live
| Slock. his saloon carriage Travelled free on
most railroads, but when payment was de-
man0ed on one, the Shah was found short OF
money ana ne paid In jewels, afterWard found
bogus. He defrauded London and Paris Jewel.
him in England.
81 was presented to the Emperor of Russia on
Ooat 10 the Danube He is TALL of the Jewish
type OF race soldierly In bearing bluff even to
TucenesS. When the f1ercest fighting was going
on at the Shepka Pass, l waited until at
O'Clock II was evident that the Russians had
gained the victory, then rode to Bucharest, 17C
miles, neither eating nor sleeping. having re-.
lays OF horses along the way"