The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-06-22
THE PRESS.
Cambridge.
A Man Who Fluently Speaks Three Ian
guageS.
London World.

London World
In a round, mellow voice, singularly unlike
that of his Royal cousins, the Commander-in-
Chief talks,sffably and tolerantly of army sys-
TENS, new and old. He is intrenched behind
an enormous writing table, on which every
thing is as big, solid and substantial as if it
constitution of its master AS the quality of
his voice, almost entirely free from cultural
sounds, is strikingly unlike that of Queen Vic
torias sons, SO is his information distinctly and
purely English, and as a clear, coherent and
impressive speaker in public he has few
equals. 1t is, perhaps, due to the fact that his
father was an Englishman that his speech is
free from any touch of the foreign accent SO
remarkable in the Royal Family; yet he speaks
German perfectly, without the faintest English
accent When talking to two of his equerries,
General Macdonald or Colonel Tyrwhitt, he
always speaks PIN English and Captain Mild
may. almost invariably in German. His
French is also remarkably good, if hardly SO
perfect as his English and German; but in
whatever language he may be called upon to
address an audience, he never prepares his
speeches, after the manner now coming gener-
ally into fashion.
On this fine May morning, the Duke OF
Cambridge has just come in from his morning
ride of two hours in the Park, his solitary rec
reation of the day. Always very early riser,
he has time to look over little correspon-
dence before he rides out, an exercise never
omitted in anything approaching possible
weather. At IL o'clock for he is punGtuality
itself-he is back again at Gloucester House
seated at the big table, ready to get through
work with the equerry ON duty. A thorough
man of business, he gets rid of it at rapid
pace. Tonight he has to speak at a charity
dinner on subject unconnected with the ar
my, and few statistics have been prepared
by the secretary of the institution. These are
read, explained, annotated, consigned to his
pocket and never heard of again by mortal
man, till the Duke arises to make the speech
of the evening, when he is found to have per
fectly assimilated and arranged the informa.
ton given him., The COMMANDMENTS Chief
who is endowed with the fine natural appetite
proper to the family of Guelph, Restraints a
tendency to adipose tissue by restricting him.
self to couple of meals per day. Morning
work and exercise are done before breakfast
substantial dejeuneT q la f0urchettel eaten
about noon. Thus luncheon is avoided and
the day left clear until dinner. A great part
of this wide interval is spent in work falling
be kept down by the punctuality and method
proper to the Duke of Cambridge, who hears
every complaint, and goes into the merit OF
every application.
The Duke of Cambridge is perfect master
OF that important part of the meter de prince
which consists in never forgetting anybody.
just as the Prince of Wales's bright blue eve
is the first thing one sees in a room, so surely
is the Duke of Cambridge's white hand
one of the first extended in greeting. IT is
said by those who ought to know that his faith
er was never known to be out of temper for
seven years at stretch. 1t would be too
much to say this of the old Colonel of the 18th
lancers, but as matter of fact, he is one of
the best tempered men in the world. Doubt
less much OF this unrntf1ed demeanor is due,
first, to natural kindness and generosity; and
secondly, to an extremely methodical life,
which permits of proper attention being paid
TO everything and everybody without hustle or
hurry of any kind The maxim that punctual.
ity is the politeness of princes is amply and
practically acknowledged.
one OF the most endearing qualities of the
Duke is his keen affection for his family The
portrait of his venerable mother, still living al
St. James's, painted by Won Angel, occupies
prominent position in his own room, and the
numerous boxes and trinkets used by his faith.
er are tenderly put under glass and preserved
1t is needless to say that his house contains
many choice arms and curiosities of all kinds
and that his diamond sword, presented by the
Shah OF Persia, and another given by the City
of London, are worn by him on grand occa
sions. The duke, who is very well-dressed
man, appears to great advantage in multi and
especially in full evening dress, when the fine
limbs and very small feet peculiar to his fami
~ lend an elegance to his appearance which is
. lost in uniform. Agreeable at dinner table
or in drawing room, he is not less at home in
stubble or coppice. AS cool and clear-headed
in hot corner as elsewhere, he is sorely
tempted by multitudinous offers of the besI
shooting in the country. But his prime devo
ton is to his work as military chief AS q
private gentleman he administers his affairs
with his own hand. AS fortunes go he is not
very wealthy man for Prince of the Blood
Royal with large family; but he is as punctu
al in his payments as in his correspondence
He never lets himself owe either a letter or
shilling.