The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-11-24
The Follies of Petty Princes.

The destruction of the petty ,princi-
palities uf Germany was gain to civ
ilization and to decency. The great
| princes aped the court of France. Ev-
cry little prince-and there were hun
dreds If them. ruling over kingdoms
which man could almost walk around
before breakfast initiated the great
princes. All lived in extravaganza.
and some of them in gross sensuality.
Their subjects were expected to exhibit
two virtues. namely, to obey and to
pay. The follies of some of these pet
ty rulers were so eXtravaGant as to be
lu.Iicrous.
One of them, Count William, formed
an artificial island and bnilt a cit:l,lel
upon it. 1t was elaborately construct
cd, according to the science of military
engineering. 1t and it's garrison OF
three hundred gunners defended po-
tato-patch. cabbage-gardcn. and Il
small observatory with . worthless tel
cscope in it.
Another prince. one Gunther, ruled
over seventy-fiv thousand men, women
and children. who lived on sixteen
geographical square miles. He built u
palace with three hundred and fifty
rooms, and adorned each room with
several clocks. His exercise was to
wind up each clock.
The prince was not without humor.
Travellers passing through his little
capital were invited to the court thea
tire. On one occasion, Prussian ma
jor was sitting by the side of the prince
in his box. smoking q clay pipe. as
the fashion was. The play was a dull
one.
''How do you like it?" asked the
prince.
''Surpassing well, your serene high
ness" answered The major. with the
courtesy of a courtier. II should be
sorry not to have an opportunity of
seeing the piece again."
When the play was concluded the
prince shouted from his box, Hey!
hey there! Here's Prussian major
who wants to see the play again; act
it through once more" And the tired
performers were forced to repeat the
whole play.
Prince Gunther prided himself on
his ability as wrestler. and frequently
exhibited his dexterity before his sub
jects. Of course. his antagonists were
too good courtiers not 10 let themselves
be thrown. But on one occasion the
prince met with his match.
",
prince challenged him to wrestle. The
farmer accepted, and in a minute His
Serene Highness was flung sprawling
on the ground.
II slipped on a cherry-stone" ex-
claimed the mortified prince, with an
oath, forgetting that it was not the time
of the year for cherries.
The farmer intimated his willingness
to try another round; but His High
ness. no longer serene, few at him with
doubled fists. The by-standers in vain
shouted to the farmer to allow the
prince to trip him up. But he, being
no courtier, entered into the game of
iisticuffs with zeal. At last, His High
ness. with bruised nose and blackened
eve, screamed to his guard. "Of with
him to prisonr' and the victor paid the
penalty of wrestling with a prince by
forlnight's confinement.
Another of these princes lived SO ex-
travagautly that at last his whole in
came would not pay the interest on his
debts. Then he resorted to fraud in
order to raise money. He moltgagcd
a forest of five hundred acres,
which had no existence. He
pawncd his villages by making the
school-children subscribe the names of
their fathers to bonds binding them
with him TO pay interest.
At last, his crimes became so enor-
nous that the Emperor Joseph II. of
Austria had him tried. On his convic-
tion he was sentenced to ten years. inn
prisonment. When he came out of
prison, he could afford to keep only one
horse. One day bis solitary attendant
announced that there was no hay in the
loft and no money in the purse.
swell, WE'LL" answered the prince.
t'take out the horse and give it a mouth-
full of fresh air.