Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-30
KING SEBASTIAN OF PORTUGAL

1t is difficult to read the copious records
transmitted to as of the eccentric doings
OF this royal adyenturer without perceiv-
ing that the whole texture of his mind was
inwoyen and discolored with the dark
threads OF that hereditary insanity which
broke out SO tragicslly in his cousin, Don
Carlos. His natural gifts were great. Ia
manly exercises he had no equal among his
contemporaries. He was first rate rider,
hunter, jouster, bull batter, and tennis
player. Such was his muscular strength
that by the mere pressure OF his knees he
| could make his charger groan and sweat;
IN the use of the sword he rivaied the skill
of Saladin. To a quick and vivid intelli-
gence he united heart which, as the
| chronicler puts it, was "of wa" to all
vlrtuous impressions sensitive con-
science, an austere horror of vice, and an
ardent zeal for the faith of Christ. Yet
| this bright and noble young figure was in.
vclved in dusly atmosphere of self-delu-
sion, haunted by visions of insensate ambi-
ton, and impenetrable to light save of the
~ IS tituus kind His restlessness was the
despair of his attendants From one end
to the other of his little kingdom there was
| perpetual shifting of the royal quarters,
as the royal yagrant hurried, in search of
novelty and excitement, from Coimbra to
Cape St. Vincent, from Almeirim or Alco-
baca to Salyaterra. Impenetlable to ia.
tigue or hardship, the day afforded too
scanty a scope for his activity, and the
dead of night often found him exhausting
his feverish impotence of repose in
long hours of solitary pacing on the
sandy shores of the Tagas, or under the
dense gloom OF the foresE-arcades of Cintra.
Dangers marine as we'll as terrestrial he
atfronted with rapture, running the gantlet
OF forts which bis own orders obliged to
fire on suspicious craft, and Drawing storms
dreadful to the hardest seamen. "Whas
is fear :" he would cry exultiugly to court.
lers covering with terror and sea-sickness
IN the bottom of a tossing skiff but like
the youth in the fairy tale who wandered
through the world in the vain hope of
learning chow to trembe." he never got
bis question answered, though he pyecipi,
tated kingdom to ruin in the attempt.
Nor did his audaci5y stop here. The IN
stinctive awe with which nature averts
her face from the shame and havoc
OF death was silent IN the pres
ence of his imperious self absorption.
The merciful mystery of the grave met
with no reverence from his morbid curios.
lty CHASTITY Grotesque must have been
the scene IN the stately Abbey of BataIha,
when, by order of the boy-kirg ct was in
l570) the body of John II. was lifted from
its quiet grave of three-quartels of a cen.
tury, and, being found entire and uncor-
rupted, was placed erect on IFS feet, clad
IL kipglY robes and armed with the rusty
sword it had once welded in no child's
sport. Whereupon the Duke of Aveiro
was commanded to complete the grim GER
emoaial by kissing, in token of homage,
the wi.hered hand of the corpse, and Sc.
bastian, exclaiming, behold i;he best Off
Ger of the kingly office !" turned away well
satisfied to pursue his sepulchr,l visitations
elsewhere al The Edinburgh Review.