Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-09-10
A CRANK ON THE THRONE.
Eccentricities Of the King OF
Bavaria.

Bavaria.
Hiding From His Subjects and Induls-
ing in Queer Antics
Multifarious are the anecdotes
fables, some of them, really believe
told of the king, lie is misogynist
hater of court ceremonials, yet with
al a man who stands upon his dignity
a passionate lover of mountain seen
cry, and a great stickler for the anato-
my of Bavaria. lie will not have it
Prussianized at any price. His favor
ite seat is hunting-lodge up in the
mountains. 1t is said that he sleeps
in a large, lofty room, with the ceiling
painted to represent the armament,
and a practicable moon shedding a
mellow light from one quarter OF the
artificial heavens. The perspective Is
managed so as to give the illusion OF
spaciousness, and through the distant
trees cut out on the canvas, as he re-
clines may be heard the plash of fall
ing waters Their lullaby bushes him
to sleep. Sometimes his majesty rises
in the night, has black stecd saddled,
and dashes off at whirlwind speed up
and down the hill roads-which are
well kept for that reason-like aphan-
tom horseman pursued by some re-
| lentlesS decree of the supernatural
powers. The finest stud in Bavaria
is to be found in his stables, but the
cattle are cast soon and often; they
are thoroughly worn out AMI broken
down after a very few years in the
royal scrviC'. He plays practical
Jokes on his rCtinue sometimes 1t IS
related of him that a minister arrived
in hot haste once to crave an audience
on important business Of state. The
king was ont hunting the chamois, but
by some chance the minister succeed
cd in catching thcparty. Ludwig pre-
ceded him to Il gamekeepcr's hut,
where he sometimes used to unch
and went in, telling him to attend
him. The minister waited one hour
two hours, and ut last, losing patience
and fearing that his royal master haC
been attacked by some sudden illness
forced in the door. No king was there
lie had made his exit 10y a window al
, the back, and was away on the higt
, hills in pursuit of the game. In th'
capital his majesty often commands
an opera generally one by Wagner
for whom he has as strange a predlc
ton as predecessor on the throne har
, for Lola Montez, and this opera is pro
duced in the middle of the day. Tn
theater is darkened, and no one is ad
mitted to the auditorium but himself
If he is pleased he sends the prim
: donna, not a bracelet nor ring, but
bouquet of flowers plucked by his ow
hands. He once had "LOhengrln" en-
acted on the Starnbergcr See, the boz
ders of the Lake having been illuminG
: ted at his expense, When the wa
! with France broke out he was dis
. pleased, but dared not attempt to stcI
. the tide of universal German icelinS
S However, he declined to 60 to tn
0 front, and withdrew himself to his bt
n loved solitudes While the stirrin
y events which led to the building OF tn
9 German empire were thrilling tn
1 world with excitement. At tho clos
t of the duel of Titans, the crown prime
n of Germany came to Munich TO pas
}, the victorious Bavarians in gala r.
n view The king fled again to tn
g mountains. lie knew the popul;
d commander would receive an cnthus
L astic greeting, and he did not choo:
e to play second fiddle in his own cap
7 tai to any domestic foreigner. j
n takes a deep interest in the "Passio
t Play" and when Josef Meyer vi
e drafted into fighting contingent, /
|, gave strict orders that he should
|. detained at Munich and employed as
;, clerk in the war office. The village
d the Mystery lost its own share in thi
n conflict which brought mourning to
!, many humble iresides in the fathe
IS land, and of the actual performers tN
y or three who had speaking parts in lo'
IS were killed in the field or succumbed
d their wounds. IinSley's Magazine
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