Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-06-03
THE DUKE OF BRUNSWICK,

His Last Joys Were His Diamonds and His
Lawsuits-An Ignoble Existence
The chief of the Guelphs spent nearly
all his solitary day, attired in fantastic,
flaming dressing gowns, selecting from
among the thirty waxen ssn1ulacra of
his own face, the wig, the eyebrows, the
complexion of the day. Dyed, rouged,
curled and scented, the Duke of Bruns-
wick went out at sunset in one of his
famous chocolate colored carriages;
dined at some fashionable restaurant,
and spent the evening at the little thea
ter where authors are counted neces-
sary vehicles for the exhibition of
ankles. At home-if his gorgeous
folly could be called-he kept no
kitchen. A cook was necessarily a
poisoner in his eyes. He mixed his
morning chocolate himself; his milk
was brought from suburban farms in a
sealed silver can; and his body servant
was compelled to drink and digest ere
he himself touched it. He was, dali
leurs, a modest man at glass and plat
ter. He drank nothing but small beer,
feasts of fruit and ices. He used to
give louis now and then in order to
walk round the cellars of the Cafe Tor
toni and eat ices as he chose, dipping
his own spoon here and there as the
fancy found him. He had always two
or three 6On607a1aieres in his pockets for
his personal use. He offered nothing
to ladies; he never allowed his equer-
ries, his Oldest servitors, to smoke in
his presence. And this was his life,
these his habits, during the ''twenty
years of prosperity ungrateful France
owes her second Caesar. That Caesar
disappointed his hopes a year after the
plebiscitum that made him Emperor.
The famous pact between the pretend
ers in London was found in Paris to be
absolutely impracticable And by
degrees the successful Emperor
''dropped' the Duke. He became a
compromising friend, even for the
empire. He was the laughing stock,
almost the eyesore, of Paris Sur
rounded by hireling sycophants he lost
all taste for the society of his equals.
fondling them foolishly like the misers
VI O1I Ills uldluODUS anu Ills
lawsuits were the last joys of the
last Guelph. He had lost all human
sympathies. He had renounced friends,
family, personal dignity. He would
order his negro servant: DRAW your
sword and cut through the canaille. :"
He refused all communications from
his daughter and her children, and in
the most scandalous litigation of this
century he contested for four years his
grandchildren right to a penny of his
fortune. That fortune-the most use
less that ever was in human hands
was to go to the Prince ImperialEso
long as the empire should be prosper
Gus. Directly after Sedan the will was
shamelessly revoked, and the news of
the revocation came to the Emperor
during his last walk at Chiselhurst
from Camden-place to the station.
And the end, at Geneva. was worthy
the long, frivolous, foolish, unfortu-
nate life. He spent months there
during the worst crisis that have
shaken modern Europe, fondling his
diamonds and dressing. He left his
millions to the capital of Calyinism,
because it was the only one likely to
put up his statue in public place,
even at the price he paid for the per-
Ipetuation of his ineommensurable and
lifelong folly.-Tessp1e Bar.