Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-08-05
THE DUKE OF BRUNSWICK.

His Last Joys Were His Diamonds and His
Lawsuits--An IGnobie Existence
The chief of the Guelphs spent nearly
all his solitary day, attired in fantastic,
flaming dressing-gowns, selecting from
among the thirty waxen simulacra Of
his own face, the wig, the eyebrows, the
complexion of the day. Dyed, rouged,
curled and scented, the Duke of Bruins
wick went out at sunset in one of his
famous chocolate colorcd carriages;
dincd at some fashionable restaurant,
and spent the evening at the little thea
ter where authors are counted ncces-
sary vehicles for the exhibition Of
ankles. At homc-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 il. He was, TdH-
icurS, Il modest man at glass and plat
ter. He drank nothing but small beer,
and his worst orgies were formidable
feasts of fruit and ices. He used to
give a louis now and then i'm order to
walk round the cellars of the Cafe Tor
toni and eat ices as he chose, dipping
his own spoon here and there rs the
fancy found him. He had always two
or three bonJonnicrcs in his pockets for
his personal use. He offered nothing
to ladies; he never allowed his cqucr-
res, his oldest servitors, to smoke in
his presence. And this was his life,
these his habits, during the twenty
years of prosperity ungratcful France
owes her second Caesar. That Caesar
disappointed his hopes year after the
plebiscitum that made him Emperor.
The famous pact between the pretend
ers in London was found in Paris to DO
absolutely impracticable. And by
degrees the successful Emperor
"dropped' the Duke. He became n
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.
He shut himself up with his diamonds,
fondling them foolishly like the misers
of old romance. His diamonds and his
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 servants 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 fortunc-the most use
less that ever was in human hands
was to go to the Prince Imperial-so
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 Chiselburst
from Camden-place to the station.
And the end, ut 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 Calvinism,
because il was the only one likely to
put up his statue in a public place,
even at the price he paid for the per-
petuation of his incommcnsurabl and
lifelong folly Temple Bar