Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-05-21
AN ECCENTRIC KING.
THE PERSONAL PECULlARlTlES OF
KING LOUIS OF BAVARIA

The Monarch's Rebuke to a Prima Donna
In Love with the Empress Eugenie-
Seized with Suicidal Mania-Com-
plants of Creditors
The first time saw the sovereign of Ba-
varia was at Munich in 1882. He is a
blonde, tall and slender, about the only
personal defect noticeable being the size
of his ears, and this size is still further ex-
aggerated by the way he wears his hair.
When a young man he was cruel, almost
savage; had he lived in another ago, and
had chance placed him on throne, he
would have been a second Nero. For the
first performance of Christian and Yseult"
Wagner had by the advice of List, secured
the service of talented tenor named
Schnorr and by reason of prudery quite
common in Germany the passionate role
Of Yseult was given to Nine. Schnorr, so
that the hugging of the hero and heroine
might seem less shocking to the public.
Nine. Schnorr was a very beautiful
woman, and she produced deep impress
sion on the king -G
TALE OF FAIR WOMEN.
1t seems that he also produced an anal
agous effect upon the prima DONNA who
forgetting her husband, fell dead over
of the first performance Louis invited
Nine. Schnorr to accompany him, in his
boat Elsa, on the lake. and of course the
lady accepted. During the excursion no
doubt under the influence of the moon and
the poetry of the situation, Louis re-
quested his companion to sing certain
passages of the opera, and she did so in a
way that brought tears into the eyes of her
listener. Perceiving the emotion of the
king, the cantatrice lost her senses and
threw her arms around his neck, where
upon he pitched her out of the boat and
rowed ashore. When he got back to the
palace he said to a servant: There is
woman out yonder in the lake. She may
get drowned. Go and pull her out if you
think it worth while" AS Nine. Schnorr
knew how to swim, and the lake was
neither large nor deep, she managed to
get ashore alone.
When he came to Paris in 1867 to the ex-
position he fell in love with the empress
at first sight. He remained here until the
exposition closed, spending most of his
time at the Tuileries, worshiping the OBJ
ject of his idolatry with all the more ardor
because he knew his passion was hopeless.
Even Napoleon smiled at the innocent
comedy. When the time came for him to
return to Bavaria the empress accompa-
MED him to the railroad station where the
disconsolate lover kissed her several times,
rushed off sobbing with emotion and not
looking once behind him. Many other
women have endeavored to capture his
affections, but none have ever succeeded.
For quite lone time he kept up a love
correspondence with the daughter of Count
Max, but when the day for his betrothal
came the king failed to put in appearance.
All these eccentricities were not unbecom-
ing as long as he was young, but now that
he is bordering on ~ years of age and be-
ginning to grow stout, his caprices are not
only ruinous, but grotesque and ridic-
| ulous
MANIAs OF A MAD MONARCH.
Louis is not the only member of his fam
lily who has a screw loose somewhere in
his upper works. One of his uncles has a
mania for wearing archiepiscopal robes,
while another is never so happy as when
dressed in Hungarian costume, and, whip
in hand, he is driving a horse round and
round circus ring. He has taught his
wife the exercises of the ring, and delights
in seeing her. in gauze skirts, standing on
the back of horse or jumping through
paper recovered hoops as the animal gallops
round and round. Besides being a musician,
sentimental and cruel, King Louis is also
a dreamer. There are days when he is
seized with the suicidal mania Once at
one of those passion plays which are so
popular in Bavaria the notion entered his
head to represent the Saviour, but he
wanted to be really crucitied, and to be
finished off with real spear thrust, and
it was with no little difficulty that ne was
induced to abandon the mad project. OF
late he believes himself to be Louis XIV,
and has the plays of Corneille, Racine and
Moliere played before him. If an actor is
missing he assumes the role himself. In
character the mad king is mixture of
contradictions and curious contrasts. He
is a devout Catholic, yet has always OPP
posed ultramontane excuses. His one
great fault is that of having no idea Of the
value Of money. 1t is this which Is the
cause of all his troubles
The king does not bother himself about
complaints ever reach his ear. 1t has been
many years since any of his ministers
have set foot inside his private office. To
communicate with the rest of the world
the king makes use Of the services of his
private secretary, who also is manager, or
superintendent of the civil list. Although
he is the only person admitted to the
sovereign's presence, this secretary exer-
cises no influence over the mind or will of
the king. He is a sort of mouthpiece,
sptaking-trumpet or telephone, but
nothing more.-J. H. Haynes Paris
Letter.