Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-05-18
COURT PAGENTRiES.
The Universal Disappearance of Old-Ti0e
Pomp and Display OF Royalty.

Pomp ana Display OF Royalty.
The time seems fast passing away
for the frequent great state pageants
in which the royal courts Of Europe
were wont to indulge. 1t is true that
now and then we hear descriptions of
gorgeous ceremonies, attended by all
the state and show OF the old IN time.
but they become more and more rare
as the age advances.
| Attention is called to the fact by
notable exception to it which was re-
Gently seen at the Winter Palace. in
st. Petersburg. The Russian New
Year comes eleven days later than
ours, and is preceded. according to the
rules of the Russian Church, by IA
very strict fast of six weeks. Then
all the pomp of the Imperial court is
displayed as the new year opens. On
! the last Of these occasions the festivity
was observed with quite as much
splendor as in earlier days. 1t was
1 half European, half Oriental The
I costumes and uniforms We're dazzling
2 and varied. and Circassians and Sibe-
d rians We'd with European Russians in
Q the brilliancy and gorgeousness of
If their displays.
l. The halls of the Winter Palace. says
q n graphic account, ''were converted, by
n means Of rare tropical plants, into
y gardens of delicious verdurc; the
e mellow sheen of thousands of wax
ID candles contrasted with the brilliancy
le of the electric light, shining on bullets
)r heaped high with the coronation plate
W and background Of supper tables
le was laden with native and eXoti,
delicacies.
ls Such scenes, which were once mo-
es uncommon at European courts, arr
III now rarely presented at any excep
re the Russian court
he In England gorgeous state pagean
lg is in these days rare indeed. On tn
nd occasion of her jubilee, a year and
on half ago. indeed Queen Victoria mad
ne Il brilliant celebration, at which King
nut and Pr nces attended in glitterin
ew flock; but even then it was notice
In the Queen did not wear the grea
all crown of Britain, which, with tn
sn, Koh-i-noor cleaning in the center
of visitors to the Tower OF London st
he inclosed in gla $.
rs Paris has not witnessed any yer
zen splendid pageant for more than tw' nj
years. Parisians who remember Il
mt. display of Napoleon H.. when,
he 1867, he was visited in turn by near
oor every crowned head of Europe, and
ry- at least one Asiatic potentate, can fiji
her nothing tnat has taken place since
tile equal it. France is Rcpub lean. al
as since the downfall Of the Empire h
ugs become less ostentatiou-.
sed 1t used to be the boast of Spain tn
the the court of Madrid was the only gre
len. court in Europe. "Nadrid eS Sc
uch rorte,n the Spaniards used proudly
hat declare in their musical tongue; b
to the glories of the old Spanish cou
les. have pretty much passed away. The
as is still more stiff and rigid ccremor
too indeed, at the Madrid palace than
n any other, and host of royal servar
the pass daily through IA strict routil
but even coronations and royal ba
anne sms are performed with far |,
TX a brilliancy of cerenlny than former
ury- 1t is said that the present King
In Italy lives in almost as modest 81
de- picity as his father, Victor Emmanu
ldge did before him. Certain it is Il
inst Rome rarely witnesses great ro.
lie pageant, while it is deprived, to 50
lvor extent at least, of the stately para,
the made by the Pope and his Cardin
In when he was the temporal ruler of
was Eternal City.
ne The German pageants OF the mode
/ day are, for the most part, great IN
rary reviews and maneuvers, desigr
to set forth the armed prowcss OF
e to Empire, and the same may be said
those of the Austrian court
says With the more democratic age
on vanishing the old-time pomp and {
he play of royalty, as if it were felt Il
ined such display is out of place at a per
9th when the people are taking grea
here share in the Governments. and a
eX- period. also, when immense sums
and money are needed by the sovereign
order to keep up their huge militia
lser- armaments.- Youths Companion.
rpet