, 1889-04-19
UNEASY CROWNED HEADS.
Yet Few of Them Willingly Dispense with
the Gnded BRubIe-

the Gnded BAubIe-
However uneasy may lie the head
that wears a crown, the owner Of that
head seldom evinces any desire TO put
away from him the splendid cause Of
his disquietude. Even in these con-
stitutional days, when royalty, shorn
of its ancient powers, prerogatives and
privileges, is to a great extent become
a mere titular and ornamental dignity,
there are few more troublesome and
unthankful offices han that of a king.
In the first place, the occupant of a
throne is compelled by the intrinsic
~eNigencies of his exalted position to
lead an almost entirely artificial life.
He may not at any time, even when
"otf duty" so to speak, be absolutely
himself, 10 the extent of yielding to
the impulses or indulging the tastes
with which nature has endowed him.
Privacy is all but un~attainable 10 him;
for, when he is not engaged in trans
acting state business, or in playing his
prescribed part in court ceremonials
or public celebrations, he is still sur
rounded by officials and attendants
who closely watch his every action
and gesture, and are eagerly alive to
the lightest word hat falls from his
lips. To be natural in his behavior or
spontaneous in his utterances is to be
guilty of dangerous imprudence, see
ing that all he does and says is pecu-
liarly liable to misinterpretation. The
pleasures, comforts and consultations of
friendship are denied to him.
How, indeed, should a king have
friends, when his daily and immediate
encourage is necessarily composed Of
persons who desire his favor in order
to turn it to their own profit and ad-
vancement, and whom he himself has
been sedulously taught TO regard as so
immeasurably his interiors that be-
tween him and them, from his point
of view, there can be little in common
save mortality A king is a man who,
by the accident of birth, is continu-
ously constrained to control his feel
lngs and repress his emotions; to guard
his own speech and discourage frank
ness iii that of others; TO follow advice
which is frequently repugnant TO him,
and publicly indorso opinions with
which he secretly disagrees; TO as
sumo an immense superiority TO those
whose puppet he is in reality; TO set
an example of physical ''tenue'' and
moral decorum 10 his subjects; in
short, To play a part throughout every
hourNof the day and every day of the
year, so long, al least, as he shall
reign. His time is scarcely over his
own; if he entertain likes or dislikes,
he is bound TO conceal them; oven
with respect to his matrimonial alli-
ances he is seldom allowed to choose
forh himself, international and political
considerations, in his case, mercilessly
taking precedence of personal inclina-
ton. He is constantly-almost inces-
santly-''en evidence" exposed TO the
fierce light that beats upon a throne"
The wonder is, considering how
heavily the pains outweigh the pleas
ures of regal office, hat men of genial
disposition, cultivated intelligence and
strong individuality can be induced to
accept it nowadays, or at any rate to
burden themselves with so oppressive
an incumbency for n lengthy term of
years. OF that incumbency Milan
Obrenovich has ridded himself, let us
hope TO the advantage of Servia and
her neighbors. No one in his W
country or any other will regret him,
for he was an eminently unsatisfac-
tory monarch. What may be in store
for his son, a godson of Gar Alexan-
der Nicolaievich, and reputed to be a
youth Of shining parts, time will
show.-London News.