Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31

tT0DaOly no Dinckcr wretch has ever
figured on the Worlds stage. and furious
wrath and revenge seem to have been
his chief motive power. Cesar Borgia
had eyes which made most OF those who
came into contact with him--at any rate,
II they were, or we're with the
most remote probability suspected
OF being, in any way hostile TO
his incessant notorious plans-shud-
der under their baleful light Here,
however, was no overawing dignity, no
bsbitude OF command, serenely stern, no
deep insight into the minds and plans
Of those on whom those fierce eyes rested.
They simply expressed savage fury
that OF wolf which Stays and Stays and
slays, and which loves the scent OF
blood. Always ready, even IN his
moments of revelry, 10 sparkle with
fierce passion. Caesar Borgia's eyes,
say those who knew him most
intimately, were always as those OF
wild beast, ready Mt any moment to Kill
and devour. If, as was generally the
case with him. anger infamed his heart,
the ferceness of his demon-heart made
bis eyes. say the old chroniclers, "gleam
like balls of red fire, 80 that one might
have imagined fierce forest beast was
looking out Of them, and the bystanders
were shuddering with fear" Indeed,
it was common in Italy at the time
TO rank Cesar Borgia's eyes with
the qaaiocchio, and for those who had
ever seen them in anger to devoutly
hope so dreadful an experience would
never be repeated. This instance is one
OF brutal, passionate, rending, tearing,
tiger-like hate, infusing the terror into
the eyes with frank undisguised open
ness, only possible to the time and man
ners. Neither the surroundings OF
autocracy nor the claims OF military
craftsmanship to implicit obedience had
anything whatever to do with the effect
produced. Mere social terror was the
factor but it was undisguised and per-
sonal.
Here again, with the difference that it
was disgaised by the social hypocrisy OF
latter age, and by the cunning nature
of the man posing as the mere mouth
piece of people, we find parallel cen
turies later OfMsximilian Robespierre
no one can adequately paint the portrait
after Carlyle has limned the sea-green,
incorruptible, nor may one try to paint
those eyes which the same pencil has
sketcbed in a few lines. But certainly
to the list OF the most terrible his
toric eyes must be added those
bilious, bloodshot, stealthy orbs
which, without any OF the tiger
fire of Caesar Borgis's, had q ruthless,
shifty, tiger-cat CLEAN essentially their
own. Many have given us some notion
of the effect Of that little ioppisnly-
dressed Pathological man OF blood and
prescription. Few. comparatively, have
particularly noticed his eyes, simply be-
cause the horror of expectant fear which
his stealthy glance produced in those
toward whom it was directed was so gene
raj and widely known that the very fact
made any particular allusion unneces-
sary. Sometimes, however, in the cotem-
porary literature of souvenirs OF the
revolution we come across an alluslon to
the grim visaged front Of Robespierre
and the peculiar shiver felt by those at
whom the dictator looked with any de-
gree of attention. Such q glance inter-
cepted across the table it was which
caused the guest at the famous dinner at
the restaurant to go outside and lind IN
the tyrant's coat-pocket the list OF the
prescribed, which led to Tallien's over
throwing him. setting all on the hazard
of the die, for whoever found Robe
spheres crafty eyes blinking at him
knew well that that glance was the pre-
liminary to the Revolutionary Tribunal
and the guillotine.
That personal advantage having no
particular necessary connection with the
inspiring of fear by the glance is suffi-
GENTLY proved in the case of Iamerlane.
Two more instances there are, both
modern, very widely different, but in
each case showing the personal influence
OF the man-in the one case supported
by unquestioned power and despotic au-
thorIty in the other, which is really the
more curious of the two, by personal
ascendancy from sheer force of charac-
ter, not in any way backed up by ma
teiial force. OF all eastern poten-
tates. whether ancient or modern,
competent Judges have united III de-
claring that none ever made his look
more feared than did Runleet Sing, the
Lion Of Lahore, whom doubtless many
old Indians must remember. Eye-wlt-
nesses, European as well as native, de-
cIared that among his wild hordes OF fol-
lowers. some of them among the fiercest
troopers in the world, Runieet inspired
intense personal fear in all who came
near by his look, his eyes being I'M
speakably dreaded. Yet he was scanned
with smallpox, one eye was destroyed
by il, his face was wien, and
his voice a shrill and squeaking one.
With all these disadvantages the
Lion of Lahore's glance so terrorized
his subjects that for result akin to 1t we
must 90 to Mahmoud. of Ghuzni, whose
"dreadful brow is historic. The other
instance in which personal disadvantages
have been in inverse ratio to the unques-
toned authority exercised is that of a
parsonage much less known, aud TO
whose good qualities justice has not yet
been perhaps done. We mean Walker,
commonly called the "Filibuster. He
was little. spare, weakly man in as
pect-a mere nobody, physically, IN the
midst OF his big, wild western rangers.
But, as an eyewitness has said "Walker
had the eyes of lion." In this lay the Sc
cret of the extraordinary authority
which he exercised over so many men
of the widest aud most daring charac-
ter, accustomed to brook no master.
The indomitable spirit enthroned in that
pigmy body was fifty typifed by those
iron-ilke eyes. Nor was it until Walker
was reused to anger that the peculiar
force Of his look was found. In such a
case all the intense and vital energy
of the mans heart blazed in his eyes,
and then, according to all accounts. they
became terrible. Before their anger
the biggest Texan rangers covered
like frightenend children. Now per
haps, this is, of all cases, one OF the
most noteworthy in the history OF terri
BILE eyes. because the man possessing
them had no physical advantages, no
! sattIed authority and orescriptlOn no