Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-28
tCopyright.l

al the cottage in which John Milton
AOJived and where he completed para
disc Lost and commenced Para
dised Regained" With few trifling excep-
tons the cottage is unchanged in appearance
since the poet inhabited it, and for the purpose
OF preserving the old residence Of the author
OF Paradise Lost" subscription fund of $500
is being raised in the district The queen has
given F20 as an expression of her interest in
the undertaking and it will soon be that Chal-
FONT will have an attraction second only to that
OF Stratford-on-Ayon. Chalfont st. Giles is
one OF the most quiet and restful villages in
England, buried as it is in the midst of its sur
rounding hills and shut out by natural barriers
from the turmoil of a busy world. In small
ana ancient cottage facing garden, across
the venerable front Of which run long beams
OF dark and solid oak, is low-ceiled room in
winch tradition says Milton composed Para
disc ReSaIned" The spot is one to inspire in
any bosom the noblest and highest ideals.
Millions REMAINS.
Apropos of this subject, the publication the
other day by well-known antiquary of a
pamphlet entitled "a Narrative of the Disin-
terment of Millions Coffin in the Parish Church
OF ST. Giles, Cripplegate," recalls an act of
desecr&tlon committed exactly one hundred
years ago. Owing to the many alterations which
the interior of the church had undergone
previous to 1880, the exact resting place of Mil
ton was not known, and in that year while
worknlen were engaged in making extensive re-
pairs to the church they were instructed to
search for the coffin. A coffin bearing no in
| scription was found under the place where the
clerks desk had been when the interment was
made; the church records showed that this was
the place where the remains of Milton were
| 1ald The 1eaden coffin inside of which was
| one OF wood continuing the sacred ashes, was
carefully scraped and washed, but as nothing
| In the way OF an Identification OF the contents
was discovered, the overseer of the work, not
caring to disturb the inner coffin, refused to in
| yestlgate further.
! DESIGNATION.
On the evening of the discovery surgeon,
pawnbroker and a coffin maker were con-
yersing on the topic of the find" An idea
TO crafty their curiosity took possession of the
/ party, and, repairing to the church the coffin
maker forced open both cofins and sxpoxed
the shrouded remains to sight. Then followed
the CHASTITY dissertation. The publican pulled
hard at the teeth, which resisted until, as he
himself stated, he picked up stone and
knGckea them out" The bones were further
violated being thrown around the church, and
| the contents of the coffin-the earthly remains
| OF the immortal Milton-were scattered ON the
| floor. On the following day they were gath
| ered hastily together, bundled into the old
coffin, which was repaired so far as it was nos
| y Il
that no trace Of the remains is in existence
today.
| ROYAL HOBBIES.
| 1t is not generally known that the Duke of
| Edinburgh is an enthusiastic collector of post
age stamps. He himself acknowledges this
weakness, which is innocent enough in all con-
science! All the members of the English roval
family have hobbies, and very creditable ones
al that. Ihere Is no better judge of china and
4 q. r. ,,lx-
| Connausht is passionately fond Of the war
game, upon which subject he is an authority:
| Empress Frederick and Princess Christian are
| so clever writers that they might get a good
hvlng by their pens had they not been born to
the purple; Princess Louise, Marchioness of
/ Lorne, Is a talented painter and sculptor. and
| Princess Beatrice is one of our best amateur
actresses
| The Austrian imperial family also counts
many amateur artists among its number Both
| the emperor and the empress are oxceIIen
| musicians and Archduchess Marie Valerie
| possesses magnificent contralto voice. While
| on the subject of the Austrian imperial family
IT may be OF interest TO state that Empress Eliza
beth has developed kind of mania for build
ing very similar to that displayed during the
last years of his life by her unfortunate cousin.
Hing Louis of Bavaria. She has spent enor-
nous sums on villa which she has caused tn
be erected at Corfu. Another palace has been
erected at an expense of Several millions of
having falry-like palace built on the left
shore OF Lake Staruberg, not far from Castle
Berg, where King Louis met with his tragic
end
MAGNIFICENT PALACE.
The walls of the new building are of pink
granite; there are two stories each with fif-
| teen double windows, and broad terrace and
porphyry colonnade form the upper part of the
bastion. The staircascs are all of marble IA
| lGn tha N lie and
banquetng room. one side of which is open to
the air. the other side being composed of
Florentlne mosaics In the courtyard there
are large buildings for stables coach houses
and servants lodgings. Artists from Munich
have taken possession Of the house to pa1nt
the ceilings and dados All is being done with
as much celebrity and breathless obedience to
the command of the imperial lady as the archi-
tects of the east showed sultan of Baydad.
when he bade palace of alabaster and Jade
uprise IRON, the sand. The castle is surrounded
by stately gardens, where thickets of oleander
iuxuriant with blossom, crimson, white or blush
color, fill the air with faint, dreamy perfumes
Rose-garlanded coionnades surround the winter
garden,
MARVELLOUS CRYSTAL DOME
so lightly built that it is hardly possible to see
the iron frame work which holds the convex
plates OF crystal together. Palms fifty feet
high and huge bushes Of feathery mimosas
and tangins grow therein as luxuriantly az in
their native soil. and III said that the empress
means to use this immature Vale of Cashmere
as her boudor. She Is at the present moment
experimenting the workmen who are putting
the finishing touches to this new and beautiful
whim OF hers, and availed herself of this as an
excuse for her non-appearance at the court
procession which took place few days ago at
vienna on the feast OF Corpus Christi
ROYAL PROCESSION.
The emperor and all the archdukes. of course
were present and drove to the st. Stepben's
Cathedral in coaches drawn by six white horses
and escorted by the pages of the palace in their
scarlet seventeenth-century Costumes. The
guard Of honor outside the cathedr al was f1r-
nished by the Austrian Life Guards and nv the
Hungarian Guards on gray chargers a splendid
troop, who are generally only seen on horse
back on this one day of the year. Thew wear
red and silver hussar uniforms, with leonard
| skins over their shoulders, yellow boots and
BUSHES with white heron plumes After a serv
ice of three quarters of an hours length in tho
grand old cathedral the procession issned
| through the western door and passed along the
streets, which were thckly strewu with rnsbes
and flowers and lined with soldiers. Deputa,;ons
| of parochial clergySand monks carving siIken
| banners, choristers swinging golden censers
| and chanting canticles, knights of the various
imperial orders wearing their collars and stars
and fanked by mounted guards, walked in
| 'front.' Then came the archbishop. and behind
him the emperor and archdukes, bearing in
their hands long, lighted wax candles. They
| were followed by the cabinet minister's tbs
| generals Of the Vienna garrison, and a iargs
throng OF officers in glittering uniforms. The
\ III u