New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-24
COUNT KONIGSMARK.
A GERMAN BARRY LYNDON.

PIP. $50. Scrbner Wexford.
This is the second volume of q new series deal
ing with People who have made noise III "e
world -; o sufficiently elastic category, since IL
may include malefactors as easily as peneIacooiS'
the sole requirement being that the SUBJECTS nave
done something to attract attention In their the'
The case of Count Konigsmark and ION Oh leu
Thousand as Thomas Thyme, OF Lohsiea'' Il"
Wiltshire was called, acquired factltious In
nortonne At tho time through the wealth and stand
ing of the persons concerned, ana perhaps To-
pecially because of the interference OF inc hihg'
Charles the Second on behalf OF the accnSea loI-
eirner history of the Konigsmark family aiohe
would have been even more interesting as SHOW
ing how. q few generations ago, II was posSioie
for bold. clever, and unscrupulous people Oh goou
birth to conquer fortune and position by the
most ,apitious means, and to lay all Europe under
contributions in a quite medieval style. Inc
Konigsmarks were German; and boosted long
descent. The scions of the house appear TO have
been uncommonly endowed with physical beauty
STRENGTH and yalor and TO have been as nearly
az uossbe destitute of moral and spiritual virtues
One of their most distinguished representatives
in the seventeenth century was certain Marshai
Koniosmark, whose chief title to historical re-
membrance consists in the feet that he took ana
sacked Prague, and that he authorized massacre
on that occasion which would not have dis
credited the ferocity Of lilly.
For the rest he was soldier of fortune; one
~ those men bred of the long wars OF that an
archie period, who changed allegiance at the irst
prompting Of advantage, and who pursued their
military avocations with almost single eye 70
plunder That this kind Of practice IN no way
derogated from the estimation in which such al
venturers were held, is shown In the fact that the
inscription ON Marshal KOnigsmark's tomb cspec-
Tally mentions his preference for spoil over the de
structon of the enemy as laudaoie IalV' ana one
which ought to recommend his memory to pos
terity. No doubt he was cruel and rapacious
old ruffian, but kings and queens appreciated his
services, and made him rich and honored Wheh
the Peace of Westphalia ended the war in Europe
the Marshal was so disguised at finding his ocou-
nation gone that he actually refused to be bound
by the terms of the pact; and being then In COM
mand of an army belonging to the Queen Of sweden
he coolly marched his troops to the rich town OF
Bremen and proceeded to lay siege to the place.
Expostulation protest, denunciation, from all the
European Governments affected him in no way
lie defied everybody and went on with his siege
operations Only when Queen Christina PROM
ised to lavish rewards and dignities upon HIM II
he would reinquish his chosen prey, did he con-
sent to raise the SIEGE and it speaks strongly Tor
the fear he inspired that his Government kept
faith with the old swsshbuckler, and made him
one of the wealthiest mobiles in the kingdom.
Another Of this family WAS Aurora the Beau
tiful who captivated Augustus the Strong, ana
through him became the mother OF Marshal Sake.
Yet another Konigsmsrk has figured in history on
the dark side, and became one Of the principals
in that mysterious tragedy which closed his own
career and life together with the free existence
OF the wretched Sophia Dorothea, the wife OF
George the First The hero of that tragedy was
the Youngest nephew of the old Marshal and
brother of the Charles John Konigsmark whose
story Mr. vizetelly tells In the volume before us.
Like nearly all the male members Of the family,
Charles John was handsome, brave, enterprlsins
and thoroughly unprincipled. He undertook 70
open the world with his sword, and after serving
under this and that monarch he presently drif'ed
to England, and being well furnished with IN
Productions from high officials at the Court OF
Sweden was cordially received at ST. Jamess
The tone of the Restoration society must have
been quite to his TASTE and he speedily gained
reputation for gallantry and audacity lie was
as ready to fight as TO court, and both these ac-
compshments stood him in good stead II
happened that daughter of the great house of
Northumberland of the richest helresses In
England, was just then in the marria2e-market.
She had been welded when still child TO Lord
Ogle, feeble boy who, dying within year
OF the ceremony, left her widow. Count
Konigsmark cast his covetous eyes upon her great
fortune and was willing to enter the lists for her
favor. There seems reason to believe that he
had any chance, for his German quarterings would
not have been accepted by the Percies as
emitting him to look high, and Of fortune he
possessed little beyond his sword. But he was
Konigsmark, and therefore bold. and when he
learned that Squire Thomas Thyme of Longleat-
tom Of Ten Thousand" he was cailed-had
carried of the prize and married Lady Oge, al
most il not quite by force, he began 10 cherish
lively luminosity against the successful suitor.
1t Is true that Tom Thyme did not take much
by the ntrigues which apparently put the heiress
in his power; for Immediately after the ceremony
she fled to Holland with Lady Temple, and re-
fused to live with her husband upon any terms.
Konigsmark, seeing that his scheme of marrying a
fortune had failed, took refuge and sought con-
ISOLATION in fresh adventures, and he appears to
have found solace in at least direction, for
o story is told of his appearance in France soon
after, accompanied by very handsome page,
who it was whispered, really was an English
girl of noble family who had become infatuated
with the dashing scapegraoe. Nevertheless his
resentment toward "Tom of Ten Thousand" did
not die out and after various perilous adventures,
in the which he reaped distinction for his reck-
less bravery, he returned to England, but this
time incognito, and with villanous purpost at
heart Not long after this. Tenn Thyme was
proceeding along Pail Mall one evening" when
three horsemen approached his carriage, and while
one stopped the horses another fired blunderbuss
into the vehicle and MORALLY wounded the occu-
pant. The assassination perpetrated, the three
strangers set spurs TO their horses and dashed
away before the Mortified servants could stop
them. At ence, however, the hue and cry was
raised, and after a sharp pursuit, which would
have done no little credit to modern detectives,
the three murderers were taken, and day or
two later their employer, Count Charles John
Konigsmark, arrested as he was trying to
steal out of the Kingdom.