The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-31
INTERESTING DYNASTlES.
Characteristics Of The Various Houses Of
Royalty.

The idea, not only Of the public. but of
Psychologists and historians also. is that
man derives more from his mother than his
father: but it is curiously contradicted by
the history Of European dynasties. The
sOyereigus inherit thrones from their faith
ers only, or, II a case like that of King AL
ph0nso XII, or our own Prince Of Wales,
from a mother who is heireSs, and therefore
represents, not a foreign family as Queen
ConSort does, but the Teigning house itself.
Yet every dynasty bas presented certain
marked and fixed tendencies, extending.
like the Hapsburg under lip, even TO physi-
cal peCuliarlties.
The BOurbons, who inherit from men
only, have always been very royal, able to
reign If not to rule, with certain largeness
of view visible even in the unhappy Louis
XVI and an inYincibie ubStinacy, which
has illustrated or discredited them accord
ing to its object They have been different
men, but nobody mistakes the B0ur-
bon face, and we cannot recall one
of the house who has lacked the special
Bourbon qualification, which we can
best define as regality. The Hapsburgs have
been much more alike and have all exhibited
a certain JOyian serenity as OF men above
the accidents of fortune as well as most of
the obligations OF life. They believe In
themselves to a strange degree and on
tic ufUEAbH dltGi Il AtiCdb VI Oit q dd4 VI
victory equally feel and behave as rightful
emperors. Dignity, as We suppose 1t ought
TO be called, Is their special Characteristic
combined with hurry to act which comes
out throughout their history and is Droba-
bly, an Inheritance from the visionary Maxi
milan las strenuouSnesS has been that
of tile HohenZolleTns, who for the rest have
resembled domineering, thrifty, but not I'M
respected landowners One always thinks
of them as of great race of squires, which
is what they have personally looked, though
Frederick the Great rose higher and would
have been taken Tor parsonage III any So
ciety In the world.
The British reigning family, which has
never ceased to be German in appearance,
has always exhibited IN different ways
cbarac ter of strong OrdinaTineSS, which the
English people have understood as the Han
overianS did, and, on the whole, with most
curious little outbreaks of popular con-
tempt, have agreed to approve. Ii is a char
acter which rises at crises and somehow inn
presses those about them, probably from
conviction, always grateful to EngliShmen.
that they viii never do anything wholly IN
expected. What the English would do with
really original monarch it is impossible to
say: probably move an address of both
houses, praying him never to spead In pub
lie, except through responsible Minister.
The house of BOnaparte has char acteIiS-
tics as marked as those of any older fami-
lies whose habit of reigning has been less
spasmodic. Its members have all shown
ability, have all been ambitious of
thrones - 10 be kings is the role OF
Bonapartes as to be AdniralS and
Generals is of so many naval and
military families-and have all shown nin-
capacity to feel the pressure Of obligations.
whether religious or social or moral. They
have not been gentlemen, not because they
have any liking Tor common ways, but be-
cause 10 be refined is TO submit to an I'M
mense number Of rules and obligations
which oppressed them much as clothes OPP
press a Maori. They have been at heart
like the ancient Caesars, soluti legibus, I'M
bound by laws-a position which, by the
way, tile great Bonaparte used 10 claim for
himself when talking with his intimates, ia
so many words.-St. Louis Post-Dispatch.