The Republican journal., 1892-04-28
The Republican Journal Thursday Morning, April 28 1892

many other interesting things, a lot of
Peruvian pottery, money that circulated
in the days of Socrates, Plato, Aristedes,
coins of Rhodes, Rome, Thrace and Ithica,
and fine collection of antiquities from
Herculaneum and Pompeii, which were
presented to the Empress few years ago
by her brother Bomba, of Naples.
Adjoining the museum is a laboratory, set
apart for experiments in natural philoso
ply and chemistry, fitted up with an air
pump, electrical and other apparatus, in
which the Emperor is said to have great
ly delighted his younger days. Beyond
the laboratory is a complete little theater,
and uponits drop curtain is painted
scene whose quiet sarcasm was probably
not intended by the artist. 1t is called
The Landing of the Portuguese and re-
presents group of astonished Indians, to
whom priest is offering a crucitiX, while
a company of frowning warriors, with up
lifted spears and battle axes. stand ready
to back the priest in his philantEropic
mission of impressing new doctrines upon
the natives.
We purposely left the Throne room to
the last. 1t is large, lofty, and gloomy
as a tomb, and never used except by can
tremely tenacious of all the solemn fooel-
les of Portuguese court ceremonies. For
example: on every }rd of May during Dom
Pedlo's long reign, he opened in person
the session of the Assembly Geral, and the
procession from his Throne room to that
in the Senatorial palace was a surprising
pageant. There We're the halberdierS,
foot- @uards) with their battle axes: dra-
goons and hussars in picturesque uniforms,
mounted military bands, six enormous
State carriages, each with six splendid ca
parisoncd horses, and liveried positions
and coachmen, for the officers of the I'M
perial household; the chariot OF the En-
press. strange affair, said to have be-
longed to Sebastian, who lost his life wal
ring with the Moors-clrawn by eight iron
grays: the magnificent Imperial carriage
its eight milk white horses decked with
Prince Of Wales plumes. followed by Il
cavalcade OF troops and AN innumerable
company of civilians.
The Empress. surrounded by her maids
Of honor, in their robes and trains of green
and gold. was always attired in court
tune consisting of an underdress of
white satin heavily embroidered with gold
rich lace falling over the corsage and
forming the sleeves. which We're looped at
the shoulder with magnificent diamonds.
The train was of green velvet, with gold
embroideres like that on the skirt; and
broad sash scarlet, purple and green
the combined ribbons of different Orders
crossed the bust from the right shoulder
to the waist, and above it sparkled mass
of emeralds and diamonds. Her hair.
cuIled in 'front.' was topped by a wreath Of
diamonds and emerads, set in the shape
of a coronet, from which a long white
ostrich feather curled gracefully back
ward
The Emperor dressed in imitation OF
his illuStriouS ancestor. King John, must
have looked rather funny. He was "blig-
ed To wear white satin from tip to toe,
even his shoes and the roses upon them
being of the same material. His naked
throat was surrounded like a school-hoy' :
by his shirt-flill, whose triple row of
cdging rested on a long ermine tippet
now days called boa. The suit fitted his
Stalwart legs and arms So snuglN that he
looked in imminent danger of bursting
through, and he must have been thankful
for the volumnouS train with which. iii
til at sorry case, he might envelop himself.
He carried the royal scepter in his hand
a long, slim. gilded pole, which he grasp
ed about two feet from the top, as hermits
are painted with their statfs. On his head
! was the crown. a great Spheroidal which
might have been modelled from melon
its orbicular sections meeting at the top
and supporting a globe, surmounted hy a
tall cross.
Arrived ut the Senate chamber. i, plain
room. forty feet suuare-thc Emperor as
sisted 10y the Marquis who bore his train.
ascended the throne, which was merely a
| high backed chair set under some drap-
l,,1,i ,I
Ger. Senators and Deputies were all i'll
official COStume-green coats buttoned up
to the chin and half covered with lace
white pantaloons with laced seams, swords
and chapeauX. As a rule Brazilians are
corpulent and rather below the middle
height and when His Majesty magnifi-
cent six feet four inches lowered head and
| shoulders above them, he looked every
inch a king in spite of his undignitied
| toggery. His annual address to the Sen
ate, setting forth briefly the conditions and
necessities of the empire, was not unlike
our President S Message. only it occupied a
good deal less time in the rea ding Then
he declared the session alberta. nodded to
the Empress in the gallery, picked up his
staff, bowed right and left to the Senators
and descended to his chariot, followed as
before by the Marquis carrying his
| tram ana all the d1gnltarleS OF the court
and members of the assembly. And then
| the procession solemnly returned to San
Christavoa through streets strewn with
flowers and hung from end to end with
crimson silk.
From the gloomy throne room, we went
down flight of stone steps to a tlowery
sun-lit garden thinking within our
selves that the contrast was not greater
than between the pomp in which the good
Dom Pedro lived, apparently beloved by
all the people, and his sad death in exile,
with none so poor as to do him honor.
The garden is full of cinnamon, sago,
citron and tamarind trees, and has an OBJ
| long artificial lake. surrounded by alter
/ nate vases and statues. The attendant
pointed out a marble bench, which he said
was the favorite resting place OF the royal
pairs in their morning promenade; and we
sat down upon it, wondering whether
after all, life is worth living under the
! shadow of a Crown. FANNIE b. WARD.