New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-20
ROYAL WIT.
.rv,cEs OF KINGS TO APPEAR BRILL
liant.

nffff
-. TIA, one day on returning at noon he
sH counle Of garlins waiting outside the
- p.stoI with their gaze fxed on the en-
NV xyben he asked them what they were
w." ,or they informed him that they were
,.,s 70 see what the King was like, where
,be Relgian monarch replied that II was
.rv embarrassing spectacle" Not witty re-
-, n made by an ordinary person. but one
' 80 owing 10 the fact Of It's having fallen
w., roval Nps has been found worthy Of pub
aS.,on in every Partisan and French newspaper.
~s.rce II has been copied in the most extensive
..,,on by the press OF Germany. England. Italy.
s..,n Russia and in fact OF every civilized coun-
80 ~ the Old World. not a single journal Of
~.ch II is possible to take up without finding
~. s,Iv little story staring one In the face.
The publicty ana Importance thus given TO it
- calculated to convey the impression either that
.,a European newspapers are inane TO the point
:, sr,vel-a proposition which cannot for one mo-
-.,, be seriously entertained-or else that they
-s en- as,onished at the faintest manifestation
:, humor on the part of royalty that they are
~r,,ng IL attribute the quality Of wit TO almost
any utterance no matter how trivial. provided 1t
\. made by one Of the Amounted Of the Lord.
r, ia the latter impression that is correct The
,seciency on the part Of even the most intelec-
NAL and brilliant Of royal persOnages across the
wafer is only equaled by their anxiety TO pose
90 the sayers OF good things. OF all the kings
and queens who have reigned during the last few
hundred years is there one who remains on rec
ord as having said anything really witty-that
Is 10 say. something that would have been &C
knowledged as bright and scintillating II uttered
sv person OF less exalted rank? That they APP
nreciate wit and comprehend 1t is apparent from
the fact that the court jester has been recoS-
nized Institution since time immemorial; and II
to-day he no longer wears the rultl-coiored coat
and juggling bells Of the Middle Ages. he still
remains quite as much entity as in days of
yore
The Prince Of Wales has among his immediate
encourage men whose presence there Is due
neither to their birth nor their rank. nor yet to
their moral qualities. but merely because they
are witty and In the habit Of saying good things.
There have been so many of them-the Prince
soon firing Of people-that to enumerate them
would require almost the remainder Of this
article Those who occupy similar position tow
ard Emperor William OF Germany are Count
Philip Eulenburg and Baron Won kiderien-
Waechter who. although they are respectively
accredited as ENJOYS to the Courts OF Vienna and
Oldenourg. yet are most Of the time absent from
their posts LOT tne purpose VI go
Kaiser with their bons mots.
Both the Prince Of Wales and his imperial
nephew at Berlin Ike 10 pose wits. Theirs,
however. is only reflected wit That is to say.
being endowed with an excellent memory and
an essentially royal ia cility of adaptation and ap-
propriation. they merely repeat the bright say
tngs they have heard But they do not go quite
the length of that French King. Louis XVI, who
was so anxious TO be known a wit that he en-
ployed man solely to invent clever remarks
and repartees to be introduced into the royal
speeches and correspondence. This man was the
MARQUIS de Pezay. and he received salary or
10000 francs year. On all public occasions he
acted as the Kings prompter: and remember
the Prince de Ligne once showing me at Brussels
letter written by NJ d. Pezay to the King, d.
recting the latter how he was TO make par
ticuar mot.
Your Majesty" runs part OF the letter will
shortly proceed to the racecourse and VIII come
across a clerk recording the bets of your brother
the Comte d'Artois. and Of the Due dOrleans
Say sire on seeing him: Why this man? Is
writing necessary between gentlemen? Their
word should suffice" The King spoke as In
structed and II seems that the bystanders ex-
claimed quite true. fine saying. that OF the
King; VOLTA son genre" chat is just his style).
What King Louis did IN his time a number
Of ROYAL personages are doing to-day. and that
zoo. not only as regards witticisms, but also
criticisms on art music, literature etc. on ali OF
which subjects they are eager 70 be known as eX-
perts Thus the Prince OF Wales keeps an
equerry in the person OF Major-General Arthur
Fills who Is one Of the most enlightened and ac-
complished art connosseurs In Europe. for the
speclal purpose Of coaching him in such man.
h. obi n nj ~.
nineteenth century Medici in his patronage Of
English and foreign art.
King Humbert of Italy has absolutely no sense
q. bunor Not only is he incapable Of making
2 Joke. but ne does not even comprehend or APP
nreciate those made in his presence, while his
ally the Emperor Of Austria has had his reign
darkened by So many sorrows. domestic and
political that he has but little inclination to
Joke King Leopold OF Belgium in spite OF the
story told of him above as illustration OF his
sense Of humor occasionally says good thing.
think however | an wrong In calling them
good. since they are mostly unkndy and un-
Charitable references 10 persons with whom ne
has been brought into contact. His wit such
as IT is, is like that of his sprightly and some
what heartless daughter Crown Princess Ste
phanie Of Austria; that is. Of an ungenerous
character and always tinged with bitterness
and sarcasm.
King Carlos Of Portugal is dull and heavy
like his father and piece Of wit has 10 be very
full-favored in order to meet with his approval.
Indeed. a strange feature about kings and royal
personages in their appreciation as well as in
their making OF wit is their tendency to coarse
ness The broader the mot and the more lack
ing in decacy the more sure II is 10 find FAVOR
ir their eyes Both Emperor william and Queen
NictOria's second son. the reigning Duke OF
Coburg. have been known 10 make jokes In the
presence Of women which would have led 70 IN
dignant protest and remOnstrance or the part or
their hearers had II not been for Their lofty rank
Neither the King OF Saxony nor that Of Wur-
temperg has the reputation OF being witty.
and while old King Christian OF Denmark has
keen sense Of humor has also his nelghbor,
King oscar Of Sweden, yet In spite Of the good
will OF their cOurtiers and the readiness Of the