The Portland daily press., 1896-02-08
ABOUT CALTGuLA.
But Berlin Thinks 1t Might Read
William.

But Berlin Thinks 1t Might Read
William.
Life of the Roman Emperor Creates
Suspicion-It Might Also be Story of
the Kaiser's Career.
Several months ago much comment
and little excitement were caused in
Germany by the publication of an essay
by Macmillan Harden. It was, nominal
ly. study of the Roman Emperor Cali
ugla, but the Berliners chose to see In it
yelled attack on Kaiser Wilhelm. Re-
cent events have given this essay re-
newed interest, both literary and politi-
cal, and justify presentation of the
most striking points of it. The transla-
iton Is taken from The Westlninst Ca
zette:
The young Emperor was at the time
of the death of his father an almost un
known, enigmatioal parsonage. During
the last years,i is true, courtiers had
propagated very favorable rumors con-
corning his abilities; they repeated his
clever words and tried to prove of what
tough wood a young man must be made
who, under such difficult circumstances,
had been able to held his own; but
others spoke with great mlsgivings OF his
presumption and conceit. They were
afraid Of his inclination to abuse his
great power; that he would be easily in
f1uenced by crude, unripe personal ideas,
and they also recalled certain brutality
earliest manhood. But everybody
thought that as the first consequence of
his accession to the throne the influence
upon the government of the coun try of
the all-powerful Project of the Guards
would be still more increased; to him,
as the whole world said and knew, the
young Emperor was particularly indebted
and under special obligations
But of things expected or feared the
opposite generally takes place. The lead
ing statesman soon fell into disfavor with
the Emperor, his influence diminished
and ceased altogether; the Emperor took
| the relns OF government into his own
hands, and commenced to show very soon
that he alone means
TO BE THE MASTER.
The beginning of the reign of Caligula
was promising enough; he soon surprised
the whole world by his acts and his
modes of action.
But soon the thinking portion of the
nation commenced to see that all this
passion for work Of their new Emperor
was not'founded upon his desire to do
something good and noble, but upon his
ambition to be admired as the promoter
Of popular efforts, and to be handed
down to posterity as a great man; the
principal feature of al, his acts and
measures was nervous haste which in
cessantly hurried him from one task to
another in leaps, often clashing with
each other, together with a dangerous
desire to carry out everything himslef.
The Emperor would not tolerate any
Independent character near him; he
wanted to do, and pretended to know,
everything In every business of State.
science, and in every branch of human
knowledge, and personally OF interfere
in every department.. Soon much worse
character traits came to light. His reck-
less conceit, his surprising ideas to re-
from, the sudden removals and cruel
measures against high personages may,
perhaps, for some time yet have evoked
the applause of the masses as the acts of
a vigorous ruler, but the thoughtful por-
tiOn of the nation saw already behind
these acts the terrible spectre-madness.
| The picture of Caesarean madness
which we find in Caltgula is typical. We
| can almost follow the development of his
| disease. One OF the symptoms, which in
| itself need not be of necessity disease,
but in which, together with other symp-
toms, the m egalomania of Caligula
showed itself at an early stage, was his
| unmeasnred, unbounded love OF ostenta-
tlOn and extravaganza.
| Another direction which the megalo-
mania Of Princes with diseased brain
takes Is the greedy hunger for military
| triumphs. The circumstances were not
favorable to real war, the frontiers of
the empire being secure, and a further
extension of the realm appearing undesir-
able Caligula's diseased mind, his ar
dent wish to shine at any price in mill
tary matters, drove him, with childish
impetuosity, to the invention Of play
thing manoeuvres with theatrical mise
ell scene. Quite suddenly he made up
his mind to repair to the army on the
kline; in the greatest hurry everything
had to be made ready. When he arrived
at headq uarters he distinguished himself
particularly by an unusual martinez
severity against he officers; and espec-
tally the generals who did not arrive in
time at the place of rendezvous on ac-
count of the unexpected mobilization of
the army had to suffer from his violence.
And, though he did not care to be re-
minded Of his own youth, he dismissed
great number of officers on the plea that
they were too old. The
PLAYING AT SOLDIERS
and the manoeuvres became farce,
which the whole world laughed at.
For the second time the fantastic idea