New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15

posed by his Cabinet, but to which he was
known to be antagonistic "Experientia docet."
and, TO judge from the composition Of his new
administration, the Marquis di Rudn has no
intention OF falling again into any such trap
that which shipwrecked his former Cabinet.
AN ENGILsHwOMAN AT THE HEAD.
The Marquis di Rudini is widower. His wife.
Frenchwoman by birth. daughter Of the Gen
eral du Baral, whom he married under romantic
circumstances, recently died in the private in
sane asylum on the Janiculum Hill. at Rome.
where she had been confined for the last ten
years. 1t is therefore the charming and popular
English wife Of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
the Duke Of Sermoneta, who will act the part Of
"Zenobia" and OF "Maitresse des Ceans' to the
present administration. cousin Of the Earl Of
Lathom. and a former lady waiting to Queen
Marguerite. she enjoys the reputation OF being
the finest horsewoman In Italy and her beauty.
still marvellous. in spite Of her having son
twenty-six years old is never seen to such ad-
vantage when she is In the saddle She re-
signed her membership Of the household OF the
Queen in consequence Of her inability to con-
form herself to the exigencies Of court etiquette.
but still remains Of the most intimate friends
OF Her Majesty, with whom she invariably
speaks English.
AS for the Duke himself Crispi in vain at
tempted to persuade him. to become a member
Of his last Cabinet. offering him the same port
folio as he now holds In the Rudn administra-
ton, namely that of Foreign Affairs He is no
novice In pubic business, having Tor several
years filled the remarkably difficult position Of
Mayor OF Rome, which he occupied at the time
when all the windows Of his palace Were
smashed by the dynamite explosion which took
place In the adjoining palace tenanted by the
American Legation, during the most critical
period OF the diplomatic conflict In connection
with the New-Oreans disturbances. The Duke
traces back his ancestry to Anatolus who was
Consul of Gaeta in A. H. 730. His family which
ranks In Importance with those of the Colonna
and the Orsini, has furnished Rome with two
POpeS III BOnifaCp
VIII Q2sD. and he possesses. besides the title of
Duke OF Sermonetd, those of Duke Of San
and also of Pieimonte Marquis of Cisterna. the
highly priced irst-class Grandezza of Spain. and
whole batch Of minor honors.
THE son OF RADICAL.
Notwithstanding the possession Of all these
dgnitiee and ancestral traditions the father Of
the present Duke was one of the warmest
friends Of Garibaldi. Of the Paris Communist.
Felix Pyat, and of the arch consprator MAJ
zini. besides being Of the most vigorous
opponents OF the temporal sovereignty of the
Pope. 1t was he who in 1870 was chosen to con-
vey to Victor Emmanuel at Florence the result
of the Roman pebiscite In favor of the abolition
OF Papal rule. and after the establishment in
1871. in the Eternal City, of the National Par
lament, in which he took his seat on the re-
publican benches of the Extreme Left he on one
occasion delivered speech in which he recon-
mended the destruction Of the Vatican by fire
as the quickest means of solving the Papal
question
The present Duke. although he has thrown in
his lot with the Quirinal rather than with the
Vatican. is far from sharing the extreme Views
OF his father. who died stone-blind about twelve
years ago. and nothing was more curious In the
early part Of King Humberts reign than 10 gee
the old Duke sitting In Parliament among the
Radicals, and his son. the present Duke. among
the Conservatives. two rival political parties that
often were near coming to blows. Father and
son will be found portrayed In several Of Marion
Crawfords Roman novels. though the author
scarcely does justice TO the peculiar appearance
of the present Duke. who. with his long, lean,
spare and bent figure, his narrow sloping shoul-
ders, his spectacles md his bushy. unkempt.
gray beard, looks far more like some Polish
scientist than like the most patrcian OF Roman
princes. This un-Itaian appearance Is perhaps
due TO the fact that his mother was a Polish
countess.
His sister is that Countess Lovatelli who has
achieved so much distinction throughout the
scientific world by her archaeological researches:
and of his six sons, the eldest, the Prince OF
Teano has already won a name for himself as
an explorer and hunter Of big game. the second
has composed a successful opera, the third has
made an excellent beginning as a playwright.
while the fourth has recently taken his seat and
made his maiden speech in the Chamber OF Depu-
ties The other two still too young 10 have
achieved any kind of distinction. but Will doubt
less In course Of time prove themselves like every
other member OF their house worthy Of the
ancient and illustrious name OF Caetani
EX-ATTACHE.