The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-11
1o1A moNrEz IN MtNIoH.

Audacious Deeds of Pretty Adventures.
To the Editor of the Journal and Courier
Lola Montez-what a strange chap
ter of history does this name call to re-
membrance! A chapter of folly and of
bitter earnestness, of love ana hatred,
of trivial motives and far-reaching eff
fects, a comedy and tragedy in one;
which opened with princely dalliance
and closed with tragic passage of Ba-
varian history-commencing on the
cheerfully lighted stage of the opera
house and ending amidst the fierce
cries Of an irate populace. She was
beautiful, this her enemies and the
jealous-(who could be reckoned by the
hundred)--could but admit. Her figure
was slender and graceful, her features
interesting and charming, her complex
ion faultless; her eyes We're dark blue
and her raven hair floated over her
shoulders; the parted lips revealed tiny
pearl-like teeth, while one of her adj
mirers once said: "She brought into
play the loveliest hand and dantiest
lOOI III Ilel movements "SAS
graceful and supple-in short, it seems
that nature had endowed Lola Montez
with all the gifts at it's command.
Her features and dark hair belonged
| to a sunny cline, while her complexion
| and eyes betokened a race of the north.
! Indeed, she was a child of both north
and south. She herself said she was
| the daughter of Carlist officer, that
she was born at Seville in 1923 and bap-
| tized Maria Dolores PORTS MonteZ.
| So she wrote the "Kolnischer Zeitung."
But "the Andalusian," as her royal
poet called her, did not hesitate to cos
| tune truth to please her own fancy.
In fact Lola was three years older, and
her cradle was rocked at Montrose in
| Scotland, she being the love-child of
creole and Scottish officer named Gill
| bert Among the tales of Boccaccio
| one reads the history of maid whose
beauty was her misfortune. She en-
tranced all men, and the only thought
| possessed by each was how he might
advance the maids interests. Thus it
was with this Scottish creole. Her
| loneliness was her doom, with this diff
ference: While Boccaccio's sultan's
daughter was compelled to walk the
path she did, Lola danced down the
way with absolutely no scruples and
with open eyes. She was only seven
teen when an impetuous sutton carried
her away from the girls school at Bath
and led her before the altar. 1t was a
young lieutenant who made the illegiti-
mate child the respectable Mrs. James
and gave her a secure position in the
world. But this was by no means the
aim or ideal of the young beauty. She
possessed gypsy blood, she was the born
adventures. The calculating temper
ament of the north and the unscrupu-
| lousness of the creole were in her COM
position. An unlimited egotism which
| admitted no custom, no right and no
conf1ne. Her southern style deceived.
1t led one to expect that naive, ardent
temperament which sways so rapidly
from evil to good; but Lola possessed
only unrestrainedness of will, no fac
ulty Of submission, no tenderness. In
her there existed an unhealthy tenden-
cy which seemed predestined to work
mischief. Such was Lola Montez, the
ballerina, as the former Mrs James
now styled herself on the French stage,
| having OeSeEIeC her HuSDdlu Ill Tic
tumn of 1870 Her name was soon
known throughout Europe. She app
peared in Madrid and London, ST. Pc
tersburg and Leipzig, Berlin and War
saw. 1t would be difficult to say where
she had not been, and one must seek
in the chronique scandaleuse of the
forties who would closely follow this
queen of vagabonds, finding the same
series of events-troops of passionate
devotees, mad prodigality, sensational
duels and peace of homes destroyed
Like Don Juan, she could show 1,O0t
conquests-a list including the nobiy-
born, great f1nanciers, the literati ano
artists; princes were not wanting. The
Prince of Reuss was compelled by his
subjects to dismiss the bewitchine
dancer. Finally the police put an enc
to her career for the nonce and she
took silent departure. Gathering hel
newly acquired property, including
cats and dogs, parrots and linnets, and
of course, her toilet articles, she sought
new scenes of conquest, cheerfully ant
airily-alI needless of the misfortune:
she had just experienced.
And now, if Lola had been neither
| lflOTe hui less lHuu d Dit VI
beauty in view her destiny would no
have guided her to Munich. The frs
evening in October, 1916, that Lols
danced at the Royal theater was a de
cisive one. Ludwig l. of Bavaria wa:
seized with a. fierce passion for her, 81
great, as he afterward said, as if h,
had partaken of love-p potion. TIL,
king was then in his sixtieth year, bu
this prince, in whom human frailt,
and merit were united with by NJ
means unsympathetic character, pos
sessed the heart of a youthful enthusi
asst and all an artists love for thu
beautiful. BY these he was held in TIL,
} thrall of Lola's charm. He was intox
icated with her beauty, her voice, he
grace. He forgot state, people anc
l family; he made no pretence of con
cealing his passion. 1t was soon pa
], tent to all. In the meantime he Law
: ished gifts upon her. Ludwig's excus
E was his passion, and this was so deel
2 that he did not discover the true char
8 acter of the Montez despite the fac
that she made light Of his position witt
!, shameless unconstraint. For Lola, re
D serve was an unknown quantity. an,
e now, when she found herself firmly il
e the saddle, she gave free rein to he
$ natural temperament. The full-blood
/ ed woman may have had from he
| ~ hot ,.oi 20