Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-17
Tmn mOvAL HOUSE, or nELelUM
Many sharp Encounters Have Taken
Plnce Between KInR and Mobiles,

Many sharp Encounters Have Taken
Place Between King ana NObles'
King Leopold does not live on terms
Of cordially with the members of the
Belgian nobility The latter comprise
some of the Oldest and grandest fam
lilies Of Europe, who cannot forget
that 100 years ago In the house of CO.
burg, to which King leopold belongs
was the dover rank, and of inferior
Importance TO many of their own,
Thus when on the occasion OF the fes'
tivities in connection with the we'd
ding OF Princess Ludmille Arenberg
to the eldest SON of the duke OF Croy
the king wrote an autograph note TO
the brides mother, the dowager duch'
ess OF ArenberR, asking for an invita-
ton for Baron and Baroness Lambert,
the baroness being the daughter OF
Baron Alphonse Rothschild, at Paris,
and her husband, the Brussels repre-
sentative OF the great banking house
In question, the duchess sent back to
his majesty curt and rather sarcast'
ic note intlmating that while there
might be reasons Of political or per-
sonal nature which might induce him
70 open the doors OF his palace TO the
Lnmberts, the time In her oTlnion
had not come for the children of the
house of Israel to be received on q
social footing under the Arenberg
roof tree.
"ln three centuries from now" she
added, "my descendants may perhaps
consent TO make such concession,
but shah certainly never do So
II was shortly after this, and in or
der to atone fort the refusal Of the old
duchess TO receive them, that King
Leopold conferred the title Of baron
upon the LNmberts,
This Is only one OF the vNny sharp
encounters of an analogous character
which have taken place between the
king and the Belgian mobiles aud so
strained have the rcloticHs become
that some Of the grnndest Of thsm
are transferring their headquarters
from Brussels TO the capitals of other
countries, in which they rank as peers
Of the realm. Thus the duke OF Aren-
berg, n son of the old duchess above
mentioned, Is now in the act of trans
ferring his entire belongings, includ-
ing his priceless art treasures, from
the famous Arenberg palace at Brus-
sells which have been the home Of his
family since the year l5iS, to Berlin,
where he proposes TO make his per-
manent residence from henceforh,
The palace itself has been sold to the
city of Brussels, which proposes to
use II from henceforth as sort Of
palace of science, that is to say,
species Of scientific and historical
museum,
Among the most famous treasures
which the duke is removing from
Brussels to Berlin, is the world re-
nowned LAGOON, found hundreds OF
years ago under abridge at Florence,
and universally regarded MS the most
perfect specimen Of ancient Greek art
in existence, and Of such value that IL
Is never shown except behind steel
bars.
In Belgium the mobiles enjoy no legal
privileges Of immunities, whereas as
the head Of mcdiatiZed house the
duke will in Germany possess innum-
cradle prerogatiyes. II is regarded
as probable that the dukes action In
thus transferring his allegiance from
King Leopold to Emperor William,
will have some influence in inducing
the letter to act with clemency to.
wards the dukes younger brother,
Prince Prosper Arcnberg, who is now
under arrest for killing of a native
official in German West Africa, the
emperor having quashed the sentence
to three years Imprisonment recently
passed upon the prince by n German
court-martial, on the ground that il
did not meet with the requirements
OF the case. The duke, who Is entitl-
ed to a seat In the Prussian house OF
lords, Is descended from the Robert
de Ia Harck, so familiar to the read
ers Of Sir Walter Scott, and among
the ancestors Of the duke Is the fam
GUS lowland patriot, Count Egmont,
who occupied the Arenberg palace at
Brussels and was decapitated beneath
its windows.