The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-05
The BOY KINGS
! LEGACY. 3 -
BY HUBERT M. SKINNER.

The young king of Spain, who is soon
to see his sixteenth birthday has re-
ceived from America a book which must
possess for him a peculiar and roman
tic interest For several weeks recently
this elegant volume was exhibited in the
windows at McClurg's in Chicago. where
it was viewed with curiosity by the pass
ersby, and there was distributed the re-
print of letter from the Spanish con-
sui to the queen regent of Spain in ref
erence to it.
The book is a new recension and ammo
tation of a Spanish classic which has an
interesting history connected with the
story Of a prince of CASTLE in the ages
long gone.
Four hundred and fifty years ago the
Spanish King John was much concerned
for the training of his son. Prince
Henry, who was to succeed him. Every
thing then depended upon the personality
of nations sovereign, and the aged
monarch looked with much apprehen-
sion to the future. Priests and military
men did not always succeed we'll in the
training of princes, and Henry was in
clined to be hayward boy. having lit
tie regard for his tutors. The king at
length hit upon an admirable scheme.
He would place the prince under the in
fluence Of one whom no one could fail
to love and admire
There was at his court another sir
Philip Sidney, in the person of the Mar
quis of Santillana. This nobleman was
a statesman, an orator. scholar,
soldier, a poet-in fact, a paragon Of
many-sided genius Such man must all
ways WELD an immense power for good
or for evil because of the admiration
with which the young men will regard
| him. To the marquis the king appealed
to guide the mind and the heart of the
young man upon whom the heaviest re-
sponsibilities We're to be laid.
Santillana's response to the royal APP
peal was generous and hearty He tried
plan which, it is safe to say, had not
occurred to any of the princes tutors
He wrote for the prince a noble poem on
the practical wisdom of human life It
consisted of 100 stanzas, of eight lines
each, and was called 1.-The Centiloquio. /"
1t was so peculiar in its meter and so
musical in its rhyme that it possessed
the fascination of a popular song 1t
presented a great number of historical
examples of life, showing what to emu
late and what to avoid in the careers Of
men and women; and thus it suggested
cycle Of historical study, covering a
wide range of culture.
The poem was for ages held nv t7a
parents and teachers in Spain as an al
most inspired model for the building of
character and the training of youths
The art of printing had not been per-
fected when this poem was written. and
it long existed only in manuscript form
But It's metrical verses We're easily learn
ed, and became popular among the I'M
lettered as we'll as among the learned.
/ 1f 49,.
| mitted to type, some amusing mistakes
We're made in rendering the proper
names, which had to be deciphered from
old manuscripts. Printed copies were in
great demand in Spain, and the poem ex.
erted an immense influence upon the de-
Velopment of the minds and hearts of
Spanish boys and girls.
Al this was long ago. In the course
of ages the poem was neglected for
later compositions, and for the last half
century no new edition has been issued
until now. The young ging of Spain to-
| day holds a position somewhat similar
to that of his remarkable ancestor.
| Prince Henry. He is soon to be invested
| with his full royal prerogatives Very
! much depends upon him. and upon the
| character which he is to develop; for
| there is now no other person in a posi-
| tlon 10 pdrmOIlze contendng factions in
| Spain as he can. To him. as to Prince
| Henry, the appeals of the tCentiloquio'
| are most opportune. They come with
| the weight of years, and with the per-
suasion, almost, of voice from above.
That an old Spanish classic should be
edited in America and dedicated to the
young king is significant or return OF
| good feeling between the countries lately
at war The letter of Caballero Don
Fernando Stand Y Ximenez to the queen
will have an influence in this direction.
This representative of her majesty in
requesting her to accept of the book and
to present it to her son, refers with feel
ing to the better understanding which is
| growing up as a result of the war, and
attributes the late conflict to the want
Of a mutual understanding between the
| Spanish and the Americans in former
years. He refers to the queens gracious
! gift Of the convent of La Rabida- Tin