The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-19
R0SEBERY'S
CAREER OF THE FA- NOUS LADY HESTER sTANHoPE.
Reigned for Thirty Years as the Queen of Lebanon-Sultan -- raid to Dislodge the High-Born Wo- man-Though Mad, the
 Eccentric Usurper Had Many Devoted Fol-
 lowers
Chicago Chronicle.

Lord Rosebery, who has returned so enl- phatically to the fore in British politics in the past few weeks, with a chance of once more occupying the position of pre- mier comes of family which has had In it many brilliant and some ratio mem 1 bers. But for brilliancy and eraticism no member of the clan could equal his great aunt, Lady Hester Stanhope, who, when barely 8 years old, established herself in | Syria as queen of Lebanon and reigned an oriental monach in the wilderness for thirty years.
 In her youth Lady Hester Stanhope kept house for her uncle, the famous Will liam Pitt-the younger Pitt-and, acting as his private secretary, shared in all the political secrets of the day. She was the leader of London society as we'll as a power in politics and gathered about her a brilliant company. London has seen nothing like 1t since, for in Lady Hester's circle rank had to be backed by brains and both by achievement. Of that company the most brilliant, the most fascinating personality, not excepting that of Pitt himself. was that of Lady Hester.
 When Pitt died Lady Hester went trav- | cling for a couple of years, and then the world was suddenly astonished by news which came out of the east that an Eng | fish woman had established a kingdom in the mountains of Lebanon and over the surrounding deserts, had acquired an absolute power over the mountaineers and unbounded influence over the desert tribes and had proclaimed herself the prophecies of new religion made up of what would now be called the Second Advent belief, tinctured with Moham- mechanism. The wonder grew when 1t was learned that this astonishing woman was none other than the former leader of London society. Lady Hester Stanhope.
 Sultan Afraid of Her.
 The Turkish government at first was in doubt what to do in the matter. Lady Hester's wealth was large and she spent | it profusely; she had great influence with the hardy and warlike people over whom she had announced her intention of ls- ing queen, and moreover. she was Eng Iish and England was the great packer of Turkey among the nations. So finally the sublime porte decided to confirm her as a satrap and let her alone, regarding her as a wealthy and charitably disposed lunatic, whose power, however, was not to be despised. But Lady Hester's pride | was unbounded and more than once got her into trouble with the sultan. so that the British minister had to interfere to keep the peace.
 The suddenness with which this brilliant woman had appeared on the slopes of Lebanon and announced that she had divinely appointed commission to be queen of that part of the world; the splendor with which she surrounded herself; the great sums which she gave in charity and the just and masterful manner in which she conducted her government all cap tured the imagination and won the re- spect of the Syrians, while her mystic harangues and weird prophecies inspired them with awe.
 Lady Hester Stanhope had been the em- bodiment of everything that was conven- tional, polite and polished The queen of Lebanon was everything that was uncon- ventional, wild, barbaric and mystical. She dressed as an Arabian chief and roamed over the desert at the head of a horde of bounding Bedouins." Some times she would set up her court amid the ruins of Zenobia's palace at Palmyra. Then she would go back to the capital which she had established at DJoun on Mount Lebanon and occupy the palace which she had built there and in which she lived in oriental magnitcence. Her word was the only law of the land, and at her bidding couriers would ride forth with messages which would stir the des- ert tribes from Damascus to the Eupnra- tes. European travellers visited her court and came away to write and tell strange stories of it's marvels and Of the aston ishing woman who went into states or religious ecstasy and prophesied from the throne.
 Loved by Her Followers.
 Lord Rosebery's aunt was undoubtedly lcrazv and her family should have placed her under mild restraint, but it would have taken pretty big army to have transferred the queen of Lebanon from her throne to a madhouse. Occasionally Queen Hester was joined by fanatics oi both sexes from America and Europe, but generally they did not stay long with ner She would have no cranky ldeas put hei own fin her kingdom and after a brief SO
 1ourn the American or European proselyt' usually had a violent quarrel with thu