New-York tribune., 1904-08-26
AMBASSADORS AT PLAY.
Sir Mortimer Durand Cricketer
Sir Edrard Malet's Feat.

Sir Mortimer Durand's action in joining the
Lenox Cricket Club. and in taking part in the
play the captain Of victorious eleven will
in no wise impair his prestige. but. on the con
trary will rather add 10 his popularity. Indeed.
fancy It will constitute the first instance Of for
egn Ambassador 10 the United States taxing an
active part in athletic games and sports.
The representatives of foreign sovereigns how
ever. are obliged exercise considerable amount
Of care and discretion in such matters and the
late Lord Vivian. when envoy OF Queen Victoria
at the court Of Khedive lsnail received repri-
mands both from her majesty and from the For
eigr Office for having ridden his own mount at
steeplechase in Alexandria. Probably no excep-
ton would have been taken TO the matter had
ne not been most ignominiously defeated, not only
by one of the khedive's horses but also by those
Of several native pachas. 1t was considered in
London that his defeat was calculated TO impair
not merely his prestige but also that of his mis-
sion and OF the British empire in the eyes Of the
natives
Lord Cromer has managed to keep himself in
splendid physical condition by tennis, a game in
which he exces, and Sir Frank LasceIles. the
Ambassador at Berlin, is fond OF golf, while his
predecessor at the imperial German court, Sir
Edward Malet. is on record as having broken his
leg while taking flying leap not perpendicularIy
hut horizontally like horse, over the backs
or SIX dining room chairs. placed tandem fashion.
l need scarcely say. however. that this feat, in
which Sir Edward excelled, was not performed in
public but In the presence of some of his guests
and friends after dinner In spite Of their being
solemnly bound down to the strictest secrecy the
mysterious circumstances of the accident which
he sustained ended by becoming known greatly to
the amusement OF his colleagues and acauaint-
ances.
Prince Odescalchi. who will arrive here this
week with a deputation Of about ten other fellow
legislators and former Cabinet Ministers on board
the hgura, in order 10 represent Italy In the In
ternatlonaI Parliamentary Peace Conference.
which is 10 take place at St Louis on septenber
10. Is one OF those Roman patrtcians who possess
Title OF nobility in nearly every country of Eu-
rope Besides being a prince of the Holy Empire
ne IS also Spanish duke and grandee Of The first
Class a Hungarian magnate. and possessed as such
right to seat in the Magyar House of Lords:
the owner OF an Austrian dukedom. conferred on
his family about 800 years ago; a Roman duke a
Neapolita1 duke, besides having inherited couple
OF French and Ba avariau titles
Like Maurice de TaIIeyrand Duo de Tino and tba
Marquis Henri de Rochfort-Lucay he is an ex-
traordlnary mixture OF advanced repubIica nIsr,
ana intense ar1stocratic prejudice. and looks far
more ike an American or an EngIishn7an than an
IlaIdh ooth MS hair and beard being fair instead
or dark. while he speaks English without the
slightest trace OF foreign accent. Possibly he has
inherited his blond complexion as well as his mar
veiious gift for foreign languages from his moth
er. who was one OF the beautiful C,our+sssos
Brautcka- Of Austrian Poland
The prince, while scofins az everything nartat1
ing 70 class distinction. and occupying seat in
the National Parliament on the Republican side of
the mousse formerly declined to salute the italian
monarch, or to accord to the latter anv Of those
tokens Of respect which rendered by subjects
10 their sovereign basing his conduct on the asser
uon that the Odescalchis were OF far more illus
trious birth and origin than the ducal house Of
savoy now occupying the Italian throne On the
occasion OF the almost total destruction bv fire
Of the celebrated Odescalchi palace in the square
OF the Apostles the late King Humbert moved 10
admiration by the stoicaI calmness with which the
prince stood watching the confederation Of his
property. and forgetting for the moment the sights
20 which he had been subjected. crossed over 10
where he stood and expressed in feeling terms 10
the prince his deep sorrow and sympathy. That
naugurated courteous relations between the prince
and the reigning house and to-day the prince
occupies n seat IN the Senate an advanced
Radical He is Of much personal charm and
popularity. who. Ike many others OF the great
mobiles, has met with extensive OF fortune
Nowadays. having rebuilt. after a fashion his
palace, he is obliged to content himself with n
mere floor thereof. renting the others the
sround hoor being occupied by the retail wine store
where the wines from his Hungarian estates are
disposed of 70 all comer1. To help the sales the
prince has whole tribe Of fascinating Hungarian
peasant girls. who. arrayed IN their national cos
tune. help in the dispensing Of liquid refreshment
ths premises The princes brother, Prince
Ladslaes is likewise OF enterprfsing turn OF
mind, for Re has established a kind Of seaside
resort on the lines Of Coney Island, which he has
chrstened "LsdispoH' near Ciyita Vecchia where
he owns tracts % property
Still more cruel to the prince than the loss ot
his fortune and the confa grafton Of his palace was
the almost complete destruction in the flames Of
the priceless art treasures Of European fame with
which II vas filed from cellar 20 garrett; for the
prince IS devoted 10 art and archaeology. with both
OF which he possesses a more extensive aCquaInt-
anCs than any Of his fellow mobiles Of Rome. II is
generally believed that the fire was OF incendiarv
origin. For some time previously the prince had
received a letter in which anarchists threatened
him with the destruction OF his palace unless he
paid the sum Of 10000 10 a leading member
of the band The prince paid no attention 70 the
menace beyond turning over the missive to the
police who showed themselves pcweress TO pro
tect him.
Lord Bath who has Just been appointed Lord
Lieutenant Of the County OF Somerset in succession
to the late Earl of Cork. is one OF those English
peers who live nearly all the year round on their
estates where much oldtime stateliness and feudaI
splendor are observed. Indeed his principal Countrv
seat. Longieat, described by Lord Macaulay
as the most magnificent country house in all Eng
land and the great historians verdict still holds
good to-day. Longleat originally small
Priory Of the Order OF ST. Augustine. At the dis
solution OF the monasteries at the time OF TIE Ref
ormation It went by gift OF King Henry VIII TO
Sir John Eorsey, and then TO the Duke OF Somer-
set Protector Of the Realm, who bestowed It upon
his secretary Sir John Thyme It was he who be
gan building LongIeat In 1867. Long before the
work was completed Queen Eliza beth. who had
had Sir John her service FOR time controller
90 hArb HON Insisted him yiSf