New-York tribune., 1905-02-19
LeoVes HIS Chrome.
Kng of Regning Abdicaes Favor of
His soma Romantic History.

about ten years ago. whenever he was IN resi-
dence at Stockholm, he would assemble Ettle
coterie of his own in the beautiful music room
adjoining his library at the palace, among the
number being usually the Countess Taube, the
popular Swedish composer WAR Hallstrom, and
the operate singer Oedmann. and with Hall
strom at the piano an hour or so would be spent
in part singing.
King Oscars library adjoining the music
room. is a magnificent affair occupying a num-
ber of vast apartments. and differs from most
royal libraries in that the books have each OF
them been personally chosen and acquired by
oscar himself, for his brother and predecessor
on the throne bequeathed ON his death his books
TO has only child tie Crown Prince of Den
mark who took them all off with her TO ~oPen-
hagen, leaving nothing but the empty sselves
Each volume in the Kings library, now ar
ranged, is adorned with his "Ex Libris, con-
sisting of a laurel encircled go" surmounted by
a royal crown and below the motto "Oefver
djupen mot holden" which may be translated
as Soaring from the depths upward" The
same kindness and consideration that char
acterize Oscar in other matters, are likewise ao-
parent in connection with his library, and all
people connected with the court from the high
est dignitaries down to the low1iest kitchen
scullion are permitted access thereto under the
supervision of the chief librarian. DR. Won
Friesen, precisely l. II were some national or
public institution No other sovereign grants
privileges of this kind to his household royal
Libraries being. rule, most 1ealously
guarded, which is pity, those, for instance,
Of Emperor Francis Joseph at Vienna, or thes
Kaiser at Berlin and Potsdarc, and OF King Ed
ward at Windsor Castle, contain vast treasurer
of priceless value to the historian. but which
are altogether inaccessible either to the latter or
TO the public.
Like the Queen Dowager Of Portugal, King
Oscar wears upon his breast medal for saving
life. 1t conferred upon him by the Frsneh
government as far back 1861. long before
he ascended the throne, for two feats of coIsage
performed in the neighborhood Of Nice The
first consisted in checking at the peril of his life
two runaway horses hitched to a carriage that
were on the point of dashing themselves and the
vehicle with its occupants over a precipice.
Five days afterward he jumped into the water
and saved q child from drowning. Ee declared
that he deemed it best TO leave Nice after this.
lest he should be accused of posing for pro-
fessionaI lifesaver. and staying on the Riviera
for the sole object Of exercising his profession.
1t is not generally known in America-at any
rate. by those of the present generation-that
King Oscar visited this country several oc-
casions prior to his accession to the Crown and
while serving in the navy. In fact, King Oscar
was reared as a sailor, and has always remained
devoted 10 the sea, as may be seen from the
whole tenor of his poems. 1t was while in the |
navy that he acquired that presence OF mind In |
the face of danger, and developed that courage |
which has been one of the features of his entire |
career, and In Sweden they tell story Of how |
On one occasion gigantic soldier lying under |
sentence of death secured possession of long |
knife and defed any one to enter his cell. The |
King, on hearing thereof, drove to the prison, |
and, in spite of the protests and entreaties OF |
his attendants. insisted on entering the mans |
cell alone and unarlned, locked the door behind |
him, reasoned with the convict, explained to |
him why he had decided to reject his appeal for |
clemency, and then shook hands with him on |
taking his departure. leaving the prisoner thor
oughly subGued and content to meet his fate on |
the following morning IN a manly and soidieriy |
manner.
Columns more could be written about this re- |
markabie monarch whose career has been so |
singularly free from scandal who has dabbled /
in uheosophy. and who, IN spite Of his earnest
pety, oddly enough expresses his belief in the
DarWinian theory of evolution, and is content
10 accept the doctrine that ancestors were
not angels. but monkeys He made this clear
one day in discussing the arguments Of Pro-
fessor Virchow in favor of the gorilla being de-
scended from man. and representing the most
degenerate form Of the latter, and gave utter
ance to the conviction that the tendency Of
mankind was not downward, but upward This
is so entirely at variance with the ideas
pressed by most other monarchs concerning
their semi-divine origin and the sacred char
acter of their royalty that it created sensa-
ton. How emperor king pretend to
revere his ancestors as saints, such is the
case with almost every reigning family in Eu-
rope. if he believes that these ancestors were
monkeys? There is a possibility that we may
be favored with further views on the subject
by this broad minded sovereign. For IT is stated
that he has for two years past been engaged in !
writing his memoirs. which are to be published
shortly in four Volumes and to bear the title
of Hours of Contemplation"
EX-ATTACHE.
ON THE PACIFIC COAST.