The Washington herald., 1906-11-11
THE D'ESTE-GUELPHS
Struggle Begun Seven Hundred Years Ago Between
Royal House and the German Empire.

occupy the throne of Brunswick until
all of its male members. that is TO say
not only young Prince Ernest, but also
his elder brother and father had de-
hntely renounced all their pTetensions
TO the crown Of Hanover. in fact, the
Chancellor did not even take the trouble
TO refer the matter TO the Bundesrath,
as he had been requested to do by the
Duke of Cumberland, and by the gov
ernment and legislature Of Brunswick
This has excited much discomfort at
Brunswick, and a certain amount OF sym
pathy for the Duke. it being held that
the Chancellor is usuTping for his office
a function that pertains TO the Bundles
rath, namely, the right of deciding mat
ters concerning the constitution and Wei
fare Of the Empire as a whole.
The Brunswick legislature and govern
ment have now by an almost unanimous
vote determined to leave the matter Of
the succegAion in allegiance for three
months, in the hope that within that
time the Duke Of Cumberland may see
his way to comply with the new de-
mands of the Kaiser, and of the cham
cellor. even although they have not yet
been indorsed by the Bundesrath. At the
end of that period the legislature. in the
absence Of any satisfaction from the duke
will proclaim the throne as vacant, the
house Of Guelph-d Este debarred from
the succession. and Will elect a new dy-
nasty in its stead. OF course, there are
manifold objections TO this scheme, IN
the eyes of the sOVereigns, not only OF
Germany, but also Of other countries OF
Europe For the entire principle OF the
monarchica, system IS based upon hered-
Hary succession, and upon right divine
rather than by the will OF the people
Once the latter are accorded the percga-
tive of eIecting by popular vote not
merely their rulers. bat their dynasties,
the entire doctrine OF legitimism falls
TO the ground and hereditary transmits
sion of the crown becomes imperative un-
less sanctioned by the legislature in each
instance. In one word, il would mean the
supersession Of the present order OF mo
narchical succession by Gsmocratic cleo
tions, such as those held in America for
the Office of President Of the republic.
Then. too. X Is improbable that the Duke
of Cumberland will company with these
fresh demands made upon him. which he
regards as unjustidable- He is bound by
no ties Of affection 10 the people Of
Brunswick. TO whom he is total
stranger, whereas he Is deeply attached
to his old Hanoverian adherents, and ne
does not see his way TO sacrificing their
loyal affection for the sake Of tie Brups-
wickers.
CUriously enough, at the very moment
when this fight between the head Of the
house Of Guelph-d' Este and the German
empire is in progress on the subject Of
the thrones Of Brunswick and Hanover,
a conflict has developed between the
Hohenlohes and Archduke Francis Ferdi-
nand of Austria about the world-famed
Villa d'Este at Tivoli, near Rome. While
the Duke Of Cumberland as chief of the
Guephs. is likewise the head Of the house
Of d'Este. many of the private estates of
the latter have passed through the distaff
side of the family TO ArchdUke Francis
Ferdinand. the heir presumptive 10 the
throne Of Austria, and who by reason Of
his inheritance of the d. Este property
makes use Of the d'Este name and arms
i'm conjunction with those of Hapsburg.
Among these states is the villa q Este,
which, during the lifetime of its former
owner the last Duke Of Alodena- was
loaned by him TO Cardinal HohenlOhe, on
the condition that he should keep it in
proper repair. That prince Of the church
spent the bulk of his fortune upon this
beautiful place. which, Of course. at his
death reverted TO the Duke of Modena' s
heir. that is 10 say. his grandson. Arch
duke Francis Ferdinand, and the Hohen-
lone family now demand that he shall
either transfer the ownership Of the
villa to them, or else restore to them all
the money which Cardinal Prince Gustave
HOhenlohe expended upon the place. The
archduke. who, true to his name of Este,
is quite as obstinate as the Duke of Cum
berland, refuses TO comply with either al
tentative, and legal proceedings have been
instituted The villa was built in 1549 by
the courtly ana clever Cardinal Hypolite
d Este. son OF Alfonso d'Este. Duke of
Ferrara. and Of Lucrezia Borgia, the cell
ebrated daughter Of Pope Alexander VI
It occuDies one of the grandest sites of
that Thur Of ancient Rome, where the
Caesars, their couTtiers. and their sena-
tors were wont to spend their villegiatura
to escape the heat of the plains. Emperor
Augustus, indeed, held court there, Zeno-
bia spent her long captivity at Thur, and
both Masseanas and Horace dispensed
hospitality at villas which they had there.
Tasso wrote some of his most famous
poems under the trees Of the villa d Este
when he was secretary Of the cardinal,
and Michael Angelo was not only a fre-
tnIent visitor, but likewise devised many
of the beauties of the place.
The origin Of the house of Guelph
may be said 70 have been lost in the
dawn of history. It was a dynasty OF
considerable antiquity even in the days
of Charlemagne. and in the year 1850
CunegOnde. sister and sole heiTess OF
Guelph III, sovereign Duke of COrinthia,
married the Margrave Albert d'Este. So
called on account of his ownership OF the
little Lombardian town Of Este. the At
seste of the old Roman era. He was the
grandson Of the Carlovingian Duke Al
bert II of Tuscany. The son Of this mar
riage succeeded not only to the Este
possessions of his father in Italy. but
also to the Guelph domnions of his
mothers brother in Germany, as Guelph
/ ". and marrying a daughter of Otho II
Duke Of Bavaria, became, on the latter
death without male issue, Duke of Ba-
varia by the favor Of the Emperor. Dur
ing the twelfth. thirteenth anC fourteenth
/ centuries. the rivalry Of the Gueiph-d Es.
teg and the Ghibelines may be said JC
have kept ali Southern Germany and
Italy IN a constant condition Of turmoil
and warfare, and it is on record that ir
one year alone as many as 100C00 lives
were sacrificed IN this way. Duke Guelph
i " of Bavaria had younger brother OF
the name of FUlcO d'Este, from whom
all the d'Estes who subsequently occu-
pied the thrones Of Ferrara, Moden3, anC
/ Reggie were descended The last of this
line was that Hercules III, Duke of Mo.
dena. who. dying without male issue, al