Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-30

NSSAcii Vi thc Cdst3c, put Stept tnere only
one night
George " visited ireland IN 1927. when
the Duke of Wellington was lord lieuten-
ant. was entertained at the castle and
presided at an installation OF knights OF
81. Patrick. Queen Victoria was enter
tanned there in August. ls4a. accompanied
by Prince Albert and the present King
Edward. IN 1861 she visited ireland
again reviewed the troops at the.
Camp of the Curraugh where the larger
part OF the Irish garrison is stationed
and went as far as the lakes Of Killarney
She made her last visit In 1860 and re-
manned for three weeks. She was very
fond of Ireland and the Irish people were
devoted 10 her. King Edward came as
Prince " Wales with Queen Alexandra in
1879. remained for several days. and visit
ed a number OF cities: he came again I'm
1893. attended several functions AT the
castle and held grand court in ST Pat
rick's Hall. at the unveilng OF the memoir
iai statue OF Queen Victoria. They came
again in 1904. and were the guests OF the
Earl and Countess Dudley at the vice.
1897 for three days. so that there ie no
ground for complaint of their majesties
negiecting their subjects In this island.
The Court Of Dublin.
The court OF Dublin has been inssniii-
cant but lively. and has reflected the
characteristics of the Irish nobility who
fight and never allowed their sense OF
decorum or the laws of etiquette TO inter-
fere with their pleasure. A hundred years
ago ladies upon being presented for the
hrst time We're solemnly kissed by the
viceroy, which was more or less agree
able to him. according to the age and At
fractions OF his guests. One OF them who
was noted for his wit remarked that he
got his kisses as a spendthrift borrows
from usurer. part I'm old wine. part 1n
dubious paintings and part I'm bright gold
and silver" With all its wit and bril-
iancy the court has at times been noted
for low state OF morality and at one
period that portion OF the castle which
contains the state apartments was nick
named "hell's half-acre" by a satirist
ngure of Justice which adorns the
pediment Of the main gate has been the
object of much wit and satire for two
centuries. Dean Swift once declared that
she SAT with her face TO the viceroy and
her back to the people
There are a few good portraits and other
pictures i'm the residence portion OF the
building including some pretty medallions
in the wall of the throne room, which are
inscribed TO Angelica Kaufman. but no
body knows when or how she happened
to paint them. The mantel of one OF the
rooms is OF black Spanish oak taken from
the cabin of the flagship of the Spanish
armada which was wrecked on the Irish
coast after the great sea battle Of 1888
Finest OF All Rooms.
The finest of all the rooms is ST. Pat
rick's Hall, which was designed by the
great Lord Chesterfield when ale was lord
lieutenant of Ireland. and has always
been much admired by architects because
Of its proportions and its lofty painted
ceilings representing events in Irish his
tory. The banners of the twenty-four
knights of {. Patrock are suspended from
either side and the crimson draperics and
upholstering Of Irish poplin give the
apartment an attractive color. Duplicates
of these banners hang I'm the choir Of st.
Patricks Cathedral. where the knights
used to meet before 1S69 but they have
always had their headquarters In the cas-
tie. and the Ulster king Of arms, exeuctEe
officer Of the order. il the master Of cere-
monies at the castle senior ofncer In
the household of the lord lieutenant, the
highest authority on rank and precedent
in Ireland, and his seal Is necessary to
give legal value to patents or Irish peer
ages. He decides ell questions OF eti-
Quette. dominates the persons who are
presented at the viceregal drawing room,
arranges for all ceremonies. and In pro-
cessions of state he rides or walks irnme-
diately I'm front Of the lord lieutenant.
carrying the sword of state as the emblem
of the authority of the king.
This Office has been In existence since
the middle ages. Its incumbent was for
merly the custodian of the arms, the CHIEF
y
Jewels He has an Office In what Is known
as Bedford Tower, Immediately facing the
principal entrance to the viceroys resi-
dence with a large suite OF rooms Tor MS
own use and two or three clerks 20 look
after his business. Otherwise the once
carries no compensation except f20 year
and such few fees as are paid for search
ing the records OF the Irish peerage ana
furnishing certificates OF pedigree and
title similar to those that are sought At
the College of Heralds In London.
Office Of Master of Ceremonies.
The Office was held for many years by
Sir Bernard Burke, the most eminent OF
modern genealogists. the originator and
author Of "Burkes Peerage." which Is
authority on all questions affecting the
nobility. His successor was Sir Arthvr
Vicar son of the late Col. Vicar, VINO
commanded the 61st Irish Fusilliers ana
is cousin Of half the nobility of Ireland
Sir Arthur is bachelor about thirty-
seven years old, a member of the prtnci-
pal clubs of London and Dublin, president
of the Kildare Archaeological Society ana
of the "Ex-Libris Society,", whose mem
beers follow the fad OF collecting book
plates. He is the biggest authority on Irish
questions affecting the nobility since the
death of Sir Bernard Burke and is the cd
itor of Lodges Peerage. volume which
relates exclusively to them. Sir Arthur has
been q great favorite with everybody. he
is an amia BILE, gentle, witty man with WIN
ming manner a charming conversational
ist, a keen sense of humor and has been
the confidant of half the peers of Ireland
in their sorrows and their difficulties. And
now he is in a most distressing situation
himself, from which nobody seems able
TO eXtricate him.
Last October when preparations were be-
ing made TO invest Lord Csstledown as a
knight of ST. Patrick. IL Was discovered
that the regalia of that order was missing
and no trace has ever been found OF IL
nor have the detectives obtained a single
clue 10 the mystery. The jewels have an
intrinsic value of a quarter or q million
dollars but the historical and sentimental
value of the articles stolen cannot be es-
timated They were kept In g safe In the
office of Sir Arthur Vicar as master-at-
arms at the right OF the entrance to his
private quarters and the room was usu-
ally occupied in the daytime by two
clerks, and carefully locked at night. This
valuable property had been kept In thst
place for more than two hundred years,
and nobody ever dreamed that IL might be
stolen The discovery. which was kept sc.
cret for several months at the request or
the police, caused q postponement OF the
ceremony and the chief secretary for Ire
land called for the resignation of Sir Ar
thur as master alarms on the ground
that he failed TO take proper precautions
for the safety of the valuables in ques-
ton.
He was not accused or even suspected or
having participated in the robbery. or
having any knowledge OF IL. but there
cannot he the slightest doubt that the
theft was committed by some person ia
m;liar with affairs in the castle. and
hence all the employees. everybody from
ord Aberdeen down has shared in the