New-York tribune., 1908-02-02

courtiers with the relentless Olivares at their
head Major Hume says good word for the
ruthless minister. at least as regards his plum
dering of the state The wealth he piled up Ne
are told. "was not accumulated for personal
qualification or greed" and 1t is added that "he
lived very quietly almost humbIy. giving the
whole of his time to work. and spent his reve-
nues largely in the entertainment and conveu-
ience of the King" But he did little If any
thing to improve the condition of the country
Taxation under his rule continued TO be ap-
naIIingly severe Agriculture. industry and
commerce suffered such disabilities 10 Ian
guish nearly to the point of extinction. and an
the tins. the national character was going sror,
bad to worse. The spiritual force OF nation
norninally nothing IL not religious neces
sariIy diminished in period of bsotry. super
stition and cynical lip service Morals Were
bound TO go by the board with King upon the
throne who suffered agOnies OF renorse over bis
prohigacy yet denied himself nothing Philips
court naturally took its cue from him. and lis
reign was marked By an almost incredible social
corruption :-ioIence everywhere had its wsv
and what with the terrible crueIties Of the Il
quisition. the ceaseless horrors OF the bull rf-z
and the positive riot OF conflict and assassin
ton in the streets Of the capital the acrid oEo-
| of blood seems 70 hang like miasma over tba
specifically brilliant spectacle presented By TIE
higher ranks of Spanish society
In the midst of the moral and material chaos
| Philip is figure the historian would call con-
| temptible if it were not pathetic The tine
came when he saw Olivares in true light and
| dismissed him. thereby heartening his people
but the minister's fall came too late Though
the King tried his best to administer the state
with something like wisdom. though he Istene!
with all the good will in the world to the af-
| iurations. of the sanity SOr Maria and endeav-
ored to follow her advice, he had neither the
| uit nor the strength TO arrest the decadence o.
Spain Even in his Own horne there was wit
messed the decentralization which had overtakeu
the people at large, a demoraIizaJion which
seems to have paralyzed his will \ newsletter
of the period. cited by Major Hume, contains
| this grim passage:
| For the last two months and half the usual "a
Itions have not been distributed II the palace: for
the King has not a regL On the day of 81 Francs
Ithey served cap0n 20 the IlId - "a ,1t.A - IefeSai
who ordered them to take 1t away as II stank Ike
la desd dog They then brought her chicken sf
(which she is fond. on s1ppetS OF toast put II vas
$50 covered with flies that she nearly Overturned TIE
lot This is how things go on n the palace
lit appears also that the queen HN-s % lnsh n
ldinner with sweetneats; Dut a none had aesz
brought to her table for some days. sne asked -
lady whose business it is 10 attend % these nRa
lwhy they not served as usual She rep5ea
Itbat tbe confectIoner refused 70 supply them
icause he could not get paid. and q large auogz-
tvCss owing to him The lady then drew a ring from
Iber finger and said 70 a servant: Run OUT az
Iard oct some sweetmeats. anyWh here. with hS
tiavveTI' But the buffcOn ManuelitO &c Gante
Present and cried Put your finger N yoGr rlz
Ia[roj, rnistress+- and with that h took c0Vler
l,eGI from his pocket and said Go and get sams
Isweetmeats quickly. 50 that the good -Idy may
finish her dinner
| IT is impossible to acquit Philip Of close per-
sonal responsibility for much OF the pain and
degradation which his country1nen Had 10 eeaF
during his reign 1t IS equally inpossibe %
withhold a certain measure OF sympathy ron
the man who was born 50 eInphatically to heip-
Ieserees and grief Major Hume calls him a
kindly gentleman Of noble aspirations and ig-
noble practice. weak Of viii and tender Of con-
science a poet and a dilettante, doomed 70 Al
overwhelming task for which he was unit
/ is a Just Characterization