New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-05

been said about King Edward the Sew
enth, every tribute paid him from every
quarter OF the world; and the mourning
of his own people is the best tribute Of
all. / should like TO add an estimate
from a different point of view and
\ tribute but 1 suppose they would have
no proper place in these papers. and L
confne myself therefore TO memories L
will go back to the period when he was
Prince OF Wales, and to the place where
he put off most of the splendors belong
1 ing TO his rank. and where most of the
man himself was to be seen; not once
nor twice but for years in succession.
Homburg was TO the Prince Of Wales
a three weeks holiday. ! do not think
/ he took the medical side of 1t very seri-
ously. He drank the waters and
walked, as the doctors babe him. but
with respect to diet he seemed TO be his
own doctor, and his prescriptions were
not severe. But then nobody. the local
physicians excepted. ever did take HON.
| burg very seriously as a cure. What the
prince liked was the freedom, Of which
he was himself the author. On occa-
sions Of ceremony and in the general
course of his life at home. strict Ell
| quette was enforced AT Homburg the
Prince used his dispensing power and
put aside everything but the essentials
| He lived in a hired villa. He wore
Iounging suits in the daytime some
times of a rather fiamboyant color
and a soft gray hat. In the evening a
black dining jacket, black tie, black
waistcoat, black trousers and soft
black Honburg hat The silk hat and
the dress coat and white tie or white
waistcoat were unknown. Most of the
officers Of his household were left at
home. but General Stanley Clarke was
always with him.
His way Of life was as Informal as his
dress. He was there TO amuse himself
and il was an art he understood per-
fectly. Homburg is village. but II
had. or had at that time. many re-
sources. The three or four streets OF
which the place consisted were so many
rendezvous for the visitors. The lawn
tennis grounds were another. The walks
| in the woods were delightful There
| were drives over the hills and far away
I 1uTeSI
tired Of the little watering place or It's
guests. there was Frankfort, only eight
miles distant, with resources Of more
varied kind. But in Homburg itself the
KursaaI. though there had been no gam
hing since 1869. and the hotels were
always open and sometimes lively.
What the Prince liked was society. In
ono form or another The open air life
suited him. It was sufficiently formal
hut less formal than indoors. He liked
stroIIing about and meeting acquaint-
ances or friends. When you had once
seen His Royal Highness leaning against
the ratings Of q villa-the villas STOOD
each IN its own grounds-and talking 10
q lady leaning out Of the first floor win
dov-the first floor being the same as
the American secondhand this interview
Lasting quarter Of an hour, you felt
that the conditions Of life and the rela-
+ions OF ROYALTY TO other ranks in life
had taken on a quite new shape in HON.
, burg.
} But the attitude Of respect was main
tanned. Certain formalities were never
forgotten. The Prince was always ad-
dressed as Sir or Your Royal
| FJighness." But these observances were
not irksome. nor was conversation re-
} stricted or stiffened by the obligations OF
Difference or by the accepted eonVen-
tionaIities which. after all. were more
matters Of form than of substance. And
in his most careless moods the Prince
had 2 dignity which was the more i'm
scious. Nobody ever forgot what was
due 10 him, or never forgot 1t twice II
was an offence he did not pardon. or
rardonad ONLY in those who could not
remember what they had never known.
foreigner, an American. who erred IN
nure ignorance, might count on forgive
ness.
The Prince gave many luncheons and
) dinners almost always at Ritter's or at
The Kursaal. should think there was
never a day when he did not play the
host The dinners at the Kursaal were
given on the terrace, always croWded
with other dinner parties. At Ritter
shay we're on the piazza. This open air
hospitality was the pleasanter because II
was so seldom possible in England he
had brought the art Of entertaining 10
oe-fection. He put his guests. even
those who stood most in awe OF royalty
AZ their ease The costume perhaps
beIned. When a company of people were
IN dining Jackets and the men wearing
their soft black hats, even at table by
the Princes command. etiquette became
= less formidable thing The Prince
talked easily, f1uently and well He
might ask a guest whom he liked TO SIT
rex- him. ignoring distinctions OF rank
b,,. during the dinner he would talk'
sooner or later, to everybody Ihere
,,iobt he a dozen guests. a number sell
don, exceeded I will give you one ex-
annie of the dialogue which went on
md no more. The late Duke Of Devon
sb,rs at that time the Marquis of Hart
inq.on was sitting nearly opposite the
prince hut at some little distance and
this colloouy took place:
Harrington. you ought not 10 De
drinking all that champagne
no. sir; know / oughtnt
..Tben why do you do it,"
~vell. Sir 1 have made up my NINA
that had rather be Ill now ana theh
49, e,wavs taking care of myself"