The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-02
TODAY IN HISTORY
Spain eeaueathed to the Boursons.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2. 1910.

spain bcQueatncO TO inc oou'oo''o-
On October 2. 100. Charles II. OF Spain
executed his last will and testament, by
which he conveyed his dominlons to
Philip. Duke OF Anjou. the second son
OF the French dauphin, and the grandson
OF Louis XIV. Perhaps no mortuary De
quest has excited greater connections
than thls celebrated document, occasion
| Ing, as 1t did, the celebrated war of the
nous campaigns Of Marlborough ana
| Prince Eugene In Germany and Italy, In
| connection with the same cause,
| Feeble in mind and body and prey
| to the most depressing melancholy and
| superstition, the unfortunate ChatleS ii:
was evidently Fastening 10 the end oil
his career. Throughout life, he had been
scarcely allowed a will OF his own.
Tho legal rights OF the Spanish crown
devolved on the descendants OF his
grandfather. Philip Ill, one OF whose
| daughters was the mother OF Louis XIV,
and another OF the Emperor Leopold
| The sympathies OF Charles were all In Ia
! vor OF the house of Austria, but he was
surrounded by a powerful and unscru-
pulous faction In the French interest
| who left no means untrlod Tor the ac-
| compishment OF their ends,
Working on the superstitlous fears Of
the dying monarch. his advisers held up
before him the terrors OF eternal per-
ditlon If he failed to make VIII IN favor
| of France.
poor Charles. but my salvation Is
dearer 10 me than the ties OF blood"
Can any condition be imagined more
wretched than that OF the latter. ema-
scious OF his approaching and Inevitable
end being made the subject OF the most
calculating and acrimonious discussion,
and yet denied the boon. which every
Spaniard peasant enjoyed, OF dying IN
peace. and even threatened with the ven
geance OF heaven in another world II ne
refused to do violence TO his own feel
ings by gratifying the aspirations OF an
ambitious court?
II was suggested to Charles that his
health would be benefited were he TO
gaze on and touch the remains or his
ancestors, mouldering In the funeral
vaults Of the Escurlal Urged by ms
spiritual directors he descended with
them to these abodcs of the dead, and
there witnessed the opening OF the mar
bic and jasper coffins which enclosed
the relics of royalty.
The first opened was that ot ms
mother for whom lie never entertained
any great affection, and at the sight OF
whose remains he displayed no special
emotion. IL was different, however, When
the tomb OF his first queen, Louise OF
Orleans was Enclosed The body pre-
sented scarcely any trace OF dissolution
and the countcnance seemed nearly as
fresh and blooming as when In nc;
Charles eaZed long and earnestly on
the lifeless face and at last eXclalrnins,
~ shall soon be with her In heaven!
rushed in agony OF Srlef ard horror
from the place.
Coerced on every side, Charles at last
appended his signature TO his last VIII
and testament. and then bursting intG
tears exclaimed. 'I now am nothing
Immediately on signing IT he tainted and
remained for a long time in that condi-
ton. inducing the belief that he was
dead,
He survived. however, month longer
dying on November I. The contents of
the will were carefully concealed from
the queen. the Austrian court and Eu-
rope in general until after his death.