The Washington herald., 1913-07-27
FOREIGN GOSSIP.
Copyright, 1913. by A.-p. Jacobson,

vexed or persuaded into claiming d.
vorce Of a French tribunal. / have spok-
en- Of the Duke OF Orleans brutal treat
ment of his wife before. Politics count
more. we all allow. than religion in the
eyes of persons who have formed syn
dicate for the purpose of restoring q
monarchy and running the monarch.
They even think. should the Duchess re-
| main obdurate, of making use In Rome
of the pleas put forward by Louis XII
and Henry Nv. when the one wanted the
dissolution of his marriage with Joan.
Of France. and the other with Mar
guerite, of valois. In both cases physio-
logical reasons were given to account
for there being no heirs.
The Due, IL seems had a warning
from somebody who believed her father
to be too close-fsted in the matter OF
the dowry, and he thought that some
American millionaire daughter or widow
(providcd that she were greatly favored
in a will might do better for a militant
Pretender's wife. The "fulcrum of an
Archimedes." he was reminded. nowa-
days Is money. Without II a throne can
no more be rebuilt than a railway bridge.
But he said, My word In pledged. and
i must content myself with the dowry.
such as 1t is The late Pope. a diplo-
mat and shrewd politician. might have
lent himself to any such scheme to free
the Due from the, matrimonial fetter.
But Plus X Is not a pontin to take any
heed OF temporalities and expediencies
at variance with his standard Of religion.
As a consequence. the Orleanist Pre-
tender now Is fully determined to give
the Duchess the widest possible berth.
The Alps not appearing to him an insur-
mountable barrier. he Is deserting the
shores of the Italian Lake Como. al
though where he has been in delightful
company. The width OF the North and
South Atlantic Oceans hardly are wide
enough to separate the disunited royal
pair. The Duke has embarked at Genoa
on board the steamer Tommaso di Sa-
voia for South America. He took the
name of Philippe de Villiers.
The eighty-two-year-old Duke Ludwig
Of Bavaria. the eldest member of the
House Of Wittelsbach. and brother Of the
late Empress Elizabeth Of Austria, has
begun 4 suit for divorce against his sec
ond wife. Antonio Won Bartolf, nee Barth
who. before her marriage. was a ballet
dancer. The dukes first wife. an actress
named Mendel. died in 1880. By his first
wife tht duke is the father OF the Coun-
tess Larisch. the authoress OF the we'll
known book OF memoirs dealing largely
with the circums tances which brought
about the death of Crown Prince Ru-
dolph OF Austria. and which recently was
published.
The duke of late years has lived In re-
tirement with his wife at a villa in Bo-
genhausen. near Munich.
~ naan
acres. between Cirencester and Chelten-
ham. which belongs to Mr.. ]. II. Taylor
is shortly to be sold. The manor OF the
Rendcomb estate belonged TO a succession
OF notable owners from the Conquest until
1s11. when 1t was sold 10 the Berkleys.
from whom. a hundred years later. II
passed to the Guise family. and in 17s3 II
came. by marriage, TO the weil-known
Shute harrington, Bishop OF Durham.
The estate was purchased. In 1864. by
the late Sir Francis Goldsmid. who built
the present house, which Is In the 1tal-
ian style. Rendcomb Is famous for its
beautiful woodlands. which are inter-
sected by the River Churn. Pope re-
garded this domain with a veneration
mixed with pleasure"
The lost will found In the ceiling At
Chatworth reminds one OF the curious
case of Lord Hailes' will. He was a
Scotch judge. and when he died. in lIs2.
as no testamentary paper could be dis
covered the heir-at-law was about to
take possession of the estates, to the ex-
clusion of his daughter and only child.
She sent her servants TO lock up the fam-
ily mansion which she had to give up.
and from some window shutters there
dropped out on the floor. from behind
panel. the missing will. which secured
b.- oil "a family and DrODerfv,
Why do people take the trouble to make,
sign wills properly sttested. and then
conceal them? Can they enjoy a postum
nous joke?
Antiquarians are interested IN Stavor-
dale Priory. near Wincanton. now offered
for sale. At the dissolution of the mon
asteries. only in the rarest cases did
the buildings find owners able and will
ing to preserve them. In the western
counties of England there is probably
scarcely one Of these Gothic structures
more beautiful than Stavordale Priory.
which for nearly four centuries re-
mained in the possession of four fam
lilies. For 100 years or more II was used
as farmhouse. but being on the beaten
track. il was but little known.
About ten years ago it attracted the
notice of an archaeologst. who was able
to purchase it. He induced the president
of the Royal Institute of British Archi-
tects to undertake its restoration. From
this interesting survival only the stucco
was removed and the beautiful original
work was brought to light. The massive
old chestnut roof. which formerly COW
cred the chancel of the monastery. was
found to be intact. and II now forms the
ceiling of a music room. Fan vaultinS
of the same peFiea- as Sherborne Min
ster. in carved stone, now forms the
drawing room ceiling. and the ample pro-
portions Of the other parts OF the great
building provide accommodations for
modern purposes.
The site Of StavordaIe was chosen
somewhat unusual. for religious build
irgs of the period were placed on low
ground. near water. This priory stands
high on the hills. hut the water supply
is higher still The property is amid
some of the finest scenery in Somerset.
Attached to the buildings are gardens.
lawns. a fish pond. and many acres.
About the history of StavordaIe Priory
more than one book has been written.
especially on its morastic life. Cnrer-
tainty surrounds the actual date OF 'ts
establishment, but II seems that II was
founded early in the thirteenth century
by Lord Lowell and dedicated to st.
James. An illustration of the seal os
the priory gives the date Of the founda-
ton as 1872.
When the present owner purchased the
estate. the only portions Of the priory
which remained were the convent church.
consisting of nave and choir. the chapel
on the North. and the prior's lodging.
mr. hSx.t faa