THE GRAND DUKE'S TALLOW CANDLE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3205, 6 October 1881, Page 4

THE GRAND DUKE'S TALLOW CANDLE.

Among many amusing anecdotes of the Bussian Imperial family related in the Kavl Bender's Memoirs, is the following highly characteristic story of the eccentric Q-rand Duke Constantine, Czar Alexander's eldest uncle. While residing at Warsaw, conetantine gave a splendid banquet to a number of great Polish nobles, to eaoh of whom, at the conclusion of the feast, an ordinary tallow candle was served on a plate by the attendant lacqueys. As soon a 9 all his guests were supplied with these peculiarly ■unappetizing objects, the Grand Duke, who had given orders that an imitation candle admirably executed in marchpane, should be placed upon his plate, rose from his seat and exclaimed : ' Gentlemen, let us eat, to the honor of Russia, the favourite comestible of my country. Look at me. This is the way to do it.' ~ , , So saying, he threw back his head, opened bis mouth wide, and inserted therein two inches or so of the dainty in question. As he closed his teeth, however, the expression of his countenance suffered an extraordinary change. One of the noblemen, sitting in his immediate vicinity, had contrived to substitute his own genuine tallow candle for the marchpane imitation set before the Grand Duke, who not choosing to betray himself to his guests, found himself condemned to chew at leash one copious mouthful of good Bussian tallow as an example to all the victims of this destestable jest, none of whom dared to abstain from doing as the terrible Constantine did. It is needless to eav that the dexterous appropriates of the marchpane entitle, wliilfi rlevonrrne that toothsome nrtiole with a -jovfnl heart, baffled euppifion by the most hideous visual contortions expressive of loathing and nausea. — London Telegraph.