LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1845, 21 January 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE PIRMASENTZ REVOLUTION. BEcirAt, of the Events Leading to the ABD'eATION of Pbince Richabd or Nassau • Usingen. Chapter I. Pirmasentz, the capital of Nassau-Usingen, waa, according to Paronvon Robrecht, Privy Councillor, Commander-in-Chief and Minister of Foreign Affairs, one of the most splendid courts of the world, and no one who had seen the Baron going to the palace in court costume or in full uniform, with a rainbow of ribbons and a menagerie of decorations upon his breast, would have doubted the truth of his assertion. Upon the day that our story opens, the Raron found Prince Richard of Nassau - Usingen Bunk in the depths of a shabby velvet chair. Tha Prince was a man of thirty two, with a gentle and agreeable face, curling black hair and serene blue eye?. At times he showed himself witty ; upon occasion he had shown himself courageous, but all this disappeared beneath bis habitual nonchalance, which at times was dashed with the feeling of beiDg bored natural to his situation. His tastes were simple. He hunted, botanised, fished, and played upon divers musical instruments. With 3000 florins a year he would have been the happiest of men, but the small revenues of his principality were swallowed up by the expenses of the splendid court and his pacific army. Despite the difficulty which he often <bxperienced in providing for the payment of his army, this really was the expense which he least regretted. Without the Commanderin Chief's knowledge or consent, Prince Richard managed, whenever a man left the force, to replace him by a musician ; in this manner the army of Nassau-Ueingen had come to contain one hundred and twenty bandsmen and eighty soldiers. The Prince, an expert musician, Jed the military band upon fes-tal occasions, when delighted throrgs of three hundred and sometimes even four hundred people pressed to the royal gardens. Chaptee 11.

' I was just wishing for you, Robrecht,' said the Prince. 'My cousin has written to say that he proposes spending a month at my court. His letter must be answered and we must decide how to entertain him. What I am worried about is tho lowness of the treasury. The farmers are behind with their rents, and if you abandon yourself to your usual course of magnificent display you will ruin me. How would it do to receive my cousin ae informally as he has invited himself ? Our t ble wine is not bad ; the trout in the river were never finer ; partridge shooting haß just begun ; I have as good a band as there is in Germany, and we'll have a dance every evening.' ' Your Highness,' said the Baron, ' will permit me to observe that this is a, [uestion concerning our honor and your ctns leration at foreign courts. I was attached to the court of Your Highness's august and lamented father, and it was then the custom of the house of Nassau Usingen, under similar circumstances to entertain lavishly, even if it were necessary during the remainder of tho year to limit the bill of fare to soup, boiled beef, and one dißh of potatoes. More than once were we compelled to pawn the jewels of the Princess your mother, but nevertheless we had throughout tho neighbouring principalities the reputation of the most polished and elegant of courts.' ' But, my dear Robrecht, my father was rich—my mother hud a private income of 10,000 florins.'

' But how did he come to marry so advantageously ? Was it not through the impression which the splendour and statelinesas of tho court made upon the Duke your uncle, who at once gave his sister in marriage to the Princo who hud entertained him ? Let Your Highness but follow this example and some day a fortunate marriage will set pverything to rights.' The Prince bighed at the word ' marriage,' and taking up a newspaper said—' Well, Robrecht, you are always right, I know; receive my coußin as you please.' The Baron bowed deeply and proceeded to detail tho arrangsments to be made, to which the Prince listened negligently till the Baron said—' I must call upon the tailor and have new liveries made for the servants of the household,' when, coming out of his apathy, his Highness remarked, ' I'll go myself.' ' Shall I accompany your Highness ?' ' As you please ' Chaptbb 111. Prince Richard, on his way to the tailor's, had a word for every one he met. ' Good morning, Wilhelm ; how is the hay this year?' 'Ah, Ludwig; how goes the wife!' ' Morning, Martha; when is the weddirg to take place ? Remember, I am to be invited.' At each of these familiar speeches Baron von

Rrbrecht, who followed at a reipectfol distance, winced peicsptibly, but his princely pnpil was incorrigible in such matters. The tailor's house was certainly the finest in all Pirmasentz ; it waß approached by a quadruple row of acacias, now in full flower. • Good morning, Master Hubert,' eaid the Prince, * Robrecht will explain to you the object of our visit, and while he is doing so I will take a stroll under your acacias and a glass of your beer.' ' V/e must have new liveries for the household,' said the Baron, ' fifteen suits by the end of the week. His Boyal Highness the T)uke of Saxe Heidelberg- Herrenhausen is about to vieit us and onr present liveries are threadbare.' • But I, too, am expecting a guest —my nephew—and had planned to knock off work and spend the time in fe»Bting and rejoicing.* ' That is a s'«t»ular reason, Master Hubert; you can entertain your nephew afterward. Behold the fruit of his High ness's condescension! The familiarity which he permits to his subjects breeds impertinence. ' ' Baron von Robrecht, you have a perfect right to transfer the Prince's custom to another shop. I shall not even dun you for the few hundred florins you owe me on your own account. God be praised, lam not in need of money.' The Baron gritted his teeth. ' Such 'he murmured to himself, 'is the insolence of the financial aristocracy ! Hubert does not scruple thus to address not only the representative of his Highness but the descendants of one of the most ancient families of Germany. And I must lower my crest before the wealth of this tailor, Bwollen with the cabbage from generations of my lionse 1' ' I am expecting my nephew,' said the tailor; 'he has studied at Gottingen and Paris, and must be something out of the common, judging from the money he has cost me. I can't undertake to make you fifteen liveries, bnt this I can do - I can lend yon my servants' suits.' ' Bis Highness'* people in a tailor's liveries 1' groaned the Baron. ' It is the best I can do for you ; take it, answered the tailor. 1 Well, If we must, we must; but you will have the collars charmed so as to match our own?' ' Certainly ; there's my hand on it,' and the tailor offered his hand to the Baron, who, profoundly wounded by the familiarity, did not, however, deem it politic to refuse it. Chapter IV. ' Ah,' said the Baron ai he went in search of the Prince, ' would that His Highness would only take my advice and levy an income tax that would cuib the presumption of these plutocrats.' As he went along the avenue of acacias he heard the sonnd of voices, indicating that the Prince was not alone, and discreetly turning back, left his master as he wished to be—alone with the tailor's daughter. • I do not know, Wilhelmina,' said Prince Richard, ' what is to become of my passion for yon. but it fills all my life—is the cause and objeoc of all my actions. When I labor amoDg the flowers of my garden it is because sometimes o' Sundays you walk there ; I strive to compose the musio I think you will like. Though yon may be far from me you are always present in my thoughts : you are a sort of sweet conscience whose approbation recompenses me for everything. *ln the ridiculous position to which I am fated I cannot marry yon, but I will marry no other woman. A few moments with you, however, make me forget all my cares. Every jewel of the grotesque crown I am condemned to wear is as a thorn ; but your love makes it sweet and pleasant as if it were twined of rose and eglantine.' ' Nor will I evpr marry any one but you,' murmured Wilhelmina, embracing him tenderly. Chapter V. Upon the day on which the Duke had intimated his intention of arriving, Baron Von Robrecht, splendidly attired and wearing all his crosses, brought the Prince a paper for his signature. 'lt is the deed of sale of a farm,' he explained; ' alienation of the crown domain is a desperate step, but under the circumstances we cannot shrink from it. With the money this will bring us in we can receive your cousin fitly ' Prince Richard signed it without reading it. Towards 11 o'clock newa came that a postchaise, proceeded by a Bingle horseman, had been seen changing horses about two leagues from Pirmasentz. The Prince, accompanied by the Baron, mounted bis horse and set forth at the head of his army to meet his visitor. The Prince was glad to get out of the palace. Bis valet had been turned into a maitre d'hotel and so he had to dress and shave himself, and the palace had been un bearable, all the furniture of his own two rooms having been dragged out to make a pretence of furnishing the other apartments of state usually left bare. As the procession neared the frontier, that is to say, after marching three quarters of a mile, a cloud of dust was seen approaching along the highway. Prince Richard drew up his army and motioned to the band, which at once began to discourse the mo3t ravishing music. Then from out the cloud of dust appeared, mounted npon a sweating horse, a young man arrayed in part like a German student and in part like a French dandy, apparently greatly surprised at his reception. 4 Who are you ? Is your august master far behind ?' said Robrecht

• I am Heinrich, nephew of Hubert the tailor,' answered the stranger ; ' I have no master, august or ctherwiae, and if you want to know who is in the postchaise you'il find out when it comes up.' So saying the young man rode on without saluting the Prince.

' Heinrich has grown to be a fine, tall fellow,' said Prince Kichard. ' Heinrich has grown to be an impertinent beast,' growled the Baron.' An hour afterward the post-chaise approached and stopped, and from it stepped forth—a Frenchman, who saluted the Prince politely. Baron von Bobrecht had been so completely occupied with the preparations for the Duke's reception that he had forgotten all about answering the Duke's letter, and so His Boyal Highness had changed the direstir n of his journey, as the Frenchman was able to tell the Prince.

The Baron was in despair ; the Prince was delighted. ' Monsieur,' he said to the Parisian, ' you will dino with ÜB. Bobreoht, go on with the festival all the same. Invite all the inhabitants of Pirmasentz.' Prince Richard himself wrote an invitation to the tailor and the tailor's daughter and nephew to dine with him. Htinrieh, who, while at Paris, had taken a course of politics at a billiard-room, replud pr ud'.y that he would not be gauged with the viands of tyrants. ' My nephew,' said the tailor, ' you are an ass.'

' My uncle,' said Heinrich, ' you are a mean-spirited adulator of the great.' The dinner was a grand one—indeed / most of the money received from the sile of the farm had been expended upon it; Master Hubert was exasperatingly familiar with Baron von Robrecht; the Frenchman was rather talkative but quite amusing ; the fireworks got damp and wouldn't go cff; it rained cats and dogs and dancing was impossible, but Wilheltnina was present, in white, with blue ribbons. (N. B.—Blue was Prince Richard's favourite colour). ' Robrecht,' said the frinca, * your festival was a charming success—l never eujoyed myeelf so muoh in all my life. You may sell another farm as soon as you like.' Chapter VI. The Frenchman seemed to fini the couit of Pirmasentz very agreeable—he gave up, apparency, all thoughts of leaving it. The Prince liked him; he played a masterly game of dominoes, knew many anecdotes and invented others. The Baron beheld without j"aloußy M, Boseville's advancement in favor, for M. Roseville was so profoundly impressed by the Baron's political wisdom and ancient iineage, and always adopted the Baron's views. One afternoon M. Roseville entered the Prince's apartment and found the Baron i with him. He was about to withdraw when 1 the Prince interposed. | 'Stay by all means, M. Rnseville," he | cried ; ' for an hour and a half past I have I been vainly prayiDg to heaven to send so Tie , one to interrupt this interview. Von Robrecht entrapped me into a privy council,

and for two hours- has been demonstrating to me that I am the poorest sovereign in Europe. The Baron made a despairing and supplicatory gesture. 'Don't worry, my faithful Robrecht,' said the Princa ; ' M. Boseville hasn't been with us a month without seeing the real condition of affairs. To be frank, M. Bofeville, I've spent my revenues for the next two years and my money lender pretends that his means aie exhausted. Hitherto we have entertained you as a stranger; if you will remain with us—and we shall be delighted to have you—it must be aa a friend, for only to a friend could I extend an invitation to shave our poverty. Robrpcht, dismiss those flunkeys to their ploughs.' 'Your Highness,' the Baron said," 'looks at this matter from the point of view of a tradesman. Can you not marry one of your numerous rich and noble cousins ? Bad as is the condition of the finances of the NassauUtiogen, a fortunate marriage will retrieve everything.' 'lt is in great extremities that princps display their highest qualities,' said M. RoEeville, ' and your highness resigns himsslf to his fortune with singular philosophy ; but there are other resources left besides those already indicated with such truth and force by the Baron. Have you ever thought of engaging in industrial or commercial pursuits ':' ' Look at Robrecht's face—it will show you the effect of my going into trade would have upon the aristocracy of Germany.' ' Not for a moment have I thought of your Highness taking a position not befitting his stati n, though in France our nobility think it no disgrace to engage in such pursuits. The oldest families of France own factories —the direct descendant of a crusader sells pineapples " Chapter VI. Here the Baron gave a shrug which meant in German no end of unfavorable comments upon the oldest families of France. ' I have a colossal enterprise in view,' said M. Rossville. * The first year we must be content with moderate profits—we shall not do more than double our capital, after that our profits will be simply enormous. All your Higness has to do is to sign this paper authorising me to establish a paper-mill.' 'My dear fellow,' said the Vrince, 'very few of my faithful subjects know how to read or write, and there isn't a printing press within ten leagues' distance.' ' Then I'll tell you what we'll do—breed silkworms. All I will need will be a couple of acres of land for a mulberry plantation and some 20,000 francs to start the enterprize with.' ' The only difficulty in the way,' said the Prince, ' is that I have no money—absolutely no money. I can make you a Baron, if you like, or confer on you the order of the White Rhinoceros or the Red Squirrel, but that is all I can do.'

{To be continued,')