Self-Made Monarchs.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8051, 17 February 1906, Page 4

Self-Made Monarchs.

How Some European Potentates Have Gained Their Present Positions. True aristocrats have rather a cynical way ol speaking of Eoyaltv. In spite of their high political position, the majority of tho crowned heads of Europe take by no means a high rank in the matter of lineage. In fact, with the utmost respect, be it said, most of Europe's reigning sovereigns owe their lofty positions not to rights of descent, but to good luck, and their own efforts. The dynastic troubles of tho kingdom of Beryia, settled for the time being by the accession of King Peter, are merely the continuance of a struggle between swineherds. lioth the founder of the present dynasty, Kavageorge, and of the late dynasty, Milosh Obrenovitch, before their entry into the realm of high politics, ministered to the needs of the humble porker, and that only so recently as the beginning of the last century. Somewhat more distinguished; but by no means august, it the lineage of the King of Sweden, Oscar 11. His line goes no further back than 1818, to Marshall Bernadotte, one of Napoleon's henchmen, who was jumped into the Swedish throne by his master, on the dethronemsnt of Gustavus IV. The princely throne of Bulgaria is, of course, of intensely modern origin. Only in 1887 did the present prince, Ferdinand of Coburg, ascend the throne, on the abdiction of Alexander of Hesse—both entire foreigners to Bulgaria. King Leopold of Belgium is an admirable and popular monarch, but his royal line only comes down from 1831, when his father a Prinoe of Saxe-Coburg, was nominated king of the newly formed State of Belgium. Newer still is the origin of the Koyal Family of Greece, as only in 1863 did the present dynasty assume power, without having ever had the remotest political connection with their subjects. The present King George of Greece is the first King of his race, and is the son of the King of Denmark.

In 1863 the Greeks were without a monarch and almost unanimously elected for the post Prince Alfred of Great Britain, the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg. The position was not, however, selected for him by his august parents, and so the throne passed over to the then Prince George of SchleswigjHofsWiur""*" — "" For -1 Empire that dates hack far before thefChristian era, whose civilisation is thousands of years older than our own, the Chinese dynasty are little more than modern upstarts. For the Tsing family, who hold sway at present, only came into power in IU4H, and were, from the Chinese Mandarin point of view, vulgar Usurpers of Tartar origin. TheKoyal Family of Italy must also be included in a list of newly-made place-hold eis. Their tenure of the crown of United Italy dates from 18C1, when Victor Em. tnanuel 11., King of Sardinia, assumed it. Prior to that Victor was the King only of a small territory, which, in tnrn, his ancestors had secured by exchange for Sicily, of which he was previouely King. Before that, Victor Amadeus was merely Duke of Savoy. The rise of the Savoy family from obscure dukedom to the crown of one of the great Powers is a phenomena of history and appeals greatljr to the imagination. When it was announced that Queen Wilhelmina of Holland would marry the Duke Henry of Mecklenburg - Sohwerin, opinion generally regarded it as an act of condescension on the part of her Majesty. The German princely family, on their part, regarded it as nosmallcondescension for one of their stock to unite himself with so comparatively modern a Royal family as that of Holland.

For while the Mecklenburgs trace their descent to Genserie the Vandal, who ravaged the western empire in the fifth century, the Dutch Royal family of Orange only assumed the title of King, and Royal rank in 1815. Before that, the Orange position was that of Stadt-holder, a kind of Presidential office only. Much is heard of the gloriesof the Hohenzollern family, of which William 11. is the prevailing ornament, but only in 1701 did the family attain kingly rank, having previously held the obscure position of Margraves of Brandenburg, obtained originally by purchase in the fifteenth century. Ab everybody knows, the Hohenzollerns only rose to Imperial rank, as German Emperors, after the war with France, in 1871. It is, of course, only to the credit of th» Hohenzollerns that they have so raised themselves in the world, and are, therefore, self made monarohs, but it is only fair to say that the majority of the obscure princes uf Germany could give them points in the matter of lineage. Bearing in mind these faets, we should not be so ready to laugh to scorn the French gentleman who styled himself Emperor of the Sahara. He was, after all, only doing what many very imposing monarchs had done in days not so very long ago, Death Dances. The death dances of the Tibetan mystery plays, one of which is performed on the last three day of the year, are called " The ceremony of the sacrificial body of the dead year?' *Che effigy of a man made out of dough, as life-like as possible and having inside a distinct heart and all the entrails filled with a red fluid, is placed by four cemetery ghouls insight of the numerous spectators in the centre of the yard, and at once bands of skeleton ghosts rush upon the corpse to attack it. This is the time to display the necromatic power of Lamaism over the tvil spirits. Monks and lamas come forth and go through a series of ceremonies, the magic effect of which keeps the fiends away. But a more formidabledevil with great horns and possessed of superior powers makes his appearance and takes the field. Whereupon a saint or an incarnation of Buddha himself goes to the rescue, sprays flour on the enemy makes mystic signs and utters incantations. The skeleton ghosts and the big fiend grovel before him and implore mercy. He graciously yields to their supplications and allows them to [partake of a sacramental meal. While they kneel before him he gives to each one of them a little flour to eat and a drink out of a vessel of holy water.

The famous head of the Japanese Army, Marquis Oyama, who is a celebrated shot, was first taught by the American Horace l-'i.-tcher. Mr. Fletcher had published a pnmphlc't on the subject, which the marquis mil X'it long after the two met, and Mr. FlcVhcreOforcd to instruct the Minister of War, a.-(.Kiiina then was. He proved such nn •■ftieieii! t™:hcr, and the pupil so apt, that In-fnriii.nig the marquis was able to hit, not only ilc liullscyc, but moving objects His ilc v.hcii he first hit ateacup thrown into die «ir was so great that he capered about shouting like an excited schoolboy.

The custom of bottliiiß teats is peculiar to tin- people of Persia. There it constitutes mi important part of the obsequies o! the dead As the mourners arc sitting lcund ami .vecpiii", the master of ceremonies prescute each with a piece of cotton wool or h|i tiro wi:h which to wipe away the tears. This-cotton wool or sponge is then put into n li.illli'. anil the tears are preserved as a powerful am! ellicacious restorative for those whom every other medicine has failed to revive Ii is to this custom that allusion is mailc in tli» l'-alms - " Puttliou my rears into 11 y buttle." Spencer says: "/V penitent's tear is an undeniable ambassador, and never i "*tiii ns from the throne of iirace un-aatislb-d."