DOM PEDRO.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 172, 14 July 1876, Page 7

DOM PEDRO.

Dom Pedro, the Emperor of Brazil, who was received with national honors in New York, last week, is a Catholic monarch of very remark* able character. He was installed as Emperor of Brazil by the abdication of his father in 1831, at the early age of six years, was declared of age July 23, 1840, crowned July 18, 1841, nnd married September 4, 1843 — when but 18 years of age — to a Sicilian princess three years his senior, Theresa Christina Maria, a younger sister of Queen Chris* tina of Spain. Their only living offspring is tlte Imperial Princess Isabella, of Brazil, born July 20, 1846, who was married at the age of 18 to the Count of Eu, a son of the Duke of Nemours, and a grandson of Louis Philippe, King of the French. The imperial princess has one living child, a prince horn at Bio Janeiro in October last. In the full vigor of life (he has just past his 50th year), of Herculean mould, standing over six feet and three inches in his stockings, with a well-proportioned frame, hardened and developed from his earliest youth in all manly and athletic exercises, Dom Pedro on horseback at a review might be fairly matched as an ideal emperor with the late Nicholas of Russia himself. But he is also one of the most accomplished and one of the most conscientious of the rulers of men. From his earliest years he showed a rare passion for study, and made [great progress, especially in the exact sciences, in the military art, in Mechanics, and in natural history. He is a fine linguist, speaking and writing French, Spanish, English, German and Italian, as well as his native Portuguese. In Brazil he is equally loved and revered. His reign has been marked by a steady development of all the best interests of his empire, and his influence has been steadily thrown on the side of liberal reform in the institutions, as well as of material improvement in the social and industrial condition of Brazil. The manners of the emperor are simple and dignified, and his personal habits rather those of a quiet English gentleman than of a tropical prince. Foreigners complain of the court as more than republican in respect to the absence of pomp, cere- > mony and display ; but the Brazilians are well pleased with a sovereign who thinks more of bettering the condition of his people than o£ dazzling travellers at their expense. Dom Pedro has labored hard to promote immigration into Brazil, and therefore has thrown all the weight of his convictions and his example against the institution of shivery. In 1871-72 Dom Pedro made a visit of eight months to Europe, during which he devoted himself with the ardor of a private student to the investigation of everything that could tend to the advantage of Brazil. He astonished specialists in every European country by his minute and fresh acquaintance with thoir own^ubjects, and everywhere made the strongest impression by his intellectual ability, his amenity and his utter freedom from pretensions of all kuids. In London he was particularly liked. By eight in the morningjhe always got through his breaklast, and was in his carriage, visitrnp-all manner of interesting localities long before the fashionable "Engfiah world had got through with its coffee. — * Pilot.*