  The day selected by the Prince and Princess of Roumania for the commencement of their tour through Moldavia—April 20, 1871—was one of good omen for the result of that journey. Prince Charles was anxious to reinstate the close and intimate relations which had existed between him and his people before the recent agitation, as well as to give the lie to the calumny that he no longer took an interest in his subjects. The Princess, too, was eager to become more closely acquainted with the beauties of her new country under her husband's guidance. Unfortunately the pleasure of the trip was marred by the constant downpour of rain, which laid half of Jassy under water. But the Prince and Princess did not allow the weather to interfere with their plans, and succeeded in visiting every noteworthy place or institution. At their departure from the Moldavian capital, as on their arrival, they received a most enthusiastic ovation, to which Prince Charles expressed the same views to the Ministry on his return to Bucharest, and informed them that he had given up the thought of abdication, as his tour through Moldavia had satisfied him that the nation would be loyal to the Sovereign they had elected, whilst condemning the revolutionary aims which had been the source of the recent trouble. The marvellous change which had taken place in the Roumanian situation in the short space of five weeks did not fail of prompt recognition abroad. The Austrian Ambassador at Constantinople remarked: "If Prince Charles succeeds in managing Roumania with his own resources, and in rendering it governable, it will be the greatest tour de force I have witnessed in my diplomatic career of more than half a century. It will be nothing less than a conjuring trick!" Prince Charles thus described the surprising change of situation between March 22 and May 22:
Owing to the sudden illness of the Grand Vizier, Ali Pacha, through overwork, and the prevailing centralisation of the Turkish Government, all affairs of State came to a standstill for the time being. The Sultan refused to appoint a substitute, and Ali Pacha refused to resign: "I shall die, if needs be, but I shall die as Grand Vizier!" The Prince and Princess, with their little daughter, sought protection from the climate of Cotroceni in the cloister of Sinaja on August 2. Almost daily some expedition or picnic in the woods was arranged, especially at that spot in the valley of the Pelesch where Prince Charles thought of building a summer residence. This plan had, however, to be given up, as the situation of the proposed house was too much exposed to the violent winds which swept down the valley. These happy days came to an end, only too soon, when on September 11 the Prince returned to Cotroceni, followed two days later by the remainder of the family. The Princess of Wied was forced Prince Charles replied the same day: "Elisabeth has created her own sphere of action; she frequently visits the schools and communicates the remarks and observations made whilst the instruction is going on personally to the conseil permanent de l'instruction publique. By this method she has already succeeded in introducing several minor improvements; in addition to this, she is translating some school-books for children into Roumanian, with the aid of some young ladies; and once a week she presides over the Society for the Poor, which has done good work since its institution a year ago.... We are all well. Little Marie is full of life, and runs from room to room. When I have Prince Charles and his family decided to celebrate the Christmas festivities of 1871 according to the Eastern calendar, on December 24 (January 5). Prince Charles Anthony's Christmas letter contained the following interesting allusion to German affairs:
The Chambers passed a law on January 5 by which Roumania undertook to pay the coupons commencing from January 1, 1872, and all that remained to end the matter was the consent of the Berlin Syndicate to the proposed compromise. On January 28, 1872, Prince Charles was able to inform his father that the unfortunate dispute about the railways had at last been settled: "A telegram has just been received from Berlin informing us that the shareholders have accepted the first part of the law; you can imagine our delight! The history of this suffering has now reached its end—thirteen months of anxiety, excitement, and fears, form a long episode!" To Prince Charles Anthony."My chief news to-day is that the condition of Elisabeth's health renders a journey to the South an absolute necessity; she has never quite recovered from the violent attacks of fever of last summer, and in spite of all precautions has recently been ill again; this might lead to serious consequences if often repeated. Since change of air is the only really effective remedy, she will go to Italy, and meet her Nassau relatives and Therese of Oldenburg in Rome before Easter. Should the climate there not suit her, she will go on to Naples. The two months' separation, which lies before us, is indeed very hard, the harder for Elisabeth, since she must part with both husband and child! It is satisfactory for me to know that she will meet relations in Rome, whom she will be very glad to see again. I must submit to the inevitable; but I shall feel my solitude very much. "We shall then spend the whole summer in "The following incident will show you the anti-German feeling here: The Court of Appeal has acquitted the rioters of the 10th-22nd March for want of evidence. Costa-Foru in consequence demanded the removal of the judges, but I refused my consent, to avoid further unpleasantness. He then laid a decree before me, which made the President of the Court responsible for the acquittal and transferred him as a punishment; this I signed. The result of this measure was the resignation of a large number of the best judges both of the first and second instance, a demonstration which has caused great excitement and has been received with satisfaction. The gentry in question are considered as victimes de la Prusse, and only a few have the courage to agree with Costa-Foru. This is, of course, water to the opposition mill, and the affair is exploited in every kind of way...." In a long letter, received March 8, 1872, Prince Charles Anthony minutely discussed the Prussian and Roumanian views about the recently settled railway dispute, and devoted particular attention to
Princess Elisabeth was forced to tear herself away from her husband and daughter on March 12, to seek health under the cloudless sky of Italy. At Trieste the Princess of Hohenzollern was awaiting her arrival in order to accompany her to Rome, and, later on, to Naples, where the King and Queen of Denmark, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, with other Royal personages, were spending the Spring. The Prince of Wales discussed politics earnestly with Princess Elisabeth, and asked with which side Roumania would be A very plain and straightforward letter was received from Prince Bismarck on April 25, 1872, in reply to an explanation which Prince Charles had sent him on the railway question.
After alluding to the anti-German demonstrations in 1871 and the acquittal of the rioters of March 22, Bismarck continued:
From the German Crown Prince."My best thanks for the photographs; your child must have charming and interesting features: "When I reflect on the course of events in Germany, since the DÜppel assault first attracted the attention of the world to us Prussians, it always seems to me as though I had listened with rapt attention to a long history lesson—that I was called to witness the reality appears a marvel. May our people in future preserve the same becoming earnestness and humility which up to now they have not laid aside in spite of all their successes! So long as that feeling is not abandoned we show ourselves worthy of the deeds we have witnessed. "You will remember that the thought of a reconstitution of the Empire as the finishing touch in the work of German unity has always occupied me, and been among my sincerest wishes; truly, my aim was directed at a peaceable and bloodless achievement of this fact, and perhaps "To my joy our neighbour States do not appear to view our union with unfavourable eyes, and that is in itself a great deal—we shall certainly not be loved by any of them. The revengeful feeling of France is only natural and explicable, though much water will flow between the banks of the Rhine before that feeling will issue in act.... "You would hardly recognise my children Princess Elisabeth reached Genoa on her way home to Bucharest on April 30. She had left Naples only a few days before a terrible eruption of Vesuvius, accompanied with earthquakes, which caused the death of some two hundred persons. At Vienna the Princess was visited by the Emperor of Austria, Count Andrassy, and a number of her relations. Prince Charles met the Princess near Orschowa and was delighted to find her completely restored to health. Their entry into Bucharest was greeted in every way as heartily as on their return from Germany in 1869. The streets of the capital were so densely packed by a most enthusiastic multitude that the carriage could only proceed at a walk. The following letter from the German Emperor was brought by M. Mavrogheni:
The Roumanian Court moved to Sinaja on May 29, 1872, where the fresh mountain air completely restored the Prince and his family to robust health. The Prince wrote the following description of a great bear-hunt to his father:
The same letter also contained a most interesting picture of the situation of Roumania, both at home and abroad.
"Our stay at Sinaja, which, if the weather holds good, we shall prolong for another four weeks, suits us excellently. The life here is pleasant and unconstrained; every day brings fresh interests. "On September 8 our little Marie will be two years old, but she might easily pass for three, for her mental and physical development is far more mature than that of most children of two years old. You ought to see my little daughter now, my dear parents. You would certainly take as great a pleasure in her as we do ourselves; she already speaks three languages—Roumanian, German, and, above all, English; is very independent, runs about alone, calls everybody by his proper name, and The birthday of the little Princess was celebrated in the same way as the year before, with the ceremony of breaking a cake over her little fair head, and with serenades, and fireworks. The childlike grace and charm with which her Serene Highness accepted the homage captivated all hearts. To the German Crown Prince, October 8th, 1872."We have been permitted, after many storms, to spend a quiet and happy summer, admiring nature and art, and visited by people of all kinds and of all nationalities—mutable and merry, despite the stillness of the cloister surrounded by giant mountains. Even a few Englishmen put in an appearance, and I gave them the heartier welcome for the hope that they will now spread healthier ideas about Oriental countries amongst their fellow countrymen. Unfortunately the shade of Palmerston still moves amongst England's diplomatists, and her inhabitants are more Turkish than the Turks themselves, which fact you will be able to estimate correctly, as you are acquainted with Turkish rule. I have said this to all who From the German Crown Prince, October 28th, 1872."We fared very well during the summer; my wife and I and our two youngest children enjoyed the Alps in Berchtesgaden and Salzburg, a region which we find extraordinarily attractive. "There, as in the whole of South Germany, where later on I inspected troops, a reception was prepared for me as hearty and brilliant as any in the old Mother Country. The feeling of cohesion amongst all German races since the re-establishment of the German Empire has spread in those parts extraordinarily, broadly, and quickly. All feel themselves elevated and strengthened; they see themselves as members of a nation which commands a respect such as the former thirty Fatherlands could never have commanded. The enemies of our union, against whom we struggle, cannot prevail in face of this political power, but they will leave no means of damaging it untried. Only we must not make a mistake in our choice of weapons, for otherwise we shall make martyrs of our opponents, and shall reap neither thanks nor advantage." From Prince Charles Anthony, November 26th, 1872."The burning question in the new German Empire is the Church. This question is making "The boundaries between the powers of the State and the Church are to be regulated by legislation in Berlin. This problem may possibly be solved in theory, but never in practice. When my opinion was asked, I advised the Emperor to decide each concrete case with the utmost rigour, but never to embark upon disputes about theoretical dogmas—history teaches that in such struggles the State invariably comes off the worst. The introduction of civil marriage, the separation of the schools from the Church, and the establishment of State examinations for the clergy are alone excepted from this. The Church must be left to herself; the State has nothing to do with dogmas, which depend entirely upon the conscience of Catholics. "You have no idea of the agitation which these "It is well that the Jesuit law is, so to speak, an already surmounted vantage-point; but those who expect improvement from it are mistaken; the greater part of the Catholic priesthood of to-day has been educated by the Jesuits. The whole struggle is grievous. "If the contending parties had long ago arrived at an understanding, particularly in the time of King Frederick William IV., that the Throne and the Altar are two irreconcilable conceptions, it might have been possible to regulate their relation without the intervention of force. But that ruler's absolutist tendencies sought and found in the absolutism of Rome an alliance which is still a heavy burden upon our national development. "You will certainly have followed the debates on the 'Kreisordnung' in the Upper House with interest. To myself it is a brilliant satisfaction for the wrongs suffered in 1859 and 1860; what I then prophesied has happened to-day—the Upper House is an institution whose entire composition stands in urgent need of reform. "The situation in Bavaria and WÜrttemberg, especially in the dynastic spheres, is scarcely yet intelligible. Particularism is as obstinate as possible. The unification of the Empire from a military point of view is proceeding smoothly, and will not recede; but the minor Sovereigns take it The unexpected news of the death of Napoleon III. was received at Bucharest on January 10, 1873. Prince Charles and the Roumanian nation were deeply moved by this sad event, for the dead Emperor had been the champion and protector of the national existence of Roumania in its darkest days. Throughout the whole land memorial services were held, though the Metropolitan at first objected on the ground that the late Emperor was not a member of the Orthodox Church. The universal expression of sympathy with the widowed Empress and the Prince Imperial created a certain friction with the Republican Government, and the Foreign Minister reminded M. Strat that the Roumanians ought not to forget that, after all, "it was to France, and not the Emperor, that gratitude was due"! M. Thiers, the President, also expressed his vexation that the Roumanian Chambers should have sent messages of condolence to the Prince Imperial as well as to the Empress, since the former had never had anything to do with Roumania. This measure was considered to indicate that Roumania held the French Republic "nul et non avenu." M. Thiers concluded with the remark: "If I had acted strictly in accordance with the rules of international custom, I should have recalled all The situation in Paris at the commencement of 1873 was described by M. Strat as "the same struggles, the same defiance in every camp, and the same uncertainty about the future as in the past." A sort of armistice existed between M. Thiers and the Majority of the National Assembly, who were anxious to foist a King upon France, whilst the adherents of the Republic were divided into two camps. "Those who desire a moderate and conservative republic do nothing to bring it to pass, and those who wish for a rÉgime on the lines of Gambetta & Co. do everything in their power to render it permanently impossible." Gambetta's school, which unfortunately had made proselytes throughout the whole of Europe, aimed at "governing by inane discourses, banquets, harangues, demonstrations in the streets, and all the customary trappings of a vulgar democracy." Hampered by all these conflicting elements, M. Thiers was confronted by the task of maintaining order, paying milliards, and raising the commerce of the country. He would only secure peace with the National Assembly if he gave it complete liberty "to play upon that instrument which they call universal suffrage." On February 13 King Amadeo of Spain announced in a special message to the Cortes that he had laid the crown aside, under the conviction that the incessant struggles of the parties were frustrating all his efforts for the peace and happiness of his country. The Cortes, by a large majority, proclaimed the Republic pour l'ÉternitÉ, and elected as their President a well-known and thorough-going Republican, Senor Fiqueras. And so the saying of Napoleon III., that a Latin race is almost ungovernable, received a melancholy confirmation, which was only partly refuted by the Prince Charles's unquestioned success in ruling the "Latin sister-nation." Public opinion was only now beginning to realise the great merit of the Prince in achieving, by patience, abnegation, and perseverance, a stable Government, which only a few years before had appeared to be an aim Utopian and altogether beyond realisation to all those who were acquainted with the people and the affairs of Roumania. Prince Charles was invited by the Emperor of Austria to attend the Vienna Exhibition, where Roumanian commerce was to be represented by exhibits of tobacco, wool, silk, wood, salt and other minerals. There were scarcely any manufactures, but the Prince was confident that they would soon follow in the track of the railways. The Princess, whose health had not been at all satisfactory, and her little daughter, set out on Prince Charles received the same treatment at Vienna, where he found his brother, the Hereditary Prince Leopold, awaiting him. He could not fail to notice that the reception accorded to him in 1873 was far more cordial than that in 1869, and he found, too, that his labours and sacrifices during the last four years had at last received due recognition in the Press. Count Andrassy had a long and important interview with Prince Charles on June 25, when the Prince mentioned his project of declaring Roumania an independent State, because the relations with the Porte only led to constant friction, and were prejudicial to the welfare of his country. Moreover, a free Roumania, he held, would be a better friend to Turkey than it could possibly be under the existing circumstances. Count Andrassy pointed out that Roumania, as an independent State, would be exposed to danger from outside, while at present her safety was guaranteed by conventions and treaties. At the same time he gave emphatic denial to the rumour The Roumanian section in the exhibition was altogether successful; the centre of attraction was a portrait by an American painter, Healy, of the Prince in cavalry uniform, and of the Princess in national costume. The many-coloured carpets and woven silks also received great commendation, as well as the wines of the country. The Prince quitted Vienna on July 1 by the train which carried the German Empress back to Germany. The Empress expressed herself greatly pleased at the reception accorded her by the Austrian capital, especially by the amiability of the Emperor Francis Joseph. After a short stay at Neuwied Prince Charles proceeded to Ems to see the Czar before the latter left for Russia, and to congratulate him in person upon the approaching marriage of the Grand Duchess Marie to the Duke of Edinburgh. A couple of days later the Prince and Princess again visited Ems, this time to see the German Emperor, en route for Imnau, where they expected to rejoin the Princess of Wied. The Emperor William welcomed his An amusing adventure happened to the Prince and Princess on their way to Imnau at Giessen, where they had the misfortune to miss their train, and were forced to spend the night at a small hotel near the railway station, without either luggage or sufficient money to pay for their railway-tickets. As they desired to preserve their incognito, they determined to make use of their "honest looks" to induce the hotel-keeper to advance the necessary sum of money. This hope, it is pleasant to note, was not cherished in vain, and Imnau was reached on July 8. The Prince's parents remained at Hechingen, which lies only a short distance from Imnau, but met every day either at one place or the other, so that Prince Charles Anthony's favourite wish was at last fulfilled. In this peaceful fashion a month passed only too quickly, and, after a couple of days spent at Krauchenwies the wanderers returned to Sinaja on August 28, touching Vienna en route, so that the Princess might also have an opportunity of visiting the exhibition. The affairs of Roumania were absolutely uneventful, and the efforts of the Prince, warmly supported by the Ministry, made satisfactory progress towards the attainment of the high ideal which Prince Charles had kept before him ever since he first took up his arduous task. In a letter written to his parents at Christmas the Prince remarked: "Roumania has never witnessed so peaceful or, in many respects, so happy a year as 1873. The general progress is excellent, and the good understanding between the Government and the Chambers still continues." The early part of 1874 was darkened by the illness of Princess Elisabeth, who was seized by a contagious disease whilst supervising the distribution of gifts to the poor children of Bucharest. Fortunately the trouble abated in time to enable the Princess to enjoy the visit of her brother-in-law, Prince Frederick. Princess Marie, too, was not spared by the epidemic, and for a few days her condition caused the gravest anxiety to her parents. From the German Crown Prince, March 21st, 1874."You will certainly have followed with sympathy the course of the lamentable religio-political struggle between our Government and the Papal Curia. I am sorry that it should have occurred; but I foresaw it, as the custom, established these thirty years, of giving way to "I am sorry that there should be a current report that the Government wishes to attack the Catholic Church and its dogmas for their own sake. Every one who is capable of calm deliberation must know that nothing is further from our thoughts." To Prince Charles Anthony, April 7th, 1874."I write to you oppressed by care and anxiety on account of our dear child, who is suffering from scarlet fever. On Saturday she was quite well, and drove out with us in the warm spring weather; early on Sunday she complained of not being well. Her malady increased towards midday, and was accompanied by sickness. Towards evening she became very restless and feverish, and Dr. Theodori recognised the symptoms of a dangerous illness. The poor child passed a very bad night, moaning and sleepless, whilst we watched by her bedside; at 2 A.M. her skin became deep red, and her temperature rose considerably. Theodori came at eight o'clock and pronounced it to be scarlet fever. At noon her whole body was burning with heat, and her head "Another bad night was passed, but the fever was less intense the following morning; there was no question of sleep. We do not lose our courage, and trust in God, who will not abandon us in the hour of our trouble...." After a slight improvement on the 8th the condition of the child became so alarming at midnight that her parents, who had not left her side till eleven P.M., were again summoned to her bed. They found their little daughter gasping for breath. The hastily summoned physicians declared the condition of their patient to be hopeless. As she lay in the lap of her English nurse, the child's strength seemed to ebb with every minute, and as the first rays of the rising sun touched the windows of the room, the despairing parents were kneeling by the lifeless body of their only child. Only a short time could be given them to be near her; the little coffin was closed, and carried by the grief-stricken father out of the death-chamber. A long procession accompanied the body of the little Princess From the German Crown Prince."We have just received the unexpected and afflicting news of the terrible misfortune that has befallen you. May God's grace be with you and grant you strength to bear the desperate sorrow, the burden of which we know from our own experience! In thought I put myself in your frame of mind, and realise that you must both be numbed with grief at seeing your sweet child lifeless before you, and at knowing that you can never again see a light in her dear eyes, never again a smile on her face! "These are hours in which, in spite of all Christian principles, one still asks: why need it have been? And certainly it is hard to say: 'Thy will be done!' "I wrote this text on the tomb of my son Sigismund, your god-child, because I know of no other consolation: and yet I cannot conquer that pain to-day, though many years have already passed, and though God has given me a large family. Time does certainly blunt the keenest edge of a "Your grief is also ours, and you are both the object of our anxiety and our prayers; for that my wife is at one with me in these thoughts of sympathy you know as well as that these lines are for poor Elisabeth no less than for you. God be with you, and be merciful to you!" In the following letter, addressed to the President of the Ministry, Prince Charles endeavoured to thank his people for their sympathy.
From Prince Charles Anthony, April 15th, 1874."What terrible news! Though yesterday we awaited your telegram not without anxiety, still we were reassured towards evening. As long as I live I shall not forget to-day's awakening—I opened the telegram without agitation—speechless, and with the keenest heartache, I read it again and again. For a long time I could not believe in the possibility of the destruction of your domestic happiness. God's ways are inscrutable! To Prince Charles Anthony, May 5th."We established ourselves here (Cotroceni) yesterday, and we hope to find more peace and a little consolation for our sorrowing hearts, since we shall now be close to the resting-place of our loved child. The palace in the capital seemed so empty and melancholy to us that we awaited with impatience the day when we could leave it. But we shall feel our loss bitterly even here. Our daily walk is to her grave, where we sit and talk over the legacy of rich and manifold memories left us by our dear child. The whole country mourns for little Marie; this you know, and will have seen from our newspapers; many expressions of sympathy have also reached us from abroad. The German Emperor wrote me a very kind letter in which he shows his true kindness of heart. I also received a letter from the King of Italy, and Elisabeth one from the Queen of England, which was couched in very warm and affectionate terms. The Empress EugÉnie also telegraphed her sympathy with me. "... Elisabeth's nerves are so shaken that the greatest care is necessary. I must confess to you that I am often anxious myself, and am much depressed by pain, sorrow, and apprehension. I get but very little sleep at night, and have repeatedly heard my poor Elisabeth cry out in her dreams: 'Dead, dead!' This cry of pain is each time a fresh stab in my wounded heart!" Whilst Princess Elisabeth sought to conquer her grief by distraction in translating Roumanian legends and fairy tales, Prince Charles's time was claimed by affairs of State. Great Britain, in pursuit of its Turkophile policy, wished to accredit its new agent, Mr. Vivian, with a letter in which mention was made of the "good relations which exist between England and the Sublime Porte and the territory governed by your Highness." The Roumanian Government declined to receive this communication, but the incident was eventually settled by an exchange of Notes between the English Consul-General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Vivian had a private audience on May 4 with the Prince, who expressed his opinion very plainly on the Oriental policy of England. To Prince Charles Anthony, May 26th, 1874."We are impatiently awaiting Leopold's arrival, which is promised for Monday. The Prince of On June 7 a law was passed providing for the allotment of land in Bessarabia to the Bulgarians expelled from the right bank of the river. This measure was warmly advocated by the Russian Consul-General, but Prince Charles, mindful of Russia's declaration in 1871, was disquieted by the discovery that the Russian Government had not surrendered its hopes of the reacquisition of Bessarabia. After a short stay in the pleasant groves of breezy Sinaja the journey to Franzensbad was commenced on July 15 in the company of the "The Empress had been so kind as to inquire from the Queen of England what watering-place would suit us best. The latter replied by telegraph that her physician, Sir W. Jenner, recommended Eastbourne for Elisabeth 'and her husband.' "When ladies of so high degree look after a watering-place for us, we ought certainly to reap the full benefit from our stay! We shall, therefore, probably go to Eastbourne or Hastings. "One day is very much like another, and we live solely according to the 'Kur.'... These places in Bohemia are fortunately so accustomed to Royal visitors that a Queen and an Oriental Prince create very little stir." After paying a flying visit to the German During their three weeks' stay at St. Leonard's the Prince and Princess made many excursions to Brighton, Oxford, Woolwich, Chislehurst, and the neighbouring country seats of the nobility. The visit to Oxford, with Professor Max MÜller as cicerone, was of especial interest to the Prince, who was much impressed by the ancient University, with its glorious colleges. By the courtesy of the Secretary of War, Gathorne Hardy, Prince Charles was able to make a minute inspection of the Woolwich Arsenal. The Prince was astonished to find that the heaviest naval guns for the British fleet were still built on the muzzle-loading principle, and endeavoured, without much success, to convince his guide, Major-General Simmons, of the advantages of the breechloading system. Several very pleasant hours were spent at Lord Brassey's castle and on board his yacht. Lord Brassey had visited Roumania on several occasions, as he was interested in the Offenheim railway concession, and was, therefore, no stranger to the Prince. A couple of visits were also paid to Holmebury House to Lady Mary Anne Alford and her brother, Mr. Leveson-Gower, whose brother, Lord Granville, had formerly been in communication with Roumania as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. "To Prince Charles Anthony."We shall commemorate in quiet and grief the birthday of our dear daughter on the 8th of September. She was the light of our home life. Now this anniversary will only teach us, as each year comes round, that this earthly life, with all its pleasures and sorrows, is but the preparation for a better life, and that, therefore, we must not cling too much to the things of this world. England by no means seems full of this sentiment. I believe that in no other country has materialism gone to such a length as here. People live solely to enjoy their lives—et voilÀ tout. Commerce and industry, therefore, flourish, which bring in money, and money is the essential requisite for English comfort! "I discussed the social condition of England with Max MÜller, and derived much benefit from "Roumania is a terra incognita here, and the sympathy with Turkey is so great that it is useless to struggle against this folly. Nevertheless, I have placed myself in communication with several influential Englishmen. "In spite of the cutting cold winds, we continue our sea-bathing, and derive much benefit from it...." Lord Derby, in reply to a letter from Prince Charles, who expressed his regret at not having met the Foreign Secretary in London, professed his deep concern at being unable to pay the Prince a visit before his departure from England. On the way home Prince Charles visited the Oriental Congress in London, where representatives of all Eastern nations were assembled. Amongst others, the Prince made the acquaintance of Sir Henry Rawlinson, the decipherer of the cuneiform inscriptions; of LÉon Rosnez, the learned exponent of Semitic languages; of Sir Henry Bartle Frere; of Sir John Lubbock and Charles Kingsley. The majority of these were presented to Prince Charles at a Mansion House banquet given in honour of the Oriental Congress. The quaint ceremonies, the ancient costumes of the civic dignitaries, the luxury and wealth of the table appointments, and the excellent music The homeward journey lay through Paris, where the ruins of the Tuileries awakened melancholy reflections; Strassburg, which still bore plain traces of siege, to the Weinburg where Prince Charles Anthony was feverishly awaiting their arrival. The meeting was most affecting, and the memories awakened by the deep mourning of his children almost overcame the aged Prince, whose bodily infirmities were increasing with every year. The stay at the Weinburg ended on October 8. Prince Charles Anthony's bodily suffering, though borne with heroic courage, threw a melancholy shadow over the otherwise happy home life of the Hohenzollern family. With their return to Sinaja the grief of the unfortunate parents was constantly aroused by the absence of their dear one from the rooms which once were enlivened by her presence; the very gloom of the weather seemed to encourage this melancholy mood. From the German Emperor, September 26th, 1874."I was very pleased to make the acquaintance of the bearer of these lines (the Roumanian Minister of War) and to see him at our manoeuvres, which appeared to interest him greatly. My best thanks to you for the letter he brought me. I think it most natural that your "With a thousand greetings to your wife, "Your sincere Cousin, To Prince Charles Anthony, November 28th."We quitted Sinaja three weeks ago with heavy hearts to return to Bucharest. The weather remained beautiful until a week ago, and our longing for the mountains was increased; the more so as the empty rooms of the Palace can never appear lively. We endeavour to distract ourselves as much as possible and invite people to dinner every day, but nothing can make us forget the dear voice of our child, which we miss everywhere and at all times. "I opened the Chamber yesterday. My speech was short, and touched only on practical questions. "The question of the commercial treaties is on the high road to an immediate solution, the only difficulties are matters of detail. We are now negotiating with Austria-Hungary, whose interest it is to enter on closer relations with us both A most interesting and important report on the condition of the Servian forces in 1874 was received on January 9, 1875. M. Sturdza prefaced his remarks by insisting upon the extreme difficulty of ascertaining the truth about Servia: Chauvinism and love of exaggeration conspired to keep strangers in the dark. He had, however, been able to discover enough to prove that the Servian troops were, strictly speaking, no army at all. Both quality and quantity left much to be desired, whilst the standing force of 5000 men was hardly sufficient to keep order in the interior. The permanent force of cavalry amounted to but one solitary squadron, whilst only one battery was armed with modern guns. The fortresses were in an The attitude of the populace of Montenegro and Herzegowina towards Turkey threatened most serious complications in January 1875. The massacres of Christians at Podgoritza late in 1874 still remained unpunished, though the instigators had already been sentenced by Turkish Courts. Representations to the Sublime Porte resulted in the preposterous demand that the Montenegrins, who had been the cause of the disturbance, should be Prince Milan's popularity had suffered greatly by his favouritism and caprice, whilst his Ministry seemed to aim either at forcing him to abdicate, or at least at putting such difficulties in his way that the Powers would be forced to intervene, and thus effect his fall. His long stay in Paris in 1874, together with his unbounded extravagance, gave rise to most unfavourable comment. "It is asserted that the Prince's debts now amount to the whole of his private fortune. Bills of exchange arrive every day from abroad and cannot be paid. His landed property in Wallachia will be invaded. Expedients for borrowing from all sides are seen at the Palace. Many people here, even peasants, are owed money. The civil list has been spent six months in advance." From Professor Max MÜller."... I only now realise the magnitude of the work your Highness has undertaken, a work which demands the highest form of heroism, the heroism of patience! To sow without the hope of enjoying the harvest demands a degree of faith such as is not common in the present day. If I were younger, I would enthusiastically offer my services "Public opinion in England remains unaltered—the arrival of a telegram from the Danube makes us tremble in every limb. Two reasons for this are apparent. Humanity is the slave of phrase, and the phrase, 'integrity of the Ottoman Empire,' is as much a matter of course to the English as 'Britannia rules the waves.' Such phrases have a firmer hold on English policy than on French or German. The Turkish funds form the second reason...." On February 14, 1875, Prince Charles received the Spanish Ambassador, who came to announce the accession of Alfonso De Borbon y Borbone "by the Grace of God and the National Will King of Spain." Don Gherardi was received with every honour usual on such occasions at the European Courts. Though this step of the King of Spain From Prince Charles Anthony."One of the most ridiculous and narrow-minded of political interests is the unbounded importance attached to the Spanish notification to Bucharest, which is treated as seriously as though the whole Eastern Question depended upon it. The English papers, followed by those of Berlin, never tire of discussing this matter from every point of view. It is truly ridiculous, but, on the other hand, discloses the still prevailing aversion from your emancipation." To Prince Charles Anthony, March 19th, 1875."We lost all communication with abroad and the interior for a whole month in consequence of heavy snowstorms. Many accidents and considerable losses have occurred which will be more severely felt here, where misfortunes, as well as prosperity, are ascribed to the Government, "The slowness of the present thaw will, it is to be hoped, prevent larger inundations; the streets in town, however, are in an incredible state; locomotion is only possible in sleighs—which are in imminent danger of being capsized. This happened to us last week, but we escaped unhurt. Elisabeth was delighted at the adventure, but I am ashamed at having been upset in my capital! Our hound, Mentor, was so terrified by this accident "Russia and Germany have declared themselves willing to negotiate commercial and consular conventions with us. England regrets that she has not been able to frustrate the fait accompli, but, nevertheless, makes a bonne mine À mauvais jeu. Yet she could not help inciting the Sublime Porte, by her very anti-Roumanian representative in Constantinople, to issue the ridiculous protest about the Spanish notification. This was an ill turn to Turkey, as an innocent affair was expanded into a cause cÉlÈbre.... The expenditure of 5,000,000 francs (for warlike purposes) produces not a little disquiet, and has set England against us; and yet England is one of the keenest competitors for the contract! Very significant!" On March 28, 1875, the Chambers legislative period of four years came to an end. Not only was it the first time that one and the same Chamber had sat for the full term, but it was also the first time that the same Ministry had both opened and closed the Chamber, an achievement which speaks volumes for the progress and development of the Principalities during this period. Prince Charles accepted the presidency of the Bucharest Jockey Club, founded by Mr. Vivian, From Prince Charles Anthony."My life is so quiet and lonely that my connection with the outer world is actually based on confidential letters and the newspapers alone. "Nevertheless, I am very well posted, and am daily better able to appreciate that one sees, hears, and judges all the more clearly for being more concentrated and quiet. Unfortunately I cannot say that the policy of the young German Empire satisfies me at present. "The demand on the Italian Government about the Papal Guarantee law appears to me to be out of place. Difficulties increase every day in the religious-political field, and it does not seem clear how we are to get out of it without entrenching on matters of Catholic belief. I certainly am no Ultramontane; but my objective sense of justice revolts against our tactics, groping wholly in the dark against a power which possesses an unparalleled spiritual influence. Our alliances at present are more of a personal nature than based upon mutual interests. Fortunately the "Everything seems to be going well and quietly with you; it is to be hoped that the elections will not cause too great excitement in the country. However, you are already more or less accustomed to these agitations: and with sangfroid one may regulate much which at first appears to be overwhelming." As a matter of fact, with the exception of a couple of student demonstrations in Bucharest, the elections took place in perfect peace and order, and resulted again in a large majority for the Conservative Government. The Opposition, it is true, attempted to prove that the Ministry had influenced the elections, and twelve Liberal judges of the first instance resigned as a protest. One of the first duties of the new Chamber was the election of a successor to the venerable Niphon, the Metropolitan of Bucharest, who died suddenly on May 17, 1875, at the age of eighty-four. The body, in accordance with a strange old custom, was seated on the archiepiscopal throne in the Metropolie, dressed in full canonicals—a picture of peaceful and spiritual dignity. Countless numbers of orthodox believers thronged the church to kiss the Metropolitan's hand for the last time. All through the night priests chanted before the altar, whilst high and low, rich and Owing to the great heat it was found impossible to comply with the custom of carrying the seated corpse to the monastery of Cernica. Four priests therefore held the chair on a hearse open on all four sides, and thus bore the venerated priest to the burial-place of his predecessors. Many of the spectators threw themselves to the ground as the procession passed them. To Prince Charles Anthony, June 21st, 1875."I write to you to-day with painful emotion, after an escape from a great danger.... The railway journey to Giurgiu, when I was accompanied by a number of senators and deputies, as well as the return journey as far as Filaret, passed uneventfully; at the last-named station the train crossed over to the loop line. The engine had the tender in front. "I looked out of the window and noticed that the train was moving on to a line at Dealu-Spirei, where a ballast train was already standing. I sat down quickly and said to those who were with me in the saloon-carriage: 'Sit down, there is going to be a collision!' At the moment a violent shock took place, throwing my companions on to the floor; I was thrown in my armchair against the table opposite. A second shock threw me backwards, breaking the chair; my "The tender and the engine were both derailed and ran into the sand. Three carriages of the ballast train were destroyed and a couple of our carriages were much damaged.... We were about one mile from Cotroceni, and walked there in spite of the heat.... Fortunately Elisabeth first heard what had happened from my own lips!" From Prince Charles Anthony."God has clearly protected you! You can imagine the tremendous play that imagination possesses when so great a distance divides us.... "I know from experience how tedious injuries to the shin bone are; on reckoning up my own threefold experiences of that kind I find that I spent a good six months' time on the chaise longue!... "I prefer to be silent about our policy—it is most unpleasant for us that the Czar of Russia should be hailed on all sides as the apostle of peace. Radowitz is said to have conducted himself passionately and without tact: his immediate transfer to Athens is discussed. I congratulate From THE SAME."The excitement over the Church struggle is beginning to abate. "The blunders of the Government and the Ultramontane party mutually set each other off. It is a pity that they are not confined to one side, for then the crisis would be hastened to the general benefit. "I had an opportunity of going thoroughly into these questions with the Emperor during his visit here. He is inclined to a conciliatory attitude, but is not sufficiently informed. I have made him understand much, for which he was grateful, and which he is the readier to believe since I adhere to the basis of the May laws, but condemn the petty method of carrying them out. The Emperor was full of touching sympathy with us, asked minutely after you, and was very well pleased with the course of your policy." |
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