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+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #65606 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65606)
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-The Project Gutenberg eBook of Queen Maria Sophia of Naples, A
-Forgotten Heroine, by Carl Küchler
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
-will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
-using this eBook.
-
-Title: Queen Maria Sophia of Naples, A Forgotten Heroine
- Life Stories for Young People
-
-Author: Carl Küchler
-
-Translator: George P. Upton
-
-Release Date: June 13, 2021 [eBook #65606]
-
-Language: English
-
-Produced by: D A Alexander, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online
- Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
- file was produced from images generously made available by
- The Internet Archive)
-
-*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK QUEEN MARIA SOPHIA OF NAPLES,
-A FORGOTTEN HEROINE ***
-
-
-
-
-
- [Illustration: _MARIA SOPHIA
- Queen of Naples_]
-
- _Life Stories for Young People_
-
-
-
-
- QUEEN MARIA SOPHIA
- OF NAPLES
- A FORGOTTEN HEROINE
-
-
- _Translated from the German of
- Carl Küchler_
-
- BY
- GEORGE P. UPTON
- _Author of “Musical Memories,” “Standard Operas,” etc.
- Translator of “Memories,” “Immensee,” etc._
-
- WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
-
- [Illustration: A·C·M^cCLURG]
-
- CHICAGO
- A. C. McCLURG & CO.
- 1910
-
- Copyright
- A. C. McClurg & Co.
- 1910
- Published September 24, 1910
-
- THE · PLIMPTON · PRESS
- [W·D·O]
- NORWOOD·MASS·U·S·A
-
-
-
-
- Translator’s Preface
-
-
-The story of the exiled Queen of Naples, Maria Sophia, as the title-page
-of this little volume sets forth, is the story of a “forgotten heroine.”
-In many respects it recalls the story of her sister, Elizabeth of
-Hungary, though her fate was not so tragic. She was saved from the fury
-of the assassin; but she revealed many of her sister’s attributes—the
-same courage, the same beauty, the same gayety of disposition, clouded
-in much the same manner, the same love of nature and of animals, the
-same love of the people, the same domestic misfortunes. Her
-comparatively brief sovereignty included a thrilling period of the
-struggle for Italian unity. Her marriage was a brilliant one, her
-honeymoon most strange, and her after life most lonely. She was a strong
-woman united to a weak man, not of her choice and not honored by her
-love. She had many faults, but of her heroism the siege of Gaeta will
-always bear witness. The other figures in the story, the fascinating
-Lola Montez, Count Cavour, the great statesman, King Victor Emanuel,
-King “Bomba,” and the red-shirted Garibaldi, add to its picturesqueness,
-and the manners and customs of the court of Bavaria as well as the
-sketches of the Wittelsbachs are not without historic interest.
-
- G. P. U.
-
-Chicago, _July, 1910_.
-
-
-
-
- Contents
-
-
- Chapter Page
- I The House of Wittelsbach 11
- II Life at Munich and Possenhofen 17
- III Political Disturbances in Bavaria 24
- IV The Wittelsbach Sisters 31
- V The Neapolitan Royal Family 37
- VI Maria Sophia’s Arrival 44
- VII A Strange Honeymoon 50
- VIII Accession of Francis II and Maria Sophia 57
- IX Garibaldi 63
- X The Flight from Naples 70
- XI Siege of Gaeta 81
- XII Capitulation 90
- XIII After the Fall of Gaeta 98
- XIV Royalty in Exile 105
- XV Conclusion 112
- Appendix 121
-
-
-
-
- Illustrations
-
-
- Maria Sophia, Queen of Naples _Frontispiece_
- Maria Sophia at the Time of Accession 48
- Francis the Second, King of Naples 58
- Francis the Second, in his Sixtieth Year 114
-
-
-
-
- Queen Maria Sophia of Naples
-
-
-
-
- Chapter I
- The House of Wittelsbach
-
-
-The house of Wittelsbach, one of the most ancient of the royal families
-of Europe, was divided, toward the end of the eighteenth century, into
-three branches. The old Elector, Karl Theodore, who died in 1799, was
-without issue, and his successor, Maximilian of the Pfalz-Zweibrücken
-line, became the founder of a new dynasty. Being the third son, there
-had seemed little prospect of succeeding to the throne in his earlier
-years, most of which were spent in the strictest seclusion at Mannheim
-and Zweibrücken. Later, he entered the French army and until the
-outbreak of the French Revolution was stationed as colonel at
-Strassburg, where the jovial warrior made himself most popular, not only
-in military but in social circles.
-
-In 1785 he was married to Princess Augusta of Hesse-Darmstadt, by whom
-he had two sons, Ludwig (his successor) and Karl, and three daughters,
-one of whom died in childhood. Augusta, the second, married Eugene
-Beauharnais, while Charlotte, the youngest, became the fourth wife of
-Emperor Francis the First of Austria. Maximilian’s first wife died
-early, and in 1796 he formed a second and equally happy alliance with
-the Princess Caroline of Baden, who presented him with six daughters, of
-whom three became queens of Saxony and Prussia, and the two youngest,
-the mothers of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria and the Empress
-Elizabeth, respectively.
-
-The branch of the Wittelsbachs to which Maximilian belonged was divided
-into two lines, both descending from the Count Palatine, Christian the
-First. A cousin, the Count Palatine Wilhelm of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld,
-had hopes of securing the Electoral seat at Munich for himself,
-especially as ancient tradition required that a portion of the domain
-should fall to the share of the younger branch of the family. As Wilhelm
-had but one child, however, a son who was feeble-minded and under
-constant guardianship, an agreement was made between the cousins that in
-future there should be no division of the Wittelsbach possessions.
-Maximilian was to succeed to the Electorship of Bavaria undisturbed, in
-return for which the reigning sovereign was to treat the descendants of
-Count Wilhelm as his own. The younger branch was to rank equally with
-the older and to receive a large share of the ancestral possessions,
-with a handsome yearly income and the title of “Dukes in Bavaria.”
-
-In accordance with this agreement, Maximilian became Elector of Bavaria,
-which was raised by Napoleon to the dignity of a kingdom in 1806, and in
-1818 granted a constitution by its sovereign. Maximilian was much
-beloved by his subjects and so simple and patriarchal in his dealings
-with them that he was generally known as the “Citizen King.” On his
-birthday, October 12, 1825, he was present at a ball given in his honor
-by the Russian ambassador, full of life and vigor as usual, and the next
-morning was found dead in his severely simple bedchamber at Schloss
-Nymphenburg.
-
-Duke Wilhelm of Birkenfeld long survived him, and it now devolved upon
-the new King, Ludwig the First, to carry out the family compact.
-Meanwhile Wilhelm’s son, Duke Pius, had also died, leaving one son, Duke
-Max. Almost from the birth of this prince it had been decided that he
-should marry King Maximilian’s youngest daughter Ludovica, who was born
-the same year, and on the ninth of September, 1828, the marriage was
-duly celebrated, three months before the bridegroom had reached his
-twentieth year. Although dictated by family reasons, this marriage
-proved a remarkably happy one. The two young people had grown up
-together, knowing that they were to be united for life, and were
-sincerely attached to each other. Their honeymoon was spent in the
-Bavarian Alps with Ludovica’s mother, the widowed Queen Caroline, at her
-Summer home at Tegernsee. At the time of the King’s death, two of the
-daughters were still unmarried and the constant companions of their
-mother, to whom they were devoted, and Ludovica’s marriage made no
-change in their life except that a son-in-law was added to the family
-circle.
-
-Duke Max at that time was called the handsomest prince in Europe. He was
-slender and well built, with a distinguished ease of manner and a
-graciousness that won the hearts of all with whom he came in contact,
-regardless of class or station. Naturally gay and light-hearted, fond of
-pleasure and society, an accomplished musician and composer, with a
-passion for nature and out-of-door life, it is small wonder that he was
-universally adored. Even his mother-in-law, to whose age and habits his
-lack of seriousness did not at first especially appeal, was completely
-won by his devotion to her and her daughter, and his constant efforts to
-divert and entertain them. When the famous violinist, Paganini, came to
-Munich, Max invited him to visit the castle at Tegernsee and sent one of
-the royal carriages to meet him. He often arranged amateur concerts, to
-which all the neighboring families were invited, and whiled away the
-long Autumn evenings playing and singing with his friend Petzmacher, the
-zither-player.
-
-Ludovica was very different from her husband. She disliked meeting
-people, cared nothing for social life or gayety, and had an abhorrence
-for noise or confusion of any kind. Max was a great admirer of the fair
-sex and made no concealment of the fact. He had the true artist nature,
-sanguine, impulsive, and susceptible, and must have caused the Duchess
-many unhappy hours, innocent as most of the love affairs attributed to
-him seem to have been. Whatever her feelings were, however, she
-carefully concealed them from the eyes of the world. To all appearances
-the relations between her and her husband were most harmonious. In many
-ways, too, their opposite temperaments were of mutual advantage. His
-cheerfulness and careless gayety often banished the fits of melancholy
-to which she was subject, while her firmness and good sense proved a
-balance to his volatile nature, and they were united in their love of
-nature and country life.
-
-The first three years of their marriage were childless, but in 1831 the
-Duchess presented her husband with an heir, who was named Ludwig, for
-the King. As time went on the family circle increased. The oldest
-daughter, Hélène, was born in 1834. On Christmas Eve of 1837, Elizabeth
-came into the world, followed, in the Summer of 1839, by a second son,
-Karl Theodore. On the fourth of October, 1841, at Possenhofen, the
-Duchess gave birth to her third daughter, Maria Sophia Amalia, the
-future Queen of Naples. Two years later, Mathilde Ludovica was born. On
-the twenty-second of February, 1847, the youngest daughter of the ducal
-pair, Sophie Charlotte Augusta, made her appearance at Munich, and on
-the seventh of December, 1849, their youngest son, Maximilian Emanuel
-was born, also in Munich.
-
-Nearly all these children were destined to bring sorrow or anxiety to
-their parents. The Duke’s mercurial nature helped him to bear and rise
-above these troubles, but they sank deep into Ludovica’s heart. But she
-was sustained by her religion and a firm faith in Providence, whose
-decrees she bore with dignity and patience. Little as she spoke of it,
-devotion to her children was the ruling passion of her life. She never
-was diverted, by any consideration, from what she felt to be her duty
-toward them; and while her methods of training did not bear equal fruit
-with all, they loved her devotedly in return and always regarded her
-with the deepest respect and confidence.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter II
- Life at Munich and Possenhofen
-
-
-Up to the end of the first half of the last century intellectual and
-artistic development had made little progress in Bavaria. Weimar had
-become famous as the home of Goethe and Schiller, Herder and Wieland,
-but Munich was still merely a provincial town, not so large by half as
-it is to-day, while the many gardens scattered about among the houses
-gave it an almost rustic air. The population consisted chiefly of
-artisans, with a few wealthy citizens, the students of the university,
-and court _attachés_. Visitors to the capital at that time were few. Of
-social life, so called, there was practically none, and the free
-mingling of all classes in public places suggested Italian popular life,
-especially after King Ludwig’s plans for beautifying the city had begun
-to attract thither artists of all countries and ages.
-
-With the kings of Bavaria, however, a new order of things was
-instituted. Ludwig the First, who succeeded Maximilian, was far ahead of
-most German princes of his time in learning and culture. In early youth
-he had made himself conspicuous by his hatred of Napoleon, although the
-conqueror had been his father’s friend and ally. At the Congress of
-Vienna, Talleyrand had called him a clever madman, and he had been
-laughed at for his intense enthusiasm over everything pertaining to
-Germanism. His frequent sojourns in Rome were destined to be of the
-greatest importance to the art life of Germany, for, on ascending the
-throne, he swore to make his capital a city of such prominence that “no
-one should know Germany who had not seen Munich”; and to his honor be it
-said that he not only kept this vow, but did so with comparatively small
-means at his command. Thanks to his zeal and energy the finances of the
-country were soon in excellent condition. Most economical as to his own
-personal expenses, he devoted large sums to the purchase of rare
-treasures for the art collections he had planned for his capital, and
-employed a number of distinguished artists and architects to beautify
-the city, which now possesses many imperishable reminders of this
-art-loving sovereign.
-
-Few royal houses of the present day can furnish examples of such harmony
-and attachment between different branches of the family as that of
-Wittelsbach exhibited. The relations between King Ludwig and Duke Max
-were always most affectionate, and the brothers-in-law had many tastes
-and characteristics in common. Both were full of originality and energy,
-and both had a genuine love of art, the King having a great fondness for
-painting and poetry, while Max devoted himself principally to music. It
-was Ludwig the First who instituted the famous artist balls in Munich,
-which he and the Duke rarely failed to attend, and there was seldom a
-concert given at the Academy of Music where both royal and ducal
-families were not to be seen seated in the dress circle just behind the
-orchestra. However pressing the affairs of state, the King never failed
-to take part in the many religious festivals observed by the Church, and
-on All Saints’ Day he invariably made a visit to the cemetery
-accompanied by all his relatives.
-
-While Ludwig was busy erecting his magnificent public edifices, Max
-employed himself building and rebuilding palaces. Possenhofen, where
-most of his children were born, was the favorite residence both of
-himself and his family, although they usually spent the Winters in
-Munich; and here, in the years 1833-1835 the celebrated architect, Leo
-von Klenze, built for them a magnificent residence in the Ludwigstrasse.
-Rank and state, however, by no means excluded simple kindliness and true
-hospitality from the splendid halls of the Duke and Duchess. They
-frequently gave large balls which were eagerly looked forward to by the
-younger set in the aristocratic world of Munich. Duke Max always stood
-by the door to welcome his guests on these occasions, offering each lady
-a bouquet of flowers with true knightly gallantry. Fountains plashed in
-the huge ballroom where inviting seats were placed here and there among
-groups of splendid foliage plants, while from behind a leafy screen
-floated the strains of an orchestra inviting to the dance. All chatted,
-laughed, and danced with perfect unconstraint, and the Duke was always
-the gayest of the gay, with the right word for every one.
-
-During Lent the Duke and Duchess issued invitations for a series of
-concerts. Again the spacious rooms were turned into gardens. Comfortable
-chairs were arranged among masses of rose-bushes, and during pauses in
-the music refreshments were served and the guests promenaded about
-conversing gayly. It was never crowded, never too warm or too cool, in
-these splendid salons, and Duke Max’s entertainments were counted as the
-choicest pleasures of the Winter.
-
-In the great courtyard of the palace he had a ring made where
-exhibitions of fancy riding were given before the ladies of the family
-and a few invited guests, Max himself often taking part. This became the
-favorite resort of his daughters in Winter, who would spend whole days
-there exercising, with their dogs and horses for companions, and it was
-here that Elizabeth of Austria and Maria Sophia of Naples acquired the
-skill that afterward made them the most perfect horsewomen of their day.
-
-Properly to classify a plant it is necessary to study the soil that has
-nourished it. That from which the Wittelsbach sisters sprung was
-Bavarian, of course, but more accurately speaking, the region about
-Possenhofen and Starnberg Lake, whither the family repaired every year
-with the first signs of Spring. The shores of Starnberg are fringed with
-castles, among them the solitary Schloss Feldafing, whence King Ludwig
-the Second flung himself into the waters of the lake. Back of these are
-many small villages interspersed with villas built by artists from
-Munich. Between lie stretches of dark pine forest or clumps of lighter
-beeches, their branches drooping over the surface of the water, while as
-a background to this entrancing scene rise majestic mountain peaks.
-Possenhofen was known in the twelfth century as “Pozzo’s Hof.” In the
-fifteenth it was presented by the Palatine Friedrich von
-Scheyern-Wittelsbach to a neighboring convent, but later it came into
-the possession of the Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria, a peace-loving
-prince, who made Starnberg Lake the scene of many splendid _fêtes_. In
-1834 Duke Max bought the castle, had the outer wall and vaulted gateway
-torn down and the moat filled in, thus making room for the large gardens
-that now surround Possenhofen. Outwardly the building was allowed to
-retain its original form, but the interior was completely changed.
-Four-post bedsteads, huge antique stoves, and chests of olden days were
-replaced by modern furniture and conveniences. An additional wing or two
-made room for guests, and a chapel was built, connecting the ancient
-edifice with its newer parts. The castle courtyard and gardens are still
-surrounded by a high wall, extending along the shore of the lake, and
-this with the old towers forms the last link with those days when
-Pozzo’s Hof served not only as a residence for its noble masters, but
-also as a stronghold against the enemies of the prince and people.
-Inside the wall rises the huge pile of reddish yellow stone, its whole
-eastern side covered with a natural mantle of ivy, making an attractive
-picture against the fresh green of the park and the gardens, with their
-flower-beds and fountains.
-
-Duke Max and his family may be said to have grown up with this beautiful
-spot. Here he brought his bride one bright summer morning; here they
-spent their happiest days together, far from the burdensome restrictions
-of court etiquette; here their children received their first impressions
-of life; and hither they always returned with a feeling of joy and
-comfort no other place could offer. The young princesses spent long days
-riding and swimming, training their dogs and horses, or clambering about
-on the mountain tops. It was this life in the open air that stamped them
-with so marked an individuality and gave them their love of freedom and
-simplicity. They were quite at home among the country folk and deeply
-resented any slight or injury to their mountain friends. In this,
-however, they merely followed the example set them by their parents. The
-beautiful home at Possenhofen had roots stretching far out into the
-countryside, and all who were in trouble hastened at once for help and
-comfort to Duchess Max, whose womanly sympathies were by no means
-confined to her own family circle.
-
-Her handsome husband was even more popular, and his gay good nature and
-easy charm of manner made him adored by all. He was passionately fond of
-hunting, and spent whole days tramping about through the mountains alone
-with his gun. One evening after a long chase he arrived at a small
-tavern, tired and hungry, and his shabby old hunting clothes soiled and
-torn. No one recognizing him, he seated himself by the fire, took out
-his zither, and began to play. Some wood-cutters were so pleased with
-the stranger’s music that they offered to pay him if he would play a few
-peasant dances for them. Max cheerfully agreed, and played and sang till
-the whole room joined in the sport and coppers rained into the player’s
-hat. When the merrymaking was over the musician ordered a meal so little
-in keeping with his appearance that the landlady gazed at him in
-astonishment, convinced that he was a suspicious character who would
-probably attempt to leave without paying for his food, and determined to
-keep a watchful eye on him. As soon as he had eaten he began to play
-again, and the fun was at its height when a corporal entered and,
-recognizing the august guest, saluted him respectfully. It always
-annoyed the Duke to have his incognito betrayed, and flinging a gold
-piece on the table he hastily departed, to the great relief of the
-embarrassed assemblage.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter III
- Political Disturbances in Bavaria
-
-
-This idyllic life at Possenhofen was interrupted for a time, however, by
-the political agitations in Munich. All over Europe the spirit of
-revolution was stirring, a spirit that was soon to find expression in a
-general outbreak. Nowhere did the royal power seem more secure than in
-Bavaria. No monarch was more beloved than Ludwig the First, no people so
-universally loyal to the crown as his good-natured, easy-going subjects.
-Nevertheless the popular upheaval was here, too, bearing fruit, and a
-demand for more share in the government, with a freer constitution, was
-becoming general, although the immediate cause of the outbreak in Munich
-and the King’s subsequent abdication had seemingly little to do with
-politics.
-
-About this time a very beautiful and fascinating public dancer, called
-Lola Montez, made her appearance there and created a great sensation.
-Her origin was obscure and uncertain; but the best authorities seem to
-make her the daughter of an Irish officer and a beautiful Spanish woman
-of Moorish descent. She was born in Ireland in 1820 and at the age of
-seventeen married one Lieutenant James, with whom she went to the West
-Indies. She soon left her husband, however, and returned to England,
-where she prepared herself to become a dancer. While hardly a regular
-beauty, Lola Montez seems to have possessed in the highest degree what
-the French call _la beauté du diable_. She had wonderful black hair,
-fiery eyes that could change in an instant to melting warmth, a perfect
-figure, with hands and feet so small and beautifully shaped that a
-duchess might have envied them.
-
-Her first appearance in London met with no great success—a marked
-contrast to the enthusiasm she afterward excited everywhere she went.
-After a season in Paris she obtained a permanent position at the royal
-theatre in Dresden, where she created a tremendous sensation and was
-shown great favor by the court. From there she went to Berlin, Warsaw,
-and St. Petersburg, making a succession of conquests and also many
-enemies by her violent temper and the frequent use she made of her
-riding-whip or dagger.
-
-On the tenth of October, 1846, she appeared for the first time at the
-court theatre in Munich and immediately became the subject of violent
-discussion, some raving over her beauty, her adventures, and her
-triumphs, others denouncing her manners and behavior and creating
-prejudice against her by reports which even went so far as to call her a
-political spy. Instead of the traditional ballet skirts, Lola presented
-herself on this occasion in a Spanish costume of silk and lace, diamonds
-sparkling here and there upon it, her wonderful blue eyes flashing as
-she curtsied low before the King, who was seated in the royal box. She
-danced several Spanish dances and all sat spellbound as one charming
-pose followed another, fascinated by her supple grace of motion and the
-art with which she could suddenly change from glowing passion to the
-roguish smiles of an innocent young girl. As soon as she stopped
-dancing, however, the charm was broken and hisses were mingled with the
-applause.
-
-It was Ludwig’s custom to receive all foreign artists in person, before
-they could appear at the court theatre. At his interview with Lola
-Montez the old man had been completely fascinated by her beauty and
-lively conversation, and was soon desperately in love with the clever
-dancer, who knew so well how to amuse and entertain him. He was
-constantly seen in her company and at all her evening parties, an
-intimacy which was not long in arousing the displeasure of his family
-and subjects to the highest degree. Public feeling against the hated
-dancer soon began to display itself, and in the following Spring she
-retired with the King to Würzburg, where she behaved with the same
-boldness and indiscretion as in the capital.
-
-One day she made a frightful scene because the guard would not allow her
-dog to enter the park where she wished to walk. The officer on duty was
-hastily summoned and tried to make her understand that the soldier was
-in the right, whereupon she struck him across the face with her
-riding-whip. Out of respect for the King, no one ventured to arrest her,
-but the officers and citizens of Würzburg were so infuriated she was
-forced to leave the city secretly.
-
-The leader of the old Catholic party, Joseph Görres, worked actively
-against her, and the press was not slow to fan the flame. Libels and
-lampoons were spread broadcast throughout the city, enraging the dancer,
-who in revenge forced the King to gratify all her wishes and drew him
-ever deeper into her toils. To annoy her enemies, and at the same time
-obtain entrance for herself into the highest circles, she persuaded the
-King to make her a countess. This he could not do, however, without the
-consent of his ministers, who positively refused to agree to such an
-act; furthermore they sent a memorandum to the King urging that Lola be
-expelled from the kingdom. Ludwig replied to this request by dismissing
-not only the entire ministry, but many of their adherents, among whom
-were several professors in the university; and from this time on “the
-Bavarian Pompadour,” as Lola Montez has been called, became an important
-factor in politics.
-
-The university was now like the glowing crater of a volcano whence
-issued all the pent-up hatred and discontent, and on the ninth of
-February, 1848, came the first great eruption. Lola, whose southern
-blood craved excitement, attempted to show herself among the riotous
-throngs, but was forced to take refuge in a church, thoroughly
-frightened for once. The King was furious when he heard of this, and as
-the students had been at the bottom of the demonstration, he ordered the
-university closed and all non-resident students sent away from Munich.
-The next day the whole body of students marched through the Karlstrasse
-to the house of their distinguished chaplain, Professor Thiersch,
-singing songs of farewell, and greeted with cheers from every window
-they passed. There was a close bond of sympathy between the university
-and the citizens, who held a meeting at once, protesting against the
-severity of the King’s order and petitioning him to open the university
-again. Ludwig promised to take the matter into consideration, and after
-a conference with his ministers agreed to yield to the wishes of the
-citizens, furthermore proclaiming that the Countess Landsfeld, as Lola
-was now called, should be requested to leave Munich. “No one shall come
-between me and my people,” he declared. This news was received with
-great rejoicing and the house in which the hated favorite lived was
-surrounded day and night by curious throngs, anxiously awaiting her
-departure. At last, on the morning of the eleventh of February, the
-doors were suddenly thrown open by a squad of police, and before the
-crowd outside realized what was happening, the coach containing the
-Countess had started off at a furious gallop on the road to Blutenburg.
-From there she fled to Lindau and thence to England, subsequently making
-her way to the United States and later to Australia, where she died in
-1861 at the age of forty, after a varied and adventurous career.
-
-The revolution of February, which had already taken place in Paris, was
-followed by similar uprisings throughout Europe, and added fuel to the
-fire in Bavaria. The citizens of Munich again rose in revolt, and the
-Government could no longer remain deaf to their just demands for a more
-liberal constitution. The King made some concessions which partially
-appeased the loyal Bavarians, and the disturbance seemed about to
-subside, when a report that Lola Montez had returned to Munich caused a
-fresh outbreak. Official notices were posted that evening on every
-street corner, affirming that the Countess Landsfeld had left Karlsruhe
-on the fourteenth of March for Frankfort, and had been forbidden ever to
-set foot again on Bavarian soil; but the people laughed this to scorn.
-The placards were torn down and the insurgents continued their work of
-destruction.
-
-On the eighteenth of March, Munich found itself in a state of siege. Ten
-thousand troops were in arms to put an end, if possible, to the
-uprising. Many deputations waited on the King and on the States
-Assembly, which had convened in the meantime, while the greater part of
-the people who had taken no part in the disturbance waited anxiously for
-developments. But King Ludwig was unable to crush the rebellion; neither
-was he able to reconcile himself to a new system of government. Two days
-later Munich was startled by an unexpected event. A proclamation was
-issued by the sovereign, announcing his abdication, after a reign of
-twenty-three years, in favor of his eldest son, to whom he left the task
-of carrying out the reforms demanded by the people. Dumbfounded at this
-unforeseen step, the Bavarians, loyal still to the house of Wittelsbach,
-were much affected, and many felt remorseful at having rebelled against
-their King, who, in spite of his faults, had been a good sovereign and
-done much for his country. After his abdication, Ludwig spent the
-remainder of his life as a private citizen, partly in Bavaria, partly in
-Italy and the south of France, interesting himself still in art and
-plans for the further improvement of Munich. He soon regained all his
-old popularity, and felt no regrets for the rank and honors he had
-renounced. He died in February, 1868; but some years before that event,
-an equestrian statue of him was erected in Munich by the grateful people
-of that city.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter IV
- The Wittelsbach Sisters
-
-
-These stirring events naturally had not been without their influence on
-Duke Max and his family, although the relations between them and the new
-sovereigns were no less cordial and intimate than they had been with the
-former ones.
-
-At the time when Duke Max bought Possenhofen the Crown Prince had
-acquired the castle of Hohenschwangen in that same region and set a
-force of artists and architects at work to make it an ideal home for his
-bride. Prince Maximilian had spent the greater part of his youth in
-travel, and during a visit to the court of Berlin had first seen his
-future wife, then but four years of age. She was a daughter of Prince
-Karl of Prussia, and when he again met the Princess Marie as a lovely
-girl of sixteen, he fell in love with her on the spot. In the Autumn of
-1841 he made a formal offer for her hand, and the marriage took place on
-the fifth of October, 1842.
-
-Like the ducal family, the youthful pair spent most of the year at
-Hohenschwangen, the two princes hunting and riding together, while a
-close friendship developed between the Crown Princess and the Duke’s
-young daughters, which was in no way interrupted by her becoming Queen
-of Bavaria.
-
-These daughters, the Wittelsbach sisters, were tenderly attached to one
-another and there was a strong family resemblance between them. Four had
-inherited their parents’ good looks, and Hélène, the oldest, while not
-so beautiful as the rest, was clever and clear-headed like her mother.
-Elizabeth and Maria both had a share of the family eccentricity; but of
-all the eight children, Maria was the only one endowed with Duke Max’s
-high spirits and cheerful, sunny nature. She also possessed to a marked
-degree the distinguished bearing and grace of movement so characteristic
-of the whole race, while added to the gentle sweetness of Elizabeth’s
-face, whom she much resembled, was an expression of strength and
-firmness unusual in one so young.
-
-The five sisters were brought up in the simplest manner, without regard
-to etiquette, and often walked about the streets of Munich without
-attendants of any kind. The Duke was much away from home and concerned
-himself little with his children’s education, except as to music, sport,
-and out-of-door exercise; but Ludovica was constantly with her
-daughters, and devoted her whole life to fitting them for the positions
-she was ambitious they should occupy.
-
-Elizabeth was famous for her beauty and Hélène for her cleverness, while
-Maria was endowed with almost an equal share of both. She was
-warm-hearted, sweet-tempered, and incapable of falsehood, but very
-impulsive and unable to adapt herself to people; and the Duchess’s
-methods of education did little to modify her independence of speech and
-action. Like Elizabeth, she was a passionate lover of nature and of
-animals; but she was bolder and less sensitive than her sister and early
-developed a love of danger and excitement. The happy days of childhood
-soon passed, however, and one by one the sisters left the home nest. In
-1854 Elizabeth became Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, to the
-bitter disappointment of Hélène, who had been selected as bride of
-Francis Joseph. The Emperor preferred her younger sister, however, and
-in 1858 Hélène consoled herself with the enormously wealthy Hereditary
-Prince of Thurn and Taxis, and went to Regensburg to live. Ludwig, the
-eldest son, had renounced his right of succession the preceding year to
-marry an actress in Augsburg, making Karl Theodore, then in his
-twentieth year, the future head of the house. Although the court of
-Possenhofen was seemingly of small importance, it enjoyed universal
-respect, and the Catholic royal houses of Europe were glad to ally
-themselves with it.
-
-In the Autumn of 1858 a messenger arrived from the King of Naples
-desiring to know whether the Duke and Duchess would consent to an
-alliance between their daughter Maria, then eighteen years old, and his
-eldest son. The two families were scarcely acquainted personally, and
-the young people had never seen each other, yet the Duke and Duchess
-returned an unconditional acceptance of the offer. To be sure, the
-Neapolitan Prince was considered a good match, being a Bourbon on his
-father’s side and a member of the royal house of Sardinia on his
-mother’s, and the heir, moreover, to an ancient and important kingdom in
-fair Italy.
-
-On the twenty-second of December, King Ferdinand’s minister, Count
-Ludolff, arrived in Munich with a formal proposal of marriage, and after
-receiving the young princess’s consent, presented her on a velvet
-cushion a portrait of her future husband, a rather pleasant-looking
-young man in the uniform of a hussar. Two weeks later the marriage took
-place by proxy, as was the custom of the time. On the evening of the
-eighth of January, 1859, Maria Sophia Amalia, Duchess in Bavaria, was
-solemnly united in wedlock to Francis Maria Leopold, Duke of Calabria
-and Crown Prince of the Two Sicilies, in the court chapel at Munich. All
-the members of the royal house were present with the entire diplomatic
-corps and many nobles and high officials of the State. King Maximilian
-and Queen Marie led the bride to the altar, where the bridegroom’s
-brother, Prince Leopold (the present Regent of Bavaria), represented him
-in his absence. Following this ceremony the King and Queen held a
-reception, during which crowds gathered outside the palace windows,
-eager for a glimpse of the little bride who had gone about among them
-all her life so gayly and familiarly.
-
-On the thirteenth of January, Maria left her parents’ home with many
-tears and embraces for the dear ones she was leaving behind. She had
-never seen her husband nor any member of his family. Both the land and
-people that were to be hers in future were strange to her—an uncertain
-fate, indeed, to look forward to! But she was young and light-hearted,
-full of hope and courage, and well equipped by nature for the trials
-that awaited her. Her brother Ludwig, with several Bavarian ladies and
-gentlemen, accompanied her on the journey, besides a Neapolitan court
-lady, Nina Rizzo, sent by the Queen of Naples to instruct her in her new
-duties. At Vienna a stay of several days was made, owing to news of King
-Ferdinand’s illness; but on the thirtieth of January the party resumed
-its way with the addition of the Empress Elizabeth, and on the following
-day reached Trieste, where they were met by the Duke of Serracapriola,
-sent by the King to welcome the future Queen of Naples. This pompous
-personage discharged his errand with such ceremonious solemnity that the
-simple, unaffected Bavarian princess knew not whether to laugh or cry.
-
-On the first of February, at half-past one, the ceremony of delivering
-the bride into the hands of the Neapolitan envoy took place in the
-Governor’s palace. Across the centre of the great salon a silken cord
-had been stretched, representing the boundary line between Bavaria and
-Naples. Beside this were placed a table, covered with red velvet, and
-two gilded arm-chairs. The room had folding doors at either end, one of
-which was decorated with the colors of Naples and guarded by Neapolitan
-marines, while at the other, similarly adorned with Bavarian arms and
-banners, stood a band of the royal Bavarian retainers. The Neapolitan
-envoy, with two ladies of high rank who had come to act as escort to the
-Princess, were stationed on their side of the boundary line with the
-Admiral and officers of the ship that was to carry Maria Sophia and her
-suite to Naples, while the Duchess and her Bavarian escort entered
-through the other door and took their places. The two envoys then
-advanced from their respective positions to the silken cord, where they
-exchanged documents concerning the marriage. The Count von Rechburg
-addressed a few words of farewell to the youthful bride, who rose and
-extended her hand for her German attendants to kiss, after which the
-Count led her to the middle of the room and gave her into the hands of
-the Duke of Serracapriola, who humbly begged her to seat herself in the
-Neapolitan arm-chair while he delivered a short address of
-congratulation and welcome. This almost mediæval ceremony concluded,
-Maria left the salon through the door draped in Neapolitan colors and
-went directly on board the _Fulminante_, in the cabin of which the
-Empress Elizabeth and Prince Ludwig took an affecting farewell of their
-young sister. The greater part of her suite embarked on another vessel,
-the _Tancredo_, and an hour later both ships were steaming out of the
-harbor of Trieste.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter V
- The Neapolitan Royal Family
-
-
-King Ferdinand the Second, the reigning Prince of Naples at this time,
-came of bad stock. The reign of his grandfather, Ferdinand the First of
-Naples and Fourth of the Two Sicilies, of whom King Frederick of Prussia
-once aptly remarked that he was more fit for a prison cell than a
-throne, had been one long scandal, and his son, Francis the First,
-followed faithfully in his father’s footsteps during his short reign
-(1825-1830). Ferdinand the Second had naturally a good mind, and at the
-time of his accession to the throne had roused great hopes by the
-military and financial reforms he introduced and by his wise plans for
-developing the resources of his impoverished kingdom. This did not last
-long, however, for he soon began to display the same despotic tendencies
-that had made his father and grandfather so abhorred by the people, and
-the older he grew the more marked these became.
-
-The general movement toward liberty that shook Europe in the nineteenth
-century had not been without its effect, both in Naples and Sicily, as
-may easily be supposed, considering the harsh rule which the fiery
-southerners had been forced to endure so long. Ferdinand had succeeded
-in crushing one violent outbreak in 1848; but beneath the ashes the fire
-still smouldered, and the inward ferment was constantly increased by the
-extreme measures to which “Bomba,”[1] as the King was popularly called,
-resorted, to maintain and strengthen his position. He ruled with a
-despotism and intolerance that suggested the worst days of the
-Inquisition. The prisons were full of political “criminals,” whose only
-crime was the holding of liberal views, or the suspicion of doing so,
-and these victims were treated with such revolting cruelty as to rouse
-the horror of the civilized world. In spite of these things, however,
-Bomba was not without some good qualities. In private life he was both
-just and temperate, simple in his habits, a good husband and father. He
-was twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united two years after
-his accession to the throne, was the Princess Maria Christina of
-Sardinia—Italy’s “Queen Dagmar”—an angel of goodness and piety. The
-people called her Saint Christina even during her lifetime, and she was
-afterward canonized by the Church of Rome. Such a woman could not but
-exert a beneficial influence over her royal husband; but it was
-unfortunately of short duration, for she died in 1836, four years after
-her marriage, leaving a son two weeks old, the Crown Prince Francis
-Maria Leopold.
-
-Ferdinand had no intention of remaining long a widower. He first wished
-to marry a daughter of King Louis Philippe of France, but Austria
-persuaded England to join in defeating this plan, which would have
-resulted in too powerful a union of the reigning Bourbon families. He
-then applied for the hand of an Austrian princess, and in 1837 was
-married to Maria Theresa, daughter of the Archduke Karl, who presented
-him with five sons and four daughters. In spite of her proud name and
-lofty lineage, the new Queen was a very ordinary person, though not
-without some homely virtues. Her horizon was bounded by her family and
-her household, in the duties of which she took an active part, even
-mending her children’s clothes with her own hands, it is said; and she
-seems to have been utterly lacking in the realization that a queen
-should have other and wider duties than those of a housekeeper. In
-simplicity of tastes she much resembled her husband, who was most frugal
-in his mode of living; but she sometimes went so far that even he was
-annoyed, and one day at dinner he remonstrated with her, saying: “Come,
-come, Ther! [a nickname he had for her] you will soon be making us wait
-on ourselves at table!”
-
-The simplest fare was served in the royal household. Macaroni was one of
-the principal articles of diet, and a favorite dish of the King’s was
-raw onions, which he peeled with his fingers, declaring that contact
-with a knife gave them an unpleasant flavor. The Queen, however, never
-liked Neapolitan cooking and always had some substantial German dishes
-prepared for herself. She could not speak Italian correctly, but learned
-only the Neapolitan dialect, which she pronounced in a most dreadful
-way, with her broad German accent. In short, Ferdinand’s second wife was
-as unpopular as his first had been popular. She made no effort to win
-the love of the people and her homely, plebeian ways were little to the
-taste of the gay Neapolitans, who adored glitter and display of any
-sort. The King’s favorite recreation was driving. He went out every
-afternoon, taking some of his family and usually holding the reins
-himself. The royal equipage was always accompanied by a mounted escort,
-while horsemen were stationed along the route the King was to take, to
-detain all chance travellers until he had passed by, not as a mark of
-respect, but as a measure of precaution.
-
-Exemplary as this royal pair may have been from the standpoint of a
-private citizen, as far as the education of their children was concerned
-they were certainly not successful. The teachers they chose were almost
-exclusively bigoted Jesuits. Ferdinand wished his sons to be taught
-Latin, French, civil and administrative law, but they received no
-military training of any kind. Even sports and physical exercises were
-excluded from their plan of education, nor were they permitted to travel
-or acquire any knowledge of foreign lands or peoples. Ferdinand’s own
-education had been most imperfect. He read little or nothing himself and
-wrote his orders, even those pertaining to important affairs of state,
-on any scrap of paper that came to hand, sometimes even in the
-Neapolitan dialect. He regarded all writers and literary men with
-contempt as an inferior and objectionable race of beings—a curious
-mixture of pride and prejudice which he also displayed toward people of
-other nations. He called the English, fishmongers, the French, barbers,
-the Russians, tallow-eaters, etc. Austrians were the only foreigners of
-whom he ever spoke with any respect, and that was on his wife’s account.
-In his younger days he had possessed a fair share of the Neapolitan
-humor, but it soon degenerated into bitterness and sarcasm.
-
-The following anecdote of him is characteristic. Some public festival
-was being held in the square in front of the palace and the King was
-standing on a balcony with the Crown Prince, then still a child. Gazing
-down on the crowds below and thinking perhaps of the high position to
-which he would one day be called, the boy turned suddenly to his father
-with the question:
-
-“What could a King do with all these people?”
-
-“He could kill them all!” replied Ferdinand, then added solemnly, bowing
-low and crossing himself, “He could, my son, but he would not, out of
-respect for the holy religion.”
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-Ferdinand the Second’s system of police and priestly rule did not fail
-to bear fruit in the shape of numerous uprisings and attempted
-assassinations that terrorized the last years of his reign. He knew
-himself to be an object of universal hatred and that hundreds were
-plotting against his life, and grew more nervous and uneasy every day.
-Added to these mental anxieties he had acute physical sufferings. The
-unfortunate prince could find no rest, day or night. At the age of
-forty-five his hair had turned completely white and he looked like an
-old man.
-
-His natural tendency toward bigotry increased with illness and worry and
-he became as superstitious as the most orthodox prince of the Middle
-Ages. Before mounting a horse he always crossed himself, and he never
-met a priest or monk on one of his drives without stopping the carriage
-while he alighted and knelt upon the ground until the holy man had
-passed. He went frequently to confession and had daily masses read for
-himself in all the churches. Every night he prayed, rosary in hand, with
-his wife and children, and before retiring would kiss each of the holy
-images with which the walls of his bedchamber were adorned. But even
-these pious observances failed to bring relief. Conscience tortured him,
-and he sought sleep in vain.
-
-The betrothal of his eldest son and heir to the Bavarian Princess
-brought a gleam of light into the darkness. The house of Wittelsbach,
-besides its high rank and antiquity, was strongly orthodox in its
-Catholicism, a most important item in Ferdinand’s eyes; and the alliance
-was a strong one politically, for by it his son would become the
-brother-in-law of the Emperor of Austria, and closely connected also
-with several others of the reigning houses of Europe. In spite of his
-state of health, the King had determined to be present at the second and
-real wedding of Francis and Maria, and succeeded, indeed, in reaching
-Bari, where the ceremony was to take place; but the fatigue and
-hardships of a Winter journey over the Apennines were too much for his
-strength, and he arrived at Bari so ill and exhausted that there was no
-possibility of his being able to assist in the festivities.
-
-The King ill unto death, the country on the verge of revolution, the
-royal house and kingdom threatened by enemies at home and abroad—a sorry
-state of affairs to greet the fair young Bavarian Princess, entering for
-the first time the land of which she was soon to become the sovereign!
-
-
-
-
- Chapter VI
- Maria Sophia’s Arrival
-
-
-It was on a beautiful Spring morning, the third of February, 1859, that
-the Crown Princess approached her new home. All the roads leading to
-Bari were filled with curious sightseers, eager for a glimpse of the
-bride. All tongues were busy with praises of her beauty and goodness.
-Her name was on every lip; but instead of being called the Princess of
-Bavaria or Duchess of Calabria, she was and still is familiarly spoken
-of in Italy as Maria Sophia, to distinguish her from many of her
-predecessors on the throne who had borne the name of Maria. The whole
-royal family had journeyed to Bari to welcome her and were lodged on the
-first floor of the Intendant’s palace, where apartments had also been
-prepared for the Duchess of Calabria and her suite; but in spite of the
-joyous air of expectancy that pervaded the town, a dark cloud hung over
-the palace itself, owing to the condition of the King, who was confined
-to his bed and suffering greatly. He had looked forward with the deepest
-pleasure and interest to his son’s marriage, and it was a bitter
-disappointment to him not to be present at the wedding ceremonies.
-
-About ten o’clock in the morning, the thunder of cannon proclaimed the
-approach of the _Fulminante_ and the _Tancredo_. The troops lined up,
-the mayor of Bari and other dignitaries took their places in a pavilion
-which had been erected in the middle of the landing stage for the
-bride’s reception, while ten state equipages, escorted by a mounted
-guard, issued from the palace and drove down to the pavilion, where the
-Queen, with her stepson, the Duke of Calabria, and her little daughters,
-alighted and boarded a steam launch to go out to meet the Duchess.
-
-On the _Fulminante_, meanwhile, all was stir and excitement. The bride,
-as she stood on deck dressed in a handsome travelling costume, looked
-more than ever like her sister Elizabeth. She had the same wonderful
-dark blue eyes and rich brown hair; and although not so tall as the
-Empress, her figure was quite as beautifully formed. On this occasion
-her usual expression of childish innocence and gayety had given place to
-one of serious expectancy, and she was very pale, a result partly owing
-to fatigue, partly to emotions natural to the situation. During the
-journey she had plied Nina Rizzo and her new chamberlain with questions
-about her future husband; how he looked, how he behaved toward his
-parents, his brothers, and his subjects; and she had never tired of
-hearing tales of his childhood. To her naive inquiry as to whether
-Francis was really as disagreeable as he was said to be in Bavaria, both
-had done their best to reassure the Princess by expatiating on his good
-qualities.
-
-It had stormed all night, but the sea now lay calm and smiling as if in
-welcome, and it seemed to Maria that she had never seen such a wonderful
-blue before. As they drew near the beautiful harbor with the town of
-Bari beyond, bathed in Italian sunshine, she was so absorbed in the
-enchanting scene that at first she did not notice the approaching
-launch. Suddenly she caught sight of Francis standing up in the craft in
-his gay hussar uniform, and her face lit up with a joyous smile. She
-recognized him at once from his portrait and found him more
-agreeable-looking than she had expected. Advancing to the side of the
-vessel to meet him as he came aboard, she held out her hand with
-charming impulsiveness and said, “Bonjour, François!”
-
-“Bonjour, Marie!” replied the Prince, shyly taking both her hands in his
-and kissing her on the forehead. The Queen then embraced the young girl
-and presented her to the princesses, Maria inquiring solicitously for
-the King and expressing her regret at his absence. She then asked with
-great interest about the coast, the town they were approaching, the
-vessels in the harbor, and all the new sights and scenes about her. The
-young bridegroom, meanwhile, stood silent and embarrassed beside his
-stepmother, so overcome with the emotion of meeting his bride and
-finding her even more fascinating than he had dared to imagine, that he
-was more shy and awkward than usual and could only stammer a few
-disjointed words in answer to her questions.
-
-At the landing they were met by the assembled officials and escorted to
-the pavilion, where the royal party entered their coaches and drove back
-to the palace. Maria’s beauty and girlish charm won instant favor. A
-storm of cheers greeted her entrance into the new land; and even after
-she had disappeared within the palace, the enthusiastic Italians
-continued to shout till she was obliged to come out and show herself
-once more on a balcony. The Crown Princess had scarcely time, however,
-to acknowledge the people’s homage, before she was summoned to the
-King’s bedside. She found him sitting up to greet her, his face deeply
-lined with suffering. With all a father’s tenderness, Ferdinand embraced
-his new daughter-in-law, shedding tears at this sorrowful meeting, so
-different from what he had hoped for, while Maria also wept and returned
-the embrace warmly. It was the first time in this foreign land that she
-had been welcomed with anything like the affection to which she had been
-accustomed at home, and she felt drawn at once to her dying
-father-in-law, who had taken her into his heart at their very first
-meeting, realizing with pity how thickly strewn with thorns must be the
-path in life of this fair young creature who seemed made only for joy
-and happiness. Maria had little time to dwell on this scene, however,
-for the Queen led her away almost immediately to her chamber, where Nina
-Rizzo exchanged her travelling suit for the white satin bridal robe, and
-placed on her luxuriant hair—a characteristic of all the Wittelsbach
-sisters—a wreath of orange blossoms with a magnificent lace veil which
-she had brought with her from home.
-
-An altar had been erected in the banqueting hall, the walls of which
-were lined with pictures of the Madonna. Before the altar a throne with
-arm-chairs was placed for the princes and princesses. The bishops and
-distinguished guests had taken their places and the ceremony was about
-to begin, when an incident occurred that made it hard for those present
-to preserve their gravity. The Queen’s second son, Alphonso, Count of
-Caserta, who though eighteen years old was as wild and ungovernable as a
-schoolboy, had succeeded in fastening a long paper train to the uniform
-of one of the highest court officials, whose solemn air of
-unconsciousness only added to the humor of the situation. One of the
-court gentlemen, however, quietly managed to remove the ridiculous
-appendage, the victim remaining in blissful ignorance of the trick that
-had been played upon him.
-
- [Illustration: _MARIA SOPHIA
- at the time of the accession_]
-
-The young couple entered and took their places before the altar, where
-the bishop concluded the ceremony with a solemn address in Italian,
-invoking the blessing of God upon them. At the close of the Te Deum an
-orchestra struck up the National Hymn and a salvo of artillery announced
-to the waiting crowds without that the marriage was completed, while the
-bridal pair went at once to the King’s chamber to receive his paternal
-blessing. That evening the whole town was brilliantly illuminated, and
-the square before the palace was filled with cheering throngs far into
-the night; but in spite of these demonstrations there was much secret
-uneasiness as to the King’s condition. The excitement of the wedding had
-had a bad effect on Ferdinand; though he did all in his power to conceal
-his sufferings, and the royal family seemed quite unaware of the
-alarming nature of his illness.
-
-When the Count of Caserta’s mischievous prank reached the ears of the
-King, he sent for that youth and administered a sharp rebuke, declaring
-such a performance could only have been expected of a street urchin.
-Three days’ confinement to his room was to be his punishment, but at the
-Queen’s intercession the sentence was somewhat lightened.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter VII
- A Strange Honeymoon
-
-
-The early months of the married life of Francis and Maria Sophia were
-similar in many ways to those of Marie Antoinette and Louis the
-Sixteenth of France. Francis, like Louis, was awkward, timid, and
-doubtful of himself. Although brought up in the land of art and beauty,
-he had no taste for such things. Like the King of France, he was honest,
-just, and deeply religious, but weak and irresolute, and conspicuously
-lacking in those qualities naturally looked for in princes of royal
-lineage.
-
-Equally marked were the points of resemblance between Marie Antoinette
-and Maria Sophia. Both were gay, childish, and impulsive, with
-remarkable personal courage and a frankness that was as attractive as it
-was dangerous; both were too beautiful not to excite envy, and too full
-of high spirits not to cause offence. The Wittelsbach Princess, however,
-had qualities the Dauphiness lacked—perfect honesty and the robust
-health and splendid vitality brought from her Bavarian Alps. She was a
-finished horsewoman, a good shot, a tireless walker, and devoted to
-out-of-door recreations of all sorts. Her husband, on the other hand,
-was grave, silent, and melancholy. Sports had no attraction for him. He
-never hunted, and in spite of his hussar uniform the Neapolitans declare
-that he was never known to mount a horse. One point, however, they
-shared in common—indifference to luxury and love of simplicity.
-
-At the time of her marriage the Crown Princess could scarcely speak a
-word of Italian. Francis’s knowledge of French was very limited, and of
-German he was entirely ignorant, so that unrestrained communication
-between the young couple was difficult at first. The education of the
-Duke of Calabria had done little to prepare him for the lofty position
-that awaited him. His stepmother, who completely spoiled her own
-children, neglected him shamefully in some ways and was unnecessarily
-harsh in others. Overshadowed by his cleverer stepbrothers, who despised
-him, and conscious of his own mental and physical deficiencies, the poor
-boy had become morbidly shy and reserved. Yet he had many good
-qualities. He never forgot the smallest service shown him, and was
-invariably kind and courteous even to the humblest. Many tales are told
-of his sympathy with the poor and suffering, and even as a child he
-would part with his dearest treasure to help any one in distress. But
-his appearance was so unprepossessing as to be almost unpleasant; and
-the consciousness of this made him appear at his worst with his wife,
-whose beauty and vivacity so enthralled him that he became dumb at her
-approach and would often hide behind the door when she entered the room,
-to avoid speaking to her.
-
-The Neapolitan court was a contrast in more ways than one to the home
-Maria Sophia had left, and for which she yearned so longingly. Barely
-eighteen years old, overflowing with health and spirits, she found
-herself surrounded by an atmosphere of false humility, deceit, and
-religious hypocrisy; and although her natural light-heartedness helped
-her through many troubles and disappointments in the new life, yet she
-could never forget that she was a stranger in a strange land, alone and
-almost friendless. Fond as her father-in-law was of her, he was too ill
-to be able to do anything toward making her life pleasant, and the
-little princesses, while outwardly civil, were stiff and unsympathetic.
-With her brothers-in-law she was on a somewhat better footing, for they
-were charmed with the zest with which she entered into their sports; but
-the Queen from the very first had treated her with the most marked
-unfriendliness, correcting her constantly, as if she had been a
-schoolgirl, and regarding her most innocent diversions with suspicion.
-She even refused to allow her to ride, as she had been used to do at
-home; and the young Duchess sorely missed her favorite occupation.
-
-Maria Theresa was a woman of strong will and had been accustomed to
-obedience from her family as well as her subjects. She had selected her
-most trusted lady-in-waiting to attend her stepson’s wife, hoping that
-Nina Rizzo, who was devoted to her mistress, would teach the Crown
-Princess to bow to her will as every one else did. But in this she was
-mistaken, for though Maria Sophia liked Nina, she remained deaf to all
-her exhortations on the subject, firmly determined to preserve her
-independence at all costs.
-
-Meanwhile the King grew steadily worse, and the cloud over the palace
-darkened. The young princes tried to relieve the gloom and pass away the
-time by walks about the town, running races in the palace courtyard, and
-playing tricks on the gentlemen of the court, pastimes in which they
-were frequently joined by Maria Sophia. One day she went down to the
-shore and, with the help of an old boatman, succeeded in catching a
-whole basketful of fish which she bore home in triumph and had cooked
-for the royal table. Another time she promised her brothers-in-law to
-make them some Bavarian pancakes. A portable grate was secured and
-placed over a charcoal fire, and the Princess set to work. But no
-frying-pan or ladle was to be had. At this moment the mayor of Bari made
-his appearance, in gold-laced coat and knee breeches, to pay his
-respects at court. Maria Sophia was no longer in a quandary. In her own
-lively way she begged the official to go down into the market-place and
-get her the needed utensils. The obliging mayor hastened to do her
-bidding, and soon returned with the desired articles; but the result of
-the Princess’s culinary labors was most unsatisfactory after all, for
-the pancakes proved uneatable. Large holes were burned in the tablecloth
-and napkins, and amid shouts of laughter Maria Sophia abandoned any
-further attempts to shine as a cook in Italy. The mayor carried the
-frying-pan and ladle home with him as souvenirs of the merry scene, and
-they are still preserved as relics in his family.
-
-Amid the general sadness that prevailed, however, these lively outbreaks
-became less and less frequent, and the young Duchess hailed with joy the
-news that the court was to move to Caserta. Nina Rizzo had often told
-her of the beauties of that place, and she eagerly looked forward to
-their departure as an hour of deliverance. The journey was long
-deferred, however, as the King’s sufferings were so acute he would not
-allow himself to be moved. A monk at length succeeded in persuading the
-sick man to consent, and he was carried on a mattress to a steam frigate
-which was to convey him from Bari to Portici in order to avoid any stop
-at Naples. From Portici to Caserta the five hours’ journey caused the
-unfortunate sovereign such torture that the Archbishop of Naples ordered
-continuous prayers to be offered for him in all the churches. Once amid
-these new surroundings—the lofty halls and salons of the palace, the
-enchanting park and gardens—Maria Sophia’s spirits rose, and she felt
-almost happy again. But it was not for long. Between the Queen’s
-animosity and her husband’s weakness, she soon relapsed into her old
-loneliness and helplessness. Almost her only diversion now was her
-family of parrots. She had ten, and her laughter over the ludicrous
-results of their attempts to speak German was the sole evidence that her
-natural gayety was not entirely suppressed and crushed.
-
-Meanwhile the Queen’s supposed treasonable designs were freely discussed
-throughout the kingdom. It was said that on the King’s death she
-intended to seize the double crown for her own son, and that many of the
-police officials were ready to support her plans; also that the Crown
-Prince was forcibly excluded from his father’s sick-room. There was no
-truth in this latter report, however; for although Francis had indeed
-been carefully kept from taking any part in affairs of state hitherto,
-now at the eleventh hour, Ferdinand insisted upon having his son with
-him constantly, and giving him instructions for future guidance; these
-the Crown Prince copied on a sheet of paper and used frequently to
-consult after he became King. On the tenth of April Ferdinand made his
-last will and testament, leaving equal portions of his property to each
-of his children, with a large share to his wife, and a twelfth part to
-be divided among religious institutions.
-
-In spite of the statements already published in regard to the amount and
-distribution of his estate, Ferdinand was popularly believed to own
-enormous sums in private, mainly derived from confiscation of the
-property of political criminals. His fortune was said to amount to three
-hundred million ducats. As a matter of fact, however, the King’s actual
-property was scarcely more than seven million ducats, although he owned
-a great number of jewels and other valuables.
-
-On the twelfth of April Ferdinand received the last sacrament; but he
-lived on for more than a month. The superstitious Neapolitans expected
-his death to occur on the fifteenth of May, the anniversary of the riots
-there in 1848, of which the King had taken advantage for his shameful
-persecution of his subjects; but it was not till the twenty-second of
-May that his sufferings were finally ended. A frightful storm broke out
-during the hour of his death and this was looked upon by many as a bad
-omen for the new reign.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter VIII
- Accession of Francis II and Maria Sophia
-
-
-Aside from the comparatively small circle at Bari, few of her subjects
-had ever seen the new Queen, while Francis himself was almost as little
-known to the people. A few days after their accession, the youthful
-sovereigns held a levee at the royal palace in Naples. The King in his
-hussar uniform, and the Queen in her crown and ermine robes, stood under
-a canopy in the centre of the great hall, while all the high officials,
-nobles, and dignitaries of the court and kingdom stepped forward to kiss
-the hands of Their Majesties. As the gorgeously attired procession wound
-its way past the throne, the sudden appearance of a band of poets
-striding along in their long black cloaks and broad-brimmed hats formed
-such a startling contrast to the rest of the glittering throng that
-Maria Sophia burst into an irrepressible peal of laughter which soon
-spread to all about her.
-
-Freed at last from the dreadful oppression that had weighed her down as
-Crown Princess, she quickly recovered her exuberance of spirits, which
-found expression in various ways. The relations between her and her
-husband also became much more free and natural after their accession to
-the throne. Francis had begun, soon after the wedding, to be in love
-with his wife, although he did not show it. The long system of
-repression to which he had become accustomed had inflicted permanent
-injuries on his sensitive nature; but Maria Sophia’s personal charm was
-so great and her gayety so spontaneous that it was impossible for him to
-escape her fascination. Under his awkward manner, however, she did not
-perceive his dawning love for her, while he felt strange in the world of
-lovers and was unable to express his feelings, except by the eagerness
-with which he fulfilled her slightest wish. Nor did Maria Sophia
-hesitate to use her power. Once her own mistress, she quickly cast off
-the yoke laid upon her by the Queen at Bari and Caserta, and gave
-unmistakable proof that she, too, had a strong will.
-
-At table she would beg permission to have her favorite dog, Lyonne, in
-the room. The King always consented; and the huge Newfoundland with her
-four pups would come tearing in and enjoy themselves during the rest of
-the meal, leaping madly about the table, and sometimes even upon it, to
-the indignation of the court and their mistress’s intense delight.
-Photography had recently come into fashion, and she had herself taken in
-every possible position and costume, greatly to the disgust of her
-mother-in-law, who objected strongly to her continual changes of costume
-and her frequent riding excursions. But the time was past when Maria
-Sophia allowed herself to be dictated to. Like a young Amazon she dashed
-about the streets of Naples, exciting universal admiration and amazement
-at her daring horsemanship.
-
- [Illustration: _FRANCIS SECOND
- King of Naples_]
-
-As Crown Prince, Francis the Second had not been unpopular with the
-people. His mother had been almost worshipped; and the Neapolitans
-pitied the sickly boy whose life, even, so it was said, had been
-attempted by his stepmother. But he was utterly lacking in the qualities
-necessary for a sovereign. It needed a clear head and a firm hand to
-guide the ship of state safely through those stormy seas. His judgment
-was sound enough; but he was good-natured to the point of weakness, and
-superstitious to an almost fanatical degree. He never let a day pass
-without hearing mass, and went regularly to confession. One of his
-favorite occupations was to hold long religious conversations with
-Father Borelli and other priests who happened to be at court. He talked
-much of his dead mother, before whose portrait he would kneel for hours
-in prayer, and he would frequently clasp his head in his hands as if in
-distress, crying, “Ah, how heavy this crown is!”
-
-One day, soon after his accession, while holding a conference with his
-minister of finance, Raymondo del Liguoro, the table at which they sat
-moved slightly, and the minister turned to see what had caused it.
-
-“It was I who shook the table,” said the King. “I had a sudden fit of
-trembling. That is a bad sign. It means that I shall die soon.”
-
-Liguoro adjured His Majesty to banish such thoughts, as his life was not
-his own, but belonged to the people over whom he ruled. “I do not value
-either my life or my kingdom very highly,” replied Francis. “I always
-think of what is written, ‘The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.’”
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-The dowager Queen was a truly proverbial stepmother. She had never been
-able to reconcile herself to having her stepson inherit the united
-kingdoms while her own sons had nothing; even during her husband’s
-lifetime she had attempted to secure the succession of her eldest boy to
-the throne of Sicily. But King Ferdinand would not listen to this. On
-his death-bed he had extracted a solemn oath from each member of his
-family to support the rightful heir, and after his death the widowed
-Queen had flung herself at her stepson’s feet and promised him her
-allegiance. That she broke this vow has never been historically
-verified, the only proofs having been generously destroyed by King
-Francis himself. It happened in this way. Minister Filangieri had long
-suspected Maria Theresa of being at the head of a conspiracy to depose
-the young sovereign and place her son, the Count of Trani, on the
-throne, and at last succeeded in obtaining certain proof of this. He
-carried the documents at once to the King; but Francis refused to look
-at them. Without a glance he flung them into the fire, saying, “She was
-my father’s wife!”
-
-Maria Theresa afterward indignantly denied this, declaring the whole
-affair a plot to sow discord between her and the King; but, be that as
-it may, there is no doubt that she was greatly to blame for Francis’s
-lack of education and training in early youth and childhood. She had
-brought him up as if he had been a girl, destined to live in retirement,
-rather than as a man who had a lofty mission to fulfil, emphasizing his
-natural awkwardness and timidity, and choosing tutors totally unfitted
-to prepare his mind for the demands of the times and his future
-position. His whole nature had been cowed and stunted in order that he
-might be kept subservient to her will.
-
-She had also attempted these tactics with Maria Sophia, but with less
-success. The Bavarian Princess was far too self-reliant to submit to any
-such yoke. She was quite as strong-willed as her mother-in-law, besides
-being far wiser and cleverer. She also had her own political views,
-which were directly opposed to those of the dowager Queen. The latter
-was full of the old ideas of absolutism and had no sympathy with the new
-spirit of liberty, while Maria Sophia openly proclaimed her liberal
-opinions and urged the King to grant the country more freedom.
-
-History shows that many women have filled the highest and most important
-positions with credit and honor. England has her Elizabeth, Russia her
-Catherine, Austria and Hungary their Maria Theresa, Scandinavia its
-Margareta. Maria Sophia of Naples is yet another example of feminine
-ability and judgment in political affairs. King Francis had no abler
-counsellor than his own wife, and had he followed her advice the issue
-of events might have been very different. But he was blinded by
-prejudice, by family tradition, by his education, and by court
-intrigues. As a child he had witnessed the bloody riots in Naples and
-been taught to regard such outbreaks as criminal attacks on a divinely
-instituted form of government. Even before his illness, Ferdinand had
-taken pains to instill his own principles into his son, and almost with
-his last breath had urged him never to allow himself to be carried away
-by the stream of liberalism that threatened to overflow Italy. Much as
-Francis loved and admired his young wife, therefore, he found it
-impossible to break away from the despotic ideas in which he had been
-steeped from his infancy, and not until it was too late did he realize
-the wisdom of her advice.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter IX
- Garibaldi
-
-
-Meanwhile events were occurring in northern Italy that were to exert a
-far-reaching influence on the Kingdom of Naples. The throne of Sardinia
-was occupied by a bold and able sovereign, Victor Emanuel of Savoy, who
-was fortunate enough to have as his counsellor Cavour, one of the
-foremost statesmen of the nineteenth century.
-
-Together with Napoleon the Third, Victor Emanuel had inflicted a series
-of defeats on the Austrians early in 1859, breaking their rule in
-Lombardy, and thereby giving a tremendous impetus to the spirit of
-Italian unity. It was as if the whole country had suddenly awakened to a
-realization of the fact that the various States into which Italy had
-been divided for centuries really belonged together; and the idea of
-uniting them seized the popular mind with irresistible force. It is
-interesting to note that the national movement which occurred some ten
-years later in Germany had many points of resemblance to this. Both
-nations had only of late aspired to greater political importance: both
-were good fighters and governed by princes who knew how to wield the
-sword themselves, as well as to choose their generals and statesmen. In
-both cases the right men appeared at the right moment—Von Moltke and
-Bismarck in Germany, Garibaldi and Cavour in Italy. Cavour had several
-times attempted to bring about an alliance between Sardinia and Naples
-during the reign of Ferdinand; but his offers had been treated with
-scorn by that short-sighted monarch. After his death and the brilliant
-victory over the Austrians at Magenta, overtures to this end were again
-made by Sardinia to the new King of Naples.
-
-On the twenty-fourth of June, 1859, Victor Emanuel sent Salmour, one of
-his ablest and most trusted diplomats, to Naples. He reminded Francis of
-the ties of blood that bound him to the house of Savoy, and pointed out
-the fact that an alliance between the two kingdoms would be security for
-the independence of Italy. The plan had been warmly supported by the
-press of northern Italy and its popularity was testified to by the
-enthusiasm with which Salmour’s arrival was hailed in Naples. But, on
-the other hand, it met with powerful opposition at court, especially on
-the part of the dowager Queen, who, as an Austrian archduchess, was
-bitter against Sardinia for the defeats her native land had suffered at
-its hands, and used all her influence to prejudice the weak young King
-against the plan. As a result, Salmour was obliged to return without
-accomplishing his object and the diplomatic transactions were never made
-public. But though Francis might reject the offer of such an alliance,
-he could not prevent the idea of a union between northern and southern
-Italy meeting with popular favor; and it spread with such lightning
-rapidity throughout the two kingdoms that soon only a spark was needed
-to kindle public enthusiasm into a blaze. In less than a year from the
-time that Francis refused Victor Emanuel’s proposal, that spark appeared
-in the form of Garibaldi.
-
-On the sixth of May, 1860, Garibaldi embarked at Genoa with a thousand
-volunteers, and on the eleventh landed at Marsala, on the west coast of
-Sicily. Brave and hardy as his followers were, it was a hazardous
-undertaking to attempt, with such a force, to attack an army of over one
-hundred thousand regular troops; but Garibaldi knew his adversary and
-hoped for assistance from the people. On the fourteenth of May he
-assumed the dictatorship of the island in the name of Victor Emanuel,
-and the next day, with the aid of some hundred revolutionists, defeated
-General Laudi’s force of three thousand men who were occupying the
-heights of Calatafimi. When the Garibaldians lit their watchfires that
-night on the field of victory, they had good cause for rejoicing. The
-first battle had been fought and won. The Neapolitan troops were fleeing
-in confusion toward Alcamo. The people’s leader had shown that he could
-defeat a king’s army, and the Neapolitans had learned to fear the
-tri-colored banner and the red shirt. While the Neapolitan generals were
-vainly searching for Garibaldi in the mountains, he was already pressing
-on towards Palermo, the capital, meeting with strong support from the
-people everywhere. After three days of hard fighting before that city,
-it capitulated, and was occupied by the revolutionists, although two
-weeks elapsed before the dictator could follow up his victory. At the
-end of that time he again took the war-path and at Melazzo surprised the
-columns of General Bosco, who was in command of the finest and best
-disciplined troops in Sicily.
-
-On the twenty-eighth of June the Neapolitans were forced to evacuate
-Messina, and a few days later the “red shirts,” whose force had now
-increased to about twenty thousand men, camped in the streets of that
-city, from Taormina to Capo del Faro. Sicily was won. Garibaldi now
-turned his glances toward the mainland, whose mountains towered
-threateningly above him across the straits, and on the evening of the
-twenty-first of August the banner of Italy floated above the
-fortifications of Reggio, the strongest post in Calabria. The defence of
-Reggio was the last effort of the royalist army south of Naples.
-Defeated and disheartened, they retreated northward, leaving the
-fortified towns to vie with one another in throwing open their gates to
-the conquerors. The fleet, too, seemed paralyzed. It made no effort to
-prevent the passage of Garibaldi’s men from Sicily, but proceeded
-northward to Naples without having fired a gun. Europe was dumb with
-amazement at the audacity of these champions of liberty. Garibaldi’s
-march from the southern extremity of Italy to Naples appeared at that
-time, as it still does, like a tale of the imagination. It seemed
-incredible that the splendid army created by King Ferdinand with the
-labors and sacrifices of thirty years could go to pieces like a building
-in an earthquake. Of course there were many reasons for this, but the
-chief one was Garibaldi himself. No man could have been better fitted
-for the leadership of such a movement. Glowing with patriotism and love
-of liberty, inspired with the idea of Italian unity, yet at the same
-time a true democrat, friend of the oppressed and foe to tyranny,
-disinterested, self-sacrificing, bold, and daring, a knight without fear
-and without reproach, he seemed created to be an ideal popular hero.
-Wherever he appeared in his red shirt and black felt hat he aroused the
-wildest enthusiasm; and popular fancy soon invested him with a halo of
-glory almost equal to that of William Tell in Switzerland or Joan of Arc
-in France.
-
-By forced marches Garibaldi continued his triumphant progress, giving
-the royal troops no time to recover themselves. Twenty days after he had
-first set foot on the shores of Naples, he was at Salerno, only a few
-miles from the capital. Everywhere he was hailed as a liberator, his
-army welcomed with flowers and recruits where they had expected to find
-only foes. Well might he have said with Cæsar, “I came, I saw, I
-conquered!”
-
-These events created the greatest consternation at the court of Naples,
-and many royalists fled the country in terror. The dowager Queen’s
-father, Archduke Charles of Austria, had advised King Ferdinand many
-years before to fortify Gaeta and Capua strongly, so as to have a safe
-retreat in case of revolution; and mindful of her father’s words, Maria
-Theresa immediately betook herself to Gaeta with all her children.
-
-On the news of Garibaldi’s landing, Francis had consulted the Duke de
-Chambord as to the state of affairs. “With the enemy at the gates, there
-is no time for concessions and reforms,” the head of the house of
-Bourbon replied. “The King should mount and lead his troops against this
-Garibaldi and his followers!” This answer was quite in accordance with
-the young Queen’s opinion. She had been strongly in favor of the
-alliance with Victor Emanuel; but now that the opportunity for that was
-past and the enemy was advancing, it seemed to her there could be no
-other course than to take up arms in defence of the kingdom. Mirabeau
-declared that Marie Antoinette was the only man about Louis the
-Sixteenth, and those who were with Maria Sophia at this time have said
-the same of her; for she seemed to be the only one at court who did not
-lose her head. She tried in every way to encourage her husband and urge
-him to fight; but to her despair Francis seemed incapable of arriving at
-any decisive course of action. He wavered to and fro like a reed in the
-wind, doubtful of himself and suspicious of all about him; seeking for
-support now here, now there, but unable to decide on anything till it
-was too late, and the time for parleying was past.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter X
- The Flight from Naples
-
-
-On the fourth of September news was received that Garibaldi was nearing
-Naples with a large army, the number of which was enormously
-exaggerated, however. The King hastily summoned a council in the middle
-of the night. The only remedy for the situation now would have been to
-attempt to block Garibaldi’s approach by attacking him at Salerno, which
-was connected with Naples by rail; but General Bosco, who was in favor
-of this course, was ill in bed, and his views were not shared by the
-other commanders, who feared the revolutionists might effect a landing
-nearer the city, thus cutting off the troops from a retreat. They all
-agreed that it was better to make Capua and Gaeta the centre of
-operations against the enemy, and the only dissenting voice was that of
-the aged General Carrascosa, who declared to the King, “If Your Majesty
-leaves Naples now, you will never return!”
-
-His words made no impression, however. Francis left it to the generals
-to decide; but they refused to take the responsibility.
-
-As a last resort, Maria Sophia pointed out to her husband that it was
-his duty to prevent his capital from being destroyed by a bombardment;
-and in this appeal she was joined by Cardinal Riario Sforza, who
-besought the King to save Naples from fire and sword. He was thinking,
-no doubt, of the one hundred and eighty churches within the city walls;
-but his words had the desired effect, for Francis had the deepest
-reverence for anything that concerned religion. The next morning he
-summoned Sforza to the palace and informed him that he had decided to
-withdraw the army to a strong position between Capua and Gaeta. At the
-same time he requested his trusted counsellor, Spinelli, to assist him
-in drawing up a farewell proclamation to the people; and after this had
-been accomplished, he went out to drive with the Queen in an open
-carriage, escorted by two gentlemen of the court. It was their last ride
-through the streets of Naples.
-
-Francis, however, did not betray the slightest anxiety over the
-important step he was about to take; and as for the Queen, she was
-apparently in her usual spirits, laughing and joking with the King and
-her two cavaliers: yet how often in those weary years of exile must
-their thoughts have reverted in memory to that scene they now looked
-upon with such indifference!
-
-At the end of the Strada di Chiaja, directly in front of the court
-apothecary’s shop, the royal carriage was stopped by a long line of
-loaded wagons. The apothecary had a sign over his door, bearing the
-Bourbon lilies, and a man was now mounted on a ladder busily engaged in
-removing it. The Duke of San Donato, who happened to be passing, was
-furious at the sight and expressed his anger in no measured terms; but
-neither Francis nor Maria Sophia showed the least displeasure. They only
-looked at each other and laughed at the apothecary’s foresight. The
-following morning the King’s proclamation was displayed on every street
-corner in Naples. It was calm and dignified in tone, and expressed less
-resentment than resignation. At the same time he issued a protest to all
-the foreign powers against Garibaldi’s invasion of his territory,
-together with an assertion of his rights. It was no small task to
-prepare for so sudden a flight, and there was little sleep that night in
-the palace. Huge vans were loaded and sent off secretly under military
-guard, and their contents carried early the next morning on board two
-steamships which lay at anchor in the harbor; but in the hurry, only
-personal belongings were taken, and all the treasures of the palace,
-such as the vast quantities of gold and silver plate that had been
-accumulated during the hundred and twenty-six years of Bourbon rule in
-Naples, were left behind and afterwards confiscated by Garibaldi and
-turned over to the provisional Government. All that Francis carried away
-with him, except for a chest containing various relics and images of
-saints, were a painting of St. Peter, a statue and marble bust of Pope
-Pius the Ninth, a Titian portrait of Alexander Farnese, and a Holy
-Family by Raphael. Of these, the last was undoubtedly the most valuable;
-but even this splendid work of art the young sovereigns did not keep.
-The Spanish ambassador, Bermudez de Castro, begged Francis to give it to
-him, and the good-natured King consented. De Castro afterward tried to
-sell it to the Louvre galleries, but was not satisfied with the price
-offered. He then sent it to the South Kensington Museum in London, where
-by an unskilful attempt at restoration it lost so much of its beauty and
-value that no one would buy it. In his will the ambassador returned it
-to the exiled King; but neither Francis nor Maria Sophia ever claimed
-it, and the painting still remains at South Kensington.
-
-On the morning of the sixth of September, Francis sent for the commander
-of the National Guard, and after expressing his thanks for their loyal
-support, repeated the comforting assurance that the troops had received
-strict orders to protect the capital. He had prepared a list of those of
-his court whom he wished to accompany him to Gaeta; but when the time
-came to leave, the royal master of the horse, Count Michaëlo Imperiale,
-was the only member of the royal household present. The King was so
-touched by his devotion that he presented him on the spot with the Grand
-Cross of the Order of San Fernando.
-
-About four o’clock in the afternoon the ministers repaired in a body to
-the palace to take leave of their sovereign, whose hand they were to
-kiss for the last time under his own roof. Francis tried hard to control
-himself, speaking kindly to all, and tenderly embracing his two most
-devoted friends, Torella and Spinelli. But the number present was
-pitifully small. Those who had received the most favor at the hands of
-their sovereigns were as usual the first to desert them. Nor were there
-any special manifestations of regret and sympathy among the populace at
-the departure of the King and Queen, which was regarded merely as a
-measure for assuring the safety of the city, while Garibaldi’s approach
-was anticipated with mingled hope and fear.
-
-About half-past six Francis and Maria Sophia left the palace on foot, he
-in uniform as usual, she in an ordinary travelling dress and large straw
-hat trimmed with flowers. Accompanied by several ladies and gentlemen of
-the court, they walked through the palace gardens and down the long
-flight of steps that led to the arsenal, the Queen leaning on her
-husband’s arm, gay and cheerful as ever in spite of the ominous cloud
-that shadowed their departure. Below them lay the Gulf of Naples, smooth
-and bright as silver; but in the distance the bare, sombre peak of
-Vesuvius rose like a menace amid the smiling beauty of nature. The
-firemen of the ship in which the royal party was to embark had had to be
-kept on board by force, and some advised the King to place himself under
-the protection of some foreign flag, or to escape from the city
-secretly. Undecided, as usual, Francis knew neither what he could do,
-nor what he ought to do; but the captain of the vessel, who was
-thoroughly loyal, finally persuaded him to go on board, urging that it
-would be beneath the King’s dignity to flee from his capital like a
-criminal.
-
-Only one Italian vessel accompanied the King, but with it were two
-Spanish warships carrying the Austrian, Prussian, and Spanish
-ambassadors. The journey was most depressing. It had been decided upon
-so suddenly that no one thought of taking such ordinary things as food
-or even the few necessaries that would have made them comfortable. It
-was a wonderfully beautiful night, and the Queen sat on deck until ten
-o’clock, when it grew cold. Worn out with the fatigues and excitement of
-the last twenty-four hours, she went into the little deck cabin and lay
-down on a sofa. The King did not go to bed at all. Except for a few
-words now and then with the Captain, he spent the night silently pacing
-up and down the deck, watching the shores of Naples gradually fade from
-view, and thinking, who knows what?
-
-About two o’clock he asked whether the Queen had retired, and when told
-she was still asleep in the little cabin he went in and stood for a long
-time gazing down at her. Then removing his own cloak he gently spread it
-over her to protect her from the chill of the night air, and returned to
-his silent watch. Early the next morning they entered the harbor of
-Gaeta, and were met at the landing by Maria Theresa and her children
-with Father Borelli, her confessor. Francis had consulted this priest
-some months before as to the advisability of granting his subjects a
-more liberal form of government, and Father Borelli had merely echoed
-the views of the deceased King, declaring that such a course would only
-hasten a revolution, and warning him against it.
-
-“I believe you are right,” Francis answered, “but fear it will be
-impossible for me to follow your advice.”
-
-“Then Your Majesty may perhaps remember this day as the last on which I
-shall kiss the hand of a King of Naples,” returned the priest.
-
-This conversation now recurred to them both, as Borelli came forward to
-greet the King, kissing his hand again and again with tears in his eyes.
-
-“Father,” said Francis, with a melancholy smile, “do you remember what
-you said to me on St. John’s Day at Portici?”
-
-“Ah, Your Majesty,” replied Borelli, “even though you should no longer
-be a King on earth, you may yet become a saint in heaven.”
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-Francis and Maria Sophia had no sooner left the capital than a
-deputation was sent out to welcome the liberator, while the former
-minister of foreign affairs prepared an address to Garibaldi, declaring
-that Naples was waiting with impatience to greet him as the deliverer of
-Italy, and lay the fate of the kingdom in his hands. They did not have
-long to wait. The popular hero hastened his advance, and arrived so
-quickly that there was barely time to prepare for his reception. There
-was little sleep that night in Naples, and the first rays of the morning
-sun found the whole city astir. The principal thoroughfares were
-thronged with men, most of them armed, for fear of a reactionary
-movement. Windows, balconies, even the roofs of houses were crowded with
-spectators. Everything conspired to surround Garibaldi and his men with
-a halo of romance. Their picturesque garb, rapid conquests, and fiery
-proclamations appealed to the imagination of the hot-blooded southerners
-and roused them to wildest enthusiasm. Guards had been placed at all the
-exits of the railway station, where a large number of prominent citizens
-had assembled to welcome the hero. Presently a bell was heard, and a
-train drew in. A great shout arose; but it was found to contain only a
-band of foreign mercenaries who had recently joined the victorious
-party. At noon another bell sounded, and Garibaldi’s approach was
-signalled. The train stopped. Thousands of voices joined in the shout of
-“Long live Garibaldi!” as two men in red shirts appeared. They were
-embraced with such vehemence by the excited Neapolitans that one of
-them, who was taken for Garibaldi, barely escaped alive. The great man
-himself had gone out by another door, however, and when this was
-discovered there was a general stampede to find him. This time they were
-successful.
-
-Garibaldi’s entry into Naples was as brilliant and spectacular as the
-rightful sovereign’s departure had been quiet and unnoticed. A huge
-national flag had been unfurled, bearing the arms of the house of Savoy,
-with the white horse of Naples and the lion of Venice; and Garibaldi
-kissed this with tears rolling down his cheeks, declaring, “Soon we
-shall all be united brethren!” while many of the spectators also wept.
-He and a few of his companions then entered the open carriages that were
-waiting to convey him to the city. Eight thousand of the royal troops
-had been left in the citadel and a few outposts to maintain order; but
-they had received no orders to resist the revolutionists, and even had
-such been the case, it is doubtful if they would have obeyed, so carried
-away were they by the tide of popular enthusiasm, as, amid deafening
-cheers, the waving of hundreds of tri-colored banners and showers of
-blossoms from every window, Garibaldi entered in triumph the gayly
-decorated city, while even the skies seemed to share the joy of the
-people and smile upon the liberator of “La Bella Napoli.”
-
-He refused to occupy the royal palace which had been so lately vacated
-by the sovereigns, but drove on to a smaller one, generally used for the
-accommodation of foreign princes, where he took up his quarters. Vast
-crowds surged about the building, shouting for the Dictator, till at
-length one of the revolutionists appeared on a balcony, then another,
-and finally the hero himself. Again a storm of cheers broke forth, and,
-unable to make himself heard above the uproar, he leaned over the iron
-railing and gazed down at the throng below. His usually ruddy face was
-pale with emotion, and wore a look of sadness curiously in contrast to
-the feverish joy of his admirers; but there was a gleam in his eye that
-betrayed the fires that glowed within. He lifted his hand to command
-silence, then began in tones so clear and distinct that not a syllable
-escaped the ear:
-
-“Neapolitans! This is a solemn and memorable day. After long years of
-oppression under the yoke of tyranny, you are to-day a free people. I
-thank you in the name of all Italy. You have completed a great work, not
-only for your countrymen but for all mankind, whose rights you have
-upheld. Long live freedom! the dearer to Italy, since she, of all
-nations, has suffered the most. Long live Italy!”
-
-The shout was taken up by thousands of throats and, their “Viva Italia!”
-could have been heard from one end of the city to the other.
-
-That afternoon Garibaldi visited the cathedral and was greeted with even
-greater enthusiasm than in the morning. At night every house was
-illuminated, and a torch-light procession paraded through the principal
-streets, which were filled with excited throngs rushing about, every man
-with a flag in one hand and a sword or a knife in the other, shouting
-and embracing one another for joy. Garibaldi was the idol of the hour,
-and Naples was his completely.
-
-But here and there were still a few who remained loyal to the reigning
-family and were anxious as to their fate. Francis, in his haste, had
-neglected to remove his private fortune of eleven million ducats—the
-dowry Queen Maria Christina had brought with her from Sardinia—from the
-Bank of Naples where it was kept. When Garibaldi learned this he sent
-for the man to whom the receipt had been entrusted, an officer of the
-royal household named Rispoli, and forced him to give up the document,
-which, afterward, he handed over to the new government.
-
-Poor Rispoli, who was devoted to his master, was so overcome at being
-deprived of his trust that he was stricken with apoplexy and died the
-following day.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter XI
- Siege of Gaeta
-
-
-It is probable that Francis at the time of his departure from Naples had
-no definite ideas as to how far he should offer resistance to the course
-of events. His friends urged him to wait quietly till the first wave of
-enthusiasm had passed, hoping he might then return to the throne as a
-member of an Italian confederation. From Gaeta he went with his brothers
-to Capua, where their presence did much to restore unity among the royal
-troops and revive their sinking courage, and where he was speedily
-joined by all who had anything to gain by adhering to the Bourbon cause
-or were too deeply compromised to venture to remain in Naples under the
-new regime. A much more valuable addition to the King’s forces, however,
-was a large number of volunteers from southern Germany, who had hastened
-to the aid of their fair countrywoman, and to whose valor it was largely
-owing that they were able to hold out so long.
-
-The arsenal and other stores in Naples had fallen into the hands of the
-enemy; but after Francis had collected and organized his troops beyond
-the Volturno, he found himself with fifty thousand well provisioned and
-equipped men at his command. Fired now for the first time with true
-martial spirit, he determined to cut his way through Garibaldi’s forces
-to Naples, where, he was assured by secret agents, the fickle populace
-would welcome him back with open arms. On the first of October, at
-daybreak, accordingly, the attack was begun; but the royal troops were
-defeated and driven back across the Volturno, the gates of Capua being
-thrown open at five o’clock that afternoon to admit the fugitives.
-
-Victor Emanuel had already determined to take a hand in affairs,
-although Naples had voted unanimously for the annexation of the Two
-Sicilies to an “Italia una,” and was by this time well on his way
-thither to assist in the reorganization of this new portion of his
-domains. The news of his approach spread terror and despair among the
-King’s forces; but Francis and his generals decided to await the enemy
-in a strong position on the further bank of the Garigliano, where on the
-twenty-eighth of October they were fortunate enough to repel an attack.
-But the advantage was a brief one. Capua soon had to be abandoned and,
-led by Victor Emanuel himself, the Piedmontese crossed the Garigliano,
-forcing the Neapolitans to retire within the shelter of Gaeta.
-
-This town, often called from its location the Gibraltar of Italy, is one
-of the most strongly fortified places on the peninsula, and has played a
-prominent part in the wars of southern Italy. The Bay of Gaeta not only
-compares well with the gulf of Naples in beauty, but as a harbor is even
-better adapted to commerce, being both larger and deeper. The town is
-situated some sixteen miles from Naples, ten from Capua, three from the
-boundaries of what were then the Papal States, and seventeen from Rome;
-forming with San Germano and Capua a trio of defences capable of
-offering a long and stout resistance.
-
-Gaeta at this time had a population of about fifteen thousand. It was a
-gay and picturesque little town, irregularly but not unattractively
-built, with well-paved if somewhat steep and narrow streets. Tradition
-points to a neighboring grove as the spot where Cicero was murdered by
-Antony’s orders; and between the citadel and the shore are some ruins
-called by the people the tower of Roland, where a friend of the Emperor
-Augustus was buried. The town and the citadel are situated on two rocky
-heights, separated by a steep cleft, the greater part of the town
-occupying the southernmost of these, while on the northern and much the
-larger one, rises the citadel with its fortifications. Both are
-practically inaccessible from the sea, while the west side of the neck
-of land, that connects the mainland with the outer point, also falls
-away steeply. Small villages line the shore; and still farther to the
-south, where the coast recedes so deeply that the bay lies between it
-and Gaeta, is the town of Mola, where the Piedmontese established their
-headquarters. It would seem that Victor Emanuel’s generals, made
-over-confident by the easy victories they had met with thus far in the
-Kingdom of Naples, scarcely looked for any serious resistance here.
-
-But supported by a French fleet which protected the coast, by the
-presence of a well equipped and disciplined army, and above all by his
-heroic wife, Francis had at length determined to hold out in spite of
-everything. In the citadel, besides the King and Queen, were Maria
-Theresa with her five sons and four daughters, the youngest of whom was
-not yet three years old; the King’s two uncles, the Prince of Capua and
-the Count of Trapani; a few faithful friends who had followed their
-sovereign, and all the diplomatic corps, with the exception of the
-English and French ambassadors, who had received explicit orders from
-their Governments to remain in Naples to report what was passing there.
-All communication between Francis and the Emperor Napoleon, therefore,
-had to be carried on through the French admiral.
-
-In spite of their recent experiences, the royal family did not seem to
-realize at first the seriousness of the situation. Gaeta had a garrison
-of twenty-one thousand men, and the citadel was well supplied with
-ammunition, while provisions for the army could easily be obtained from
-the Papal States, through the ports of Terracina and Civita Vecchia. The
-Count of Trapani was in nominal command, but the real leader of the
-defence was General Bosco. At the time of his surrender to Garibaldi in
-Sicily, this able officer had sworn not to take up arms for six months;
-but this period had now elapsed, and his return inspired the royal
-family with hope and confidence.
-
-On the thirteenth of November, 1860, the bombardment of Gaeta was begun
-by the Piedmontese, whose fire was vigorously returned from the citadel.
-A week later the dowager Queen retired to Rome with her younger
-children, and on the same day the diplomats took their departure, all
-except the Spanish ambassador, Bermudez de Castro, who was a personal
-friend of the King. Even the Archbishop of Gaeta deserted the sinking
-ship, though his place should have been now, more than ever, with his
-flock. Francis tried to persuade Maria Sophia to leave him, and go to
-her home in Bavaria while it was yet possible, but she absolutely
-refused. More closely drawn to her husband in this time of danger than
-ever before, she announced her firm intention of remaining with him to
-the last, even though abandoned by all the world.
-
-Europe had held but a poor opinion of Francis the Second during his
-short reign. His weakness and cowardice had been openly criticised;
-while in Naples itself he had been variously nicknamed “Bombino,”
-“Franciscillo,” and “Il Re Imbecile.” But in misfortune all his better
-qualities came to the surface. At Gaeta, no longer distracted by
-conflicting counsels, he became firmer and more manly, while his
-readiness to sacrifice all personal feeling to what he believed to be
-his duty, and his generosity toward those who should have been his foes,
-could not but command respect. For example, two Piedmontese merchantmen
-took refuge in the harbor of Gaeta one terribly stormy night; but
-instead of seizing them and their cargoes, as would have been his right,
-he permitted them to leave the bay the next morning, unmolested. He was
-constantly visiting the outworks, inspecting the work, and doing his
-best to keep up the courage of his men, in which he was bravely assisted
-by his two elder half-brothers; but the Queen surpassed them all in
-courage, scorning every danger and discomfort and looking death calmly
-in the face. Every day and often at night she visited the hospitals,
-carrying food, medicines, and fruit, doing all she could to relieve the
-sufferers, and shrinking from no wound, however terrible. Once during
-the illness of one of the Sisters of Mercy, Maria Sophia took her place
-as nurse, and though shells were falling so thick about the hospital
-tent that her life was in constant danger, she refused to leave her
-post. The soldiers were always rejoiced to see her and would follow her
-about with their eyes in the most adoring way. They gloried in their
-beautiful, spirited young Queen, dashing about on her horse from one to
-another of the hastily improvised hospitals that were set up on the
-different batteries.
-
-The Piedmontese noticed that at the sound of a certain bell there always
-seemed to be some commotion in the citadel of the besieged city, and
-curious to know the meaning of it, some officers in one of the nearest
-outposts fixed their field-glasses on the fortress at that particular
-time. Much to their surprise they discovered a young woman in the
-Calabrian costume, moving about among the guns and encouraging the
-artillerymen, quite regardless of the storm of shells that was falling
-about her. It was Maria Sophia, making her daily visit to the so-called
-“Queen’s Battery” to watch the firing from there, and a striking picture
-she made in her long cloak and Calabrian hat, gay and smiling as ever,
-glorying apparently in danger, and careless of her own fate.
-
-It had been agreed that a black flag should be hoisted while the Queen
-was making her rounds among the wounded, and the sign was at first
-respected by the enemy, but Maria Sophia herself paid no attention to it
-as she rode calmly about her business even in those fortifications
-exposed to the heaviest fire. One day a bomb fell so close to her feet
-that she would certainly have been torn to pieces had not an officer
-seized her in his arms and swung her behind a projecting wall. Another
-day, while standing in one of the window embrasures in the citadel,
-talking with the Spanish ambassador, a shell burst so near that the
-window panes were shattered and the Queen’s face was cut by the flying
-glass. But she only laughed, saying, “It is unkind of the enemy to leave
-me nowhere in peace. They have just driven me from one place, and now
-will not let me stay here, either.”
-
-“Ah, but you have had your wish granted, madame,” replied the
-Ambassador, “you wanted to see a ball as close as possible.”
-
-“Yes, and I also wished for a slight wound,” added the Queen gayly.
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-From Gaeta Francis had issued another proclamation to his subjects,
-protesting against the new order of things, and avowing his good faith
-toward them and the constitution he had granted them, in spite of all
-that had happened; but though widely distributed, it was powerless to
-stem the current of events. As we have seen, the King had lost many
-opportunities of securing an advantage at the beginning of the war. By
-retreating to Gaeta he was placed in the curious position, for a
-commander, of having cut himself off from two-thirds of his army. He had
-given orders for the majority of these to slip away across the Roman
-borders, hoping they might be reassembled later, to form the nucleus for
-an uprising in the Abruzzo Mountains. Reports, however, of the terrible
-treatment received by prisoners at the hands of the Piedmontese so
-alarmed the soldiers that they made no attempt to escape till it was too
-late, and the few that did reach Roman territory were promptly disarmed.
-The French fleet, lying in the Bay of Gaeta, had proved of inestimable
-value in protecting the city from attack by sea. The friendly attitude
-of the Admiral also made it possible for the King’s friends to furnish
-him with provisions, while the supply ships carried many of the
-Neapolitan troops away from Gaeta, landing them at Civita Vecchia and
-Terracina. In this way the garrison was reduced to fifteen thousand men;
-but even so, the food supply soon began to fall short.
-
-As early as the twenty-second of November, a journalist wrote in his
-diary that provisions of all kinds had doubled in price, and the
-situation grew worse and worse as time went on. Rice, beans, even bread,
-were almost impossible to obtain, and macaroni and potatoes were sold
-for thrice their usual value. Fish and meat were to be had only by the
-officers in small quantities and of the poorest quality. Then an
-epidemic of typhus fever broke out, which soon filled every bed in the
-hospitals. The King and Queen did all in their power to obtain
-nourishing food for the sick and wounded, sending fish and other
-delicacies procured for their own table to the Sisters of Mercy to be
-distributed in the hospitals.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter XII
- Capitulation
-
-
-The siege of Gaeta lasted from the thirteenth of November, 1860, to the
-thirteenth of February, 1861, a space of three months. With the new year
-it was pushed with redoubled vigor. Both town and citadel were exposed
-to incessant fire, and the noise was so deafening that people had to
-scream to make themselves heard. Not a single building remained intact.
-Many lives were lost by exploding shells or falling houses, and the
-whole place presented a scene of utter destruction. The Piedmontese have
-been accused of sparing neither church nor hospital, and the sick and
-wounded, as well as their nurses, were exposed to the same dangers as
-the rest of the inhabitants. The Red Cross Society was not in existence
-at that time; but the terrible experiences of the wounded in the wars of
-northern Italy the preceding year led to the formation of that
-association three years later.
-
-The enemy’s fire now began to be directed chiefly against the citadel
-where the royal family were known to reside, and the officers begged the
-King and Queen to move to a place of greater safety. One of the
-casemates of an adjoining battery was accordingly prepared for their
-occupancy, and here in this small damp vault they lived for the
-remainder of the siege, with the princes, the few members of the court
-who had remained loyal, and some of the officers. The casemate was
-divided by thin wooden partitions into a number of small chambers, each
-containing a bed, one chair, and a small table. The narrow passage
-connecting these cells was always crowded with people waiting to speak
-to the officers and servants who had long since laid aside all badges of
-royal service.
-
-A low door led to the square chamber occupied by the Queen, which was
-furnished in addition with a couch and a _prie-dieu_; a small recess
-adjoining having been made into a dressing-room. As a protection against
-shells or flying missiles, a heavy oak beam had been placed diagonally
-across the tiny window overlooking the street; a precaution which made
-the room so dark a light had to be kept burning day and night. The
-little air that penetrated to the cell was thick with smoke and tainted
-with foul odors, while the ceaseless thunder of cannon directly above
-must have made it a far from pleasant place of residence. Yet from this
-gloomy vault Maria Sophia wrote her parents not to worry about her, for
-under the circumstances she was doing very well. She bore all these
-dangers and hardships with the same cheerful courage she had shown from
-the first, tending the wounded, inspiring the soldiers by her presence
-among them in the smoke of battle—the soul, in short, of the defence,
-and a splendid example of bravery and fortitude. Through the efforts of
-the French admiral, a ten days’ truce was arranged, and the Neapolitans
-hastened to take advantage of it to procure a supply of provisions from
-Terracina and to strengthen their batteries, while the officers tried to
-encourage the garrison by reports of speedy assistance from without. On
-the sixteenth of January the sound of guns was heard again; but this
-time it was not those of the besieging army, but of the French fleet
-which had not yet left the harbor, although the Emperor Napoleon had
-notified Francis that it would be impossible for him to continue the
-neutrality he had hitherto maintained. Decorated from deck to mast-head
-with flags, the foreign squadron was saluting the King in honor of his
-twenty-fifth birthday, the last he was ever to spend within the
-boundaries of his kingdom.
-
-Three days later the truce was declared at an end, and in the
-beleaguered city all eyes were fixed anxiously upon the fleet. Although
-there were rumors in the air of its departure, the people still hoped
-they might be false as so many others had proved. About two o’clock,
-however, smoke was seen rising from one of the vessels, and it was soon
-evident that the whole squadron was getting up steam. One after another
-lifted anchor and began to move; and an hour later the huge flagship,
-_La Bretagne_, glided majestically past the lighthouse on the outermost
-point of the harbor, leaving the last of the Italian Bourbons to his
-fate. With the French fleet, vanished the last hope of rescue; and from
-this time until the end of the siege, nearly a month later, Gaeta was
-completely cut off from the rest of the world, and surrounded on all
-sides by the enemy. With the increase of famine and sickness the
-situation grew daily worse. Help from without could no longer be looked
-for, and rumors of treachery began to be heard among the troops. The
-barracks were damp, the hospitals overflowing, and they were tired of a
-struggle that could have but one end. The King and his brothers worked
-bravely to keep up the courage of the garrison, and the Queen was
-untiring in her efforts to relieve the sick and suffering; but even they
-had lost hope.
-
-All correspondence between Napoleon and King Francis had ceased on the
-twelfth of December, but about the middle of January a vessel arrived
-from France bringing a confidential letter from the Empress Eugénie to
-Maria Sophia. In it she declared frankly and without circumlocution that
-it would be as well to abandon the defence of Gaeta which had cost so
-many lives, since it would be quite useless to look for aid from any
-European power—the latter sentence underlined.
-
-This left no room for misunderstanding. At last the King realized that
-his cause was lost—that all his wife’s splendid energy and the loyalty
-of his troops had been wasted in a hopeless struggle. On the
-twenty-seventh of January he received a letter from Napoleon informing
-him that the French corvette, _La Movette_, had been prepared for the
-accommodation of Their Majesties in case of the surrender of Gaeta, and
-would remain in the Bay of Naples awaiting their orders. The town was
-now only a smoking heap of ruins. The explosion of powder magazines had
-caused even greater destruction than the enemy’s guns, and the casemate
-in which the royal family had taken refuge might be destroyed at any
-moment should the siege be continued. The garrison was reduced to twelve
-thousand men with over twelve hundred in the various hospitals, most of
-them victims of the epidemic of typhus which had proved so fatal. Among
-those who had succumbed already to the disease were four of the King’s
-generals and the priest, Father Borelli, who had remained in Gaeta to
-minister to the sick and wounded.
-
-Francis hesitated no longer, but sent a message to the Piedmontese
-commander-in-chief requesting an armistice to arrange articles of
-capitulation. The terms were as follows: the garrison should retain
-their military honors, but remain prisoners until the surrender of
-Messina and the citadel Del Tronto. When this had taken place, both
-officers and men were to receive full pay with the choice of entering
-the Piedmontese army or returning to their homes, all who were honorably
-discharged to be pensioned. The King and Queen, with the rest of the
-royal family, were to be permitted to embark on the French vessel which
-had been placed at their disposal, with as many persons as they wished
-to take with them in their suite.
-
-The capitulation was signed on the thirteenth of February, and the next
-morning at eight o’clock _La Movette_ entered the Bay of Gaeta. The
-troops were already drawn up in long lines, extending from the casemate
-occupied by the King and Queen to the landing; their tattered clothes
-and wasted forms bearing witness to these last terrible months.
-Misfortune had formed a close bond between the survivors of the siege,
-and as the soldiers presented arms to their sovereigns for the last
-time, their cheeks were wet with tears.
-
-An eyewitness of the departure of Francis the Second and Maria Sophia
-from Gaeta has described the touching scene. The King was in uniform,
-with sword and spurs, the Queen wearing the round Calabrian hat shown in
-the photograph taken of her at that time. The deposed monarch was deadly
-pale, and as gaunt as any of his soldiers. “As for the Queen,” declared
-this observer, “I could not see how she looked, my eyes were so blinded
-with tears.”
-
-The people had gathered in crowds, every face showing traces of the
-suffering they had undergone; but all seemed to forget their own
-troubles in the misfortunes of their sovereigns. When the King and Queen
-appeared, their emotion burst all bounds. Many wept aloud as they
-pressed forward to kiss the hand of the Queen with far greater warmth
-and enthusiasm than was shown by the people of Bari when they greeted
-her arrival as a bride on the shores of Italy, two years before. Only
-two short years, and yet how much had been crowded into them! And how
-different that day from this!
-
-Francis had already issued a parting proclamation to his troops,
-thanking them in touching terms for their devotion to him and to the
-honor of the army; and as _La Movette_, flying the banner of the
-Bourbons, glided slowly out of the harbor, a unanimous and deafening
-shout of “Evviva il Re!” was their last farewell to the exiled
-sovereign. The French on the corvette welcomed their guests with royal
-honors, the officers in full uniform and the sailors lined up on deck to
-receive them. With the King and Queen were the Counts of Trani and
-Caserta and three of the Neapolitan generals. During the journey from
-Gaeta to Terracina, Francis and his brothers showed the greatest
-calmness, conversing cheerfully with their suite, and the French
-officers could not refrain from expressing their admiration at the
-King’s dignified acceptance of his fate. Maria Sophia had remained alone
-on the after deck, leaning over the railing, her eyes fixed on the
-cliffs of Gaeta. The smiling landscape seemed an irony of her mood. A
-gloomy sky would have been more suited to the thoughts that filled her
-bosom. She remembered with what noble aims she had come to this new
-land, what fine resolutions to share in all works for promoting the
-welfare of the people over whom she had been called to rule—and what had
-been the result? Even her labors at Gaeta had been in vain.
-
-As _La Movette_ passed the battery “Santa Maria,” a royal salute was
-fired, and soon after the corvette rounded the point and Gaeta was lost
-to sight. The crew hauled down the Bourbon lilies and hoisted the French
-tri-color—Maria Sophia was no longer a Queen. She turned away with a
-chill at her heart. The deck was empty and a cold wind had suddenly
-arisen, banishing the warmth of the sunshine and sending a shiver
-through her from head to foot.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter XIII
- After the Fall of Gaeta
-
-
-The news of the fall of Gaeta was hailed with joy by the fickle
-Neapolitans, who seized the occasion as a welcome excuse for more
-parades and festivities, with dancing and singing from morning till
-night. The day after the departure of Francis and Maria Sophia, the
-garrison evacuated the town. Officers and soldiers laid down their arms
-before the walls of the citadel, and the fortifications were occupied by
-the Piedmontese. Soon after, the citadel Del Tronto opened its gates to
-Victor Emanuel’s troops, and with the surrender of Messina on the first
-of March, the Bourbon lilies disappeared from southern Italy.
-
-On the fifteenth of February, the exiles landed at Terracina, heavy at
-heart, and were escorted by a company of French dragoons to Rome, where
-they took up their residence in the Palazzo Farnese as guests of Pope
-Pius the Ninth. Maria Sophia was not a devout Catholic like her husband.
-She had not wished to go to Rome, and found no comfort in the Holy
-Father’s friendship. The dowager Queen was also living in Rome with her
-children, and the close companionship into which the exiles were thus
-forced by circumstances did not tend to improve the relations between
-the ex-Queen and her mother-in-law.
-
-In times of trouble we naturally turn to our kin for sympathy, and Maria
-Sophia was seized with desperate longing for her mother and her Bavarian
-home. Early in April, therefore, she set out for Possenhofen,
-accompanied by General Bosco. The two years she had spent in Naples had
-been far from happy. She returned a queen without a crown, deprived of
-all save honor. But the familiar scenes and faces, and above all the
-comfort of pouring out her heart to the strong, noble mother, who had
-suffered so much herself, restored her courage, and she soon became her
-cheerful, lively self once more, her eyes sparkling with animation, full
-of spirit and energy.
-
-The young Queen’s heroic behavior during the defence of Gaeta had taken
-Europe by storm. Her praises were on every tongue, and the beauty, the
-courage, the warm-heartedness of the “Heroine of Gaeta” were lauded in
-prose and verse. She was deluged with tokens of admiration and sympathy,
-among which were a gold laurel wreath from the princesses of Germany and
-a sword of honor from the women of Paris. The dowager Queen, Maria
-Theresa, had not yet given up hope that she and her children might
-return to Naples. Since Francis the Second had proved himself incapable
-of maintaining his place on Ferdinand’s throne, she was more determined
-than ever that her own eldest son should occupy it; and in order to
-prevent any opposition on the part of the Wittelsbach and Hapsburg
-families, she succeeded in arranging a marriage between the Count of
-Trani and Maria Sophia’s sister Mathilde soon after the arrival of the
-exiles in Rome, neither of the young people’s wishes in the matter
-having been consulted in the least. Maria Sophia returned to Rome after
-a month’s stay with her parents, and in May the bridegroom went to
-Munich to meet his unknown bride. This prince was far more attractive
-than his stepbrother in outward appearance, having a frank, winning
-manner and the utmost propriety of behavior. The wedding was put off for
-a month, that the young people might become better acquainted, the Count
-accompanying the ducal family to Possenhofen, where he occupied a
-neighboring villa on Starnberg Lake.
-
-On the sixth of June, 1861, the ceremony took place in the ducal palace
-at Munich, and the next morning the newly married pair set out on their
-wedding journey, escorted as far as Zürich by the bride’s parents and
-sisters. At Marseilles a Spanish warship was waiting to convey them to
-Civita Vecchia, where they were warmly welcomed by the ex-King and Queen
-of Naples, who accompanied them back to Rome.
-
-Immediately after the fall of Gaeta, Francis had despatched a letter to
-the Emperor Napoleon, thanking him for the friendly interest he had
-shown and expressing his appreciation of the courteous treatment he and
-his wife had received from the officers of _La Movette_. As yet the
-exiled sovereign scarcely knew how his position was regarded by the
-European powers; Victor Emanuel had already assumed the title of King of
-Italy, and this moved Francis to issue a circular urging them to
-discountenance any pretensions on the part of the King of Sardinia.
-
-It is doubtful whether he had at first any idea of continuing the
-struggle, but he had no sooner arrived in Rome than he became the centre
-of a counter revolution planned by the Legitimist and Papist party, the
-object of which was to make Naples again an absolute monarchy, this
-being regarded as the surest safeguard of the Pope’s temporal power in
-Rome. The dowager Queen contributed a large share of her property to aid
-this undertaking, and Francis himself gave all he could spare of the
-little he had been able to retain of his private fortune. But all in
-vain. The attempt was unsuccessful and the Bourbon cause in Italy
-hopelessly lost.
-
-Maria Sophia took no part in these efforts to recover the lost crown.
-She had no confidence in her husband’s ability and strongly disapproved
-of her mother-in-law’s intrigues. As Queen of the Two Sicilies she had
-boldly put aside everything that interfered with her personal liberty;
-but under these changed conditions and the protection of the papal power
-she had no longer the right to assert her independence or resent the
-elder woman’s jealous opposition. The monotony and inactivity to which
-she was doomed in Rome were torture to her energetic spirit, and she
-became nervous and irritable. By way of retaliation and diversion she
-resorted to all sorts of tricks and foolish pranks, which enraged her
-mother-in-law and were little becoming a queen on whom the eyes of
-Europe had been so recently fixed with admiration and respect.
-
-But this unnatural life had much more serious results also. Meeting, as
-she constantly did, men far more clever and attractive than the ex-King
-of Naples, it was not strange that the latter should have suffered in
-comparison, although, had he shown his love for her in the early days of
-their married life, she might still have preferred him to others. Her
-husband’s apparent coldness, however, had chilled the warmth of her
-impulsive nature and turned her affections back upon herself. With such
-a temperament and capacity for love, these pent-up emotions could not
-fail to find an outlet sooner or later. A Belgian officer won her heart;
-and Maria Sophia, full of life and ardor, forgot her dignity as Queen,
-remembering only that she was young, a woman desperately craving
-affection, alone in a dull, joyless court, where the life was
-intolerable to her.
-
-Less than a year after the heroic defence of Gaeta it was said that the
-ex-Queen of Naples was suffering from a disease of the lungs, and much
-alarm was felt for her health. Early in the Summer she left Rome,
-accompanied by the Count and Countess of Trani, and went to Possenhofen,
-where the family was once more reunited. Fate had not dealt kindly with
-the Wittelsbach sisters. It was no secret that the Empress of Austria’s
-happiness was wrecked and her health deranged, and Hélène of Thurn and
-Taxis had fared little better. Elizabeth’s marriage to Francis Joseph
-had crushed her ambitious hopes, and the disappointment had embittered
-her whole life, although it had made no difference in the affectionate
-relations between the sisters, Hélène having left her own home to
-accompany the invalid Empress to Madeira. Mathilde of Trani had been
-married only a year; but the temperaments of the Count and Countess were
-totally unsuited to each other. The young couple had no permanent place
-of residence, no prospects for the future, and the present was full of
-difficulties.
-
-It was generally known that the climate and life in Rome had seriously
-affected the health of the ex-Queen of Naples; but a mother’s sharp eyes
-soon discovered that there was a deeper source of trouble. This
-daughter, who had inherited all her father’s brilliancy and charm, was
-especially dear to the Duchess Ludovica, and as she had always shared
-her child’s joys, she now comforted her in her hour of despair. Early in
-August Maria Sophia left Possenhofen for a sojourn at the baths of
-Soden, which it was hoped would benefit her health, and after a visit to
-her eldest sister at Taxis, returned to Bavaria with her mother and the
-Empress Elizabeth. Francis still loved his wife deeply, in spite of the
-blow his faith in her had received, and both he and her own family tried
-to persuade her to return to him; but her health was still so poor she
-had little wish to expose herself again to the climate of Rome. In
-October she retired to an Ursuline convent at Augsburg, much against the
-wishes of her family, who feared it would appear to the world like a
-permanent separation from her husband. They begged her at least to come
-to Munich and live; but the quiet convent life suited Maria and she
-refused to leave her peaceful retreat.
-
-Next to the Duchess Ludovica, her most frequent visitor at Augsburg was
-Queen Marie of Bavaria, who had always been her closest friend, and it
-was she who finally persuaded her cousin to exchange the convent for a
-residence in Munich. In January, 1863, Maria Sophia moved to the Schloss
-Biederstein, situated close to the English gardens and one of the most
-beautiful spots in the Bavarian capital. Again and again the ex-King of
-Naples made offers of reconciliation, and at length his patience and
-devotion touched his wife’s heart. Possibly, also, her eyes were
-gradually opened to the silent martyrdom he, on his own part, had
-endured so long and which she at the time had little understood or
-appreciated. It was not until two or three months later, however, that
-she finally decided to return to Italy. On the thirteenth of April she
-arrived once more in Rome, where she was warmly welcomed by her husband
-and all the friends of the exiled family, after an absence of nearly a
-year.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter XIV
- Royalty in Exile
-
-
-Of all the sovereigns of Europe, Maximilian of Baden had been the most
-loyal champion of King Francis’s cause. Neither Garibaldi’s triumphant
-progress, nor Victor Emanuel’s victories, nor the unanimous shouts of
-six million people for “Italia una” could reconcile him to the new state
-of affairs. He had been ill for a long time, and in the Autumn of 1863
-his physicians recommended a sojourn in the south. So strong was his
-feeling, however, against the new ruler of Italy, that rather than pass
-through any part of his dominions, he travelled by way of Switzerland to
-Marseilles, and there boarded a vessel that would land him in papal
-territory.
-
-The voyage was terribly rough and the King suffered so acutely with
-seasickness that it brought on an attack of his old complaint. Fearful
-of the consequences of continuing the voyage, his physician declared he
-must be taken ashore at all costs; but the sea was too high to permit of
-the vessel’s landing, so the suffering monarch had to be lowered into an
-open boat on a mattress and rowed ashore by two sailors. Fortunately,
-they succeeded in reaching land safely near San Stefano, where they were
-met by the French consul, and King Max, more dead than alive, was cared
-for so attentively that he was able to continue his journey to Civita
-Vecchia by carriage the next morning, arriving in Rome the following
-day. Here he took up his residence in the Villa Mattei, and his health
-began to improve at once.
-
-Maria Sophia was overjoyed to see her cousin again. She herself was far
-from well, and had been urged by her physicians to leave Rome; but Max,
-to whom she was devoted, begged her to remain, and she yielded to his
-wishes. In December, however, her condition became so alarming that
-Francis was forced to leave with her at once for Venice, a change of air
-being absolutely necessary if her life was to be preserved. The ex-King
-realized at last that it was out of the question for his wife to live in
-Rome, and henceforth they spent only the winter months there. In the
-purer air of Venice she soon began to gain strength and was able once
-more to enjoy her favorite recreations. The relations between Maria
-Sophia and her husband had much improved, and while he had no sympathy
-with her tastes, nor was able to join her in her rides, he no longer
-opposed her in the indulgence of them.
-
-Meanwhile the Schleswig-Holstein affair had become a burning question in
-Germany. King Frederick the Seventh of Denmark had died, and in the
-latter part of November news was received in Munich of Prussia’s protest
-against his successor, the Duke of Augustenburg. Public feeling ran
-high, and the issue of events was anxiously awaited. Under these
-circumstances the people of Bavaria felt the need of their sovereign’s
-presence among them and King Max was obliged to leave Rome. Although so
-much improved in health that his physicians held out hope of a permanent
-cure, he was still too ill to travel. He suffered a relapse soon after
-reaching home, and died three months later, deeply mourned both by his
-subjects and his family.
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-In the Autumn of 1867 an epidemic of cholera broke out in Italy. The
-dowager Queen insisted on remaining in her Albanian villa, though all
-her children had hastily left the country. Deserted by her family and
-her court, the widow of Ferdinand the Second fell a victim to the
-scourge. Even the servants had fled, and the only person with her at her
-death was an old Neapolitan nobleman who had been a friend of her
-husband’s. Although Maria Theresa’s star had long since set, he remained
-faithful to the last, tending and caring for her while she lay ill, and
-accompanying her body—the only mourner—to its last resting-place in the
-neighboring churchyard.
-
-The relations between Francis and Maria Sophia had never been actually
-unpleasant; but after the death of the Queen dowager, they became more
-attached to each other. Together they made frequent visits to their
-various relatives or entertained them in Rome during the Winters. The
-Empress Elizabeth especially was a frequent visitor. These two sisters,
-as unlike in character as in their circumstances, had never lost any of
-their sisterly affection for each other. Maria Sophia was with the
-Empress in Hungary when her youngest daughter, Marie Valerie, was born
-in 1868, and had shared her joy in that happy event. With it, however,
-was a feeling of sadness for herself, childless and, in a way, homeless.
-Children of her own would have given life a new aspect to her, and she
-felt she would have been a different woman. But it was not her way to
-indulge in vain regrets. She had long been indifferent toward the world;
-her only interest now was in her dogs and horses, and she would spend
-whole days in the saddle, riding the wildest and most ungovernable
-animals. Once, on one of these rides, she met with an accident, from the
-effects of which she was long in recovering, and her husband’s quiet
-devotion during this time furnished a proof of his affection for her
-that drew them still closer together.
-
-Maria Sophia’s joy was boundless when, on Christmas Eve, 1869, after ten
-years of married life, she gave birth to a daughter in Rome. Four days
-later, the little princess was christened, Pius the Ninth, who performed
-the ceremony himself, acting as godfather, and the Empress Elizabeth as
-godmother. She received the names Maria Christina Louisa Pia, for her
-two grandmothers and the Holy Father. But the happiness of the ex-King
-and Queen was destined to be of short duration, for their only child
-lived but three months. She died in the following March, and was buried
-in Rome.
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-The withdrawal of the French troops from Rome in 1870 to take part in
-the war against Germany, put an end to the temporal power of the Popes.
-Pius the Ninth was forced to relinquish the Quirinal to the same bold
-conqueror who had deprived Francis and Maria Sophia of their kingdom,
-and thereafter they had no permanent residence in Rome. As long as the
-Duke and Duchess Max lived, they spent the summers in Bavaria,
-travelling about from place to place during the Winter. The greater part
-of Francis the Second’s property, some twenty million lire, had been
-confiscated by the new Italian Government, which offered to refund it on
-condition of his formally renouncing all rights to the crown he had
-already lost; but this he refused to do. “A man does not sell his
-honor,” was his unfailing reply. Eventually he was paid back his
-mother’s dowry; but the immense sum that King Ferdinand had settled on
-his eldest son at the time of his marriage to Maria Sophia was
-appropriated by Victor Emanuel, as were the contents of the royal
-palace. Many of the paintings and works of art are still shown at “Capo
-di Monte” in Naples, to the indignation of many of the sovereigns of
-Europe.
-
-Although the climate of Rome had never agreed with Maria Sophia, both
-she and her husband often declared that they had never really known the
-terrors of exile till they were forced to leave Italy. Francis never
-quite gave up hope that some turn of events would pave the way for his
-return to his own and his father’s throne; but the heroine of Gaeta
-never looked backward. The pomp and show of royalty had never appealed
-to her, and she indulged in no vain regrets.
-
-The lives of the Wittelsbach sisters had proved a source of grief and
-anxiety to their parents. Hélène, left a widow in 1867, after ten years
-of unhappy married life, had managed the vast estates of the Thurn and
-Taxis family with great ability during the minority of her eldest son,
-Maximilian. This prince, a most promising youth, died in 1885, at the
-early age of twenty-three, and the blow almost cost his despairing
-mother her reason, while the following year, Count Ludwig of Trani
-drowned himself in one of the Swiss lakes.
-
-The youngest daughter of the ducal pair, Sophie Charlotte, had been
-first betrothed to Ludwig the Second of Bavaria; but the King jilted his
-cousin in the most heartless fashion, and she afterward married
-Ferdinand d’Alençon, an uncle of Louis Philippe of France. Banished from
-France with the rest of the house of Orleans, the Duke and Duchess spent
-their time travelling from place to place, and Sophie was sickly and
-discontented, a victim to fits of melancholia. By his death on the
-fourteenth of November, 1888, good Duke Max was spared the tragedy of
-Mayerling, where his favorite grandson and the hope of the Austrian
-Empire, Rudolf of Hapsburg, met with a violent and mysterious death
-three months later. On the twenty-fourth of January, 1890, the Duchess
-Ludovica was seized with an attack of influenza at her palace in Munich,
-which developed into pneumonia. The physicians at once pronounced her
-condition serious on account of her advanced age, and the absent
-daughters were telegraphed for. Sophie was already in Munich, as were
-the three sons. The next afternoon the Duchess grew so much worse that
-the sacrament was administered; but in spite of the evident approach of
-death the indomitable old lady refused to go to bed. She insisted upon
-remaining in the reclining chair which she had occupied from the
-beginning of her illness, and where she soon sank into unconsciousness,
-passing away quietly at four o’clock in the morning, surrounded by
-children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, at the age of
-eighty-three. The death of the Duchess Ludovica was an irreparable loss
-to her family. They had leaned on her in joy as in sorrow, and as long
-as she lived she had held them together, widely scattered as they were,
-with a firm and loving hand. Her children’s troubles and pleasures had
-been her own, and their devotion, her joy and reward.
-
-
-
-
- Chapter XV
- Conclusion
-
-
-After the funeral of the Duchess Ludovica, Maria Sophia returned to
-Paris, where the ex-King of Naples had bought a residence some years
-before, and where they were living very quietly, seeing no one but old
-friends or relatives. Her grief at her mother’s loss was deep and
-sincere, and for a time she was inconsolable. For her it meant the
-severing of all the old ties and associations; and henceforth she rarely
-visited the home of her childhood.
-
-A few months later Hélène of Thurn and Taxis died after a long and
-painful illness, at the age of fifty-eight. The Empress Elizabeth had
-hastened to her and was with her when she died, but none of the three
-younger sisters were able to be present.
-
-In the Autumn of 1894 the ex-King of Naples went to the baths at Arco in
-the Tyrol for his health, while his wife remained in Paris. Francis had
-suffered for several years with an incurable complaint, and it was
-reported that his illness had recently taken a serious turn; but this
-had been denied. Death came sooner than any one expected, however, to
-the unfortunate monarch, for he expired on the twenty-seventh of
-December—alone, as he had lived. Maria Sophia started at once for Arco
-on the news of his illness, but arrived too late to find him alive.
-
-Not a flag was lowered in the kingdom of his fathers to mark the death
-of Francis the Second of Naples, nor was his body even allowed to rest
-in the land he had loved. In all his vicissitudes, the long years of
-exile, and the hours of loneliness and pain, Italy had been ever in his
-heart. Through all his wanderings he had been haunted by memories of the
-blue skies and sunny gardens of his childhood days. His love for his
-native land extended even beyond the grave, for in his will he
-bequeathed a million lire to charitable institutions in Naples and
-Palermo.
-
-Duke Karl Theodor and his wife, with several other members of Maria
-Theresa’s family, hastened at once to Arco to comfort Maria Sophia and
-be present at the ex-King’s funeral. It took place on the third of
-January, 1895, and was attended by a large number of royalties and other
-distinguished personages.
-
-In the bright Winter sunshine the body of Francis the Second was borne
-to the cathedral where it was to be laid to rest. The narrow streets
-were thronged with black-garbed men and women, and bells were tolled in
-all the churches, while the trumpets of the two battalions of Austrian
-Jägers sent by the Emperor Francis Joseph, to pay the last honors to the
-deceased sovereign, sounded a farewell. At the door of the church the
-procession was met by the ex-Queen with her sisters, Mathilde and
-Sophie, with several of her sisters-in-law, and other noble ladies who
-formed the band of mourners. The services lasted five hours, and were
-conducted by the Archbishop of Trent; but at last all was ended, the dim
-cathedral was left silent and empty, and only the sound of tolling bells
-echoed mournfully through the wintry air.
-
-The life of Francis the Second of Naples was one of renunciation. Little
-sympathy or affection fell to his lot. He was arbitrary where he should
-have been yielding, and yielding where he should have been firm; yet
-during his short reign he was one of the most conspicuous figures in
-European politics, and he had carried a kingdom with him in his
-downfall. He was a good man and a good Christian, and, in spite of his
-shortcomings, a real hero; for while his heart was bleeding, he bore his
-sorrows in silence and hid his sufferings from the world.
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-Although Maria Sophia had never really loved her husband, a close and
-sincere friendship had grown up between them, and she truly mourned his
-death. After the funeral she returned with her brother and his wife to
-Munich, where for a time she occupied her old residence, the Schloss
-Biederstein; but now that she was alone the thought of living there was
-unbearable to her.
-
- [Illustration: _FRANCIS SECOND
- in his sixtieth year_]
-
-The claims of the ex-King to the throne of Naples passed at his death to
-Alfonzo, Count of Caserta; and while Francis had left his wife a large
-sum of money, the bulk of his fortune had been bequeathed to this
-brother whose marriage had been blessed with ten children. The residence
-in Paris occupied by the royal pair had been included in this; and as
-Maria Sophia wished to be free to live her own life, she bought an
-estate at Neuilly-sur-Seine, where she lives quite alone the greater
-part of the year. She rarely goes to Bavaria, but spends a few weeks
-each winter at Arco. It was her intention originally to have her
-husband’s body removed to her family burial-place in Tegernsee; but the
-last King of Naples still sleeps before the high altar in the cathedral
-of the little Tyrolean town. This quiet spot has grown dear to the
-ex-Queen, and she mixes freely and pleasantly with the people who go
-there for the baths. She is still a distinguished woman,—distinguished
-in the best sense of the word,—with much of that charm that is like a
-reflection of the past. Most of her time, however, she devotes to the
-real passion of her life, her farm, where she raises thoroughbred dogs
-and horses. Maria Sophia is not a recluse; but she lives in a world of
-her own, and cares for animals more than for people. In former days her
-sisters used often to visit her at Neuilly, the Duchess d’Alençon then
-living in Paris, and the Empress Elizabeth and Countess of Trani
-frequently stopping there on their journeys.
-
-The portraits of these four sisters plainly show their differences of
-character. Mathilde of Trani is the picture of discontent and
-disillusionment; Elizabeth is the mourner; Sophie d’Alençon is resigned
-and weary of the world, while Maria, unlike all the others, looks
-bravely out at life, despite her years.
-
-She accepted the decrees of fate with courage and fortitude, and bore
-her troubles more philosophically than her sisters, therefore she has
-kept her cheerfulness and serenity, and much of her former beauty. She
-is always active, for she still feels young. But her solitary life and
-her preference for the society of animals to people, show that the life
-of this gayest and soundest of the Wittelsbach sisters has also been a
-tragedy.
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-Three years after the death of the ex-King of Naples, another terrible
-misfortune occurred in the family. On the fourth of May, 1897, the
-French capital was the scene of a most frightful catastrophe. The ladies
-of the French aristocracy were holding a bazaar for charity, in a
-building which had been roughly and carelessly constructed, and lined
-with booths in which many prominent society women sold wares donated for
-the purpose. A kinematograph had also been installed to add to the
-entertainment. In the middle of the afternoon, when the crowd was
-greatest, a lamp attached to this suddenly burst, and in an instant the
-whole building was in flames. The exits were insufficient and hard to
-find, and scores of people perished.
-
-Among the most prominent of the workers was Sophie, Duchess d’Alençon,
-who was a devout Catholic and had devoted the latter years of her life
-almost entirely to charity. Witnesses of the scene of horror who escaped
-with their lives have told of the Duchess’s heroism in attempting to
-save others, forgetful of her own danger. One lady tried to carry her
-out by force; but she broke away, and dashing back into the flames, took
-her place in her own booth again, calmly assisting in getting the young
-girls into a place of safety.
-
-All that night it was hoped that she, too, had succeeded in making her
-escape. But the next day a wedding ring, bearing the name of Ferdinand
-d’Alençon, was found in the ruins and all hope of finding her alive was
-abandoned. Her body, burned beyond all recognition, was afterward
-identified by a dentist who had supplied her with some false teeth
-shortly before. Maria Sophia was in Neuilly at the time of the accident,
-and her appearance with the Duke d’Alençon, at the requiem mass held in
-memory of the dead in the Church of St. Philippe de Rule, was her last
-public appearance in the world. When the Empress Elizabeth, who fell by
-the hand of an assassin on the shore of Lake Geneva a year later, was
-laid away in the vault of the Capucins at Vienna, Maria Sophia was
-unable to be present. Only in spirit could she bid farewell to this
-favorite sister, under whose cold and reserved exterior had beaten a
-warm and loving heart.
-
- * * * * * * * *
-
-Many years have passed since the Rose of Starnberg Lake was planted at
-the foot of Vesuvius, many since Francis the Second’s tottering throne
-collapsed, burying the hopes of a lifetime. But time has treated Maria
-Sophia gently. If she has wept bitter tears, the world has seen no trace
-of them. Her smile is still that of the beautiful young Queen of Naples,
-and she has kept that youth of the heart that never fades. But what her
-thoughts are as she goes about among her pets, no one knows. Does she
-still see Gaeta at times behind its dark, receding cliffs? Perhaps, for
-it was there that she displayed for the first and only time the gifts
-with which Providence had endowed her, and the supreme moments of life
-one does not forget.
-
-The romance of Maria Sophia’s life ended at Gaeta: forced from the
-world’s stage with all the splendid promise of her youth unfulfilled,
-she has never since taken part in the affairs of men. Yet she is not
-morbid or unhappy. She looks back upon her life without bitterness, and
-if her heart has longings, it is not for her vanished crown and sceptre.
-
-The struggle for Italian unity has given place to other and newer events
-in the world’s history. The Queen of Naples has hidden her royal honors
-under the modest title of Duchess of Castro. When she dies, an almost
-forgotten episode will be revived and the “Heroine of Gaeta” recalled to
-the memory of men; but only the gray-haired soldiers who knew and served
-under the young Queen will remember how gay and brilliant she was, will
-see her again in all her fresh young beauty.
-
-Maria Sophia was a heroine but for a day; but time has no power to touch
-her memory. Clothed in the radiance of perpetual youth, she stands a
-glowing figure in the annals of history.
-
-
-
-
- Footnotes
-
-
-[1]The nickname of King Bomba was given to Ferdinand after the
- bombardment of Messina in Sicily, but also referred to the huge,
- unwieldy figure that he acquired, especially in the later years of
- his life.
-
-
-
-
- Appendix
-
-
-The following is a chronological statement of the principal events
-connected with this narrative:
-
- 1807 Birth of Garibaldi.
- 1810 Birth of Ferdinand the Second.
- 1836 Birth of Francis the Second.
- 1859 Death of Ferdinand the Second.
- 1859 Francis the Second succeeds to the Throne.
- 1859 Beginning of the Italian Revolution.
- 1859 Battles of Magenta and Solferino.
- 1860 Garibaldi Dictator of Sicily.
- 1860 Garibaldi enters Naples.
- 1860 Francis the Second driven from Naples.
- 1860 Annexation of Central Italy to Sardinia.
- 1860 Outbreak of Revolution in Lower Italy.
- 1861 Surrender of Gaeta.
- 1861 Victor Emanuel proclaimed King of Italy.
- 1862 Garibaldi invades Sicily.
- 1862 Garibaldi defeated and retires.
- 1866 French Garrison withdrawn from Rome.
- 1870 Victor Emanuel occupies Rome.
- 1882 Death of Garibaldi.
-
- LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
-
- _Translated from the German by_
- GEORGE P. UPTON
-
- 28 Volumes Now Ready
-
-
- _Historical and Biographical_
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- Louise, Queen of Prussia
- The Youth of the Great Elector
- Emperor William First
- Elizabeth, Empress of Austria
- Charlemagne
- Prince Eugene
- Eugénie, Empress of the French
- Queen Maria Sophia of Naples
-
- _Musical Biography_
-
- Beethoven
- Mozart
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- Joseph Haydn
-
- _Legendary_
-
- Frithjof Saga
- Gudrun
- The Nibelungs
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- Arnold of Winkelried
- Undine
-
- Illustrated. Each 50 cents _net_
-
- A. C. McCLURG & CO., Chicago
-
-
-
-
- Transcriber’s Notes
-
-
---Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public
- domain in the country of publication.
-
---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the
- HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)
-
---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and
- dialect unchanged.
-
-
-
-*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK QUEEN MARIA SOPHIA OF NAPLES, A
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-<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Queen Maria Sophia of Naples, A Forgotten Heroine, by Carl Küchler</div>
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
-at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you
-are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the
-country where you are located before using this eBook.
-</div>
-
-<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Queen Maria Sophia of Naples, A Forgotten Heroine</p>
-<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>Life Stories for Young People</p>
-<div style='display:table; margin-bottom:1em;'>
-<div style='display:table-row'>
- <div style='display:table-cell; padding-right:0.5em'>Author:</div>
- <div style='display:table-cell'>Carl Küchler</div>
-</div>
-</div>
-<div style='display:table; margin-bottom:1em;'>
-<div style='display:table-row'>
- <div style='display:table-cell; padding-right:0.5em'>Translator:</div>
- <div style='display:table-cell'>George P. Upton</div>
-</div>
-</div>
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: June 13, 2021 [eBook #65606]</div>
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div>
-<div style='display:table; margin-bottom:1em;'>
- <div style='display:table-row'>
- <div style='display:table-cell; padding-right:0.5em; white-space:nowrap;'>Produced by:</div>
- <div style='display:table-cell'>D A Alexander, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) </div>
- </div>
-</div>
-<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK QUEEN MARIA SOPHIA OF NAPLES, A FORGOTTEN HEROINE ***</div>
-<div class="img">
-<img class="cover" id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Queen Maria Sophia of Naples" width="800" height="1083" />
-</div>
-<div class="img" id="pic1">
-<img src="images/p00.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="856" />
-<p class="caption"><i>MARIA SOPHIA<br />Queen of Naples</i></p>
-</div>
-<div class="box">
-<p class="center"><span class="sc"><i>Life Stories for Young People</i></span></p>
-<h1><span class="small">QUEEN MARIA SOPHIA
-<br />OF NAPLES
-<br /><span class="small">A FORGOTTEN HEROINE</span></span></h1>
-<p class="center"><i>Translated from the German of
-<br />Carl K&uuml;chler</i></p>
-<p class="center"><span class="smallest">BY</span>
-<br />GEORGE P. UPTON
-<br /><i class="smaller">Author of &ldquo;Musical Memories,&rdquo; &ldquo;Standard Operas,&rdquo; etc.
-<br />Translator of &ldquo;Memories,&rdquo; &ldquo;Immensee,&rdquo; etc.</i></p>
-<p class="center"><span class="smallest">WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS</span></p>
-<div class="img">
-<img src="images/p00a.jpg" alt="A&middot;C&middot;McCLURG" width="200" height="199" />
-</div>
-<p class="center small">CHICAGO
-<br />A. C. McCLURG &amp; CO.
-<br />1910</p>
-</div>
-<p class="center small"><span class="sc">Copyright</span>
-<br /><span class="sc">A. C. McClurg &amp; Co.</span>
-<br />1910
-<br />Published September 24, 1910</p>
-<p class="center smaller">THE &middot; PLIMPTON &middot; PRESS
-<br />[W&middot;D&middot;O]
-<br />NORWOOD&middot;MASS&middot;U&middot;S&middot;A</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_v">v</div>
-<h2>Translator&rsquo;s Preface</h2>
-<p>The story of the exiled Queen of Naples, Maria
-Sophia, as the title-page of this little volume
-sets forth, is the story of a &ldquo;forgotten
-heroine.&rdquo; In many respects it recalls the story of
-her sister, Elizabeth of Hungary, though her fate
-was not so tragic. She was saved from the fury
-of the assassin; but she revealed many of her
-sister&rsquo;s attributes&mdash;the same courage, the same
-beauty, the same gayety of disposition, clouded in
-much the same manner, the same love of nature and
-of animals, the same love of the people, the same
-domestic misfortunes. Her comparatively brief sovereignty
-included a thrilling period of the struggle
-for Italian unity. Her marriage was a brilliant one,
-her honeymoon most strange, and her after life most
-lonely. She was a strong woman united to a weak
-man, not of her choice and not honored by her love.
-She had many faults, but of her heroism the siege of
-Gaeta will always bear witness. The other figures
-in the story, the fascinating Lola Montez, Count
-Cavour, the great statesman, King Victor Emanuel,
-King &ldquo;Bomba,&rdquo; and the red-shirted Garibaldi, add
-to its picturesqueness, and the manners and customs
-of the court of Bavaria as well as the sketches of
-the Wittelsbachs are not without historic interest.</p>
-<p><span class="jr">G. P. U.</span></p>
-<p><span class="small"><span class="sc">Chicago</span>, <i>July, 1910</i>.</span></p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_vii">vii</div>
-<h2>Contents</h2>
-<dl class="toc">
-<dt class="jr"><span class="jl"><span class="sc">Chapter</span></span> <span class="small"><span class="sc">Page</span></span></dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">I </span><a href="#c1"><span class="sc">The House of Wittelsbach</span></a> 11</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">II </span><a href="#c2"><span class="sc">Life at Munich and Possenhofen</span></a> 17</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">III </span><a href="#c3"><span class="sc">Political Disturbances in Bavaria</span></a> 24</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">IV </span><a href="#c4"><span class="sc">The Wittelsbach Sisters</span></a> 31</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">V </span><a href="#c5"><span class="sc">The Neapolitan Royal Family</span></a> 37</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">VI </span><a href="#c6"><span class="sc">Maria Sophia&rsquo;s Arrival</span></a> 44</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">VII </span><a href="#c7"><span class="sc">A Strange Honeymoon</span></a> 50</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">VIII </span><a href="#c8"><span class="sc">Accession of Francis II and Maria Sophia</span></a> 57</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">IX </span><a href="#c9"><span class="sc">Garibaldi</span></a> 63</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">X </span><a href="#c10"><span class="sc">The Flight from Naples</span></a> 70</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">XI </span><a href="#c11"><span class="sc">Siege of Gaeta</span></a> 81</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">XII </span><a href="#c12"><span class="sc">Capitulation</span></a> 90</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">XIII </span><a href="#c13"><span class="sc">After the Fall of Gaeta</span></a> 98</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">XIV </span><a href="#c14"><span class="sc">Royalty in Exile</span></a> 105</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">XV </span><a href="#c15"><span class="sc">Conclusion</span></a> 112</dt>
-<dt><span class="cn">&nbsp; </span><a href="#c16"><span class="sc">Appendix</span></a> 121</dt>
-</dl>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_ix">ix</div>
-<h2>Illustrations</h2>
-<dl class="toc">
-<dt><a href="#pic1">Maria Sophia, Queen of Naples</a><i>Frontispiece</i></dt>
-<dt><a href="#pic2">Maria Sophia at the Time of Accession</a>48</dt>
-<dt><a href="#pic3">Francis the Second, King of Naples</a>58</dt>
-<dt><a href="#pic4">Francis the Second, in his Sixtieth Year</a>114</dt>
-</dl>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_11">11</div>
-<h2>Queen Maria Sophia of Naples</h2>
-<h2 id="c1"><span class="h2line1">Chapter I</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">The House of Wittelsbach</span></h2>
-<p>The house of Wittelsbach, one of the most
-ancient of the royal families of Europe, was
-divided, toward the end of the eighteenth
-century, into three branches. The old Elector, Karl
-Theodore, who died in 1799, was without issue, and
-his successor, Maximilian of the Pfalz-Zweibr&uuml;cken
-line, became the founder of a new dynasty. Being
-the third son, there had seemed little prospect of
-succeeding to the throne in his earlier years, most
-of which were spent in the strictest seclusion at
-Mannheim and Zweibr&uuml;cken. Later, he entered the
-French army and until the outbreak of the French
-Revolution was stationed as colonel at Strassburg,
-where the jovial warrior made himself most popular,
-not only in military but in social circles.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_12">12</div>
-<p>In 1785 he was married to Princess Augusta of
-Hesse-Darmstadt, by whom he had two sons, Ludwig
-(his successor) and Karl, and three daughters,
-one of whom died in childhood. Augusta, the
-second, married Eugene Beauharnais, while Charlotte,
-the youngest, became the fourth wife of Emperor
-Francis the First of Austria. Maximilian&rsquo;s first
-wife died early, and in 1796 he formed a second and
-equally happy alliance with the Princess Caroline
-of Baden, who presented him with six daughters, of
-whom three became queens of Saxony and Prussia,
-and the two youngest, the mothers of Emperor
-Francis Joseph of Austria and the Empress Elizabeth,
-respectively.</p>
-<p>The branch of the Wittelsbachs to which Maximilian
-belonged was divided into two lines, both
-descending from the Count Palatine, Christian the
-First. A cousin, the Count Palatine Wilhelm of
-Zweibr&uuml;cken-Birkenfeld, had hopes of securing the
-Electoral seat at Munich for himself, especially as
-ancient tradition required that a portion of the
-domain should fall to the share of the younger branch
-of the family. As Wilhelm had but one child, however,
-a son who was feeble-minded and under constant
-guardianship, an agreement was made between
-the cousins that in future there should be no division
-of the Wittelsbach possessions. Maximilian was to
-succeed to the Electorship of Bavaria undisturbed,
-in return for which the reigning sovereign was to
-treat the descendants of Count Wilhelm as his own.
-The younger branch was to rank equally with the
-older and to receive a large share of the ancestral
-possessions, with a handsome yearly income and
-the title of &ldquo;Dukes in Bavaria.&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_13">13</div>
-<p>In accordance with this agreement, Maximilian
-became Elector of Bavaria, which was raised by
-Napoleon to the dignity of a kingdom in 1806, and
-in 1818 granted a constitution by its sovereign.
-Maximilian was much beloved by his subjects and
-so simple and patriarchal in his dealings with them
-that he was generally known as the &ldquo;Citizen King.&rdquo;
-On his birthday, October 12, 1825, he was present
-at a ball given in his honor by the Russian ambassador,
-full of life and vigor as usual, and the next
-morning was found dead in his severely simple bedchamber
-at Schloss Nymphenburg.</p>
-<p>Duke Wilhelm of Birkenfeld long survived him,
-and it now devolved upon the new King, Ludwig the
-First, to carry out the family compact. Meanwhile
-Wilhelm&rsquo;s son, Duke Pius, had also died, leaving
-one son, Duke Max. Almost from the birth of this
-prince it had been decided that he should marry
-King Maximilian&rsquo;s youngest daughter Ludovica, who
-was born the same year, and on the ninth of September,
-1828, the marriage was duly celebrated, three
-months before the bridegroom had reached his
-twentieth year. Although dictated by family reasons,
-this marriage proved a remarkably happy one.
-The two young people had grown up together, knowing
-that they were to be united for life, and were
-sincerely attached to each other. Their honeymoon
-was spent in the Bavarian Alps with Ludovica&rsquo;s
-mother, the widowed Queen Caroline, at her
-Summer home at Tegernsee. At the time of the
-King&rsquo;s death, two of the daughters were still unmarried
-and the constant companions of their
-mother, to whom they were devoted, and Ludovica&rsquo;s
-marriage made no change in their life except that
-a son-in-law was added to the family circle.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_14">14</div>
-<p>Duke Max at that time was called the handsomest
-prince in Europe. He was slender and well
-built, with a distinguished ease of manner and a
-graciousness that won the hearts of all with whom
-he came in contact, regardless of class or station.
-Naturally gay and light-hearted, fond of pleasure
-and society, an accomplished musician and composer,
-with a passion for nature and out-of-door life,
-it is small wonder that he was universally adored.
-Even his mother-in-law, to whose age and habits
-his lack of seriousness did not at first especially
-appeal, was completely won by his devotion to her
-and her daughter, and his constant efforts to divert
-and entertain them. When the famous violinist,
-Paganini, came to Munich, Max invited him to visit
-the castle at Tegernsee and sent one of the royal
-carriages to meet him. He often arranged amateur
-concerts, to which all the neighboring families were
-invited, and whiled away the long Autumn evenings
-playing and singing with his friend Petzmacher, the
-zither-player.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_15">15</div>
-<p>Ludovica was very different from her husband.
-She disliked meeting people, cared nothing for social
-life or gayety, and had an abhorrence for noise or
-confusion of any kind. Max was a great admirer
-of the fair sex and made no concealment of the fact.
-He had the true artist nature, sanguine, impulsive,
-and susceptible, and must have caused the Duchess
-many unhappy hours, innocent as most of the
-love affairs attributed to him seem to have been.
-Whatever her feelings were, however, she carefully
-concealed them from the eyes of the world.
-To all appearances the relations between her and
-her husband were most harmonious. In many ways,
-too, their opposite temperaments were of mutual
-advantage. His cheerfulness and careless gayety
-often banished the fits of melancholy to which she
-was subject, while her firmness and good sense
-proved a balance to his volatile nature, and they
-were united in their love of nature and country life.</p>
-<p>The first three years of their marriage were childless,
-but in 1831 the Duchess presented her husband
-with an heir, who was named Ludwig, for the King.
-As time went on the family circle increased. The
-oldest daughter, H&eacute;l&egrave;ne, was born in 1834. On
-Christmas Eve of 1837, Elizabeth came into the
-world, followed, in the Summer of 1839, by a second
-son, Karl Theodore. On the fourth of October, 1841,
-at Possenhofen, the Duchess gave birth to her third
-daughter, Maria Sophia Amalia, the future Queen
-of Naples. Two years later, Mathilde Ludovica
-was born. On the twenty-second of February,
-1847, the youngest daughter of the ducal pair,
-Sophie Charlotte Augusta, made her appearance at
-Munich, and on the seventh of December, 1849,
-their youngest son, Maximilian Emanuel was born,
-also in Munich.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_16">16</div>
-<p>Nearly all these children were destined to bring
-sorrow or anxiety to their parents. The Duke&rsquo;s
-mercurial nature helped him to bear and rise
-above these troubles, but they sank deep into
-Ludovica&rsquo;s heart. But she was sustained by her
-religion and a firm faith in Providence, whose decrees
-she bore with dignity and patience. Little as she
-spoke of it, devotion to her children was the ruling
-passion of her life. She never was diverted, by any
-consideration, from what she felt to be her duty
-toward them; and while her methods of training did
-not bear equal fruit with all, they loved her devotedly
-in return and always regarded her with the deepest
-respect and confidence.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_17">17</div>
-<h2 id="c2"><span class="h2line1">Chapter II</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Life at Munich and Possenhofen</span></h2>
-<p>Up to the end of the first half of the last century
-intellectual and artistic development had
-made little progress in Bavaria. Weimar
-had become famous as the home of Goethe and
-Schiller, Herder and Wieland, but Munich was still
-merely a provincial town, not so large by half as it
-is to-day, while the many gardens scattered about
-among the houses gave it an almost rustic air. The
-population consisted chiefly of artisans, with a few
-wealthy citizens, the students of the university, and
-court <i>attach&eacute;s</i>. Visitors to the capital at that time
-were few. Of social life, so called, there was practically
-none, and the free mingling of all classes in
-public places suggested Italian popular life, especially
-after King Ludwig&rsquo;s plans for beautifying the
-city had begun to attract thither artists of all countries
-and ages.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_18">18</div>
-<p>With the kings of Bavaria, however, a new order
-of things was instituted. Ludwig the First, who
-succeeded Maximilian, was far ahead of most German
-princes of his time in learning and culture.
-In early youth he had made himself conspicuous
-by his hatred of Napoleon, although the conqueror
-had been his father&rsquo;s friend and ally. At the Congress
-of Vienna, Talleyrand had called him a clever
-madman, and he had been laughed at for his
-intense enthusiasm over everything pertaining to
-Germanism. His frequent sojourns in Rome were
-destined to be of the greatest importance to the
-art life of Germany, for, on ascending the throne, he
-swore to make his capital a city of such prominence
-that &ldquo;no one should know Germany who had not
-seen Munich&rdquo;; and to his honor be it said that he
-not only kept this vow, but did so with comparatively
-small means at his command. Thanks to
-his zeal and energy the finances of the country were
-soon in excellent condition. Most economical as to
-his own personal expenses, he devoted large sums
-to the purchase of rare treasures for the art collections
-he had planned for his capital, and employed
-a number of distinguished artists and architects to
-beautify the city, which now possesses many imperishable
-reminders of this art-loving sovereign.</p>
-<p>Few royal houses of the present day can furnish
-examples of such harmony and attachment between
-different branches of the family as that of Wittelsbach
-exhibited. The relations between King Ludwig
-and Duke Max were always most affectionate,
-and the brothers-in-law had many tastes and characteristics
-in common. Both were full of originality
-and energy, and both had a genuine love of art, the
-King having a great fondness for painting and poetry,
-while Max devoted himself principally to music. It
-was Ludwig the First who instituted the famous
-artist balls in Munich, which he and the Duke rarely
-failed to attend, and there was seldom a concert
-given at the Academy of Music where both royal
-and ducal families were not to be seen seated in the
-dress circle just behind the orchestra. However
-pressing the affairs of state, the King never failed
-to take part in the many religious festivals observed
-by the Church, and on All Saints&rsquo; Day he invariably
-made a visit to the cemetery accompanied by all his
-relatives.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div>
-<p>While Ludwig was busy erecting his magnificent
-public edifices, Max employed himself building and
-rebuilding palaces. Possenhofen, where most of his
-children were born, was the favorite residence both
-of himself and his family, although they usually
-spent the Winters in Munich; and here, in the years
-1833-1835 the celebrated architect, Leo von Klenze,
-built for them a magnificent residence in the Ludwigstrasse.
-Rank and state, however, by no means
-excluded simple kindliness and true hospitality from
-the splendid halls of the Duke and Duchess. They
-frequently gave large balls which were eagerly
-looked forward to by the younger set in the aristocratic
-world of Munich. Duke Max always stood
-by the door to welcome his guests on these occasions,
-offering each lady a bouquet of flowers with
-true knightly gallantry. Fountains plashed in the
-huge ballroom where inviting seats were placed here
-and there among groups of splendid foliage plants,
-while from behind a leafy screen floated the strains
-of an orchestra inviting to the dance. All chatted,
-laughed, and danced with perfect unconstraint, and
-the Duke was always the gayest of the gay, with
-the right word for every one.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_20">20</div>
-<p>During Lent the Duke and Duchess issued invitations
-for a series of concerts. Again the spacious
-rooms were turned into gardens. Comfortable
-chairs were arranged among masses of rose-bushes,
-and during pauses in the music refreshments were
-served and the guests promenaded about conversing
-gayly. It was never crowded, never too warm or
-too cool, in these splendid salons, and Duke Max&rsquo;s
-entertainments were counted as the choicest pleasures
-of the Winter.</p>
-<p>In the great courtyard of the palace he had a ring
-made where exhibitions of fancy riding were given
-before the ladies of the family and a few invited
-guests, Max himself often taking part. This became
-the favorite resort of his daughters in Winter, who
-would spend whole days there exercising, with their
-dogs and horses for companions, and it was here
-that Elizabeth of Austria and Maria Sophia of
-Naples acquired the skill that afterward made them
-the most perfect horsewomen of their day.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div>
-<p>Properly to classify a plant it is necessary to
-study the soil that has nourished it. That from
-which the Wittelsbach sisters sprung was Bavarian,
-of course, but more accurately speaking, the region
-about Possenhofen and Starnberg Lake, whither the
-family repaired every year with the first signs of
-Spring. The shores of Starnberg are fringed with
-castles, among them the solitary Schloss Feldafing,
-whence King Ludwig the Second flung himself into
-the waters of the lake. Back of these are many
-small villages interspersed with villas built by artists
-from Munich. Between lie stretches of dark pine
-forest or clumps of lighter beeches, their branches
-drooping over the surface of the water, while as a
-background to this entrancing scene rise majestic
-mountain peaks. Possenhofen was known in the
-twelfth century as &ldquo;Pozzo&rsquo;s Hof.&rdquo; In the fifteenth
-it was presented by the Palatine Friedrich von
-Scheyern-Wittelsbach to a neighboring convent, but
-later it came into the possession of the Elector Ferdinand
-Maria of Bavaria, a peace-loving prince,
-who made Starnberg Lake the scene of many splendid
-<i>f&ecirc;tes</i>. In 1834 Duke Max bought the castle,
-had the outer wall and vaulted gateway torn down
-and the moat filled in, thus making room for the
-large gardens that now surround Possenhofen. Outwardly
-the building was allowed to retain its original
-form, but the interior was completely changed. Four-post
-bedsteads, huge antique stoves, and chests of
-olden days were replaced by modern furniture and
-conveniences. An additional wing or two made
-room for guests, and a chapel was built, connecting
-the ancient edifice with its newer parts. The castle
-courtyard and gardens are still surrounded by a
-high wall, extending along the shore of the lake, and
-this with the old towers forms the last link with
-those days when Pozzo&rsquo;s Hof served not only as a
-residence for its noble masters, but also as a stronghold
-against the enemies of the prince and people.
-Inside the wall rises the huge pile of reddish yellow
-stone, its whole eastern side covered with a natural
-mantle of ivy, making an attractive picture against
-the fresh green of the park and the gardens, with
-their flower-beds and fountains.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_22">22</div>
-<p>Duke Max and his family may be said to have
-grown up with this beautiful spot. Here he brought
-his bride one bright summer morning; here they
-spent their happiest days together, far from the
-burdensome restrictions of court etiquette; here
-their children received their first impressions of life;
-and hither they always returned with a feeling of
-joy and comfort no other place could offer. The
-young princesses spent long days riding and swimming,
-training their dogs and horses, or clambering
-about on the mountain tops. It was this life in the
-open air that stamped them with so marked an individuality
-and gave them their love of freedom and
-simplicity. They were quite at home among the
-country folk and deeply resented any slight or injury
-to their mountain friends. In this, however, they
-merely followed the example set them by their
-parents. The beautiful home at Possenhofen had
-roots stretching far out into the countryside, and
-all who were in trouble hastened at once for help
-and comfort to Duchess Max, whose womanly sympathies
-were by no means confined to her own family
-circle.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_23">23</div>
-<p>Her handsome husband was even more popular,
-and his gay good nature and easy charm of manner
-made him adored by all. He was passionately fond
-of hunting, and spent whole days tramping about
-through the mountains alone with his gun. One
-evening after a long chase he arrived at a small
-tavern, tired and hungry, and his shabby old hunting
-clothes soiled and torn. No one recognizing him,
-he seated himself by the fire, took out his zither, and
-began to play. Some wood-cutters were so pleased
-with the stranger&rsquo;s music that they offered to pay
-him if he would play a few peasant dances for them.
-Max cheerfully agreed, and played and sang till
-the whole room joined in the sport and coppers
-rained into the player&rsquo;s hat. When the merrymaking
-was over the musician ordered a meal so
-little in keeping with his appearance that the landlady
-gazed at him in astonishment, convinced that
-he was a suspicious character who would probably
-attempt to leave without paying for his food, and
-determined to keep a watchful eye on him. As
-soon as he had eaten he began to play again, and the
-fun was at its height when a corporal entered and,
-recognizing the august guest, saluted him respectfully.
-It always annoyed the Duke to have his
-incognito betrayed, and flinging a gold piece on the
-table he hastily departed, to the great relief of the
-embarrassed assemblage.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_24">24</div>
-<h2 id="c3"><span class="h2line1">Chapter III</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Political Disturbances in Bavaria</span></h2>
-<p>This idyllic life at Possenhofen was interrupted
-for a time, however, by the political agitations
-in Munich. All over Europe the
-spirit of revolution was stirring, a spirit that was
-soon to find expression in a general outbreak. Nowhere
-did the royal power seem more secure than in
-Bavaria. No monarch was more beloved than Ludwig
-the First, no people so universally loyal to the
-crown as his good-natured, easy-going subjects.
-Nevertheless the popular upheaval was here, too,
-bearing fruit, and a demand for more share in the
-government, with a freer constitution, was becoming
-general, although the immediate cause of the outbreak
-in Munich and the King&rsquo;s subsequent abdication
-had seemingly little to do with politics.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_25">25</div>
-<p>About this time a very beautiful and fascinating
-public dancer, called Lola Montez, made her appearance
-there and created a great sensation. Her
-origin was obscure and uncertain; but the best authorities
-seem to make her the daughter of an Irish
-officer and a beautiful Spanish woman of Moorish
-descent. She was born in Ireland in 1820 and
-at the age of seventeen married one Lieutenant
-James, with whom she went to the West Indies. She
-soon left her husband, however, and returned to
-England, where she prepared herself to become a
-dancer. While hardly a regular beauty, Lola
-Montez seems to have possessed in the highest
-degree what the French call <i>la beaut&eacute; du diable</i>.
-She had wonderful black hair, fiery eyes that could
-change in an instant to melting warmth, a perfect
-figure, with hands and feet so small and beautifully
-shaped that a duchess might have envied them.</p>
-<p>Her first appearance in London met with no great
-success&mdash;a marked contrast to the enthusiasm she
-afterward excited everywhere she went. After a
-season in Paris she obtained a permanent position
-at the royal theatre in Dresden, where she created a
-tremendous sensation and was shown great favor
-by the court. From there she went to Berlin, Warsaw,
-and St. Petersburg, making a succession of
-conquests and also many enemies by her violent
-temper and the frequent use she made of her riding-whip
-or dagger.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_26">26</div>
-<p>On the tenth of October, 1846, she appeared for
-the first time at the court theatre in Munich and
-immediately became the subject of violent discussion,
-some raving over her beauty, her adventures,
-and her triumphs, others denouncing her manners and
-behavior and creating prejudice against her by reports
-which even went so far as to call her a political
-spy. Instead of the traditional ballet skirts, Lola
-presented herself on this occasion in a Spanish costume
-of silk and lace, diamonds sparkling here and
-there upon it, her wonderful blue eyes flashing as
-she curtsied low before the King, who was seated
-in the royal box. She danced several Spanish
-dances and all sat spellbound as one charming pose
-followed another, fascinated by her supple grace
-of motion and the art with which she could suddenly
-change from glowing passion to the roguish smiles
-of an innocent young girl. As soon as she stopped
-dancing, however, the charm was broken and hisses
-were mingled with the applause.</p>
-<p>It was Ludwig&rsquo;s custom to receive all foreign
-artists in person, before they could appear at the
-court theatre. At his interview with Lola Montez
-the old man had been completely fascinated by her
-beauty and lively conversation, and was soon desperately
-in love with the clever dancer, who knew
-so well how to amuse and entertain him. He was
-constantly seen in her company and at all her evening
-parties, an intimacy which was not long in
-arousing the displeasure of his family and subjects
-to the highest degree. Public feeling against the
-hated dancer soon began to display itself, and in the
-following Spring she retired with the King to W&uuml;rzburg,
-where she behaved with the same boldness
-and indiscretion as in the capital.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_27">27</div>
-<p>One day she made a frightful scene because the
-guard would not allow her dog to enter the park
-where she wished to walk. The officer on duty was
-hastily summoned and tried to make her understand
-that the soldier was in the right, whereupon
-she struck him across the face with her riding-whip.
-Out of respect for the King, no one ventured to arrest
-her, but the officers and citizens of W&uuml;rzburg were
-so infuriated she was forced to leave the city secretly.</p>
-<p>The leader of the old Catholic party, Joseph
-G&ouml;rres, worked actively against her, and the press
-was not slow to fan the flame. Libels and lampoons
-were spread broadcast throughout the city, enraging
-the dancer, who in revenge forced the King to gratify
-all her wishes and drew him ever deeper into her
-toils. To annoy her enemies, and at the same time
-obtain entrance for herself into the highest circles,
-she persuaded the King to make her a countess.
-This he could not do, however, without the consent
-of his ministers, who positively refused to agree to
-such an act; furthermore they sent a memorandum
-to the King urging that Lola be expelled from the
-kingdom. Ludwig replied to this request by dismissing
-not only the entire ministry, but many of
-their adherents, among whom were several professors
-in the university; and from this time on &ldquo;the Bavarian
-Pompadour,&rdquo; as Lola Montez has been called,
-became an important factor in politics.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div>
-<p>The university was now like the glowing crater of
-a volcano whence issued all the pent-up hatred and
-discontent, and on the ninth of February, 1848, came
-the first great eruption. Lola, whose southern blood
-craved excitement, attempted to show herself among
-the riotous throngs, but was forced to take refuge
-in a church, thoroughly frightened for once. The
-King was furious when he heard of this, and as the
-students had been at the bottom of the demonstration,
-he ordered the university closed and all non-resident
-students sent away from Munich. The
-next day the whole body of students marched through
-the Karlstrasse to the house of their distinguished
-chaplain, Professor Thiersch, singing songs of farewell,
-and greeted with cheers from every window
-they passed. There was a close bond of sympathy
-between the university and the citizens, who held a
-meeting at once, protesting against the severity of
-the King&rsquo;s order and petitioning him to open the
-university again. Ludwig promised to take the
-matter into consideration, and after a conference
-with his ministers agreed to yield to the wishes of
-the citizens, furthermore proclaiming that the
-Countess Landsfeld, as Lola was now called, should
-be requested to leave Munich. &ldquo;No one shall come
-between me and my people,&rdquo; he declared. This
-news was received with great rejoicing and the house
-in which the hated favorite lived was surrounded
-day and night by curious throngs, anxiously awaiting
-her departure. At last, on the morning of the
-eleventh of February, the doors were suddenly thrown
-open by a squad of police, and before the crowd
-outside realized what was happening, the coach containing
-the Countess had started off at a furious
-gallop on the road to Blutenburg. From there she
-fled to Lindau and thence to England, subsequently
-making her way to the United States and later to
-Australia, where she died in 1861 at the age of forty,
-after a varied and adventurous career.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_29">29</div>
-<p>The revolution of February, which had already
-taken place in Paris, was followed by similar uprisings
-throughout Europe, and added fuel to the fire
-in Bavaria. The citizens of Munich again rose in
-revolt, and the Government could no longer remain
-deaf to their just demands for a more liberal constitution.
-The King made some concessions which
-partially appeased the loyal Bavarians, and the disturbance
-seemed about to subside, when a report
-that Lola Montez had returned to Munich caused
-a fresh outbreak. Official notices were posted that
-evening on every street corner, affirming that the
-Countess Landsfeld had left Karlsruhe on the fourteenth
-of March for Frankfort, and had been forbidden
-ever to set foot again on Bavarian soil; but
-the people laughed this to scorn. The placards
-were torn down and the insurgents continued their
-work of destruction.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_30">30</div>
-<p>On the eighteenth of March, Munich found itself
-in a state of siege. Ten thousand troops were in
-arms to put an end, if possible, to the uprising.
-Many deputations waited on the King and on the
-States Assembly, which had convened in the meantime,
-while the greater part of the people who had
-taken no part in the disturbance waited anxiously
-for developments. But King Ludwig was unable
-to crush the rebellion; neither was he able to reconcile
-himself to a new system of government.
-Two days later Munich was startled by an unexpected
-event. A proclamation was issued by the
-sovereign, announcing his abdication, after a reign
-of twenty-three years, in favor of his eldest son, to
-whom he left the task of carrying out the reforms
-demanded by the people. Dumbfounded at this
-unforeseen step, the Bavarians, loyal still to the
-house of Wittelsbach, were much affected, and many
-felt remorseful at having rebelled against their King,
-who, in spite of his faults, had been a good sovereign
-and done much for his country. After his abdication,
-Ludwig spent the remainder of his life as a
-private citizen, partly in Bavaria, partly in Italy
-and the south of France, interesting himself still
-in art and plans for the further improvement of
-Munich. He soon regained all his old popularity,
-and felt no regrets for the rank and honors he had
-renounced. He died in February, 1868; but some
-years before that event, an equestrian statue of
-him was erected in Munich by the grateful people
-of that city.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_31">31</div>
-<h2 id="c4"><span class="h2line1">Chapter IV</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">The Wittelsbach Sisters</span></h2>
-<p>These stirring events naturally had not been
-without their influence on Duke Max and
-his family, although the relations between
-them and the new sovereigns were no less cordial
-and intimate than they had been with the former
-ones.</p>
-<p>At the time when Duke Max bought Possenhofen
-the Crown Prince had acquired the castle of Hohenschwangen
-in that same region and set a force of
-artists and architects at work to make it an ideal
-home for his bride. Prince Maximilian had spent
-the greater part of his youth in travel, and during
-a visit to the court of Berlin had first seen his future
-wife, then but four years of age. She was a daughter
-of Prince Karl of Prussia, and when he again met the
-Princess Marie as a lovely girl of sixteen, he fell in
-love with her on the spot. In the Autumn of 1841
-he made a formal offer for her hand, and the marriage
-took place on the fifth of October, 1842.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_32">32</div>
-<p>Like the ducal family, the youthful pair spent
-most of the year at Hohenschwangen, the two princes
-hunting and riding together, while a close friendship
-developed between the Crown Princess and the
-Duke&rsquo;s young daughters, which was in no way interrupted
-by her becoming Queen of Bavaria.</p>
-<p>These daughters, the Wittelsbach sisters, were
-tenderly attached to one another and there was a
-strong family resemblance between them. Four had
-inherited their parents&rsquo; good looks, and H&eacute;l&egrave;ne, the
-oldest, while not so beautiful as the rest, was clever
-and clear-headed like her mother. Elizabeth and
-Maria both had a share of the family eccentricity;
-but of all the eight children, Maria was the only one
-endowed with Duke Max&rsquo;s high spirits and cheerful,
-sunny nature. She also possessed to a marked degree
-the distinguished bearing and grace of movement
-so characteristic of the whole race, while added
-to the gentle sweetness of Elizabeth&rsquo;s face, whom she
-much resembled, was an expression of strength and
-firmness unusual in one so young.</p>
-<p>The five sisters were brought up in the simplest
-manner, without regard to etiquette, and often walked
-about the streets of Munich without attendants of
-any kind. The Duke was much away from home and
-concerned himself little with his children&rsquo;s education,
-except as to music, sport, and out-of-door exercise;
-but Ludovica was constantly with her daughters,
-and devoted her whole life to fitting them for the positions
-she was ambitious they should occupy.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_33">33</div>
-<p>Elizabeth was famous for her beauty and H&eacute;l&egrave;ne
-for her cleverness, while Maria was endowed with
-almost an equal share of both. She was warm-hearted,
-sweet-tempered, and incapable of falsehood,
-but very impulsive and unable to adapt herself
-to people; and the Duchess&rsquo;s methods of education
-did little to modify her independence of speech and
-action. Like Elizabeth, she was a passionate lover
-of nature and of animals; but she was bolder and
-less sensitive than her sister and early developed a
-love of danger and excitement. The happy days
-of childhood soon passed, however, and one by one
-the sisters left the home nest. In 1854 Elizabeth
-became Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary,
-to the bitter disappointment of H&eacute;l&egrave;ne, who had
-been selected as bride of Francis Joseph. The
-Emperor preferred her younger sister, however, and
-in 1858 H&eacute;l&egrave;ne consoled herself with the enormously
-wealthy Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis, and
-went to Regensburg to live. Ludwig, the eldest
-son, had renounced his right of succession the preceding
-year to marry an actress in Augsburg, making
-Karl Theodore, then in his twentieth year, the future
-head of the house. Although the court of Possenhofen
-was seemingly of small importance, it enjoyed
-universal respect, and the Catholic royal houses of
-Europe were glad to ally themselves with it.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_34">34</div>
-<p>In the Autumn of 1858 a messenger arrived from
-the King of Naples desiring to know whether the
-Duke and Duchess would consent to an alliance
-between their daughter Maria, then eighteen years
-old, and his eldest son. The two families were
-scarcely acquainted personally, and the young
-people had never seen each other, yet the Duke and
-Duchess returned an unconditional acceptance of
-the offer. To be sure, the Neapolitan Prince was
-considered a good match, being a Bourbon on his
-father&rsquo;s side and a member of the royal house of
-Sardinia on his mother&rsquo;s, and the heir, moreover, to
-an ancient and important kingdom in fair Italy.</p>
-<p>On the twenty-second of December, King Ferdinand&rsquo;s
-minister, Count Ludolff, arrived in Munich
-with a formal proposal of marriage, and after receiving
-the young princess&rsquo;s consent, presented her on
-a velvet cushion a portrait of her future husband, a
-rather pleasant-looking young man in the uniform
-of a hussar. Two weeks later the marriage took
-place by proxy, as was the custom of the time. On
-the evening of the eighth of January, 1859, Maria
-Sophia Amalia, Duchess in Bavaria, was solemnly
-united in wedlock to Francis Maria Leopold, Duke
-of Calabria and Crown Prince of the Two Sicilies,
-in the court chapel at Munich. All the members of
-the royal house were present with the entire diplomatic
-corps and many nobles and high officials of
-the State. King Maximilian and Queen Marie led
-the bride to the altar, where the bridegroom&rsquo;s brother,
-Prince Leopold (the present Regent of Bavaria),
-represented him in his absence. Following this ceremony
-the King and Queen held a reception, during
-which crowds gathered outside the palace windows,
-eager for a glimpse of the little bride who had gone
-about among them all her life so gayly and familiarly.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_35">35</div>
-<p>On the thirteenth of January, Maria left her
-parents&rsquo; home with many tears and embraces for
-the dear ones she was leaving behind. She had
-never seen her husband nor any member of his
-family. Both the land and people that were to be
-hers in future were strange to her&mdash;an uncertain
-fate, indeed, to look forward to! But she was
-young and light-hearted, full of hope and courage,
-and well equipped by nature for the trials that
-awaited her. Her brother Ludwig, with several
-Bavarian ladies and gentlemen, accompanied her on
-the journey, besides a Neapolitan court lady, Nina
-Rizzo, sent by the Queen of Naples to instruct her
-in her new duties. At Vienna a stay of several days
-was made, owing to news of King Ferdinand&rsquo;s illness;
-but on the thirtieth of January the party resumed
-its way with the addition of the Empress Elizabeth,
-and on the following day reached Trieste, where they
-were met by the Duke of Serracapriola, sent by the
-King to welcome the future Queen of Naples. This
-pompous personage discharged his errand with such
-ceremonious solemnity that the simple, unaffected
-Bavarian princess knew not whether to laugh or cry.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_36">36</div>
-<p>On the first of February, at half-past one, the ceremony
-of delivering the bride into the hands of the
-Neapolitan envoy took place in the Governor&rsquo;s
-palace. Across the centre of the great salon a silken
-cord had been stretched, representing the boundary
-line between Bavaria and Naples. Beside this were
-placed a table, covered with red velvet, and two
-gilded arm-chairs. The room had folding doors at
-either end, one of which was decorated with the
-colors of Naples and guarded by Neapolitan marines,
-while at the other, similarly adorned with Bavarian
-arms and banners, stood a band of the royal Bavarian
-retainers. The Neapolitan envoy, with two ladies of
-high rank who had come to act as escort to the Princess,
-were stationed on their side of the boundary
-line with the Admiral and officers of the ship that
-was to carry Maria Sophia and her suite to Naples,
-while the Duchess and her Bavarian escort entered
-through the other door and took their places. The
-two envoys then advanced from their respective
-positions to the silken cord, where they exchanged
-documents concerning the marriage. The Count
-von Rechburg addressed a few words of farewell
-to the youthful bride, who rose and extended her
-hand for her German attendants to kiss, after which
-the Count led her to the middle of the room and gave
-her into the hands of the Duke of Serracapriola, who
-humbly begged her to seat herself in the Neapolitan
-arm-chair while he delivered a short address of
-congratulation and welcome. This almost medi&aelig;val
-ceremony concluded, Maria left the salon through
-the door draped in Neapolitan colors and went
-directly on board the <i>Fulminante</i>, in the cabin of
-which the Empress Elizabeth and Prince Ludwig
-took an affecting farewell of their young sister. The
-greater part of her suite embarked on another vessel,
-the <i>Tancredo</i>, and an hour later both ships were
-steaming out of the harbor of Trieste.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_37">37</div>
-<h2 id="c5"><span class="h2line1">Chapter V</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">The Neapolitan Royal Family</span></h2>
-<p>King Ferdinand the Second, the
-reigning Prince of Naples at this time, came
-of bad stock. The reign of his grandfather,
-Ferdinand the First of Naples and Fourth of the
-Two Sicilies, of whom King Frederick of Prussia
-once aptly remarked that he was more fit for a
-prison cell than a throne, had been one long scandal,
-and his son, Francis the First, followed faithfully in
-his father&rsquo;s footsteps during his short reign (1825-1830).
-Ferdinand the Second had naturally a good
-mind, and at the time of his accession to the throne
-had roused great hopes by the military and financial
-reforms he introduced and by his wise plans for
-developing the resources of his impoverished kingdom.
-This did not last long, however, for he soon
-began to display the same despotic tendencies that
-had made his father and grandfather so abhorred by
-the people, and the older he grew the more marked
-these became.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_38">38</div>
-<p>The general movement toward liberty that shook
-Europe in the nineteenth century had not been
-without its effect, both in Naples and Sicily, as may
-easily be supposed, considering the harsh rule which
-the fiery southerners had been forced to endure so
-long. Ferdinand had succeeded in crushing one
-violent outbreak in 1848; but beneath the ashes the
-fire still smouldered, and the inward ferment was
-constantly increased by the extreme measures to
-which &ldquo;Bomba,&rdquo;<a class="fn" id="fr_1" href="#fn_1">[1]</a>
-as the King was popularly called,
-resorted, to maintain and strengthen his position.
-He ruled with a despotism and intolerance that
-suggested the worst days of the Inquisition. The
-prisons were full of political &ldquo;criminals,&rdquo; whose only
-crime was the holding of liberal views, or the suspicion
-of doing so, and these victims were treated with
-such revolting cruelty as to rouse the horror of the
-civilized world. In spite of these things, however,
-Bomba was not without some good qualities. In
-private life he was both just and temperate, simple
-in his habits, a good husband and father. He was
-twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united
-two years after his accession to the throne, was the
-Princess Maria Christina of Sardinia&mdash;Italy&rsquo;s
-&ldquo;Queen Dagmar&rdquo;&mdash;an angel of goodness and piety.
-The people called her Saint Christina even during
-her lifetime, and she was afterward canonized by
-the Church of Rome. Such a woman could not but
-exert a beneficial influence over her royal husband;
-but it was unfortunately of short duration, for she
-died in 1836, four years after her marriage, leaving
-a son two weeks old, the Crown Prince Francis
-Maria Leopold.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_39">39</div>
-<p>Ferdinand had no intention of remaining long a
-widower. He first wished to marry a daughter of
-King Louis Philippe of France, but Austria persuaded
-England to join in defeating this plan, which
-would have resulted in too powerful a union of the
-reigning Bourbon families. He then applied for
-the hand of an Austrian princess, and in 1837 was
-married to Maria Theresa, daughter of the Archduke
-Karl, who presented him with five sons and
-four daughters. In spite of her proud name and
-lofty lineage, the new Queen was a very ordinary
-person, though not without some homely virtues.
-Her horizon was bounded by her family and her
-household, in the duties of which she took an active
-part, even mending her children&rsquo;s clothes with her
-own hands, it is said; and she seems to have been
-utterly lacking in the realization that a queen should
-have other and wider duties than those of a housekeeper.
-In simplicity of tastes she much resembled
-her husband, who was most frugal in his mode of
-living; but she sometimes went so far that even he
-was annoyed, and one day at dinner he remonstrated
-with her, saying: &ldquo;Come, come, Ther! [a nickname
-he had for her] you will soon be making us wait
-on ourselves at table!&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_40">40</div>
-<p>The simplest fare was served in the royal
-household. Macaroni was one of the principal
-articles of diet, and a favorite dish of the King&rsquo;s
-was raw onions, which he peeled with his fingers,
-declaring that contact with a knife gave them
-an unpleasant flavor. The Queen, however, never
-liked Neapolitan cooking and always had some substantial
-German dishes prepared for herself. She
-could not speak Italian correctly, but learned only
-the Neapolitan dialect, which she pronounced in a
-most dreadful way, with her broad German accent.
-In short, Ferdinand&rsquo;s second wife was as unpopular
-as his first had been popular. She made no effort
-to win the love of the people and her homely, plebeian
-ways were little to the taste of the gay Neapolitans,
-who adored glitter and display of any sort. The
-King&rsquo;s favorite recreation was driving. He went
-out every afternoon, taking some of his family and
-usually holding the reins himself. The royal equipage
-was always accompanied by a mounted escort,
-while horsemen were stationed along the route the
-King was to take, to detain all chance travellers
-until he had passed by, not as a mark of respect, but
-as a measure of precaution.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_41">41</div>
-<p>Exemplary as this royal pair may have been from
-the standpoint of a private citizen, as far as the
-education of their children was concerned they were
-certainly not successful. The teachers they chose
-were almost exclusively bigoted Jesuits. Ferdinand
-wished his sons to be taught Latin, French,
-civil and administrative law, but they received no
-military training of any kind. Even sports and
-physical exercises were excluded from their plan of
-education, nor were they permitted to travel or
-acquire any knowledge of foreign lands or peoples.
-Ferdinand&rsquo;s own education had been most imperfect.
-He read little or nothing himself and wrote
-his orders, even those pertaining to important affairs
-of state, on any scrap of paper that came to hand,
-sometimes even in the Neapolitan dialect. He regarded
-all writers and literary men with contempt
-as an inferior and objectionable race of beings&mdash;a
-curious mixture of pride and prejudice which he
-also displayed toward people of other nations. He
-called the English, fishmongers, the French, barbers,
-the Russians, tallow-eaters, etc. Austrians were the
-only foreigners of whom he ever spoke with any
-respect, and that was on his wife&rsquo;s account. In his
-younger days he had possessed a fair share of the
-Neapolitan humor, but it soon degenerated into
-bitterness and sarcasm.</p>
-<p>The following anecdote of him is characteristic.
-Some public festival was being held in the square
-in front of the palace and the King was standing on
-a balcony with the Crown Prince, then still a child.
-Gazing down on the crowds below and thinking
-perhaps of the high position to which he would
-one day be called, the boy turned suddenly to his
-father with the question:</p>
-<p>&ldquo;What could a King do with all these people?&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_42">42</div>
-<p>&ldquo;He could kill them all!&rdquo; replied Ferdinand, then
-added solemnly, bowing low and crossing himself,
-&ldquo;He could, my son, but he would not, out of respect
-for the holy religion.&rdquo;</p>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>Ferdinand the Second&rsquo;s system of police and
-priestly rule did not fail to bear fruit in the shape
-of numerous uprisings and attempted assassinations
-that terrorized the last years of his reign. He knew
-himself to be an object of universal hatred and
-that hundreds were plotting against his life, and
-grew more nervous and uneasy every day. Added
-to these mental anxieties he had acute physical
-sufferings. The unfortunate prince could find no
-rest, day or night. At the age of forty-five his hair
-had turned completely white and he looked like an
-old man.</p>
-<p>His natural tendency toward bigotry increased
-with illness and worry and he became as superstitious
-as the most orthodox prince of the Middle
-Ages. Before mounting a horse he always crossed
-himself, and he never met a priest or monk on one of
-his drives without stopping the carriage while he
-alighted and knelt upon the ground until the holy
-man had passed. He went frequently to confession
-and had daily masses read for himself in all the
-churches. Every night he prayed, rosary in hand,
-with his wife and children, and before retiring would
-kiss each of the holy images with which the walls
-of his bedchamber were adorned. But even these
-pious observances failed to bring relief. Conscience
-tortured him, and he sought sleep in vain.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_43">43</div>
-<p>The betrothal of his eldest son and heir to the
-Bavarian Princess brought a gleam of light into the
-darkness. The house of Wittelsbach, besides its
-high rank and antiquity, was strongly orthodox in
-its Catholicism, a most important item in Ferdinand&rsquo;s
-eyes; and the alliance was a strong one
-politically, for by it his son would become the
-brother-in-law of the Emperor of Austria, and
-closely connected also with several others of the
-reigning houses of Europe. In spite of his state of
-health, the King had determined to be present at
-the second and real wedding of Francis and Maria,
-and succeeded, indeed, in reaching Bari, where the
-ceremony was to take place; but the fatigue and
-hardships of a Winter journey over the Apennines
-were too much for his strength, and he arrived at
-Bari so ill and exhausted that there was no possibility
-of his being able to assist in the festivities.</p>
-<p>The King ill unto death, the country on the verge
-of revolution, the royal house and kingdom threatened
-by enemies at home and abroad&mdash;a sorry state
-of affairs to greet the fair young Bavarian Princess,
-entering for the first time the land of which she was
-soon to become the sovereign!</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_44">44</div>
-<h2 id="c6"><span class="h2line1">Chapter VI</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Maria Sophia&rsquo;s Arrival</span></h2>
-<p>It was on a beautiful Spring morning, the third of
-February, 1859, that the Crown Princess approached
-her new home. All the roads leading
-to Bari were filled with curious sightseers, eager for
-a glimpse of the bride. All tongues were busy with
-praises of her beauty and goodness. Her name was
-on every lip; but instead of being called the Princess
-of Bavaria or Duchess of Calabria, she was and still
-is familiarly spoken of in Italy as Maria Sophia, to
-distinguish her from many of her predecessors on
-the throne who had borne the name of Maria. The
-whole royal family had journeyed to Bari to welcome
-her and were lodged on the first floor of the
-Intendant&rsquo;s palace, where apartments had also been
-prepared for the Duchess of Calabria and her suite;
-but in spite of the joyous air of expectancy that pervaded
-the town, a dark cloud hung over the palace
-itself, owing to the condition of the King, who was
-confined to his bed and suffering greatly. He had
-looked forward with the deepest pleasure and interest
-to his son&rsquo;s marriage, and it was a bitter disappointment
-to him not to be present at the wedding
-ceremonies.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_45">45</div>
-<p>About ten o&rsquo;clock in the morning, the thunder of
-cannon proclaimed the approach of the <i>Fulminante</i>
-and the <i>Tancredo</i>. The troops lined up, the mayor
-of Bari and other dignitaries took their places in a
-pavilion which had been erected in the middle of
-the landing stage for the bride&rsquo;s reception, while
-ten state equipages, escorted by a mounted guard,
-issued from the palace and drove down to the
-pavilion, where the Queen, with her stepson, the
-Duke of Calabria, and her little daughters, alighted
-and boarded a steam launch to go out to meet the
-Duchess.</p>
-<p>On the <i>Fulminante</i>, meanwhile, all was stir and
-excitement. The bride, as she stood on deck dressed
-in a handsome travelling costume, looked more than
-ever like her sister Elizabeth. She had the same
-wonderful dark blue eyes and rich brown hair; and
-although not so tall as the Empress, her figure was
-quite as beautifully formed. On this occasion her
-usual expression of childish innocence and gayety
-had given place to one of serious expectancy, and
-she was very pale, a result partly owing to fatigue,
-partly to emotions natural to the situation. During
-the journey she had plied Nina Rizzo and her
-new chamberlain with questions about her future
-husband; how he looked, how he behaved toward
-his parents, his brothers, and his subjects; and she
-had never tired of hearing tales of his childhood.
-To her naive inquiry as to whether Francis was
-really as disagreeable as he was said to be in Bavaria,
-both had done their best to reassure the Princess by
-expatiating on his good qualities.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_46">46</div>
-<p>It had stormed all night, but the sea now lay calm
-and smiling as if in welcome, and it seemed to Maria
-that she had never seen such a wonderful blue before.
-As they drew near the beautiful harbor with the
-town of Bari beyond, bathed in Italian sunshine,
-she was so absorbed in the enchanting scene that at
-first she did not notice the approaching launch.
-Suddenly she caught sight of Francis standing up
-in the craft in his gay hussar uniform, and her face
-lit up with a joyous smile. She recognized him at
-once from his portrait and found him more agreeable-looking
-than she had expected. Advancing to the
-side of the vessel to meet him as he came aboard, she
-held out her hand with charming impulsiveness and
-said, &ldquo;Bonjour, Fran&ccedil;ois!&rdquo;</p>
-<p>&ldquo;Bonjour, Marie!&rdquo; replied the Prince, shyly taking
-both her hands in his and kissing her on the forehead.
-The Queen then embraced the young girl and
-presented her to the princesses, Maria inquiring
-solicitously for the King and expressing her regret
-at his absence. She then asked with great interest
-about the coast, the town they were approaching,
-the vessels in the harbor, and all the new sights and
-scenes about her. The young bridegroom, meanwhile,
-stood silent and embarrassed beside his stepmother,
-so overcome with the emotion of meeting
-his bride and finding her even more fascinating than
-he had dared to imagine, that he was more shy
-and awkward than usual and could only stammer a
-few disjointed words in answer to her questions.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_47">47</div>
-<p>At the landing they were met by the assembled
-officials and escorted to the pavilion, where the royal
-party entered their coaches and drove back to the
-palace. Maria&rsquo;s beauty and girlish charm won
-instant favor. A storm of cheers greeted her
-entrance into the new land; and even after she had
-disappeared within the palace, the enthusiastic
-Italians continued to shout till she was obliged to
-come out and show herself once more on a balcony.
-The Crown Princess had scarcely time, however, to
-acknowledge the people&rsquo;s homage, before she was
-summoned to the King&rsquo;s bedside. She found him
-sitting up to greet her, his face deeply lined with
-suffering. With all a father&rsquo;s tenderness, Ferdinand
-embraced his new daughter-in-law, shedding tears
-at this sorrowful meeting, so different from what he
-had hoped for, while Maria also wept and returned
-the embrace warmly. It was the first time in this
-foreign land that she had been welcomed with anything
-like the affection to which she had been accustomed
-at home, and she felt drawn at once to her
-dying father-in-law, who had taken her into his heart
-at their very first meeting, realizing with pity how
-thickly strewn with thorns must be the path in life
-of this fair young creature who seemed made only
-for joy and happiness. Maria had little time to
-dwell on this scene, however, for the Queen led her
-away almost immediately to her chamber, where
-Nina Rizzo exchanged her travelling suit for the
-white satin bridal robe, and placed on her luxuriant
-hair&mdash;a characteristic of all the Wittelsbach sisters&mdash;a
-wreath of orange blossoms with a magnificent
-lace veil which she had brought with her from home.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_48">48</div>
-<p>An altar had been erected in the banqueting hall,
-the walls of which were lined with pictures of the
-Madonna. Before the altar a throne with arm-chairs
-was placed for the princes and princesses. The
-bishops and distinguished guests had taken their
-places and the ceremony was about to begin, when an
-incident occurred that made it hard for those present
-to preserve their gravity. The Queen&rsquo;s second son,
-Alphonso, Count of Caserta, who though eighteen
-years old was as wild and ungovernable as a schoolboy,
-had succeeded in fastening a long paper train
-to the uniform of one of the highest court officials,
-whose solemn air of unconsciousness only added to
-the humor of the situation. One of the court gentlemen,
-however, quietly managed to remove the ridiculous
-appendage, the victim remaining in blissful
-ignorance of the trick that had been played upon
-him.</p>
-<div class="img" id="pic2">
-<img src="images/p01.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="856" />
-<p class="caption"><i>MARIA SOPHIA<br />at the time of the accession</i></p>
-</div>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_49">49</div>
-<p>The young couple entered and took their places
-before the altar, where the bishop concluded the
-ceremony with a solemn address in Italian, invoking
-the blessing of God upon them. At the close of the
-Te Deum an orchestra struck up the National Hymn
-and a salvo of artillery announced to the waiting
-crowds without that the marriage was completed,
-while the bridal pair went at once to the King&rsquo;s
-chamber to receive his paternal blessing. That
-evening the whole town was brilliantly illuminated,
-and the square before the palace was filled with
-cheering throngs far into the night; but in spite of
-these demonstrations there was much secret uneasiness
-as to the King&rsquo;s condition. The excitement of
-the wedding had had a bad effect on Ferdinand;
-though he did all in his power to conceal his sufferings,
-and the royal family seemed quite unaware of
-the alarming nature of his illness.</p>
-<p>When the Count of Caserta&rsquo;s mischievous prank
-reached the ears of the King, he sent for that youth
-and administered a sharp rebuke, declaring such a
-performance could only have been expected of a
-street urchin. Three days&rsquo; confinement to his room
-was to be his punishment, but at the Queen&rsquo;s intercession
-the sentence was somewhat lightened.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_50">50</div>
-<h2 id="c7"><span class="h2line1">Chapter VII</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">A Strange Honeymoon</span></h2>
-<p>The early months of the married life of Francis
-and Maria Sophia were similar in many
-ways to those of Marie Antoinette and Louis
-the Sixteenth of France. Francis, like Louis, was
-awkward, timid, and doubtful of himself. Although
-brought up in the land of art and beauty, he had
-no taste for such things. Like the King of France,
-he was honest, just, and deeply religious, but weak
-and irresolute, and conspicuously lacking in those
-qualities naturally looked for in princes of royal
-lineage.</p>
-<p>Equally marked were the points of resemblance
-between Marie Antoinette and Maria Sophia. Both
-were gay, childish, and impulsive, with remarkable
-personal courage and a frankness that was as attractive
-as it was dangerous; both were too beautiful
-not to excite envy, and too full of high spirits not to
-cause offence. The Wittelsbach Princess, however,
-had qualities the Dauphiness lacked&mdash;perfect honesty
-and the robust health and splendid vitality
-brought from her Bavarian Alps. She was a finished
-horsewoman, a good shot, a tireless walker, and
-devoted to out-of-door recreations of all sorts. Her
-husband, on the other hand, was grave, silent, and
-melancholy. Sports had no attraction for him. He
-never hunted, and in spite of his hussar uniform
-the Neapolitans declare that he was never known
-to mount a horse. One point, however, they shared
-in common&mdash;indifference to luxury and love of
-simplicity.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_51">51</div>
-<p>At the time of her marriage the Crown Princess
-could scarcely speak a word of Italian. Francis&rsquo;s
-knowledge of French was very limited, and of German
-he was entirely ignorant, so that unrestrained
-communication between the young couple was difficult
-at first. The education of the Duke of Calabria
-had done little to prepare him for the lofty
-position that awaited him. His stepmother, who
-completely spoiled her own children, neglected him
-shamefully in some ways and was unnecessarily
-harsh in others. Overshadowed by his cleverer
-stepbrothers, who despised him, and conscious of
-his own mental and physical deficiencies, the poor
-boy had become morbidly shy and reserved. Yet
-he had many good qualities. He never forgot the
-smallest service shown him, and was invariably kind
-and courteous even to the humblest. Many tales
-are told of his sympathy with the poor and suffering,
-and even as a child he would part with his dearest
-treasure to help any one in distress. But his appearance
-was so unprepossessing as to be almost unpleasant;
-and the consciousness of this made him
-appear at his worst with his wife, whose beauty and
-vivacity so enthralled him that he became dumb at
-her approach and would often hide behind the door
-when she entered the room, to avoid speaking to her.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_52">52</div>
-<p>The Neapolitan court was a contrast in more ways
-than one to the home Maria Sophia had left, and for
-which she yearned so longingly. Barely eighteen
-years old, overflowing with health and spirits, she
-found herself surrounded by an atmosphere of false
-humility, deceit, and religious hypocrisy; and although
-her natural light-heartedness helped her
-through many troubles and disappointments in the
-new life, yet she could never forget that she was a
-stranger in a strange land, alone and almost friendless.
-Fond as her father-in-law was of her, he was
-too ill to be able to do anything toward making her
-life pleasant, and the little princesses, while outwardly
-civil, were stiff and unsympathetic. With
-her brothers-in-law she was on a somewhat better
-footing, for they were charmed with the zest with
-which she entered into their sports; but the Queen
-from the very first had treated her with the most
-marked unfriendliness, correcting her constantly,
-as if she had been a schoolgirl, and regarding her
-most innocent diversions with suspicion. She even
-refused to allow her to ride, as she had been used to
-do at home; and the young Duchess sorely missed
-her favorite occupation.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_53">53</div>
-<p>Maria Theresa was a woman of strong will and
-had been accustomed to obedience from her family
-as well as her subjects. She had selected her most
-trusted lady-in-waiting to attend her stepson&rsquo;s
-wife, hoping that Nina Rizzo, who was devoted to
-her mistress, would teach the Crown Princess to
-bow to her will as every one else did. But in this
-she was mistaken, for though Maria Sophia liked
-Nina, she remained deaf to all her exhortations on
-the subject, firmly determined to preserve her independence
-at all costs.</p>
-<p>Meanwhile the King grew steadily worse, and the
-cloud over the palace darkened. The young princes
-tried to relieve the gloom and pass away the time by
-walks about the town, running races in the palace
-courtyard, and playing tricks on the gentlemen of
-the court, pastimes in which they were frequently
-joined by Maria Sophia. One day she went down
-to the shore and, with the help of an old boatman,
-succeeded in catching a whole basketful of fish which
-she bore home in triumph and had cooked for the
-royal table. Another time she promised her brothers-in-law
-to make them some Bavarian pancakes. A
-portable grate was secured and placed over a charcoal
-fire, and the Princess set to work. But no frying-pan
-or ladle was to be had. At this moment the
-mayor of Bari made his appearance, in gold-laced
-coat and knee breeches, to pay his respects at court.
-Maria Sophia was no longer in a quandary. In her
-own lively way she begged the official to go down
-into the market-place and get her the needed utensils.
-The obliging mayor hastened to do her bidding, and
-soon returned with the desired articles; but the
-result of the Princess&rsquo;s culinary labors was most
-unsatisfactory after all, for the pancakes proved
-uneatable. Large holes were burned in the tablecloth
-and napkins, and amid shouts of laughter
-Maria Sophia abandoned any further attempts to
-shine as a cook in Italy. The mayor carried the
-frying-pan and ladle home with him as souvenirs
-of the merry scene, and they are still preserved as
-relics in his family.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_54">54</div>
-<p>Amid the general sadness that prevailed, however,
-these lively outbreaks became less and less frequent,
-and the young Duchess hailed with joy the
-news that the court was to move to Caserta. Nina
-Rizzo had often told her of the beauties of that
-place, and she eagerly looked forward to their departure
-as an hour of deliverance. The journey was
-long deferred, however, as the King&rsquo;s sufferings were
-so acute he would not allow himself to be moved.
-A monk at length succeeded in persuading the sick
-man to consent, and he was carried on a mattress
-to a steam frigate which was to convey him from
-Bari to Portici in order to avoid any stop at Naples.
-From Portici to Caserta the five hours&rsquo; journey caused
-the unfortunate sovereign such torture that the
-Archbishop of Naples ordered continuous prayers
-to be offered for him in all the churches. Once
-amid these new surroundings&mdash;the lofty halls and
-salons of the palace, the enchanting park and gardens&mdash;Maria
-Sophia&rsquo;s spirits rose, and she felt almost
-happy again. But it was not for long. Between the
-Queen&rsquo;s animosity and her husband&rsquo;s weakness, she
-soon relapsed into her old loneliness and helplessness.
-Almost her only diversion now was her family
-of parrots. She had ten, and her laughter over the
-ludicrous results of their attempts to speak German
-was the sole evidence that her natural gayety was
-not entirely suppressed and crushed.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_55">55</div>
-<p>Meanwhile the Queen&rsquo;s supposed treasonable designs
-were freely discussed throughout the kingdom.
-It was said that on the King&rsquo;s death she intended
-to seize the double crown for her own son, and that
-many of the police officials were ready to support
-her plans; also that the Crown Prince was forcibly
-excluded from his father&rsquo;s sick-room. There was
-no truth in this latter report, however; for although
-Francis had indeed been carefully kept from taking
-any part in affairs of state hitherto, now at the
-eleventh hour, Ferdinand insisted upon having his
-son with him constantly, and giving him instructions
-for future guidance; these the Crown Prince
-copied on a sheet of paper and used frequently to
-consult after he became King. On the tenth of
-April Ferdinand made his last will and testament,
-leaving equal portions of his property to each of his
-children, with a large share to his wife, and a twelfth
-part to be divided among religious institutions.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_56">56</div>
-<p>In spite of the statements already published in
-regard to the amount and distribution of his estate,
-Ferdinand was popularly believed to own enormous
-sums in private, mainly derived from confiscation
-of the property of political criminals. His fortune
-was said to amount to three hundred million ducats.
-As a matter of fact, however, the King&rsquo;s actual
-property was scarcely more than seven million
-ducats, although he owned a great number of jewels
-and other valuables.</p>
-<p>On the twelfth of April Ferdinand received the
-last sacrament; but he lived on for more than a
-month. The superstitious Neapolitans expected his
-death to occur on the fifteenth of May, the anniversary
-of the riots there in 1848, of which the King had
-taken advantage for his shameful persecution of
-his subjects; but it was not till the twenty-second of
-May that his sufferings were finally ended. A frightful
-storm broke out during the hour of his death and
-this was looked upon by many as a bad omen for
-the new reign.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_57">57</div>
-<h2 id="c8"><span class="h2line1">Chapter VIII</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Accession of Francis II and Maria Sophia</span></h2>
-<p>Aside from the comparatively small circle at
-Bari, few of her subjects had ever seen the
-new Queen, while Francis himself was
-almost as little known to the people. A few days
-after their accession, the youthful sovereigns held a
-levee at the royal palace in Naples. The King in
-his hussar uniform, and the Queen in her crown and
-ermine robes, stood under a canopy in the centre of
-the great hall, while all the high officials, nobles, and
-dignitaries of the court and kingdom stepped forward
-to kiss the hands of Their Majesties. As the
-gorgeously attired procession wound its way past
-the throne, the sudden appearance of a band of poets
-striding along in their long black cloaks and broad-brimmed
-hats formed such a startling contrast to the
-rest of the glittering throng that Maria Sophia burst
-into an irrepressible peal of laughter which soon
-spread to all about her.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_58">58</div>
-<p>Freed at last from the dreadful oppression that
-had weighed her down as Crown Princess, she quickly
-recovered her exuberance of spirits, which found
-expression in various ways. The relations between
-her and her husband also became much more free
-and natural after their accession to the throne.
-Francis had begun, soon after the wedding, to be in
-love with his wife, although he did not show it. The
-long system of repression to which he had become
-accustomed had inflicted permanent injuries on his
-sensitive nature; but Maria Sophia&rsquo;s personal charm
-was so great and her gayety so spontaneous that it
-was impossible for him to escape her fascination.
-Under his awkward manner, however, she did not
-perceive his dawning love for her, while he felt
-strange in the world of lovers and was unable to
-express his feelings, except by the eagerness with
-which he fulfilled her slightest wish. Nor did Maria
-Sophia hesitate to use her power. Once her own
-mistress, she quickly cast off the yoke laid upon her
-by the Queen at Bari and Caserta, and gave unmistakable
-proof that she, too, had a strong will.</p>
-<p>At table she would beg permission to have her
-favorite dog, Lyonne, in the room. The King
-always consented; and the huge Newfoundland with
-her four pups would come tearing in and enjoy themselves
-during the rest of the meal, leaping madly
-about the table, and sometimes even upon it, to
-the indignation of the court and their mistress&rsquo;s intense
-delight. Photography had recently come into
-fashion, and she had herself taken in every possible
-position and costume, greatly to the disgust of her
-mother-in-law, who objected strongly to her continual
-changes of costume and her frequent riding
-excursions. But the time was past when Maria
-Sophia allowed herself to be dictated to. Like a
-young Amazon she dashed about the streets of
-Naples, exciting universal admiration and amazement
-at her daring horsemanship.</p>
-<div class="img" id="pic3">
-<img src="images/p02.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="854" />
-<p class="caption"><i>FRANCIS SECOND<br />King of Naples</i></p>
-</div>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_59">59</div>
-<p>As Crown Prince, Francis the Second had not been
-unpopular with the people. His mother had been
-almost worshipped; and the Neapolitans pitied the
-sickly boy whose life, even, so it was said, had been
-attempted by his stepmother. But he was utterly
-lacking in the qualities necessary for a sovereign.
-It needed a clear head and a firm hand to guide the
-ship of state safely through those stormy seas. His
-judgment was sound enough; but he was good-natured
-to the point of weakness, and superstitious to an
-almost fanatical degree. He never let a day pass
-without hearing mass, and went regularly to confession.
-One of his favorite occupations was to hold
-long religious conversations with Father Borelli and
-other priests who happened to be at court. He
-talked much of his dead mother, before whose portrait
-he would kneel for hours in prayer, and he
-would frequently clasp his head in his hands as if in
-distress, crying, &ldquo;Ah, how heavy this crown is!&rdquo;</p>
-<p>One day, soon after his accession, while holding a
-conference with his minister of finance, Raymondo del
-Liguoro, the table at which they sat moved slightly,
-and the minister turned to see what had caused it.</p>
-<p>&ldquo;It was I who shook the table,&rdquo; said the King.
-&ldquo;I had a sudden fit of trembling. That is a bad
-sign. It means that I shall die soon.&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_60">60</div>
-<p>Liguoro adjured His Majesty to banish such
-thoughts, as his life was not his own, but belonged
-to the people over whom he ruled. &ldquo;I do not value
-either my life or my kingdom very highly,&rdquo; replied
-Francis. &ldquo;I always think of what is written, &lsquo;The
-Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>The dowager Queen was a truly proverbial stepmother.
-She had never been able to reconcile herself
-to having her stepson inherit the united kingdoms
-while her own sons had nothing; even during her
-husband&rsquo;s lifetime she had attempted to secure the
-succession of her eldest boy to the throne of Sicily.
-But King Ferdinand would not listen to this. On
-his death-bed he had extracted a solemn oath from
-each member of his family to support the rightful
-heir, and after his death the widowed Queen had
-flung herself at her stepson&rsquo;s feet and promised him
-her allegiance. That she broke this vow has never
-been historically verified, the only proofs having
-been generously destroyed by King Francis himself.
-It happened in this way. Minister Filangieri had
-long suspected Maria Theresa of being at the head
-of a conspiracy to depose the young sovereign and
-place her son, the Count of Trani, on the throne, and
-at last succeeded in obtaining certain proof of this.
-He carried the documents at once to the King; but
-Francis refused to look at them. Without a glance
-he flung them into the fire, saying, &ldquo;She was my
-father&rsquo;s wife!&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div>
-<p>Maria Theresa afterward indignantly denied this,
-declaring the whole affair a plot to sow discord between
-her and the King; but, be that as it may, there
-is no doubt that she was greatly to blame for Francis&rsquo;s
-lack of education and training in early youth and
-childhood. She had brought him up as if he had
-been a girl, destined to live in retirement, rather
-than as a man who had a lofty mission to fulfil, emphasizing
-his natural awkwardness and timidity, and
-choosing tutors totally unfitted to prepare his mind
-for the demands of the times and his future position.
-His whole nature had been cowed and stunted in
-order that he might be kept subservient to her will.</p>
-<p>She had also attempted these tactics with Maria
-Sophia, but with less success. The Bavarian Princess
-was far too self-reliant to submit to any such
-yoke. She was quite as strong-willed as her mother-in-law,
-besides being far wiser and cleverer. She
-also had her own political views, which were directly
-opposed to those of the dowager Queen. The latter
-was full of the old ideas of absolutism and had no
-sympathy with the new spirit of liberty, while Maria
-Sophia openly proclaimed her liberal opinions and
-urged the King to grant the country more freedom.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div>
-<p>History shows that many women have filled the
-highest and most important positions with credit
-and honor. England has her Elizabeth, Russia her
-Catherine, Austria and Hungary their Maria Theresa,
-Scandinavia its Margareta. Maria Sophia of Naples
-is yet another example of feminine ability and judgment
-in political affairs. King Francis had no abler
-counsellor than his own wife, and had he followed her
-advice the issue of events might have been very different.
-But he was blinded by prejudice, by family
-tradition, by his education, and by court intrigues.
-As a child he had witnessed the bloody riots in Naples
-and been taught to regard such outbreaks as criminal
-attacks on a divinely instituted form of government.
-Even before his illness, Ferdinand had taken pains
-to instill his own principles into his son, and almost
-with his last breath had urged him never to allow
-himself to be carried away by the stream of liberalism
-that threatened to overflow Italy. Much as Francis
-loved and admired his young wife, therefore, he
-found it impossible to break away from the despotic
-ideas in which he had been steeped from his infancy,
-and not until it was too late did he realize the wisdom
-of her advice.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_63">63</div>
-<h2 id="c9"><span class="h2line1">Chapter IX</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Garibaldi</span></h2>
-<p>Meanwhile events were occurring in
-northern Italy that were to exert a far-reaching
-influence on the Kingdom of
-Naples. The throne of Sardinia was occupied by a
-bold and able sovereign, Victor Emanuel of Savoy,
-who was fortunate enough to have as his counsellor
-Cavour, one of the foremost statesmen of the nineteenth
-century.</p>
-<p>Together with Napoleon the Third, Victor Emanuel
-had inflicted a series of defeats on the Austrians
-early in 1859, breaking their rule in Lombardy, and
-thereby giving a tremendous impetus to the spirit
-of Italian unity. It was as if the whole country
-had suddenly awakened to a realization of the fact
-that the various States into which Italy had been
-divided for centuries really belonged together;
-and the idea of uniting them seized the popular
-mind with irresistible force. It is interesting to
-note that the national movement which occurred
-some ten years later in Germany had many points
-of resemblance to this. Both nations had only of
-late aspired to greater political importance: both
-were good fighters and governed by princes who knew
-how to wield the sword themselves, as well as to
-choose their generals and statesmen. In both cases
-the right men appeared at the right moment&mdash;Von
-Moltke and Bismarck in Germany, Garibaldi and
-Cavour in Italy. Cavour had several times attempted
-to bring about an alliance between Sardinia
-and Naples during the reign of Ferdinand; but his
-offers had been treated with scorn by that short-sighted
-monarch. After his death and the brilliant
-victory over the Austrians at Magenta, overtures
-to this end were again made by Sardinia to the new
-King of Naples.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div>
-<p>On the twenty-fourth of June, 1859, Victor Emanuel
-sent Salmour, one of his ablest and most trusted
-diplomats, to Naples. He reminded Francis of the
-ties of blood that bound him to the house of Savoy,
-and pointed out the fact that an alliance between
-the two kingdoms would be security for the independence
-of Italy. The plan had been warmly
-supported by the press of northern Italy and its
-popularity was testified to by the enthusiasm with
-which Salmour&rsquo;s arrival was hailed in Naples. But,
-on the other hand, it met with powerful opposition
-at court, especially on the part of the dowager Queen,
-who, as an Austrian archduchess, was bitter against
-Sardinia for the defeats her native land had suffered
-at its hands, and used all her influence to prejudice
-the weak young King against the plan. As a result,
-Salmour was obliged to return without accomplishing
-his object and the diplomatic transactions were
-never made public. But though Francis might reject
-the offer of such an alliance, he could not prevent
-the idea of a union between northern and southern
-Italy meeting with popular favor; and it spread
-with such lightning rapidity throughout the two
-kingdoms that soon only a spark was needed to
-kindle public enthusiasm into a blaze. In less than
-a year from the time that Francis refused Victor
-Emanuel&rsquo;s proposal, that spark appeared in the form
-of Garibaldi.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_65">65</div>
-<p>On the sixth of May, 1860, Garibaldi embarked
-at Genoa with a thousand volunteers, and on the
-eleventh landed at Marsala, on the west coast of
-Sicily. Brave and hardy as his followers were, it
-was a hazardous undertaking to attempt, with such
-a force, to attack an army of over one hundred
-thousand regular troops; but Garibaldi knew his
-adversary and hoped for assistance from the people.
-On the fourteenth of May he assumed the dictatorship
-of the island in the name of Victor Emanuel,
-and the next day, with the aid of some hundred
-revolutionists, defeated General Laudi&rsquo;s force of
-three thousand men who were occupying the heights
-of Calatafimi. When the Garibaldians lit their
-watchfires that night on the field of victory, they
-had good cause for rejoicing. The first battle had
-been fought and won. The Neapolitan troops were
-fleeing in confusion toward Alcamo. The people&rsquo;s
-leader had shown that he could defeat a king&rsquo;s
-army, and the Neapolitans had learned to fear the
-tri-colored banner and the red shirt. While the
-Neapolitan generals were vainly searching for Garibaldi
-in the mountains, he was already pressing
-on towards Palermo, the capital, meeting with strong
-support from the people everywhere. After three
-days of hard fighting before that city, it capitulated,
-and was occupied by the revolutionists, although
-two weeks elapsed before the dictator could follow
-up his victory. At the end of that time he again
-took the war-path and at Melazzo surprised the
-columns of General Bosco, who was in command of
-the finest and best disciplined troops in Sicily.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_66">66</div>
-<p>On the twenty-eighth of June the Neapolitans
-were forced to evacuate Messina, and a few days
-later the &ldquo;red shirts,&rdquo; whose force had now increased
-to about twenty thousand men, camped in the streets
-of that city, from Taormina to Capo del Faro. Sicily
-was won. Garibaldi now turned his glances toward
-the mainland, whose mountains towered threateningly
-above him across the straits, and on the evening
-of the twenty-first of August the banner of Italy
-floated above the fortifications of Reggio, the strongest
-post in Calabria. The defence of Reggio was the
-last effort of the royalist army south of Naples. Defeated
-and disheartened, they retreated northward,
-leaving the fortified towns to vie with one another
-in throwing open their gates to the conquerors. The
-fleet, too, seemed paralyzed. It made no effort to
-prevent the passage of Garibaldi&rsquo;s men from Sicily,
-but proceeded northward to Naples without having
-fired a gun. Europe was dumb with amazement
-at the audacity of these champions of liberty. Garibaldi&rsquo;s
-march from the southern extremity of Italy
-to Naples appeared at that time, as it still does, like
-a tale of the imagination. It seemed incredible
-that the splendid army created by King Ferdinand
-with the labors and sacrifices of thirty years could
-go to pieces like a building in an earthquake. Of
-course there were many reasons for this, but the
-chief one was Garibaldi himself. No man could
-have been better fitted for the leadership of such a
-movement. Glowing with patriotism and love of
-liberty, inspired with the idea of Italian unity, yet
-at the same time a true democrat, friend of the
-oppressed and foe to tyranny, disinterested, self-sacrificing,
-bold, and daring, a knight without fear
-and without reproach, he seemed created to be an
-ideal popular hero. Wherever he appeared in his
-red shirt and black felt hat he aroused the wildest
-enthusiasm; and popular fancy soon invested him
-with a halo of glory almost equal to that of
-William Tell in Switzerland or Joan of Arc in
-France.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_67">67</div>
-<p>By forced marches Garibaldi continued his triumphant
-progress, giving the royal troops no time to
-recover themselves. Twenty days after he had first
-set foot on the shores of Naples, he was at Salerno,
-only a few miles from the capital. Everywhere he
-was hailed as a liberator, his army welcomed with
-flowers and recruits where they had expected to
-find only foes. Well might he have said with C&aelig;sar,
-&ldquo;I came, I saw, I conquered!&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div>
-<p>These events created the greatest consternation
-at the court of Naples, and many royalists fled the
-country in terror. The dowager Queen&rsquo;s father,
-Archduke Charles of Austria, had advised King
-Ferdinand many years before to fortify Gaeta and
-Capua strongly, so as to have a safe retreat in case
-of revolution; and mindful of her father&rsquo;s words,
-Maria Theresa immediately betook herself to Gaeta
-with all her children.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_69">69</div>
-<p>On the news of Garibaldi&rsquo;s landing, Francis had
-consulted the Duke de Chambord as to the state of
-affairs. &ldquo;With the enemy at the gates, there is no
-time for concessions and reforms,&rdquo; the head of the
-house of Bourbon replied. &ldquo;The King should mount
-and lead his troops against this Garibaldi and his
-followers!&rdquo; This answer was quite in accordance
-with the young Queen&rsquo;s opinion. She had been
-strongly in favor of the alliance with Victor Emanuel;
-but now that the opportunity for that was past and
-the enemy was advancing, it seemed to her there
-could be no other course than to take up arms in
-defence of the kingdom. Mirabeau declared that
-Marie Antoinette was the only man about Louis
-the Sixteenth, and those who were with Maria
-Sophia at this time have said the same of her; for
-she seemed to be the only one at court who did not
-lose her head. She tried in every way to encourage
-her husband and urge him to fight; but to her
-despair Francis seemed incapable of arriving at any
-decisive course of action. He wavered to and fro
-like a reed in the wind, doubtful of himself and
-suspicious of all about him; seeking for support
-now here, now there, but unable to decide on anything
-till it was too late, and the time for parleying
-was past.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_70">70</div>
-<h2 id="c10"><span class="h2line1">Chapter X</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">The Flight from Naples</span></h2>
-<p>On the fourth of September news was received
-that Garibaldi was nearing Naples with a
-large army, the number of which was enormously
-exaggerated, however. The King hastily
-summoned a council in the middle of the night. The
-only remedy for the situation now would have been
-to attempt to block Garibaldi&rsquo;s approach by attacking
-him at Salerno, which was connected with Naples
-by rail; but General Bosco, who was in favor of this
-course, was ill in bed, and his views were not shared
-by the other commanders, who feared the revolutionists
-might effect a landing nearer the city, thus
-cutting off the troops from a retreat. They all
-agreed that it was better to make Capua and Gaeta
-the centre of operations against the enemy, and the
-only dissenting voice was that of the aged General
-Carrascosa, who declared to the King, &ldquo;If Your
-Majesty leaves Naples now, you will never return!&rdquo;</p>
-<p>His words made no impression, however. Francis
-left it to the generals to decide; but they refused to
-take the responsibility.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_71">71</div>
-<p>As a last resort, Maria Sophia pointed out to her
-husband that it was his duty to prevent his capital
-from being destroyed by a bombardment; and in
-this appeal she was joined by Cardinal Riario Sforza,
-who besought the King to save Naples from fire and
-sword. He was thinking, no doubt, of the one hundred
-and eighty churches within the city walls; but
-his words had the desired effect, for Francis had
-the deepest reverence for anything that concerned
-religion. The next morning he summoned Sforza to
-the palace and informed him that he had decided
-to withdraw the army to a strong position between
-Capua and Gaeta. At the same time he requested
-his trusted counsellor, Spinelli, to assist him in drawing
-up a farewell proclamation to the people; and
-after this had been accomplished, he went out to
-drive with the Queen in an open carriage, escorted
-by two gentlemen of the court. It was their last
-ride through the streets of Naples.</p>
-<p>Francis, however, did not betray the slightest
-anxiety over the important step he was about to
-take; and as for the Queen, she was apparently in
-her usual spirits, laughing and joking with the King
-and her two cavaliers: yet how often in those weary
-years of exile must their thoughts have reverted in
-memory to that scene they now looked upon with
-such indifference!</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_72">72</div>
-<p>At the end of the Strada di Chiaja, directly in
-front of the court apothecary&rsquo;s shop, the royal
-carriage was stopped by a long line of loaded wagons.
-The apothecary had a sign over his door, bearing the
-Bourbon lilies, and a man was now mounted on a
-ladder busily engaged in removing it. The Duke
-of San Donato, who happened to be passing, was
-furious at the sight and expressed his anger in no
-measured terms; but neither Francis nor Maria
-Sophia showed the least displeasure. They only
-looked at each other and laughed at the apothecary&rsquo;s
-foresight. The following morning the King&rsquo;s proclamation
-was displayed on every street corner in
-Naples. It was calm and dignified in tone, and
-expressed less resentment than resignation. At the
-same time he issued a protest to all the foreign
-powers against Garibaldi&rsquo;s invasion of his territory,
-together with an assertion of his rights. It was no
-small task to prepare for so sudden a flight, and
-there was little sleep that night in the palace. Huge
-vans were loaded and sent off secretly under military
-guard, and their contents carried early the next
-morning on board two steamships which lay at
-anchor in the harbor; but in the hurry, only personal
-belongings were taken, and all the treasures of the
-palace, such as the vast quantities of gold and silver
-plate that had been accumulated during the hundred
-and twenty-six years of Bourbon rule in Naples, were
-left behind and afterwards confiscated by Garibaldi
-and turned over to the provisional Government. All
-that Francis carried away with him, except for a
-chest containing various relics and images of saints,
-were a painting of St. Peter, a statue and marble
-bust of Pope Pius the Ninth, a Titian portrait of
-Alexander Farnese, and a Holy Family by Raphael.
-Of these, the last was undoubtedly the most valuable;
-but even this splendid work of art the
-young sovereigns did not keep. The Spanish
-ambassador, Bermudez de Castro, begged Francis
-to give it to him, and the good-natured King consented.
-De Castro afterward tried to sell it to the
-Louvre galleries, but was not satisfied with the
-price offered. He then sent it to the South
-Kensington Museum in London, where by an
-unskilful attempt at restoration it lost so much of
-its beauty and value that no one would buy it.
-In his will the ambassador returned it to the
-exiled King; but neither Francis nor Maria Sophia
-ever claimed it, and the painting still remains at
-South Kensington.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_73">73</div>
-<p>On the morning of the sixth of September, Francis
-sent for the commander of the National Guard, and
-after expressing his thanks for their loyal support,
-repeated the comforting assurance that the troops
-had received strict orders to protect the capital. He
-had prepared a list of those of his court whom he
-wished to accompany him to Gaeta; but when the
-time came to leave, the royal master of the horse,
-Count Micha&euml;lo Imperiale, was the only member of
-the royal household present. The King was so
-touched by his devotion that he presented him on
-the spot with the Grand Cross of the Order of San
-Fernando.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_74">74</div>
-<p>About four o&rsquo;clock in the afternoon the ministers
-repaired in a body to the palace to take leave of their
-sovereign, whose hand they were to kiss for the last
-time under his own roof. Francis tried hard to control
-himself, speaking kindly to all, and tenderly
-embracing his two most devoted friends, Torella
-and Spinelli. But the number present was pitifully
-small. Those who had received the most favor at
-the hands of their sovereigns were as usual the first
-to desert them. Nor were there any special manifestations
-of regret and sympathy among the populace
-at the departure of the King and Queen, which
-was regarded merely as a measure for assuring the
-safety of the city, while Garibaldi&rsquo;s approach was
-anticipated with mingled hope and fear.</p>
-<p>About half-past six Francis and Maria Sophia
-left the palace on foot, he in uniform as usual, she
-in an ordinary travelling dress and large straw hat
-trimmed with flowers. Accompanied by several
-ladies and gentlemen of the court, they walked
-through the palace gardens and down the long
-flight of steps that led to the arsenal, the Queen
-leaning on her husband&rsquo;s arm, gay and cheerful as
-ever in spite of the ominous cloud that shadowed
-their departure. Below them lay the Gulf of Naples,
-smooth and bright as silver; but in the distance the
-bare, sombre peak of Vesuvius rose like a menace
-amid the smiling beauty of nature. The firemen of
-the ship in which the royal party was to embark
-had had to be kept on board by force, and some
-advised the King to place himself under the protection
-of some foreign flag, or to escape from the city
-secretly. Undecided, as usual, Francis knew neither
-what he could do, nor what he ought to do; but the
-captain of the vessel, who was thoroughly loyal,
-finally persuaded him to go on board, urging that it
-would be beneath the King&rsquo;s dignity to flee from his
-capital like a criminal.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_75">75</div>
-<p>Only one Italian vessel accompanied the King,
-but with it were two Spanish warships carrying the
-Austrian, Prussian, and Spanish ambassadors. The
-journey was most depressing. It had been decided
-upon so suddenly that no one thought of taking
-such ordinary things as food or even the few necessaries
-that would have made them comfortable. It
-was a wonderfully beautiful night, and the Queen sat
-on deck until ten o&rsquo;clock, when it grew cold. Worn
-out with the fatigues and excitement of the last
-twenty-four hours, she went into the little deck cabin
-and lay down on a sofa. The King did not go to bed
-at all. Except for a few words now and then with the
-Captain, he spent the night silently pacing up and
-down the deck, watching the shores of Naples gradually
-fade from view, and thinking, who knows what?</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_76">76</div>
-<p>About two o&rsquo;clock he asked whether the Queen
-had retired, and when told she was still asleep in
-the little cabin he went in and stood for a long time
-gazing down at her. Then removing his own cloak
-he gently spread it over her to protect her from the
-chill of the night air, and returned to his silent
-watch. Early the next morning they entered the
-harbor of Gaeta, and were met at the landing by
-Maria Theresa and her children with Father Borelli,
-her confessor. Francis had consulted this priest
-some months before as to the advisability of granting
-his subjects a more liberal form of government, and
-Father Borelli had merely echoed the views of the
-deceased King, declaring that such a course would
-only hasten a revolution, and warning him against it.</p>
-<p>&ldquo;I believe you are right,&rdquo; Francis answered, &ldquo;but
-fear it will be impossible for me to follow your
-advice.&rdquo;</p>
-<p>&ldquo;Then Your Majesty may perhaps remember this
-day as the last on which I shall kiss the hand of a
-King of Naples,&rdquo; returned the priest.</p>
-<p>This conversation now recurred to them both, as
-Borelli came forward to greet the King, kissing his
-hand again and again with tears in his eyes.</p>
-<p>&ldquo;Father,&rdquo; said Francis, with a melancholy smile,
-&ldquo;do you remember what you said to me on St. John&rsquo;s
-Day at Portici?&rdquo;</p>
-<p>&ldquo;Ah, Your Majesty,&rdquo; replied Borelli, &ldquo;even though
-you should no longer be a King on earth, you may
-yet become a saint in heaven.&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_77">77</div>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>Francis and Maria Sophia had no sooner left the
-capital than a deputation was sent out to welcome
-the liberator, while the former minister of foreign
-affairs prepared an address to Garibaldi, declaring
-that Naples was waiting with impatience to greet
-him as the deliverer of Italy, and lay the fate of the
-kingdom in his hands. They did not have long to
-wait. The popular hero hastened his advance, and
-arrived so quickly that there was barely time to prepare
-for his reception. There was little sleep that
-night in Naples, and the first rays of the morning sun
-found the whole city astir. The principal thoroughfares
-were thronged with men, most of them armed,
-for fear of a reactionary movement. Windows,
-balconies, even the roofs of houses were crowded
-with spectators. Everything conspired to surround
-Garibaldi and his men with a halo of romance.
-Their picturesque garb, rapid conquests, and fiery
-proclamations appealed to the imagination of the
-hot-blooded southerners and roused them to wildest
-enthusiasm. Guards had been placed at all the
-exits of the railway station, where a large number
-of prominent citizens had assembled to welcome the
-hero. Presently a bell was heard, and a train drew
-in. A great shout arose; but it was found to contain
-only a band of foreign mercenaries who had recently
-joined the victorious party. At noon another bell
-sounded, and Garibaldi&rsquo;s approach was signalled.
-The train stopped. Thousands of voices joined in
-the shout of &ldquo;Long live Garibaldi!&rdquo; as two men in
-red shirts appeared. They were embraced with such
-vehemence by the excited Neapolitans that one of
-them, who was taken for Garibaldi, barely escaped
-alive. The great man himself had gone out by another
-door, however, and when this was discovered
-there was a general stampede to find him. This
-time they were successful.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_78">78</div>
-<p>Garibaldi&rsquo;s entry into Naples was as brilliant and
-spectacular as the rightful sovereign&rsquo;s departure had
-been quiet and unnoticed. A huge national flag
-had been unfurled, bearing the arms of the house of
-Savoy, with the white horse of Naples and the lion
-of Venice; and Garibaldi kissed this with tears rolling
-down his cheeks, declaring, &ldquo;Soon we shall all
-be united brethren!&rdquo; while many of the spectators
-also wept. He and a few of his companions then
-entered the open carriages that were waiting to
-convey him to the city. Eight thousand of the royal
-troops had been left in the citadel and a few outposts
-to maintain order; but they had received no orders
-to resist the revolutionists, and even had such been
-the case, it is doubtful if they would have obeyed, so
-carried away were they by the tide of popular enthusiasm,
-as, amid deafening cheers, the waving of hundreds
-of tri-colored banners and showers of blossoms
-from every window, Garibaldi entered in triumph
-the gayly decorated city, while even the skies seemed
-to share the joy of the people and smile upon the
-liberator of &ldquo;La Bella Napoli.&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_79">79</div>
-<p>He refused to occupy the royal palace which had
-been so lately vacated by the sovereigns, but drove
-on to a smaller one, generally used for the accommodation
-of foreign princes, where he took up his
-quarters. Vast crowds surged about the building,
-shouting for the Dictator, till at length one of the
-revolutionists appeared on a balcony, then another,
-and finally the hero himself. Again a storm of
-cheers broke forth, and, unable to make himself
-heard above the uproar, he leaned over the iron
-railing and gazed down at the throng below. His
-usually ruddy face was pale with emotion, and
-wore a look of sadness curiously in contrast to
-the feverish joy of his admirers; but there was a
-gleam in his eye that betrayed the fires that glowed
-within. He lifted his hand to command silence,
-then began in tones so clear and distinct that not
-a syllable escaped the ear:</p>
-<p>&ldquo;Neapolitans! This is a solemn and memorable
-day. After long years of oppression under the yoke
-of tyranny, you are to-day a free people. I thank
-you in the name of all Italy. You have completed
-a great work, not only for your countrymen but for
-all mankind, whose rights you have upheld. Long
-live freedom! the dearer to Italy, since she, of all
-nations, has suffered the most. Long live Italy!&rdquo;</p>
-<p>The shout was taken up by thousands of throats
-and, their &ldquo;Viva Italia!&rdquo; could have been heard from
-one end of the city to the other.</p>
-<p>That afternoon Garibaldi visited the cathedral
-and was greeted with even greater enthusiasm than
-in the morning. At night every house was illuminated,
-and a torch-light procession paraded through
-the principal streets, which were filled with excited
-throngs rushing about, every man with a flag in one
-hand and a sword or a knife in the other, shouting
-and embracing one another for joy. Garibaldi was
-the idol of the hour, and Naples was his completely.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_80">80</div>
-<p>But here and there were still a few who remained
-loyal to the reigning family and were anxious as to
-their fate. Francis, in his haste, had neglected to
-remove his private fortune of eleven million ducats&mdash;the
-dowry Queen Maria Christina had brought with
-her from Sardinia&mdash;from the Bank of Naples where
-it was kept. When Garibaldi learned this he sent
-for the man to whom the receipt had been entrusted,
-an officer of the royal household named Rispoli,
-and forced him to give up the document, which, afterward,
-he handed over to the new government.</p>
-<p>Poor Rispoli, who was devoted to his master, was
-so overcome at being deprived of his trust that he
-was stricken with apoplexy and died the following
-day.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_81">81</div>
-<h2 id="c11"><span class="h2line1">Chapter XI</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Siege of Gaeta</span></h2>
-<p>It is probable that Francis at the time of his
-departure from Naples had no definite ideas as
-to how far he should offer resistance to the
-course of events. His friends urged him to wait
-quietly till the first wave of enthusiasm had passed,
-hoping he might then return to the throne as a member
-of an Italian confederation. From Gaeta he went
-with his brothers to Capua, where their presence did
-much to restore unity among the royal troops and
-revive their sinking courage, and where he was
-speedily joined by all who had anything to gain by
-adhering to the Bourbon cause or were too deeply
-compromised to venture to remain in Naples under
-the new regime. A much more valuable addition
-to the King&rsquo;s forces, however, was a large number
-of volunteers from southern Germany, who had
-hastened to the aid of their fair countrywoman,
-and to whose valor it was largely owing that they
-were able to hold out so long.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_82">82</div>
-<p>The arsenal and other stores in Naples had fallen
-into the hands of the enemy; but after Francis had
-collected and organized his troops beyond the Volturno,
-he found himself with fifty thousand well
-provisioned and equipped men at his command.
-Fired now for the first time with true martial spirit,
-he determined to cut his way through Garibaldi&rsquo;s
-forces to Naples, where, he was assured by secret
-agents, the fickle populace would welcome him
-back with open arms. On the first of October,
-at daybreak, accordingly, the attack was begun;
-but the royal troops were defeated and driven back
-across the Volturno, the gates of Capua being thrown
-open at five o&rsquo;clock that afternoon to admit the
-fugitives.</p>
-<p>Victor Emanuel had already determined to take
-a hand in affairs, although Naples had voted unanimously
-for the annexation of the Two Sicilies to an
-&ldquo;Italia una,&rdquo; and was by this time well on his way
-thither to assist in the reorganization of this new
-portion of his domains. The news of his approach
-spread terror and despair among the King&rsquo;s forces;
-but Francis and his generals decided to await the
-enemy in a strong position on the further bank of
-the Garigliano, where on the twenty-eighth of October
-they were fortunate enough to repel an attack. But
-the advantage was a brief one. Capua soon had
-to be abandoned and, led by Victor Emanuel himself,
-the Piedmontese crossed the Garigliano, forcing the
-Neapolitans to retire within the shelter of Gaeta.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_83">83</div>
-<p>This town, often called from its location the
-Gibraltar of Italy, is one of the most strongly fortified
-places on the peninsula, and has played a prominent
-part in the wars of southern Italy. The Bay of Gaeta
-not only compares well with the gulf of Naples in
-beauty, but as a harbor is even better adapted to
-commerce, being both larger and deeper. The town
-is situated some sixteen miles from Naples, ten
-from Capua, three from the boundaries of what
-were then the Papal States, and seventeen from
-Rome; forming with San Germano and Capua a
-trio of defences capable of offering a long and stout
-resistance.</p>
-<p>Gaeta at this time had a population of about
-fifteen thousand. It was a gay and picturesque
-little town, irregularly but not unattractively built,
-with well-paved if somewhat steep and narrow streets.
-Tradition points to a neighboring grove as the spot
-where Cicero was murdered by Antony&rsquo;s orders; and
-between the citadel and the shore are some ruins
-called by the people the tower of Roland, where a
-friend of the Emperor Augustus was buried. The
-town and the citadel are situated on two rocky
-heights, separated by a steep cleft, the greater part
-of the town occupying the southernmost of these,
-while on the northern and much the larger one, rises
-the citadel with its fortifications. Both are practically
-inaccessible from the sea, while the west side
-of the neck of land, that connects the mainland with
-the outer point, also falls away steeply. Small
-villages line the shore; and still farther to the south,
-where the coast recedes so deeply that the bay lies
-between it and Gaeta, is the town of Mola, where
-the Piedmontese established their headquarters. It
-would seem that Victor Emanuel&rsquo;s generals, made
-over-confident by the easy victories they had met
-with thus far in the Kingdom of Naples, scarcely
-looked for any serious resistance here.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_84">84</div>
-<p>But supported by a French fleet which protected
-the coast, by the presence of a well equipped and
-disciplined army, and above all by his heroic wife,
-Francis had at length determined to hold out in
-spite of everything. In the citadel, besides the King
-and Queen, were Maria Theresa with her five sons
-and four daughters, the youngest of whom was not
-yet three years old; the King&rsquo;s two uncles, the
-Prince of Capua and the Count of Trapani; a few
-faithful friends who had followed their sovereign,
-and all the diplomatic corps, with the exception of
-the English and French ambassadors, who had received
-explicit orders from their Governments to
-remain in Naples to report what was passing there.
-All communication between Francis and the Emperor
-Napoleon, therefore, had to be carried on through the
-French admiral.</p>
-<p>In spite of their recent experiences, the royal
-family did not seem to realize at first the seriousness
-of the situation. Gaeta had a garrison of twenty-one
-thousand men, and the citadel was well supplied with
-ammunition, while provisions for the army could
-easily be obtained from the Papal States, through
-the ports of Terracina and Civita Vecchia. The
-Count of Trapani was in nominal command, but the
-real leader of the defence was General Bosco. At
-the time of his surrender to Garibaldi in Sicily, this
-able officer had sworn not to take up arms for six
-months; but this period had now elapsed, and his
-return inspired the royal family with hope and confidence.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_85">85</div>
-<p>On the thirteenth of November, 1860, the bombardment
-of Gaeta was begun by the Piedmontese,
-whose fire was vigorously returned from the citadel.
-A week later the dowager Queen retired to Rome
-with her younger children, and on the same day the
-diplomats took their departure, all except the
-Spanish ambassador, Bermudez de Castro, who was
-a personal friend of the King. Even the Archbishop
-of Gaeta deserted the sinking ship, though his place
-should have been now, more than ever, with his flock.
-Francis tried to persuade Maria Sophia to leave him,
-and go to her home in Bavaria while it was yet
-possible, but she absolutely refused. More closely
-drawn to her husband in this time of danger than
-ever before, she announced her firm intention of
-remaining with him to the last, even though abandoned
-by all the world.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_86">86</div>
-<p>Europe had held but a poor opinion of Francis
-the Second during his short reign. His weakness
-and cowardice had been openly criticised; while in
-Naples itself he had been variously nicknamed
-&ldquo;Bombino,&rdquo; &ldquo;Franciscillo,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Il Re Imbecile.&rdquo;
-But in misfortune all his better qualities came to
-the surface. At Gaeta, no longer distracted by conflicting
-counsels, he became firmer and more manly,
-while his readiness to sacrifice all personal feeling
-to what he believed to be his duty, and his generosity
-toward those who should have been his foes, could
-not but command respect. For example, two Piedmontese
-merchantmen took refuge in the harbor
-of Gaeta one terribly stormy night; but instead of
-seizing them and their cargoes, as would have been
-his right, he permitted them to leave the bay the
-next morning, unmolested. He was constantly visiting
-the outworks, inspecting the work, and doing
-his best to keep up the courage of his men, in which
-he was bravely assisted by his two elder half-brothers;
-but the Queen surpassed them all in courage, scorning
-every danger and discomfort and looking death
-calmly in the face. Every day and often at night
-she visited the hospitals, carrying food, medicines,
-and fruit, doing all she could to relieve the sufferers,
-and shrinking from no wound, however terrible.
-Once during the illness of one of the Sisters of Mercy,
-Maria Sophia took her place as nurse, and though
-shells were falling so thick about the hospital tent
-that her life was in constant danger, she refused to
-leave her post. The soldiers were always rejoiced
-to see her and would follow her about with their eyes
-in the most adoring way. They gloried in their
-beautiful, spirited young Queen, dashing about on
-her horse from one to another of the hastily improvised
-hospitals that were set up on the different
-batteries.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_87">87</div>
-<p>The Piedmontese noticed that at the sound of a
-certain bell there always seemed to be some commotion
-in the citadel of the besieged city, and curious
-to know the meaning of it, some officers in one of
-the nearest outposts fixed their field-glasses on the
-fortress at that particular time. Much to their
-surprise they discovered a young woman in the
-Calabrian costume, moving about among the guns
-and encouraging the artillerymen, quite regardless
-of the storm of shells that was falling about her.
-It was Maria Sophia, making her daily visit to the
-so-called &ldquo;Queen&rsquo;s Battery&rdquo; to watch the firing
-from there, and a striking picture she made in her
-long cloak and Calabrian hat, gay and smiling as
-ever, glorying apparently in danger, and careless of
-her own fate.</p>
-<p>It had been agreed that a black flag should be
-hoisted while the Queen was making her rounds
-among the wounded, and the sign was at first respected
-by the enemy, but Maria Sophia herself paid
-no attention to it as she rode calmly about her
-business even in those fortifications exposed to the
-heaviest fire. One day a bomb fell so close to her
-feet that she would certainly have been torn to
-pieces had not an officer seized her in his arms and
-swung her behind a projecting wall. Another day,
-while standing in one of the window embrasures in
-the citadel, talking with the Spanish ambassador, a
-shell burst so near that the window panes were
-shattered and the Queen&rsquo;s face was cut by the flying
-glass. But she only laughed, saying, &ldquo;It is unkind
-of the enemy to leave me nowhere in peace. They
-have just driven me from one place, and now will
-not let me stay here, either.&rdquo;</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_88">88</div>
-<p>&ldquo;Ah, but you have had your wish granted,
-madame,&rdquo; replied the Ambassador, &ldquo;you wanted
-to see a ball as close as possible.&rdquo;</p>
-<p>&ldquo;Yes, and I also wished for a slight wound,&rdquo;
-added the Queen gayly.</p>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>From Gaeta Francis had issued another proclamation
-to his subjects, protesting against the new
-order of things, and avowing his good faith toward
-them and the constitution he had granted them,
-in spite of all that had happened; but though widely
-distributed, it was powerless to stem the current of
-events. As we have seen, the King had lost many
-opportunities of securing an advantage at the beginning
-of the war. By retreating to Gaeta he was
-placed in the curious position, for a commander, of
-having cut himself off from two-thirds of his army.
-He had given orders for the majority of these to slip
-away across the Roman borders, hoping they might
-be reassembled later, to form the nucleus for an uprising
-in the Abruzzo Mountains. Reports, however,
-of the terrible treatment received by prisoners at
-the hands of the Piedmontese so alarmed the soldiers
-that they made no attempt to escape till it was too
-late, and the few that did reach Roman territory
-were promptly disarmed. The French fleet, lying
-in the Bay of Gaeta, had proved of inestimable value
-in protecting the city from attack by sea. The
-friendly attitude of the Admiral also made it possible
-for the King&rsquo;s friends to furnish him with provisions,
-while the supply ships carried many of the Neapolitan
-troops away from Gaeta, landing them at Civita
-Vecchia and Terracina. In this way the garrison
-was reduced to fifteen thousand men; but even so,
-the food supply soon began to fall short.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_89">89</div>
-<p>As early as the twenty-second of November, a
-journalist wrote in his diary that provisions of all
-kinds had doubled in price, and the situation grew
-worse and worse as time went on. Rice, beans, even
-bread, were almost impossible to obtain, and macaroni
-and potatoes were sold for thrice their usual
-value. Fish and meat were to be had only by the
-officers in small quantities and of the poorest quality.
-Then an epidemic of typhus fever broke out, which
-soon filled every bed in the hospitals. The King
-and Queen did all in their power to obtain nourishing
-food for the sick and wounded, sending fish and
-other delicacies procured for their own table to the
-Sisters of Mercy to be distributed in the hospitals.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_90">90</div>
-<h2 id="c12"><span class="h2line1">Chapter XII</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Capitulation</span></h2>
-<p>The siege of Gaeta lasted from the thirteenth
-of November, 1860, to the thirteenth of
-February, 1861, a space of three months.
-With the new year it was pushed with redoubled
-vigor. Both town and citadel were exposed to
-incessant fire, and the noise was so deafening that
-people had to scream to make themselves heard.
-Not a single building remained intact. Many lives
-were lost by exploding shells or falling houses, and the
-whole place presented a scene of utter destruction.
-The Piedmontese have been accused of sparing neither
-church nor hospital, and the sick and wounded, as
-well as their nurses, were exposed to the same dangers
-as the rest of the inhabitants. The Red Cross
-Society was not in existence at that time; but
-the terrible experiences of the wounded in the wars
-of northern Italy the preceding year led to the formation
-of that association three years later.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_91">91</div>
-<p>The enemy&rsquo;s fire now began to be directed chiefly
-against the citadel where the royal family were
-known to reside, and the officers begged the King
-and Queen to move to a place of greater safety. One
-of the casemates of an adjoining battery was accordingly
-prepared for their occupancy, and here in this
-small damp vault they lived for the remainder of
-the siege, with the princes, the few members of
-the court who had remained loyal, and some of the
-officers. The casemate was divided by thin wooden
-partitions into a number of small chambers, each
-containing a bed, one chair, and a small table. The
-narrow passage connecting these cells was always
-crowded with people waiting to speak to the officers
-and servants who had long since laid aside all badges
-of royal service.</p>
-<p>A low door led to the square chamber occupied
-by the Queen, which was furnished in addition with
-a couch and a <i>prie-dieu</i>; a small recess adjoining
-having been made into a dressing-room. As a protection
-against shells or flying missiles, a heavy oak
-beam had been placed diagonally across the tiny
-window overlooking the street; a precaution which
-made the room so dark a light had to be kept burning
-day and night. The little air that penetrated
-to the cell was thick with smoke and tainted with
-foul odors, while the ceaseless thunder of cannon
-directly above must have made it a far from pleasant
-place of residence. Yet from this gloomy vault
-Maria Sophia wrote her parents not to worry
-about her, for under the circumstances she was
-doing very well. She bore all these dangers and
-hardships with the same cheerful courage she
-had shown from the first, tending the wounded,
-inspiring the soldiers by her presence among them
-in the smoke of battle&mdash;the soul, in short, of the
-defence, and a splendid example of bravery and fortitude.
-Through the efforts of the French admiral,
-a ten days&rsquo; truce was arranged, and the Neapolitans
-hastened to take advantage of it to procure a supply
-of provisions from Terracina and to strengthen their
-batteries, while the officers tried to encourage the
-garrison by reports of speedy assistance from without.
-On the sixteenth of January the sound of
-guns was heard again; but this time it was not those
-of the besieging army, but of the French fleet which
-had not yet left the harbor, although the Emperor
-Napoleon had notified Francis that it would be impossible
-for him to continue the neutrality he had
-hitherto maintained. Decorated from deck to mast-head
-with flags, the foreign squadron was saluting
-the King in honor of his twenty-fifth birthday, the
-last he was ever to spend within the boundaries of
-his kingdom.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_92">92</div>
-<p>Three days later the truce was declared at an end,
-and in the beleaguered city all eyes were fixed
-anxiously upon the fleet. Although there were
-rumors in the air of its departure, the people still
-hoped they might be false as so many others had
-proved. About two o&rsquo;clock, however, smoke was
-seen rising from one of the vessels, and it was soon
-evident that the whole squadron was getting up
-steam. One after another lifted anchor and began
-to move; and an hour later the huge flagship, <i>La
-Bretagne</i>, glided majestically past the lighthouse on
-the outermost point of the harbor, leaving the last
-of the Italian Bourbons to his fate. With the
-French fleet, vanished the last hope of rescue; and
-from this time until the end of the siege, nearly a
-month later, Gaeta was completely cut off from the
-rest of the world, and surrounded on all sides by the
-enemy. With the increase of famine and sickness
-the situation grew daily worse. Help from without
-could no longer be looked for, and rumors of treachery
-began to be heard among the troops. The
-barracks were damp, the hospitals overflowing, and
-they were tired of a struggle that could have but one
-end. The King and his brothers worked bravely to
-keep up the courage of the garrison, and the Queen
-was untiring in her efforts to relieve the sick and
-suffering; but even they had lost hope.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_93">93</div>
-<p>All correspondence between Napoleon and King
-Francis had ceased on the twelfth of December, but
-about the middle of January a vessel arrived from
-France bringing a confidential letter from the Empress
-Eug&eacute;nie to Maria Sophia. In it she declared
-frankly and without circumlocution that it would be
-as well to abandon the defence of Gaeta which had
-cost so many lives, since it would be quite useless
-to look for aid from any European power&mdash;the latter
-sentence underlined.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_94">94</div>
-<p>This left no room for misunderstanding. At last
-the King realized that his cause was lost&mdash;that all
-his wife&rsquo;s splendid energy and the loyalty of his
-troops had been wasted in a hopeless struggle. On
-the twenty-seventh of January he received a letter
-from Napoleon informing him that the French corvette,
-<i>La Movette</i>, had been prepared for the accommodation
-of Their Majesties in case of the surrender
-of Gaeta, and would remain in the Bay of Naples
-awaiting their orders. The town was now only a
-smoking heap of ruins. The explosion of powder
-magazines had caused even greater destruction than
-the enemy&rsquo;s guns, and the casemate in which the
-royal family had taken refuge might be destroyed
-at any moment should the siege be continued. The
-garrison was reduced to twelve thousand men with
-over twelve hundred in the various hospitals, most
-of them victims of the epidemic of typhus which
-had proved so fatal. Among those who had succumbed
-already to the disease were four of the King&rsquo;s
-generals and the priest, Father Borelli, who had
-remained in Gaeta to minister to the sick and
-wounded.</p>
-<p>Francis hesitated no longer, but sent a message
-to the Piedmontese commander-in-chief requesting
-an armistice to arrange articles of capitulation. The
-terms were as follows: the garrison should retain
-their military honors, but remain prisoners until
-the surrender of Messina and the citadel Del Tronto.
-When this had taken place, both officers and men
-were to receive full pay with the choice of entering
-the Piedmontese army or returning to their homes, all
-who were honorably discharged to be pensioned. The
-King and Queen, with the rest of the royal family,
-were to be permitted to embark on the French vessel
-which had been placed at their disposal, with as
-many persons as they wished to take with them in
-their suite.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_95">95</div>
-<p>The capitulation was signed on the thirteenth of
-February, and the next morning at eight o&rsquo;clock
-<i>La Movette</i> entered the Bay of Gaeta. The troops
-were already drawn up in long lines, extending from
-the casemate occupied by the King and Queen to
-the landing; their tattered clothes and wasted forms
-bearing witness to these last terrible months. Misfortune
-had formed a close bond between the survivors
-of the siege, and as the soldiers presented
-arms to their sovereigns for the last time, their
-cheeks were wet with tears.</p>
-<p>An eyewitness of the departure of Francis the
-Second and Maria Sophia from Gaeta has described
-the touching scene. The King was in uniform, with
-sword and spurs, the Queen wearing the round Calabrian
-hat shown in the photograph taken of her at
-that time. The deposed monarch was deadly pale,
-and as gaunt as any of his soldiers. &ldquo;As for the
-Queen,&rdquo; declared this observer, &ldquo;I could not see how
-she looked, my eyes were so blinded with tears.&rdquo;</p>
-<p>The people had gathered in crowds, every face
-showing traces of the suffering they had undergone;
-but all seemed to forget their own troubles in the misfortunes
-of their sovereigns. When the King and
-Queen appeared, their emotion burst all bounds.
-Many wept aloud as they pressed forward to kiss
-the hand of the Queen with far greater warmth and
-enthusiasm than was shown by the people of Bari
-when they greeted her arrival as a bride on the shores
-of Italy, two years before. Only two short years,
-and yet how much had been crowded into them!
-And how different that day from this!</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_96">96</div>
-<p>Francis had already issued a parting proclamation
-to his troops, thanking them in touching terms for
-their devotion to him and to the honor of the army;
-and as <i>La Movette</i>, flying the banner of the Bourbons,
-glided slowly out of the harbor, a unanimous and
-deafening shout of &ldquo;Evviva il Re!&rdquo; was their last
-farewell to the exiled sovereign. The French on
-the corvette welcomed their guests with royal honors,
-the officers in full uniform and the sailors lined up
-on deck to receive them. With the King and Queen
-were the Counts of Trani and Caserta and three of
-the Neapolitan generals. During the journey from
-Gaeta to Terracina, Francis and his brothers showed
-the greatest calmness, conversing cheerfully with
-their suite, and the French officers could not refrain
-from expressing their admiration at the King&rsquo;s dignified
-acceptance of his fate. Maria Sophia had
-remained alone on the after deck, leaning over the
-railing, her eyes fixed on the cliffs of Gaeta. The
-smiling landscape seemed an irony of her mood. A
-gloomy sky would have been more suited to the
-thoughts that filled her bosom. She remembered
-with what noble aims she had come to this new land,
-what fine resolutions to share in all works for promoting
-the welfare of the people over whom she had
-been called to rule&mdash;and what had been the result?
-Even her labors at Gaeta had been in vain.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_97">97</div>
-<p>As <i>La Movette</i> passed the battery &ldquo;Santa Maria,&rdquo;
-a royal salute was fired, and soon after the corvette
-rounded the point and Gaeta was lost to sight. The
-crew hauled down the Bourbon lilies and hoisted the
-French tri-color&mdash;Maria Sophia was no longer a
-Queen. She turned away with a chill at her heart.
-The deck was empty and a cold wind had suddenly
-arisen, banishing the warmth of the sunshine and
-sending a shiver through her from head to foot.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_98">98</div>
-<h2 id="c13"><span class="h2line1">Chapter XIII</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">After the Fall of Gaeta</span></h2>
-<p>The news of the fall of Gaeta was hailed with
-joy by the fickle Neapolitans, who seized the
-occasion as a welcome excuse for more
-parades and festivities, with dancing and singing
-from morning till night. The day after the departure
-of Francis and Maria Sophia, the garrison evacuated
-the town. Officers and soldiers laid down their
-arms before the walls of the citadel, and the fortifications
-were occupied by the Piedmontese. Soon
-after, the citadel Del Tronto opened its gates to
-Victor Emanuel&rsquo;s troops, and with the surrender of
-Messina on the first of March, the Bourbon lilies
-disappeared from southern Italy.</p>
-<p>On the fifteenth of February, the exiles landed at
-Terracina, heavy at heart, and were escorted by a
-company of French dragoons to Rome, where they
-took up their residence in the Palazzo Farnese as
-guests of Pope Pius the Ninth. Maria Sophia was
-not a devout Catholic like her husband. She had
-not wished to go to Rome, and found no comfort in
-the Holy Father&rsquo;s friendship. The dowager Queen
-was also living in Rome with her children, and the
-close companionship into which the exiles were thus
-forced by circumstances did not tend to improve the
-relations between the ex-Queen and her mother-in-law.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_99">99</div>
-<p>In times of trouble we naturally turn to our kin
-for sympathy, and Maria Sophia was seized with
-desperate longing for her mother and her Bavarian
-home. Early in April, therefore, she set out for
-Possenhofen, accompanied by General Bosco. The
-two years she had spent in Naples had been far from
-happy. She returned a queen without a crown,
-deprived of all save honor. But the familiar scenes
-and faces, and above all the comfort of pouring out
-her heart to the strong, noble mother, who had suffered
-so much herself, restored her courage, and she
-soon became her cheerful, lively self once more, her
-eyes sparkling with animation, full of spirit and
-energy.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_100">100</div>
-<p>The young Queen&rsquo;s heroic behavior during the
-defence of Gaeta had taken Europe by storm. Her
-praises were on every tongue, and the beauty, the
-courage, the warm-heartedness of the &ldquo;Heroine of
-Gaeta&rdquo; were lauded in prose and verse. She was
-deluged with tokens of admiration and sympathy,
-among which were a gold laurel wreath from the
-princesses of Germany and a sword of honor from
-the women of Paris. The dowager Queen, Maria
-Theresa, had not yet given up hope that she and her
-children might return to Naples. Since Francis the
-Second had proved himself incapable of maintaining
-his place on Ferdinand&rsquo;s throne, she was more determined
-than ever that her own eldest son should
-occupy it; and in order to prevent any opposition
-on the part of the Wittelsbach and Hapsburg families,
-she succeeded in arranging a marriage between
-the Count of Trani and Maria Sophia&rsquo;s sister
-Mathilde soon after the arrival of the exiles in Rome,
-neither of the young people&rsquo;s wishes in the matter
-having been consulted in the least. Maria Sophia
-returned to Rome after a month&rsquo;s stay with her
-parents, and in May the bridegroom went to Munich
-to meet his unknown bride. This prince was far
-more attractive than his stepbrother in outward
-appearance, having a frank, winning manner and
-the utmost propriety of behavior. The wedding was
-put off for a month, that the young people might
-become better acquainted, the Count accompanying
-the ducal family to Possenhofen, where he occupied
-a neighboring villa on Starnberg Lake.</p>
-<p>On the sixth of June, 1861, the ceremony took
-place in the ducal palace at Munich, and the next
-morning the newly married pair set out on their
-wedding journey, escorted as far as Z&uuml;rich by the
-bride&rsquo;s parents and sisters. At Marseilles a Spanish
-warship was waiting to convey them to Civita
-Vecchia, where they were warmly welcomed by the
-ex-King and Queen of Naples, who accompanied
-them back to Rome.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_101">101</div>
-<p>Immediately after the fall of Gaeta, Francis had
-despatched a letter to the Emperor Napoleon, thanking
-him for the friendly interest he had shown and
-expressing his appreciation of the courteous treatment
-he and his wife had received from the officers
-of <i>La Movette</i>. As yet the exiled sovereign scarcely
-knew how his position was regarded by the European
-powers; Victor Emanuel had already assumed
-the title of King of Italy, and this moved Francis
-to issue a circular urging them to discountenance any
-pretensions on the part of the King of Sardinia.</p>
-<p>It is doubtful whether he had at first any idea of
-continuing the struggle, but he had no sooner arrived
-in Rome than he became the centre of a counter
-revolution planned by the Legitimist and Papist
-party, the object of which was to make Naples again
-an absolute monarchy, this being regarded as the
-surest safeguard of the Pope&rsquo;s temporal power in
-Rome. The dowager Queen contributed a large
-share of her property to aid this undertaking, and
-Francis himself gave all he could spare of the little
-he had been able to retain of his private fortune.
-But all in vain. The attempt was unsuccessful
-and the Bourbon cause in Italy hopelessly lost.</p>
-<p>Maria Sophia took no part in these efforts to recover
-the lost crown. She had no confidence in her
-husband&rsquo;s ability and strongly disapproved of her
-mother-in-law&rsquo;s intrigues. As Queen of the Two
-Sicilies she had boldly put aside everything that
-interfered with her personal liberty; but under these
-changed conditions and the protection of the papal
-power she had no longer the right to assert her independence
-or resent the elder woman&rsquo;s jealous opposition.
-The monotony and inactivity to which she
-was doomed in Rome were torture to her energetic
-spirit, and she became nervous and irritable. By
-way of retaliation and diversion she resorted to all
-sorts of tricks and foolish pranks, which enraged her
-mother-in-law and were little becoming a queen on
-whom the eyes of Europe had been so recently fixed
-with admiration and respect.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_102">102</div>
-<p>But this unnatural life had much more serious
-results also. Meeting, as she constantly did, men
-far more clever and attractive than the ex-King of
-Naples, it was not strange that the latter should
-have suffered in comparison, although, had he shown
-his love for her in the early days of their married life,
-she might still have preferred him to others. Her
-husband&rsquo;s apparent coldness, however, had chilled
-the warmth of her impulsive nature and turned her
-affections back upon herself. With such a temperament
-and capacity for love, these pent-up emotions
-could not fail to find an outlet sooner or later. A
-Belgian officer won her heart; and Maria Sophia,
-full of life and ardor, forgot her dignity as Queen,
-remembering only that she was young, a woman
-desperately craving affection, alone in a dull, joyless
-court, where the life was intolerable to her.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_103">103</div>
-<p>Less than a year after the heroic defence of Gaeta
-it was said that the ex-Queen of Naples was suffering
-from a disease of the lungs, and much alarm was felt
-for her health. Early in the Summer she left Rome,
-accompanied by the Count and Countess of Trani,
-and went to Possenhofen, where the family was once
-more reunited. Fate had not dealt kindly with the
-Wittelsbach sisters. It was no secret that the Empress
-of Austria&rsquo;s happiness was wrecked and her
-health deranged, and H&eacute;l&egrave;ne of Thurn and Taxis had
-fared little better. Elizabeth&rsquo;s marriage to Francis
-Joseph had crushed her ambitious hopes, and the disappointment
-had embittered her whole life, although
-it had made no difference in the affectionate relations
-between the sisters, H&eacute;l&egrave;ne having left her own
-home to accompany the invalid Empress to Madeira.
-Mathilde of Trani had been married only a year; but
-the temperaments of the Count and Countess were
-totally unsuited to each other. The young couple
-had no permanent place of residence, no prospects
-for the future, and the present was full of difficulties.</p>
-<p>It was generally known that the climate and life
-in Rome had seriously affected the health of the ex-Queen
-of Naples; but a mother&rsquo;s sharp eyes soon
-discovered that there was a deeper source of trouble.
-This daughter, who had inherited all her father&rsquo;s
-brilliancy and charm, was especially dear to the
-Duchess Ludovica, and as she had always shared her
-child&rsquo;s joys, she now comforted her in her hour of
-despair. Early in August Maria Sophia left Possenhofen
-for a sojourn at the baths of Soden, which it
-was hoped would benefit her health, and after a
-visit to her eldest sister at Taxis, returned to Bavaria
-with her mother and the Empress Elizabeth. Francis
-still loved his wife deeply, in spite of the blow his
-faith in her had received, and both he and her own
-family tried to persuade her to return to him; but
-her health was still so poor she had little wish to
-expose herself again to the climate of Rome. In
-October she retired to an Ursuline convent at Augsburg,
-much against the wishes of her family, who
-feared it would appear to the world like a permanent
-separation from her husband. They begged her at
-least to come to Munich and live; but the quiet
-convent life suited Maria and she refused to leave
-her peaceful retreat.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_104">104</div>
-<p>Next to the Duchess Ludovica, her most frequent
-visitor at Augsburg was Queen Marie of Bavaria,
-who had always been her closest friend, and it was
-she who finally persuaded her cousin to exchange
-the convent for a residence in Munich. In January,
-1863, Maria Sophia moved to the Schloss Biederstein,
-situated close to the English gardens and one
-of the most beautiful spots in the Bavarian capital.
-Again and again the ex-King of Naples made offers
-of reconciliation, and at length his patience and devotion
-touched his wife&rsquo;s heart. Possibly, also, her
-eyes were gradually opened to the silent martyrdom
-he, on his own part, had endured so long and which
-she at the time had little understood or appreciated.
-It was not until two or three months later, however,
-that she finally decided to return to Italy. On the
-thirteenth of April she arrived once more in Rome,
-where she was warmly welcomed by her husband
-and all the friends of the exiled family, after an
-absence of nearly a year.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_105">105</div>
-<h2 id="c14"><span class="h2line1">Chapter XIV</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Royalty in Exile</span></h2>
-<p>Of all the sovereigns of Europe, Maximilian of
-Baden had been the most loyal champion
-of King Francis&rsquo;s cause. Neither Garibaldi&rsquo;s
-triumphant progress, nor Victor Emanuel&rsquo;s victories,
-nor the unanimous shouts of six million people for
-&ldquo;Italia una&rdquo; could reconcile him to the new state
-of affairs. He had been ill for a long time, and in
-the Autumn of 1863 his physicians recommended a
-sojourn in the south. So strong was his feeling,
-however, against the new ruler of Italy, that rather
-than pass through any part of his dominions, he
-travelled by way of Switzerland to Marseilles, and
-there boarded a vessel that would land him in papal
-territory.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div>
-<p>The voyage was terribly rough and the King
-suffered so acutely with seasickness that it brought
-on an attack of his old complaint. Fearful of the
-consequences of continuing the voyage, his physician
-declared he must be taken ashore at all costs;
-but the sea was too high to permit of the vessel&rsquo;s
-landing, so the suffering monarch had to be lowered
-into an open boat on a mattress and rowed ashore
-by two sailors. Fortunately, they succeeded in
-reaching land safely near San Stefano, where they
-were met by the French consul, and King Max, more
-dead than alive, was cared for so attentively that he
-was able to continue his journey to Civita Vecchia
-by carriage the next morning, arriving in Rome the
-following day. Here he took up his residence in
-the Villa Mattei, and his health began to improve
-at once.</p>
-<p>Maria Sophia was overjoyed to see her cousin
-again. She herself was far from well, and had been
-urged by her physicians to leave Rome; but Max, to
-whom she was devoted, begged her to remain, and
-she yielded to his wishes. In December, however,
-her condition became so alarming that Francis was
-forced to leave with her at once for Venice, a change
-of air being absolutely necessary if her life was to
-be preserved. The ex-King realized at last that it
-was out of the question for his wife to live in Rome,
-and henceforth they spent only the winter months
-there. In the purer air of Venice she soon began
-to gain strength and was able once more to enjoy
-her favorite recreations. The relations between
-Maria Sophia and her husband had much improved,
-and while he had no sympathy with her tastes, nor
-was able to join her in her rides, he no longer opposed
-her in the indulgence of them.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div>
-<p>Meanwhile the Schleswig-Holstein affair had become
-a burning question in Germany. King Frederick
-the Seventh of Denmark had died, and in the
-latter part of November news was received in
-Munich of Prussia&rsquo;s protest against his successor,
-the Duke of Augustenburg. Public feeling ran high,
-and the issue of events was anxiously awaited.
-Under these circumstances the people of Bavaria
-felt the need of their sovereign&rsquo;s presence among
-them and King Max was obliged to leave Rome.
-Although so much improved in health that his physicians
-held out hope of a permanent cure, he was
-still too ill to travel. He suffered a relapse soon
-after reaching home, and died three months later,
-deeply mourned both by his subjects and his family.</p>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>In the Autumn of 1867 an epidemic of cholera
-broke out in Italy. The dowager Queen insisted
-on remaining in her Albanian villa, though all her
-children had hastily left the country. Deserted by
-her family and her court, the widow of Ferdinand
-the Second fell a victim to the scourge. Even the
-servants had fled, and the only person with her at
-her death was an old Neapolitan nobleman who had
-been a friend of her husband&rsquo;s. Although Maria
-Theresa&rsquo;s star had long since set, he remained faithful
-to the last, tending and caring for her while she
-lay ill, and accompanying her body&mdash;the only
-mourner&mdash;to its last resting-place in the neighboring
-churchyard.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_108">108</div>
-<p>The relations between Francis and Maria Sophia
-had never been actually unpleasant; but after the
-death of the Queen dowager, they became more
-attached to each other. Together they made frequent
-visits to their various relatives or entertained
-them in Rome during the Winters. The Empress
-Elizabeth especially was a frequent visitor. These
-two sisters, as unlike in character as in their circumstances,
-had never lost any of their sisterly
-affection for each other. Maria Sophia was with the
-Empress in Hungary when her youngest daughter,
-Marie Valerie, was born in 1868, and had shared her
-joy in that happy event. With it, however, was a
-feeling of sadness for herself, childless and, in a way,
-homeless. Children of her own would have given
-life a new aspect to her, and she felt she would have
-been a different woman. But it was not her way to
-indulge in vain regrets. She had long been indifferent
-toward the world; her only interest now was
-in her dogs and horses, and she would spend whole
-days in the saddle, riding the wildest and most ungovernable
-animals. Once, on one of these rides,
-she met with an accident, from the effects of which
-she was long in recovering, and her husband&rsquo;s quiet
-devotion during this time furnished a proof of his
-affection for her that drew them still closer together.</p>
-<p>Maria Sophia&rsquo;s joy was boundless when, on Christmas
-Eve, 1869, after ten years of married life, she
-gave birth to a daughter in Rome. Four days later,
-the little princess was christened, Pius the Ninth,
-who performed the ceremony himself, acting as
-godfather, and the Empress Elizabeth as godmother.
-She received the names Maria Christina Louisa
-Pia, for her two grandmothers and the Holy Father.
-But the happiness of the ex-King and Queen was
-destined to be of short duration, for their only child
-lived but three months. She died in the following
-March, and was buried in Rome.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_109">109</div>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>The withdrawal of the French troops from
-Rome in 1870 to take part in the war against
-Germany, put an end to the temporal power of the
-Popes. Pius the Ninth was forced to relinquish
-the Quirinal to the same bold conqueror who had
-deprived Francis and Maria Sophia of their kingdom,
-and thereafter they had no permanent residence in
-Rome. As long as the Duke and Duchess Max
-lived, they spent the summers in Bavaria, travelling
-about from place to place during the Winter. The
-greater part of Francis the Second&rsquo;s property, some
-twenty million lire, had been confiscated by the new
-Italian Government, which offered to refund it on
-condition of his formally renouncing all rights to
-the crown he had already lost; but this he refused
-to do. &ldquo;A man does not sell his honor,&rdquo; was his
-unfailing reply. Eventually he was paid back his
-mother&rsquo;s dowry; but the immense sum that King
-Ferdinand had settled on his eldest son at the time
-of his marriage to Maria Sophia was appropriated
-by Victor Emanuel, as were the contents of the
-royal palace. Many of the paintings and works of
-art are still shown at &ldquo;Capo di Monte&rdquo; in Naples,
-to the indignation of many of the sovereigns of
-Europe.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_110">110</div>
-<p>Although the climate of Rome had never agreed
-with Maria Sophia, both she and her husband often
-declared that they had never really known the
-terrors of exile till they were forced to leave Italy.
-Francis never quite gave up hope that some turn of
-events would pave the way for his return to his own
-and his father&rsquo;s throne; but the heroine of Gaeta
-never looked backward. The pomp and show of
-royalty had never appealed to her, and she indulged
-in no vain regrets.</p>
-<p>The lives of the Wittelsbach sisters had proved
-a source of grief and anxiety to their parents.
-H&eacute;l&egrave;ne, left a widow in 1867, after ten years of unhappy
-married life, had managed the vast estates
-of the Thurn and Taxis family with great ability
-during the minority of her eldest son, Maximilian.
-This prince, a most promising youth, died in 1885,
-at the early age of twenty-three, and the blow
-almost cost his despairing mother her reason, while
-the following year, Count Ludwig of Trani drowned
-himself in one of the Swiss lakes.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_111">111</div>
-<p>The youngest daughter of the ducal pair, Sophie
-Charlotte, had been first betrothed to Ludwig the
-Second of Bavaria; but the King jilted his cousin
-in the most heartless fashion, and she afterward
-married Ferdinand d&rsquo;Alen&ccedil;on, an uncle of Louis
-Philippe of France. Banished from France with the
-rest of the house of Orleans, the Duke and Duchess
-spent their time travelling from place to place, and
-Sophie was sickly and discontented, a victim to fits
-of melancholia. By his death on the fourteenth of
-November, 1888, good Duke Max was spared the
-tragedy of Mayerling, where his favorite grandson
-and the hope of the Austrian Empire, Rudolf of
-Hapsburg, met with a violent and mysterious death
-three months later. On the twenty-fourth of January,
-1890, the Duchess Ludovica was seized with
-an attack of influenza at her palace in Munich,
-which developed into pneumonia. The physicians
-at once pronounced her condition serious on account
-of her advanced age, and the absent daughters were
-telegraphed for. Sophie was already in Munich,
-as were the three sons. The next afternoon the
-Duchess grew so much worse that the sacrament
-was administered; but in spite of the evident approach
-of death the indomitable old lady refused to
-go to bed. She insisted upon remaining in the
-reclining chair which she had occupied from the beginning
-of her illness, and where she soon sank into
-unconsciousness, passing away quietly at four o&rsquo;clock
-in the morning, surrounded by children, grandchildren,
-and great-grandchildren, at the age of
-eighty-three. The death of the Duchess Ludovica
-was an irreparable loss to her family. They had
-leaned on her in joy as in sorrow, and as long as she
-lived she had held them together, widely scattered
-as they were, with a firm and loving hand. Her
-children&rsquo;s troubles and pleasures had been her own,
-and their devotion, her joy and reward.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_112">112</div>
-<h2 id="c15"><span class="h2line1">Chapter XV</span>
-<br /><span class="h2line2">Conclusion</span></h2>
-<p>After the funeral of the Duchess Ludovica,
-Maria Sophia returned to Paris, where the
-ex-King of Naples had bought a residence
-some years before, and where they were living very
-quietly, seeing no one but old friends or relatives.
-Her grief at her mother&rsquo;s loss was deep and sincere,
-and for a time she was inconsolable. For her it
-meant the severing of all the old ties and associations;
-and henceforth she rarely visited the home of her
-childhood.</p>
-<p>A few months later H&eacute;l&egrave;ne of Thurn and Taxis
-died after a long and painful illness, at the age of
-fifty-eight. The Empress Elizabeth had hastened
-to her and was with her when she died, but none of
-the three younger sisters were able to be present.</p>
-<p>In the Autumn of 1894 the ex-King of Naples
-went to the baths at Arco in the Tyrol for his health,
-while his wife remained in Paris. Francis had suffered
-for several years with an incurable complaint,
-and it was reported that his illness had recently
-taken a serious turn; but this had been denied.
-Death came sooner than any one expected, however,
-to the unfortunate monarch, for he expired on the
-twenty-seventh of December&mdash;alone, as he had
-lived. Maria Sophia started at once for Arco on
-the news of his illness, but arrived too late to find
-him alive.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_113">113</div>
-<p>Not a flag was lowered in the kingdom of his
-fathers to mark the death of Francis the Second
-of Naples, nor was his body even allowed to rest in
-the land he had loved. In all his vicissitudes, the
-long years of exile, and the hours of loneliness and
-pain, Italy had been ever in his heart. Through all
-his wanderings he had been haunted by memories
-of the blue skies and sunny gardens of his childhood
-days. His love for his native land extended even
-beyond the grave, for in his will he bequeathed a
-million lire to charitable institutions in Naples and
-Palermo.</p>
-<p>Duke Karl Theodor and his wife, with several other
-members of Maria Theresa&rsquo;s family, hastened at once
-to Arco to comfort Maria Sophia and be present
-at the ex-King&rsquo;s funeral. It took place on the third
-of January, 1895, and was attended by a large number
-of royalties and other distinguished personages.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_114">114</div>
-<p>In the bright Winter sunshine the body of Francis
-the Second was borne to the cathedral where it was
-to be laid to rest. The narrow streets were thronged
-with black-garbed men and women, and bells were
-tolled in all the churches, while the trumpets of the
-two battalions of Austrian J&auml;gers sent by the Emperor
-Francis Joseph, to pay the last honors to the deceased
-sovereign, sounded a farewell. At the door
-of the church the procession was met by the ex-Queen
-with her sisters, Mathilde and Sophie, with several
-of her sisters-in-law, and other noble ladies who
-formed the band of mourners. The services lasted
-five hours, and were conducted by the Archbishop of
-Trent; but at last all was ended, the dim cathedral
-was left silent and empty, and only the sound of tolling
-bells echoed mournfully through the wintry air.</p>
-<p>The life of Francis the Second of Naples was one
-of renunciation. Little sympathy or affection fell
-to his lot. He was arbitrary where he should have
-been yielding, and yielding where he should have
-been firm; yet during his short reign he was one of
-the most conspicuous figures in European politics,
-and he had carried a kingdom with him in his downfall.
-He was a good man and a good Christian,
-and, in spite of his shortcomings, a real hero; for
-while his heart was bleeding, he bore his sorrows in
-silence and hid his sufferings from the world.</p>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>Although Maria Sophia had never really loved her
-husband, a close and sincere friendship had grown
-up between them, and she truly mourned his death.
-After the funeral she returned with her brother and
-his wife to Munich, where for a time she occupied
-her old residence, the Schloss Biederstein; but now
-that she was alone the thought of living there was
-unbearable to her.</p>
-<div class="img" id="pic4">
-<img src="images/p03.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="862" />
-<p class="caption"><i>FRANCIS SECOND
-<br />in his sixtieth year</i></p>
-</div>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_115">115</div>
-<p>The claims of the ex-King to the throne of Naples
-passed at his death to Alfonzo, Count of Caserta;
-and while Francis had left his wife a large sum of
-money, the bulk of his fortune had been bequeathed
-to this brother whose marriage had been blessed
-with ten children. The residence in Paris occupied
-by the royal pair had been included in this; and as
-Maria Sophia wished to be free to live her own life,
-she bought an estate at Neuilly-sur-Seine, where
-she lives quite alone the greater part of the year.
-She rarely goes to Bavaria, but spends a few weeks
-each winter at Arco. It was her intention originally
-to have her husband&rsquo;s body removed to her family
-burial-place in Tegernsee; but the last King of
-Naples still sleeps before the high altar in the cathedral
-of the little Tyrolean town. This quiet spot
-has grown dear to the ex-Queen, and she mixes
-freely and pleasantly with the people who go there
-for the baths. She is still a distinguished woman,&mdash;distinguished
-in the best sense of the word,&mdash;with
-much of that charm that is like a reflection of the
-past. Most of her time, however, she devotes to
-the real passion of her life, her farm, where she raises
-thoroughbred dogs and horses. Maria Sophia is
-not a recluse; but she lives in a world of her own,
-and cares for animals more than for people. In
-former days her sisters used often to visit her at
-Neuilly, the Duchess d&rsquo;Alen&ccedil;on then living in Paris,
-and the Empress Elizabeth and Countess of Trani
-frequently stopping there on their journeys.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_116">116</div>
-<p>The portraits of these four sisters plainly show
-their differences of character. Mathilde of Trani
-is the picture of discontent and disillusionment;
-Elizabeth is the mourner; Sophie d&rsquo;Alen&ccedil;on is resigned
-and weary of the world, while Maria, unlike all the
-others, looks bravely out at life, despite her years.</p>
-<p>She accepted the decrees of fate with courage and
-fortitude, and bore her troubles more philosophically
-than her sisters, therefore she has kept her cheerfulness
-and serenity, and much of her former beauty.
-She is always active, for she still feels young. But
-her solitary life and her preference for the society
-of animals to people, show that the life of this gayest
-and soundest of the Wittelsbach sisters has also been
-a tragedy.</p>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>Three years after the death of the ex-King of
-Naples, another terrible misfortune occurred in the
-family. On the fourth of May, 1897, the French
-capital was the scene of a most frightful catastrophe.
-The ladies of the French aristocracy were holding a
-bazaar for charity, in a building which had been
-roughly and carelessly constructed, and lined with
-booths in which many prominent society women
-sold wares donated for the purpose. A kinematograph
-had also been installed to add to the entertainment.
-In the middle of the afternoon, when the
-crowd was greatest, a lamp attached to this suddenly
-burst, and in an instant the whole building was in
-flames. The exits were insufficient and hard to
-find, and scores of people perished.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_117">117</div>
-<p>Among the most prominent of the workers was
-Sophie, Duchess d&rsquo;Alen&ccedil;on, who was a devout
-Catholic and had devoted the latter years of her
-life almost entirely to charity. Witnesses of the
-scene of horror who escaped with their lives have
-told of the Duchess&rsquo;s heroism in attempting to save
-others, forgetful of her own danger. One lady tried
-to carry her out by force; but she broke away, and
-dashing back into the flames, took her place in her
-own booth again, calmly assisting in getting the
-young girls into a place of safety.</p>
-<p>All that night it was hoped that she, too, had
-succeeded in making her escape. But the next day
-a wedding ring, bearing the name of Ferdinand
-d&rsquo;Alen&ccedil;on, was found in the ruins and all hope of finding
-her alive was abandoned. Her body, burned
-beyond all recognition, was afterward identified by
-a dentist who had supplied her with some false teeth
-shortly before. Maria Sophia was in Neuilly at the
-time of the accident, and her appearance with the
-Duke d&rsquo;Alen&ccedil;on, at the requiem mass held in memory
-of the dead in the Church of St. Philippe de Rule, was
-her last public appearance in the world. When the
-Empress Elizabeth, who fell by the hand of an assassin
-on the shore of Lake Geneva a year later, was
-laid away in the vault of the Capucins at Vienna,
-Maria Sophia was unable to be present. Only in
-spirit could she bid farewell to this favorite sister,
-under whose cold and reserved exterior had beaten
-a warm and loving heart.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_118">118</div>
-<p class="center"><span class="gs">* * * * * * * *</span></p>
-<p>Many years have passed since the Rose of Starnberg
-Lake was planted at the foot of Vesuvius, many
-since Francis the Second&rsquo;s tottering throne collapsed,
-burying the hopes of a lifetime. But time has
-treated Maria Sophia gently. If she has wept
-bitter tears, the world has seen no trace of them.
-Her smile is still that of the beautiful young Queen
-of Naples, and she has kept that youth of the heart
-that never fades. But what her thoughts are as
-she goes about among her pets, no one knows. Does
-she still see Gaeta at times behind its dark, receding
-cliffs? Perhaps, for it was there that she displayed
-for the first and only time the gifts with which Providence
-had endowed her, and the supreme moments
-of life one does not forget.</p>
-<p>The romance of Maria Sophia&rsquo;s life ended at
-Gaeta: forced from the world&rsquo;s stage with all the
-splendid promise of her youth unfulfilled, she has
-never since taken part in the affairs of men. Yet
-she is not morbid or unhappy. She looks back
-upon her life without bitterness, and if her heart
-has longings, it is not for her vanished crown and
-sceptre.</p>
-<p>The struggle for Italian unity has given place to
-other and newer events in the world&rsquo;s history. The
-Queen of Naples has hidden her royal honors under
-the modest title of Duchess of Castro. When she
-dies, an almost forgotten episode will be revived and
-the &ldquo;Heroine of Gaeta&rdquo; recalled to the memory of
-men; but only the gray-haired soldiers who knew
-and served under the young Queen will remember
-how gay and brilliant she was, will see her again in
-all her fresh young beauty.</p>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_119">119</div>
-<p>Maria Sophia was a heroine but for a day; but
-time has no power to touch her memory. Clothed
-in the radiance of perpetual youth, she stands a
-glowing figure in the annals of history.</p>
-<h2>Footnotes</h2>
-<div class="fnblock"><div class="fndef"><a class="fn" id="fn_1" href="#fr_1">[1]</a>The nickname of
-King Bomba was given to Ferdinand after the
-bombardment of Messina in Sicily, but also referred to the huge, unwieldy
-figure that he acquired, especially in the later years of his life.
-</div>
-</div>
-<div class="pb" id="Page_121">121</div>
-<h2 id="c16">Appendix</h2>
-<p>The following is a chronological statement of the
-principal events connected with this narrative:</p>
-<table class="center">
-<tr><td>1807 </td><td>Birth of Garibaldi.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1810 </td><td>Birth of Ferdinand the Second.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1836 </td><td>Birth of Francis the Second.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1859 </td><td>Death of Ferdinand the Second.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1859 </td><td>Francis the Second succeeds to the Throne.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1859 </td><td>Beginning of the Italian Revolution.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1859 </td><td>Battles of Magenta and Solferino.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1860 </td><td>Garibaldi Dictator of Sicily.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1860 </td><td>Garibaldi enters Naples.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1860 </td><td>Francis the Second driven from Naples.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1860 </td><td>Annexation of Central Italy to Sardinia.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1860 </td><td>Outbreak of Revolution in Lower Italy.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1861 </td><td>Surrender of Gaeta.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1861 </td><td>Victor Emanuel proclaimed King of Italy.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1862 </td><td>Garibaldi invades Sicily.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1862 </td><td>Garibaldi defeated and retires.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1866 </td><td>French Garrison withdrawn from Rome.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1870 </td><td>Victor Emanuel occupies Rome.</td></tr>
-<tr><td>1882 </td><td>Death of Garibaldi.</td></tr>
-</table>
-<div class="box">
-<p class="center">LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE</p>
-<p class="center"><i>Translated from the German by</i>
-<br />GEORGE P. UPTON</p>
-<p class="center"><span class="sc">28 Volumes Now Ready</span></p>
-<p class="tbcenter"><i>Historical and Biographical</i></p>
-<dl class="undent"><dt><span class="sc">Barbarossa</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">William of Orange</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Maria Theresa</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">The Maid of Orleans</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Frederick the Great</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">The Little Dauphin</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Herman and Thusnelda</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">The Swiss Heroes</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Marie Antoinette&rsquo;s Youth</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">The Duke of Brittany</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Louise, Queen of Prussia</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">The Youth of the Great Elector</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Emperor William First</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Elizabeth, Empress of Austria</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Charlemagne</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Prince Eugene</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Eug&eacute;nie, Empress of the French</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Queen Maria Sophia of Naples</span></dt></dl>
-<p class="center"><i>Musical Biography</i></p>
-<dl class="undent"><dt><span class="sc">Beethoven</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Mozart</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Johann Sebastian Bach</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Joseph Haydn</span></dt></dl>
-<p class="center"><i>Legendary</i></p>
-<dl class="undent"><dt><span class="sc">Frithjof Saga</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Gudrun</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">The Nibelungs</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">William Tell</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Arnold of Winkelried</span></dt>
-<dt><span class="sc">Undine</span></dt></dl>
-<p class="center">Illustrated. Each 50 cents <i>net</i></p>
-<p class="center">A. C. McCLURG &amp; CO., <span class="sc">Chicago</span></p>
-</div>
-<h2>Transcriber&rsquo;s Notes</h2>
-<ul>
-<li>Copyright notice provided as in the original&mdash;this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.</li>
-<li>In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)</li>
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