THE WHITE LADY OF THE HOHENZOLLERNS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12604, 21 September 1906, Page 3

THE WHITE LADY OF THE HOHENZOLLERNS.

Ev S. lUrinc-'Joi'ld Authii r of " Mehaiah," " The r.nora Squire," etc. It rarely happens that a death occurs in tho Imperial Hr>u.->o of Germany without rumours circulating in Berlin relative to an appearance of tho White Lady as having given forewarning of the death. Although the names of those who are said to have won the apparition are confidently given such relations are never now attested, and this is popularly attributed to the reticence of courtiers, unwilling to bo biought into publicity on a matter ro clearly connected with the Imperial Family, and imt to tlio .story itself being purely fabulous. The earliest recorded appearance cf the White. Lady was to a Counto.-s of Leiningon. before the death of the Elector Joachim 1., of Brandenburg; and she is also rumouled to have been t:een by Anna Sydow, the miotics of Joachim 11., who died in 1571. Anna tjydow was tho widow of a gunfounder when the Elector fell in love with her. Bofore his death he exacted a solemn promi;*; from hi.s wn, who would succeed him, to treat her kindly; but no sooner was the breath out of his mouth than John George had her arrested., and confined for the rest of her days to the fortress of Spandau. It is popularly supposed that the Whito Lady it? "the spirit of the same Anna, "the pretty Foundress," as the people cf Berlin called her. But this can hardly be. if she herself had seen the snirit, and it had ako been seen beforo the death of Joachim I. in 1535. The popular story is that Anna's restless spirit haunts the palace at Berlin, and that at Potsdam, out of revenge for the ill-treatment and tho broken oath of the Elector, John George and that she is seen beforo any great disaster to Prussia, and especially in tho years 40, as IG4O, 1740, and 1840. She was seen again in 1619, shortly before the death of the Elector, John Bigismund, and hie discussion, with the Court Chaplain Bergiue, on the subject was recorded by the latter. "In tho afternoon, hie Princely Highness enquired whether the White Lady had been seen And in fact she had been that very day, as indeed at all time whan tho Almighty has brought a visitation of death to the House of Brandenburg. The apparition is that ; of a whito personage in a, posture of distress. As such sho has boon eocn in the Electoral Palace on various occasions by individuals of all ages and conditions, even by princely personages, but she never inspires stich terror as to do harm or injures anyo.no in any way. ■ Consequctnitly no .manner of doubt can be entertained as to tho reality of the apparition, though among tho common people much fabulous matter circu'ates relative jba.thie matter But what we aro'"to"TtKlnfc about is, whether it bo the apparition of one dead or a bad .angel, or whether it bo a lost soul or a mere phantasm. I have no time to express what I think, but of this we may be well assured, that the apparition does not show itself contrary to God's providence, but rather that it manifests itself for a good end, as a warning to those who are living with too little thought of their latter end; it does not show that a death must inevitably follow the apparition, but that it is sent by God aa a warning to fetir to prayer. Now, when his Princely Highness further questioned mo on the matter, I bade him not bo afraid of tlie White Lady as she would do him no injury. Nevorthe less the apparition presages a great loss to the House of Brandenburg, to wit the death of tho reigning head of tin same." • In 1652 and 1667 the White Lady wae eeon before the deaths of tho mother of tho Elector and Electross, Louise Henrietta. In 1678 she appeared to the Margrave Erdmann Philip. He was grandson of Christian, who was son of John George, Elector of Brandenburg. This branch of tho family hold the Margravate of Beyrouth. According to the young prince's statement, the Whito Lady appeared to him as he eat in hie armchair. Shortly after this ho and his horse fell on the racecourse at Bayreuth, and he was mortally injured. Ho had strength antl courage to ascend the steps and retire to his room, as if nothing had happened. But within a few deye ho was dead. The Whito Lady also appeared beforo the death of the great Elector, Frederick William, in 1668. She was seen several times during tho year before ho died, ond on tho day of his death was soen by the Court Chaplain, Buneenius, who noted down the day and hour which proved to coincide with the time of the Elector's decca.-e. If we may believe tho following curious account from the pen of a lady in waiting at the Prussian Court, the White Lady appears on other occasions than the eve of a death in the Hohcnzollern family. <l ln the year of 1781 or 1782 (I cannot novfr recall precisely which it was), the then Crown Prince Frederick William came to his wife (the mother of Frederick William III.) and said that the White Lady had eliown herself to tho Queen, the wifo of Frederick 11., iv this wise. The Queen was sitting in her cabinet nlong with eomo of her ladies. This cabinet had a window commanding the nearest room on the other eide, and through this the Queen saw the full length figure of the Whito Lady, and fell into a condition of tho utmost terror. Whereupon tho apparition disappeared. The Queen wan spoken to, soothed, end as-urod that vshe had been deceived by a reflexion of the sun; but ehe persisted in her assertion ; and remained all night profoundly agitated. Next morning, «s usual, the Upper Lady-in-W T aiting, Countess yon Camfts, went to read to the Queen, at 8 o'clock. But the latter bogged Mme. Camas not to read, as she was in no condition of mind to hwarken. An easy chair stood near tho bed. The Qiie?n began to speak of the apparition eho had seen, and 31 mc. yon Camas endeavoured to undeceive her. when all at once both (*aw n whitc-voilod femaJo form in th? arm-chair. A piercing cry 'li<turbed the vision, and it vanished. ! From this moment on the White Lady showod herself in the- Castlo, e>pecially at midnight. The Kiug was told of it. whether he saw her, no ono could learn from him; but ho gave strict ord.-rs. under pain of corporal punishment, that the soldiers on guard should not speak of the matter, if they did chance to see the spectre. "A great disturbance took placo in the upper story, where liv-.d tho Crown Prince's and the principal ladies in waiting. I slept in the room adjoining that of the Crown Priuct**?, and I was

much disturbed one night by the noise, but she slept through' it." When the White Lady appeared to anyone of us, nothing was eaid alx>ut it. But in-tho great corridor on the ground floor, at the door of the treasury, and where the State papers were kept, she hatted for some minutes, then pa«wd on, and returned again. She seemed to bo especially drawn towards the- treasury.

"A young officer, of the Brunswick regiment, asked permiesion to join the guard for a night, and was with the grenadiers who wexo «»ntrnels there. This was granted. And lie also saw hsr, a stately figure, wearing a long veil and a trailing dress, and with her arm folded over her breast. She l>ent a.s she approached the door, as though sh:j were listening But this young man suffered for his temerity. He fVll ill in consequence. 1 knew him. hi* aunt was my intimate friend. I cannot say how much longer the White Lady showed herself, but as to her having boon seen, of that I have not the sli;ilit<-<st doubt." Before the death of the beautiful Queen Louise of Prussia, who died in 1310, tho White Lady is wild to have been seen in the palace of Berlin.

But one of the most curious and interesting apparitions is that which took place on Juno 22nd, 18o". Then the gmird in front of the palac> of Chariotten.hurg saw a cofi'm carried by four headless men into tho palace. It was empty. After a while the guard saw thorn return, with tho White Lady preceding them. The coffin was no longer empty. In it by a man in military uniform, without a Load, but in its place was a royal crown. This mysterious procession pnstnd out of the gates, and vanished in the of tho square before the palace, lint the White Lady turned bark, passed the sentinels, and entered the p:.laco again. Shortly after Frederick William IV. became deranged, siiid he died in 18(31. According to an account given by tho Castellan of tho Court of Bayre uth, tho White Lady appeared there to tho enemies of the House of Brandenburg, in 1809 the palace of Bayre uth wjs occupied by French officers, quartered there under (Jeneral de and whwi in 1812, Napoleon was at Bayreuth, as he had heard so moth iiis of the affair, he sent for tho Castellan, and enquired into particulars.

"Sire," si id tho Castellan, named Schlnttcr, "the General arrived hero lato in the evening, and weary, and went to rest oarlv. During the night a frightful scrosim rang out from his room. The orderlies rushed in, and found the General's bod, which had boon against the wall when ho retired to sleep, was run in tho middle of the room, and was upset, and under it lay the General in a condition of unconsciousness. He was drawn forth, a physician was summoned, who bled him, and when ho recovered his senses, gave him a powder. The General now related how t-hat the White Lady had appeared to him, and had endeavoured to strangle him. Ho described exactly her appearance, figure and eyes. At his urgent request I led him to the portrait of the lady, and when ho saw it, he became white as a sheet, his knees gave way under him, and ho gasped forth, "It i e s |,o—undoubtedly she, and the has appeared, to forewarn mo that I muet die." His orderlies ddd their utmost to allay his excitement, and to discredit the vision. But he persisted in his story, and ordered his quartern to bo moy/i<& to the princely Villa of Fantasio. Next morning General de l'Espagne sent a detachment of soldiers here, under an officer, to rip up tho floors, and pull down the pannelling to see if there were any secret passage communicating with his bedroom. Nothing, however, was found. This made the Count do I'Espagne the more uneasy, and the following day he left Bayroiith. still under the impression that ho had received his death warning." "And. in fact," ea.id Napoleon, "ho died soon after in tho battle of AsNapoleon had already hoard a good doal about tho adventure of do 1 Lβpugne, from General Puroc, and ho was evidently imj?ressod. ty what he ' was*' told, and' ii& -ordered a. -mite - ofrooms to be mado ready for him in the now wing of tho Pilaco, which would bo less likely to be haunted. than the older portion. Nmwlcon was now on his way to Russia, to carry out his eventful campaign there, tiio turning pomt of his fortunes. Having taken possession of a room, Napoleon dismissed his attendants, spread out his war raacu on tho table, and paced tho room, then seated hinir self, looking over tho maps, and then strode up and down again, till wearied he sank into his armchair. But all at onco the attendants without were startled by a hoarso cry, and Constant, lug valet, rushed in and laid hold of his master. saying, "Sire! Siro! Awako!" Napokon mado a movej ment with his arms to drive Constant ! off, but then opened his eyes. "Sire!" eaid the faithful servant, "I heard your groans and cry, and rushed in, and saw your Majesty writhing in the armchair. A bad dream seemed to be troubling yon* -Majesty, and on that account I ventured to awake Napoleon made no reply, but seemed unusually troubled, and looked searchingly aibout the room. All was, however, as he had left his articles tho maps and compnes on the table undisturbed. Tho fire on the hearth wae nil but extinguished. Napolee-n rose shivering from his chair, that he might :'retire~ to bed. Constant took up a chandelier, and preceding the emperor, opened the door into the adjoining ohamher. Tho Emperor was in bed a quarter of an hour later, and Constant and Roustan withdrew, to take some rest themselves. This, however, was destined to be short, for presently Constant was roused by a cry from Napoleon, and ho rushed into his master's bedroom. "Constant," said the Emperor, "this tinio it was no dream. Tho WMte Lady has been hero, I saw her distinctly. I had not gone to sleep, in fact all my faculties wero alert. I saw the long white figure, the head covered by a veil, rise out of the floor yonder near that wall. In a moment she was beside my bed, and had raised her hand. I laid hold of her, and eoreamod for you, but sho slipped from my fingen; and vanished. I Kay. as did General de l'Eepagne. that there is trickery here, and a trap door somewhere. Call Rouetan, and got lights, and examine floor and wainscot." The eervants did as required, and searched minutely for .secret entry, cupboard or passage; but in vain. The oak flooring was solidly put together, nnd the velvet tapestry wae everywhere fast, nailed to the wal's. "Well." said the Emp?ror, "I suppnro it must have been a dream, the second in which the White Lady has vexed mc. Go your ways, we will sleep." The two men departed, again, to seek repose. But an hour had hardly passed before again a cry from the Emperor brought Constant into brdroom. He stood in amazement at the door. The Emperor's bed was in tho middle of the room, and a table bcsido it. This table was overthrown, qmd the lamp that had stood on it was lying extinguished on the floor. "Has any accident happened to your Majesty?" asked Constant, approaching tho Ixhl. "No," said Napoleon, who had risen in a fitting posture, "no accident, that is no harm has come to mc, but that accursed white spirit has visited mo again. She wantod to deal with mc, as with General d'Kspagne, to strangle mc and upjct the bed. I woke up ac this dreadful woman thrust my ccuch into the middle of the room. I shouted for you. and she vanished. Aβ it is clear that the Whit? Lady does not relish the prvsenes or several persons in the room, do you and Roustan the ri-et of the night here.' .

Accordingly the two attendants soatod themselves, on-s on. each, eido of the

bed, each, with a loaded pistol in his hand, and in about an hour Napoleon fell asleep, and was no more disturbed. Next morning be was unusually pale, and troubled in expression. Ho- spoke very little, and immediately after breakfast left the palace, never to rovisit it.

Whether ho dreamed, or whether some attempt had been made to assassinate him, jio one can say, but what ie certain is that this incident of whatever nature it wae, marked the point whence hie luck turned, and disaster came upon him. But the White Lady is also supposed to visit tlie royal palace of Stuttgart. One night in November. 1835. tho White Lady was «;n?n by the sentinels, in the gallery that opened on the stateapartnfbnts, and tapped at the door of the Prince of Monttort. Next day the King of Wtirt-oinberg, William 1., said to his nephew, the Prince of Montfort, whoiM. , mother wns ill at Lausanne-: "Go immediately and see her. lam uneasy about my sister." Tho Priuoo went at once to Switzerland, and arrived but ju«*t in time to receive her last *igh. This princess was Catherine, who had boen married to Jerome Bonaparte, when he had been made King of Westphalia. When that kingdom came to an end he was suffered to bear the title of Prince of .Montfort.

One dark night in 1831, a carriage, with six horiK'fc harncsvcd to it, rolled through the streets to Stuttgart, and drew up at tho entrance to the palace, ihe White Lady descended from it, and passed into the* palace; the guard were so paralysed with fear that they made no motion to prevent her. Slie iva« thon seen in the gallery, whore tho sentinels were too much alarmed to stir. This was in January, 1831. A few days after died Duke Ferdinand of WurUniberg, the. King's uncle. . Catherine, the wife of King William, was ill, the door of lier room suddenly flew open, as if the wind liad done this. "Please, to shut the door," said tho Queen to her reader, who sat by t«he bed. Tho lady iji waiting rose to do so, but as she returned, to her dismay saw the White Lady occupying her seat by the Quoen's bed. Two days later, January 9tli, 1819, Queen Catherine was dead. But, who was this White Lady when in tho flesh ? Tradition says that sho wa.s the beautiful widowed Countess of Orlamunde, who fell in love with Albert. Burgrave of Brandenburg, and wanted to marry him. Ho, however, remarked to a friend that two pair of oyos stood in the way, meaning his j parents. His saying was reported to the Countess, and she, supposing that his words referred to her two children, resolved on making away with them. This sho did by driving long hairpins tlfrough their ears into their brains. Tho murder took place in tbo Castle of Plasssnburg. When tho Burgravo Albert heard of this, he would havo nothing further to say to her. She made a pilgrimage to Rome, and in expiation of tiho murder, founded tho convent of HimmeLkron. In the church of the convent is her monument, also that of Albert, and also of tho two murdered children. The estates of the Countees of Orlamunde only came into the possession of the House of Hohenzollern through the Electress Anna, daughter of Duke Albert Frederick of Prussia, who married John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, in 1594. Tho story of the murder, however, rests on no historical basis. In fact, Himmolkron was not founded by a Countess of Orlamundo, and the supposed tomib of the Burgrave Albert is that of some other noble with arms on it, not those of the Hohenzollerns; and. further still, th<» reported tomb of the- Countees herself, on close examination, proves not to bo that of a woman at all, but of a young kn,ight. Lastly, tho supposed murdered babes represented on tho third tombstone, provo to bo little- cherubs, wJk> are holding up a shield. In 1701 this grave was opened, and a mighty jawbone, a shoo solo, and the remains of a.browm habit, were found in it. So much for papular tradition. •.-Curiously enough, another skittish widow, Beatrix of Rosenberg, has the same talo told of her, that ie somewhat better substantiated. Beatrix, or as others call her Becrtha, was the daughter of Ulrich V. of Rosenberg, Burgrave of Bohemia, and Goneral in command of the troops engaged against tho Hussites. Beatrix was born between 1420 and 1430. She was married in 1449 to John of Lichtenstein, a rich Stvrian baron, but ho was a rough, dissohito man, and mad© her vory unhappy, but diod early, leaving her a widow with two littio children. After tho death of her husband she retired to her brother. Henry IV., of Rosenberg, who finally died ■without issue in 1-157. Then Beatrix retired to Neuhaus in Bohemia, wlero sho occupied herself in building the castle. She met the Burgrave Albert of Brandenburg, the handsomest man of his time, fell desperately in love with him, and for his sake murdered hor two children. As he rejected her with loathing, she flung herself from a window of the castle, and perished on the rooks at its feet.

Her portrait was long preserved at NcuhauK, but the Castlo was burnt in about 1820, and it is not known to Die whether the painting was destroyed at the same time According to one version it is tihis Beatrix or Bertha of Rosenberg, who is< the White Lady haunting the family of the lover who had rejected her, and who unwittingly had caused her to murder her children and to commit suicide. The story about Aldegund of Orlamumio is too uncertain, and there is little ground for supposing the White Lady to Ik> Anna Sydow. But —is there- a "White Lady? Iβ it not extremely possible that some of the damsels of the palace, the maids of honour, may wander aibout the passages of the palace at night, possibly as sleep walkers, perhaps visiting one another to enter into private tittletattle, and bo mistaken for ghosts This soeine to be toll© most natural explanation. And it may be remarked that sometimes the White Lady prognosticates nothing at all.