MAD KING'S ROMANCE

Evening Star, Issue 16312, 3 January 1917, Page 4

MAD KING'S ROMANCE

FORTY YEARS IX AX ASYLUM. The recent death of the mad King Otto ot Bavaria recalls one of the most "pitiful oramas of modern history. King Otto was ft king in nam.e only"; ho was never crowned, and never sat on the. throno which was his by right. For over 40 years this unhappy monarch was confined to a madhouse, and never once did ho realise ho was the ruler of a kiicdom. 'The history of the Royal house of Bavaria for several generations has afforded a. striking lesson of the dreadful results of wild and vicious living. Itshows that even all thj: power and wealth of kings cannot avert the awful consequences of an evil life. King Otto's grandfather was compelled, to abdicate on account, of his shameless intrigues and estai pades. His successor, the mad King's i mother, who had a, career no less proliferate, and notorious, ended his life, by comimttip" i.suicide, drowning himself in the lake in i the grounds' of lus palace of Beig in 1336. ! Otto when a boy ini,; very eccentric. It, i was not until about the time whan t'no | Gorman people, became one nation that, his I mental condition attracted serious att-eu-I tion. Then he particularly distinguished ! himsei: by leading a regiment entrusted to j Him by tho "Grey Kaiser"' in a spirited j attack upon —a wait! A lengthy tour ; through Spain and Italy brought 'no inij provemenl to his disordered mind, and j ■eventually he, found himself contiued in the j lonclv Sehioss Fuistciroid. Hero he brooded and smoked incessantly, the unconscious rc-i ipiciif of regal hunor.-. Ho occupied a suite of apartments the doors of which, as we!! as the outer door leading into the garde::, were always left open m the, daytime, for the insane King I could not bear the tight of a closed door! j lie seemed suspicious of restraint, and his ; attendants hid all appearance of authority j over Ids movements. At time-, however, he hecamo conscious of what- was due to his rank. On one j occasion ho administered a sharp and j wholly unexpected reimko to a physician who if.-.'iU-d a cigar without permission in j tho Royal presence. Tho Kins; was always jdres.-ed' in black. His beard was very long [and ;i:;c», and he, would not allow it to be • trimmed. lie often washed his hands and June, but could seldom be persuaded to [ take a bath. JIo was pvassinnately fond |of cigarettes, and smoked more than 40 j a liny. Every time he lighted one he burned a. wh'olo box <■•!' matches, and scented l;> enjoy the noise and ilaiiie. Ho hud a remarkably good appetite, and had a great ivoikiics fur ■ hunipa.gno. which wa-i brought in hint whenever the phygave th? assenting sign. He did not recogVise even hi« own servants, except an old woman who had charge of the silver. He had. known imr all his life. She . used to cairy him in her arms wben he was a, baby, and it. was most touching to see bow the la:-t faint rays of his fading intelligence rested upon her alone. When |he saw her ho calhd her by name ami ordered her to bring him whatever he ban pened io fancy, usually strong beer. In a moment he { irgot what lie had said ,w\ relapsed into bis usual state of apalhv. This mad King had a love romance, which he never seemed to forget. Many years ag« three, hidi, s and a. man iod.n" out to ".Yiesbaden one sunny morning in the earh- summer to picnic in the woods that clothe tho hills above the. town. Thev wore a meny partv, and Ihe ladies were young and extremely pretty. As they sat chat tine; and laughing two gentlemen", one in uniform and one in mufti, rode past, and limn sin],ncd ;l! . ... Hiilo distance. Retio'iiiiUT, one of the ceutleiiN'n explained who his companion was, and asked perj mission to join th-* patty. They were soon !on f'-i-ndly terms, and', one o'f i| le mmi, j particuhiriy handsom-'. wins verv much I struck -with the prcitiest of tl;e girls, th* lyrmng I'ountes.s Yon L. Suddenly she j stMrhcd out her hand, and, pulling' three jw-iid stvawimrriea from a plant, siie'oitorol | them to the. man. who gratiou.-.lv accepted •them. At the time, when tho doctors pin. j noiiiiecd Kii;.g Otto insitne it was reported j from .Switzerland that the Countess Vo U ] L. had suddenly disappeai I'd from soriety j and entend ;i nunnery* I Early in the sumiuei' everv vear the mad [King Insisted on aoine to' t'lv wiwds at Fur.stenried and picking will strawberries, j Perhaps he remembered with his poor j numbed brain the day he spent, at AVics- ; JKiden long ago, when lie was young and j happy and his mind clear and slroiijg'. and | no doubt, he had tender recollections of a- | beautiful girl who now <\\-isted only in a i madman's dreams.