KING NSCHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10582, 11 October 1910, Page 1

KING NSCHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO.

SIMPLE LIFE OF THE PEASANT MONARCH. ■

No fair-minded man will grudge his well-earned crown fit■ royalty to Nicholas of Montenegro, who won.. Jus territory "tnore by force of arm's than by descent, and waited patiently tor- the opportune mfimeni to claim- his kingslnp. ; Step by stop has-lie advanced; taking Ins'people with him m the slow paths ot tcivilisation,' surmounting .difficulties ; and misfortuiies; aiming Ingji and never--Seceding: ■ -In - proved.', iperspnal -valor combined witli firie; .statecraft' Nicholas has few equals aftftjife | Ins brotliei ■ Sovereigns: Hero -iuid^-dipjohiat, lie. is born ;comma}itlfir,' and from his Wits sum-moned-from ■•a-iP«ris»jgrcee? ! b) rtnTte the riems;<if-:goveriiment,.'lle.liasi-wiel{Jecl undisputed authority. ' * ■ i':- It 1 is*"triie -jthat-i'Prince Nicholas some 1 years- ago - made a show «of:. voluntarily laying ' dowiv'his- alisolutism; • but ingrained habits ate not'easily l shaken off, ■ and rafter a - lapse "-of .tijne he resumed j-liis l paramount control, of- the. natioir's | destinies,. His first ifianitesto was cliaracteristic;—--bestow- a Constitution'," 'lio sard, "of own fi'ee will, i consciou S''.tli Sit 'ho-power ; -on eai-tji eo,uld So to uotfin th'is patrimony of tily 'ancestors; Who. fbiliided-v fiedd,and • organis'ed it ' as"-their riinuispnted propertlv. I-.resign part of my hereditary rights because L-find it now fitting that mv people should share my bur- [ dens and responsibility.- - I- will continue; to "guide • and tram them? as-'heretofore, and help tlieiu to use • the privileges 1. 'have-decided-;to confer- 1 tin them tor. jthe greater .'prestige r-of" the -land; and J dj nasty." ' '■ The first Parliament not havjng qmte coincided with the Prince's intentions, he promptly dismissed it, and this was i repeated three times within eighteen months, until tlio wild spirits intoxicated 'with novelty, had realised the .futility>'of' opposition.' i ! ; PaEliamentaiT" - -government could ;never :havfr:brought Montenegro .to the | ! pinnacle > where Nicholas'; patriotic de- i :spotism lias'placed at: ' His .rude monn- : tameers; are certainly, better employed : polishing their bayonets or herding -their | .'Hocks thant bandying words;in an as- | seHi'bly; of pseudo-legislators. 'Reprisals i tor; ever-recurrent; Albanian raids are-ot | :mbreiimmedate import than-pointsm a. debate,"'an'd while' the frontier .line-re- j mains agitated Montenegro < can afford j tOiforego' -the-luxuryt of;.internal; political feuds

■ > King 'Nicholas' • keen .sense of.-tlie fitness Of things; is "exemplified.' in small . points' of' dress as well; as m State- matters- With ' the aiatonal' costume ot -Montenegro lie neYer j wears- gloves. These-' would be; indeed,'incongruous ad'juii'cts to 'an- attire , primarily- designed ! for"workers in the open field. ■■ vFIe delights to dress like'the'mass of ' Ills aik! a\ ;11 make, no distinction between nhenv and;himself, m an.v particular. But .tile l stalwart, regal - figure lends such' drgmty ito-the simple peasant -garb "thafcrfcAvoys Of foreign courts clad in brilliant uniforms' of regulation- diplomatic -dress": appear plain and insignificant before the new King 1 in" hid homespun suit.' . rfhe Court' at Gettinjo is the most -primitive - in Europe;, and the So\- ■ ereigirs civil list falls sliort ot the oi-| dinary income of ■ a wealthy. English i tradesman. From a lntlleito fluctu<it- j ; sum it has now i been fixed at -CIO,OOO The King puts - asid'e : more than third, for he-tiavels | ; iarelv,' and it is iiniiossibli? for him to i 1 spend-it ; all within his-owiitonitoM . •fiiH'iS'-. inclination to -th 6 - simple life | makes even his modest lesidence at • Gettmje-too elaboratefor - his - taste-. Phc manilois of his old- comiades-m-I arirts do 1 not l always assort with -Court, etiquette, ftnd he'is loth-to part with them.- " '. .. , i ; "I '-had once a piflol ot itheir resjiect for his slightest^wish, and F their zeal •nv fulfilling it. I had I;travelled to-Cettfnje with the hope..of l-st?ismg : -the Prince; and haying duly -written and despatched my request foi • an'-audiencc, ■ wen b ioi a-'stroll: tin ough tlic'town- - It eh'anced that the Princ ; , not over time of coustitntionaljsm and-Cabinet : crises—and *my remarked carelessly to •his attendants-:r'■ I.V '' ''Oh, yes,- I'll see him some uime to- • day—perhaps- the sooner the better ■ -'Thus ' it' ■ came'"about -that- I .was chasedby half a-dozen'"perionici," captured' on the ■ outskirts v of the little • capital,- and,-ln i '-oi my protests ; arid demand to.:})o 'atlowed to return to • the' hotel l 'for -pVoper habiliments, was : rushed straight; to;the-])alace. Heie I. was summatily brushed, I my hoots dusted; mv 'ti'e arbitrarily re-madem : the ■ ante-room ,' and,-. still lenlonsti atirg, thiust into thd presence ; at an'-hom' that neither of us had antii ciprfted ' for audience. To my ox- ' clamations ' and; apolbgies -tile Prince ■listened -with' a grtod-natnred smile. "Oh, ot ' coui'se, these good peridnici'! : They -take evej'y word so literally that oini cannot. be too care--1 ful.' ■ There are; no courtiers • here, you i sbe ; only soldiers ; and . their coni- - mandef.' ' Excuse' -them'! it was ni.y fault." . King Nicholas' favorite, residence is a five-roomed -lodge 'bttilt: in a clearing of the mountain-forest of Loytchon. Sheds are, provided foi* -tlie aetvants, and a 'portable tent is shifted'to"the coolest spots for the Km£ 'lumSelf dming the ,daj< Another tent is "fitted with a j telegraphic apparatus for .communication' 'with• -CettuijeV. 1 '; ,The. co'ofcing is : idyllically 'done-" between' .gi'een trees ilndei' the broad heaven; ; - 'King- 'rises .with : the t> sun and stiolls into the "forest w ltli "gusla' national a! few 'chords from time'.to time- 08. impiovis•ing'aloud 7 in tjie solitude'of'tlie^matinal hour. ' ;Qn returnmg' to the lodge ;he- mounts 'the'.liorse -which' is. ready 'door, : and with .-liis-- attendants- ■ rides through-tfie woods-to assist;..at the earlj ['service in the chapel l near .tile summit, I!;' "Some '6OOO • feet" above ithe sea level, 111)3? view extends from - tlie Albanian (capital to the hoaiy peak of Durmitor ! clad-m snow. The Black j Mountains ''are- at 'his feet, thrown 'stormily toifgbtlip'r:,Jike -tlie :petEified.;,waves' of . some black sea' with crests'which are white -villages . Cettinje itself nestles among' tlie biljows.v- . It iS", tins' scene which inspired the Prince's poem, ."Sunrise -m' Lovtchen."-, -, "Diiring: the day further walks and l ! di#es?, ;wath~hfs wjfeTancl daughters fill lip "the time- fall dinner. In the eveni ingvhe site ioutside-'liiS' door and ;snmi? chat with bjm.on'-ithe harvest) their family I affairs,- -hopes and grievances.