STORIES OF KING LEOPOLD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 127, 21 July 1911, Page 2

STORIES OF KING LEOPOLD.

M. Xavier Paoli, the remarkable officer who has had charge of so many sovereigns when on their travels, has some piquant stories to tell about tire late King Leopold of Belgium and of Congo infamy, in the “Contemporary Review.” “TAKE DOWN I” “ ‘Monsieur I’officier, take I m n!’ he 'w ould say to his equerry, at the most unexpected moment. “And ‘monsieur I’officier-—hi 3 only form of address for the officers of his suite-—produced a notebook, seized a pencil, and took down ‘by way of memorandum,’ to tire slow, precise, and unerring dictation of the King, the wording of a letter, a i r-pm t or a scheme relating to the multifarious operations in which Leopold 11, was interested. “ ’My Ministers,’ ho would say, with that jeering air of ids, ‘are often idiots. But they can afford the luxury; they have only to do as J toll them.’ “Leopold 11. did not always, however, take this view of the constitu-

tional monarchy. For instance, a few months before bis death, one of the Ministers was reading a report to him in the presence of the heir-pre-sumptive—now King Albert.—when the wind, blowing through the »pen ! window of the Royal writing room, | sent a bundle of papers on the King’s I desk Hying ail over the carpet. The Minister was rushing to pick them up, when the King caught him by the sleeve and, turning to his nephew, said : ‘Pick thorn up yourself.’ And, when' the Minister protested: ‘Leave him alone,’ whispered Leopold. ‘A future constitutional sovereign must learn to stoop!’ TIT FOR TAT. “One evening, at a reception which the King was giving to the local authorities in his chalet at Ostende, the venerable rector of the parish came up to him with an air of concern, and, drawing him respectfully aside, said: “ ‘Sir, I feel profoundly grieved. There is a rumour, I am sorry to say, that your Majesty’s private life is not marked by the austerity suited to the lofty and difficult task which the Lord has laid upon the monarch.? of this earth. Remember, Sir, that it behoves Kings to set an example to their subjects. . . .’

“And the worthy rector, taking courage from the fact that he had known Leopold 11. for thirty years, preached him a long sermon. The penitent, adopting an air of contrition, listened to the homily without moving a muscle. When, at last, tiic priest had exhausted his eloquence: “ ‘What a funny thing, monsieur le cure!’ murmured the King, fixing him with that cold glance of his, from under his wrinkled eyelids. ‘Do you know, people have told me exactly the same thing about you! . . Only, 1 refused to believe if, you know!’ “That was a delicious sally, too, in which lie indulged at the expenses of a certain Brazilion Minister, who was .paying his first visit to Court, and" who' ’appeared to he under the impression that the King was hard of hearing. At any rate, lie made the most extraordinary efforts to speak loud, and to pronounce his words distinctly. The King maintained an impassive countenance, hut ended by interrupting him: ‘Excuse me, monsieur le minister,’ lie said, with an exquisite smile. ‘l’m not deaf, you know; it’s my brother!’ “Picture the diplomatist’s face!’ TOO MANY SOVEREIGNS. “I shall never forget my surprise when the King, who. had made the long railway journey from Brussels to Nice without a stop, said to his chamberlain, Baron Snoy, as they left the station : “ ‘Send away the carriage, monsieur le chamhellan. We’ll go to the hotel on foot. I want to stretch my legs a bit!” “Wo walked down the Avenue Thiers, followed by an inconvenient little crowd of inquisitive people. Just as wo were about to cross a street, a landau drove up and obliged us to step hack to the pavement. As it passed us, the King solemnly took off his hat ;he had recognised Queen Victoria seated in the carriage, and was apparently astounded at this unexpected meeting.

“When we reached the Place Alas, sena, again the King’s hat flew off this time it was the Dowager Empress of Russia entering a shop.

“ ‘Tiie place seems crammed with sovereigns,” ho said, with his mocking air. ‘Whom am I going to meet next, I wonder ?’ ”