A Glimpse of Three Crowned Heads [pp. 446-452]

A GLIMPSE OF THREE CROWNED HEADS.
appeared before the guests with a bird cage in his hand.'Your Majesty,' he
said,'soon after I reached my home, I
found a nest with young goldfinches; I
caught them, and taught this little fellow
to sing. Will your Majesty deign to
accept him from a faithful soldier?' He
lifted the cloth from the cage, and, as if
the bird had understood what was said,
he instantly struck up with the National
Hymn-I' Heil dir im Sieger-kranz' (the
air which you Americans have borrow ed from us, and call'America'). The
effect was magical; and tears stood in
the eyes of the King, as he grasped the
soldier's hand.'You must carry the
bird to Berlin for me,' he said to the
man,'and be my guest till he becomes
acquainted with his new home.'
"The man withdrew; and true to his
word, the King sent for him, from Ber lin. He traveled with extra-post; was
treated at the different hotels on his way
as the guest of the King; and when he
reached Berlin, the Crown Prince gave
him audience, at which the goldfinch
again sang his song. Then he was told
to look for some old comrade in the garrison at Berlin, who was dispensed from
all duty; and together they went to all
places of interest, in a carriage from the
royal stables. Visiting the royal porcelain - factory, he was requested to state
correctly the names of both his parents;
and when he asked a parting audience
of the King, a week later, he found that
beautiful porcelain articles had been prepared for them, which he carried home
as precious souveniirs of royal grace."
Many other things Madame told me,
of the inner life-the soul - life-of the
three potentates she had seen at Wilhelmsbad. Yes, they had lived, and loved, and hated; had striven, and pleaded, and suffered, just like the common
mortals who need not lay aside sceptre and crown before giving audience
to the "human and earthy" in their
hearts.
Had Frederick William, of Prussia,
thought of his "unvergessliche Luise,"
and of tihe "wreath of victory" he had
laid on her grave after the battle of
Leipsic, when the goldfinch sang his re joicing-hymn? No wonder, then, that
his eyes grew wet; for his sainted Luise
had only lived long enough to bear the
martyrdom of being Queen of a subju gated, conquered nation. Only long
enough to be pained, and insulted, and
trampled on when pleading for leniency,
toward her husband and her people, with
the hard, cruel man whomn she grew to
fear and hate, in time-if hatred could
ever find a place in that gentle heart.
As the sun of freedom rose over her be loved country, she laid her weary head
to rest, worn out with the long struggle
that had reached its climax, when, driv en to the utmost extremity of despair,
she humbly besought Napoleon to spare
at least Magdeburg, the strong Prussian
fortress, to her husband and children.
"One fortress is worth more to me
than a thousand Queens," he had answered, brutally; and Luise departed,
death in her heart, but unwilling to die
while her people, her husband, or her
children could need her care and forethlought.
With what eagerness Frederick William III. had entered the final struggle
against Napoleon, how deeply he rejoiced in his enemy's downfall, we can easily believe! But they are all dead now.
The feud and the strife are buried with
them, and they have made peace long
since:
"Frieden-tief unter der Erd."
And Francis II., of Austria - the
" shriveled - up, little, old man," who
was such a contrast to the handsome
Alexander - perhaps some of the furrows on his brow had been made there
by the crown. It must have pressed
heavily, at least, when Napoleon demanded the hand of his daughter, Marie
Louise5iin marriage. With such abhor
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