Franz Josef Private Life

8/12/2019 Franz Josef Private Life

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THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPH


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THE REAL FRANCISJOSEPH

THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THEEMPEROR OF AUSTRIA

BY

HENRI DE WEINDEL

WITH PHOTOGRAVURE PORTRAIT AND FORTY-FOUROTHER PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

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NEW YORKD. APPLETON AND COMPANY

MDCCCCIX


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First published in 1909


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PREFACEThe information which will be found in this bookabout the romantic adventuresnow farcical,sometimes comic, often tragic of the EmperorFrancis-Joseph, the Empress Elisabeth, and theHabsburg family, is for the most part unpublishedup to now, and unknown, or very little known. Itwas collected and was communicated to me by aperson in Austria particularly well informed aboutthe Court of Vienna. I should have preferredthat this person's name appeared on the cover ofthe book beside my own. That, however, hasbeen strictly forbidden. I can only take theopportunity here of expressing publicly my in-debtedness to my anonymous collaborator.

H. DE W.

[N.B.M. de Weindel has personally revisedhis book and added some new material for thepurposes of the English edition.]

VII


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CONTENTSCHAPTER PAGE

I. A ROMANTIC WOOING - - - - I3II. THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE - - - 28

III. A DREAM THAT CAME TRUE - - - - 46IV. AN UNREALIZED AMBITION - - - - 69V. THE FIRST ACT OF A TRAGEDY - - - 87

VI. IMPERIAL AMUSEMENTS - - IO9VII. THE empress's FLIGHT _ _ _

VIII. THE IMPERIAL WANDERER - - _IX. FROM TRAGEDY TO FARCE - - -X. THE CROWN PRINCE - - - -XI. Rudolf's marriage - - - _XII. THE mystery OF MAYERLING _ _ _ 225

XIII. THE END OF A MARTYRDOM - - - _ 246XIV. SHATTERED PRINCIPLES - - - _ 270XV. A BANKRUPT POLICY- - - _ _ 287XVI. THE CLOSE OF A LIFE - - _ _ jqO

127

185203


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TO FACE


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xu LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONSTHE BARONESS MARIE VETSCHERAMAYERLING -THE HOFBURG : THE FUNERAL VAULT OF THE HABS-

BURGS AT VIENNA - - . . -LAST VISIT OF THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS TO BUDA-

PESTH----..-THE ACHILLEION AT CORFUTHE ACHILLEION : PERI-

STYLE----...LAST WALK TOGETHER OF THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS,

NAUHEIM, i8g8 . . . . .THE EMPRESS ELISABETH IN HUNGARIAN COURT DRESS -THE ARCHDUCHESS GISELALEOPOLD, DUKE OF BAVARIAELISABETH, GRANDDAUGHTER OF FRANCIS-JOSEPH

BARON VON SEEFRIED, HER HUSBANDTHE ARCHDUKE FRANCIS-FERDINAND, THE COUNTESS

CHOTEK, AND THEIR TWO CHILDRENTHE ARCHDUKE FRANCIS - SALVATOR, ARCHDUCHESS

VALERIE, AND THEIR CHILDREN ELISABETH,DAUGHTER OF THE CROWN PRINCE RUDOLF, ANDHER HUSBAND, OTTO VON WINDISCHGRATZ -

FRANCIS-JOSEPH AT A REVIEW OF THE SCHONBRUNNFORESTERS IN 1898 - - - - -

THE l8g8 JUBILEE : THE CHILDREN'S PfiTE AT VIENNA -THE EMPEROR AND SOME OF HIS GRANDCHILDRENFRAU KATHARINA SCHRATT . . . .

TO FACE PACK- 236

246

252

256268

272

280

286

288296300306


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THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHCHAPTER I

A ROMANTIC WOOING Take care, cousin : if Black growls at you somuch, you will have a bad name in the house The person thus addressed had stumbled overa snarling spaniel as he turned toward the terracesteps. He was a slim young man, with an expres-sion on his face of mingled gaiety and pride. Hisupper lip, shaded by a slight moustache, curledironically, and it was in a tone of exaggeratedcourtesy that he made his reply. Spare your fears for me, fair cousin. If Ichoose, I know how to conquer the terrible Black.Thanks all the same for your anxiety about me.He made a profound bow to the pretty girl whohad spoken to him, went down the front steps ofthe chateau, and was soon lost to view in the cooldarkness of the pine-woods in the park of Possen-hofen.

It was an afternoon in May, 1853. The twoactors in this short scene were the Princess Sophia,eldest daughter of the Duke Maximilian, and the


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14 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHPrincess Ludovica (Louise) of Bavaria, and HisMajesty Francis-Joseph the First, Emperor ofAustria, ApostoHc King of Hungary, King ofBohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Sclavonia, and manyother places.The Emperor was twenty-three, his cousintwenty-one. Francis-Joseph had arrived thatmorning at Possenhofen, the home of Duke Maxi-mihan, who, through his marriage with the sisterof the Princess Sophia of Bavaria, wife of theArchduke Francis-Charles of Austria, had becomethe uncle of the Emperor, Francis-Charles's son.Up to the present uncle and nephew, it must beadmitted, had had but little to do. with oneanother. The cares of empire had fallen upon theyoung Sovereign at the age of eighteen, andplunged him, at a time of life when a man thinksmuch more about the gratification of his desiresthan of the destiny of nations, into the midst of adifficult and complicated political situation, leavinghim little leisure. Moreover, as his character wasone which led him readily enough in the directionof the amusements close at hand, he did not wastethe moments snatched from the affairs of State infamily visits. Rumour already put to his credita number of affairs of the heart, dexterouslymanaged by him ; and the young monarch wasconstantly dreaming of adding to the list of hissentimental victims.Duke Maximilian, for his part, seldom thoughtof leaving the neighbourhood of Munich, the banks


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A ROMANTIC WOOING 15of the Lake of Starnberg, and the woods of Possen-hofen, to go to Vienna, where the rigid etiquetteaccorded ill with his liking for a simple countryexistence. A noted horseman and a veteransportsman, he lived with his wife, his fourdaughters and his three sons, in the rather modeststate which the not over-magnificent establishmentof Possenhofen allowed him to keep up, withoutleaving much margin. A good husband and agood father, the head of the ducal branch of theWittelsbachs took delight in long hunting excur-sions about the wood and mountain country whichwas his, and in his packs of hounds giving tonguethrough the forest. Much of his income went tothe upkeep of his stables and kennels, especiallyhis kennels. So great was his affection for hisdogs that, like Frederick the Greatbut like himin this point alone

the Duke never went outwithout an escort of them, while in his study thebest places on the chairs and couches were alwaysoccupied by his four-footed friends. He evengravely insisted that dogs had souls, and thattheir knowledge of mankind was far superior toours. When, therefore, a new-comer found him-self ill-received by the dogs of Possenhofen,he need not try to make a second appearancethere. The dogs of the house, by barking athim, had put him in the Duke's bad books.And this was the meaning of the warning whichthe Princess Sophia had given her Imperialcousin.


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i6 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHIf the young girl, as she lay back in her chair,

with her brows somewhat knitted, looked asthough she were reflecting on her conversationwith Francis-Joseph, it must be confessed thathis thoughts were not in the slightest degree con-cerned about it. He made his way through thewood with light and easy gait, rejoicing in thefew minutes of solitude stolen from both Stateand family affairs.But State and family affairs, nevertheless,threatened to intertwine themselves in the closestmanner. Francis-Joseph was on Possenhofen soilthat day at the instigation of his mother, who hadconcerted the meeting with her sister, the PrincessLudovica, and with a ver}^ clear eye to a be-trothal ; and the proposed brideso much moreinterested in the affair than was Francis-Josephwas none other than the poor Princess Sophia, whowas so disturbed over the quarrel between hercousin and bad-tempered little Black.The Emperor had not wished to vex his mother,and he knew that Sovereigns, as a matter ofcourse, married young, and in obedience to thepromptings of the heartsof diplomatists. Heknew, too, that the diplomatists would look witha favourable eye on a marriage with the PrincessSophia. He had left Vienna for Possenhofen,therefore, intending to ask for his cousin's hand.He even meant to urge his suit the same day, sinceGovernment business required him back in Viennaas soon as possible. He was aware why he had


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A ROMANTIC WOOING 17come. He had seen his cousin. She did notdisplease him, if she inspired him with no love.He was performing a duty, not following his taste,and his future Empress remained to him a matterof supreme indifference.

His mind was much less occupied with reflec-tions on such affairs than with joy at his hour offreedom, when suddenly a little dog charged intohis legs, frisking and gambolling as if refusing notto be recognized. From one of the paths in thewood was heard a woman's voice calling theindiscreet puppy back.

Here, here Come here Francis-Joseph stood still, struck by the fresh

tone of the voice, and he was still more struckwhen he found that the speaker was a girl ofabout fifteen, dainty, supple, and slight, whoseemed to spring in proud purity like a livingflower from the soil of the woods. Seeing theyoung man, she had stopped also, a straight littlewhite-robed figure. Her beautiful eyes were clearand intelligent, and her long fair hair, rolling overher shoulders, challenged the brightness of theday.She was the first to break the silence. Please excuse Dick, ... she began, when

Francis-Joseph stopped her. Taking from hishead his soft felt hat with a game-bird's featherin it, he came forward and said : No excuses for Dick, mademoiselle I knowthe ways of the house, and that a guest whom the


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i8 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHdogs receive well is always well received by theirmasters. This good little animal has my mostheartfelt thanks.

I hope that you may not be deceived, mon-sieur.

'' That is my dearest wish.And I am sure that my father will follow thedog's example, and greet you with his best wel-come. She made him a humorous curtsy, and,with a smile like spring, went on : Besides, hecould not do otherwise.

Rather astonished, Francis-Joseph hesitated,and then said : Then you must be . . .

*' The Duchess Elisabeth-Amelie-Eugenie ofBavaria, at your service, Your Majesty She spread out her white dress in another

curtsy, and gave a merry laugh. Francis-Joseph,who had taken her for some attendant in hisuncle's household, and had begun to contemplatea little gallantry, stood embarrassed before theyoung girl, not at what he had said to her, but atwhat he had thought of saying. The embarrass-ment was all the worse for being entirely of hisown causing, and all the more acute because itwas known only to himself. He realized, however,that if he prolonged the awkward situation hewould end by betraying a thought which he mustat all costs keep secret ; so, to break the silenceand at the same time to give himself time toreflect, he said nothing more than :


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THE EMPRESS ELISABETH AT THE TIME OF HER BETROTHAL.To face page i8


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A ROMANTIC WOOING 19


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20 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPH The Emperor can never order you, cousin,

but a friend begs you.He took her hand and led her to a stone bench,where, after she had seated herself, he sat downby her side.Now tell me. I am listening, he said.

Well, it seems that I am too young to bepresent at family banquets.Too young ? But, if I remember rightly, youmust be . . . let me see . . .Do not trouble. Sire. I am sixteen.

Elisabeth felt quite at home with this twenty-three-year-old Emperor, garbed in his Tyrolesecostume, and stripped of all the majesty ofempire. She began to talk as he had desired herto. It did not take him long to divine the truthin her frank, though not unguarded, conversation.It was necessary for Duke Maximilian and hisDuchess to marry off the eldest of their fourdaughters. Princess Sophia ; and, as it was aPrincess of twenty-one that was intended forhim, it was not thought convenient to introduceupon the scene of the betrothal the golden hairand flower-like eyes of Princess Springtime But the more they opened the more the flowersin these beautiful bright eyes intoxicated theyoung Emperor's swelling heart, and about thePrincess's dainty face her pale gold hair shed sosweet a light that he could think of nothing moredesirable than to have its reflection always beforehim.


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A ROMANTIC WOOING 21She went on talking, while he only heard now

the music of her voice, without taking in for themoment the exact meaning of her words. Heawoke at last from his dream to hear her say, asthough in conclusion : And that is why Your Majesty will not seeme at the family table to-night any more thanhe saw me this morning.She rose up, and for the third time made a

sprightly curtsy as she prepared to take her leave.Francis-Joseph detained her. Successfully con-cealing the agitation which possessed him, heborrowed from the armoury of diplomacy aweapon for use in the game of love. From theoutset he had comprehended the imperious andundisciplined nature of the young girl, and with-out forgetting prudence (since he had also dis-covered her superior intelligence and education),he set himself to stir her to revolt against herfather's order to keep upstairs while her eldersister took part in the entertainments at thechateau. He told her that she was no longer achild, as they tried to make her believe, and with-out openly encouraging her to rebellion, suggestedthat he might intervene on her behalf to obtain herrelease from the regime of isolation. Then, whileher gladness was shining out from the depths ofher eyes, he rose, and, striking his forehead witha most natural gesture, cried out : I have an idea

What is it ?


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22 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPH Listen now ; and, taking her by the arm, he

guided her slowly toward the house as he explainedhis scheme. She was to go up to her room, put ona party-frock, and at the hour for dinner to comedown to the terrace, where the family met beforemeals. And is that all your scheme ?Do not trouble about the rest of it. I havemy part to play.But I shall be scolded

Don't I tell you I have my part to play ? Doyou think that I wish to cause you pain ?

Elisabeth only wanted to be convinced. Afterher cousin's last pretext she said : Well, I will do as Your Majesty orders.He released her arm, and, laying his finger onhis lips, whispered : TiU we meet ?

Till we meet, she replied, and her whitefigure vanished lightly through the gloomy firs inthe direction of the chateau.

Francis-Joseph, who up to now had knownonly the slight attractions of passing fancies,was under the domination of a totally newsentiment, and, to his joy, was aware thathis heart was really touched. In the presenceof love he was no different from the shepherdtending his flock in the mountain pastures, andhe felt an agonizing yet delightful necessity ofgiving vent to his happiness. Standing alonethere in the great park, he was surprised to


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A ROMANTIC WOOING 23find himself, with tears in his eyes, singing Hkea child.While the young Emperor unbosomed his new-born love to the firs of the park, the PrincessElisabeth had gone up to her room, and wasputting on all her finery. Her lady-in-waitingcaught her in the middle of her task, and wasastonished. Ignorant of the art of lying, thePrincess told her the truth frankly. She wasdressing herself to go down to the dinner in honourof her cousin the Emperor Francis-Joseph. Theterrified lady-in-waiting threw up her arms. Whatwould happen ? The Duke attached great im-portance to his authority. Had he by chancepermitted the Princess Elisabeth to be present atthe meal ? Again Elisabeth told the truth. Herfather had not permitted her to come to the feast.The poor lady begged and prayed her, but all invain. Elisabeth's mind was made up, and con-sequently, as the lady-in-waiting well knew, itwas made up once and for all. While the discus-sion was still going on, the dinner-hour arrived.Elisabeth came from her room, pursued by herlady, full of terrified lamentations. By accidentthe Emperor appeared suddenly before them.Offering his arm gallantly to his cousin, he led heron to the terrace, where the family and the guestswere assembled. The tableau can be imagined.The Duke sprang up, his face dark with storm-clouds. Francis-Joseph averted the immediatedanger by taking the responsibility on himself,


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24 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHas he had promised ; and the Duke, making thebest of a bad job, put up with the presence ofhis younger daughter at her elder sister's side.History does not tell us whether the dinner was amerry one, though it is surely permissible to guessthat there was an air of constraint about it. Butthe chroniclers make up for their silence on thispoint by telling us of the sequel.When dinner was over, the Emperor managedto find himself alone with his uncle in the com-bined study and kennel of the Duke. In thepresence of the dogs alone the following dialoguetook place, the gist of which, rather than theactual words, can be guaranteed : Uncle, said the Emperor, I have the honourto ask you for the hand of my cousinnot Sophia,but Elisabeth.

My nephew, replied the Duke, it is abso-lutely impossible.You refuse ?

Definitely and entirely.Why ?Because my daughter Elisabeth is too young.I will wait.*' And also because it would be an insult to my

daughter Sophia.But there could not be an insult if her handwas not asked for.

No matterI refuse.That is your last word ?It is.


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A ROMANTIC WOOING 25 Then, in that case, I shall not marry either of

them.The next morning the Emperor left the chateauof Possenhofen as free as he entered it the daybefore.

* 4: :N i|e 4:Three months later, on August 18, the birthdayof the Emperor Francis-Joseph, there were fes-

tivities at Ischl, the residence of the Sovereign forthe time being. The invitations to the Imperialvilla included many high personages, notably theGrand-Duke Maximilian from Bavaria, the DuchessLudovica, and their three sons and four daughters.According to the yearly custom, the Imperialfamily went to morning service at the church ofIschl, which was crowded with worshippers whenthe family procession entered. It would be moreexact to say that it was packed with inquisitivepeople, for the story of what had occurred at Pos-senhofen had spread abroad since May, and thepresence at Ischl of the Emperor's uncle and, morestill, of his daughters Sophia and Elisabeth, stirredto the utmost the curiosity of the aristocratic con-gregation. The murmurs which before the Im-perial procession's entry had echoed among thepillars of the nave, regardless of the sanctity ofthe place, were suddenly checked as the Emperorcrossed the threshold of the church. Every eyewas fixed on the Princess Elisabeth and her eidersister. To the great surprise of all present, theEmperor's mother drew back to allow Elisabeth


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26 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHto go before herthe fair Elisabeth whose goldenhair shone in the incense-heated gloom of thechurch of Ischl as three months ago it had shonein the chill shadow of the pines of Possenhofen.The service continued after the usual rite until,at the moment of the Benediction, occurred some-thing not provided for in the rite. The Emperorrose up from his footstool, took his cousin Elisa-beth's hand^ and stepped toward the altar withthe beautiful girl. Then, at a moment when onemight have caught the flutter in the air of a butter-fly's wings, he was distinctly heard to address tothe officiating priest the following words in a loudvoice : My father, this is my intended bride. Giveus your blessing As he left the church the Emperor turned to hisaide-de-camp, Colonel O'Donnel, who had, savedhis life a few months before from the attack ofan assassin. He made a sign for him to drawnear, and, while he gently pressed his fair fiancee'sarm against his breast, he said to him, so lowthat only the Colonel and the young girl couldhear : Colonel, you saved my life a few months ago.I feel that I must thank you once again, for neveruntil to-day did I understand how great a serviceyou had done me.Such was the romantic betrothal, on August i8,1854, of the Emperor Francis-Joseph and the

beautiful Princess Elisabeth. And thus did Elisa-


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A ROMANTIC WOOING 27beth verify part of the prophecy of a gipsy atPossenhofen long ago, that she would wear adouble crownthe crown of an Empress and thecrown of a martyr.

Francis-Joseph, for his part, had made good hisremark to his cousin Sophia on the terrace ofthe ducal chateau. He had overcome the enmityof the snarling dog of Possenhofen.


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CHAPTER IITHE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE

Boyhood had not been for Francis-Joseph aperiod of nothing but joy ; and even if we makeallowance for a momentary outburst of sentiment,we may still admit that the Emperor did notstray far from the truth when he declared toColonel O'Donnel that he had never appreciatedlife so much before the hour of his betrothal toEUsabeth.Born at Schonbrunn on August i8, 1830,

Francis-Joseph was the son of the ArchdukeFrancis-Charles, second son of the EmperorFrancis I., and of the Archduchess Sophia,daughter of King Maximilian-Joseph of Bavaria.He was destined to the throne from the momenthe was born. The eldest son of Francis I., theArchduke Ferdinand, had no issue by his marriagewith the Princess Marie-Anne, third daughter ofVictor Emmanuel, King of Sardinia, and so, afterFrancis-Charles, his son the Archduke Francis-Joseph was the heir to the Imperial and Royalcrowns of Austria-Hungary.The child was accordingly brought up in the

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THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE 29shadow of the throne which must one day be his,and throughout the whole of his education therewas but this one end in view. While other littleboys, Princes or commoners, were spending theirtime playing at ball or horses, little Francis-Joseph was listening to lectures on his rights andhis duties as shepherd of his people. Educationin the Austro-Hungarian Imperial family com-prised two branches, sharply divided from oneanother. There was the military education,which delighted the child, though his seriousstudy of it was not to come until later, and theeducation in languages, which he hated, andwhich commenced as soon as he could speak atall. As ruler of a country where a dozen languagesand dialects flourished side by side, interminglingand running into one another, he must learn toexpress himself correctly

in each of these tongueswhen the occasion arose. Therefore, in additionto German, French, and English, which his tutorstried to teach him simultaneously, Francis-Joseph was made to imbibe Itahan, Hungarian,Czech, Polish, Ruthenian, Croatian, and Servian,to mention only the principal dialects. Thiswould have been a hard task for anyone ; forFrancis-Joseph it was far too heavy. By asingular misfortune the poor boy was exceedinglydeficient in the gift of tongues ; yet, although allwas to no purpose, they

and particularly hismother, a haughty, ambitious, and fiercely im-perious womanwould not renounce the effort


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30 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHto force the child, with his intense disHke oflanguages, to

become aperfect polyglot.

Vainand thankless was the work of his preceptors, asthey suffered under the ill-temper of the Arch-duchess Sophia ; for neither indulgences nor im-positions ever succeeded in making Francis-Joseph speak anything correctly except Germanand French. Even English impressed itself veryslightly on the convolutions of his brain. Witnessthe story preserved at Vienna of his reply to KingEdward VII. in 1903. The British Sovereign hadcome to pay a visit to the old Emperor in theAustrian capital. At the big official dinner, whenspeeches had to be exchanged while all the com-pany stood on their feet to listen, King Edwardrose and proposed his toast in German. TheEmperor of Austria followed with his toastinFrench. The journals were at pains to inventmany explanations, notably the one that Francis-Joseph was a strict guardian of tradition, andhad fallen back upon the language of diplo-matists. But the truth is far more simple. TheEmperor, in spite of the years and years andyears during which English grammar had beendrummed into his head, would have been totallyincapable of uttering ten consecutive remarks inthe language of Shakespeare.On this occasion Francis-Joseph's linguistic in-capacity had no serious consequences. At othertimes, however, his shortcomings in this respectdid him great harm. It can truly be said that


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THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE 31one of the reasons (but one of the reasons only)of the hostihty of the Hungarians toward theperson of their Sovereign Ues in his ignorance oftheir language. His first estrangement fromthem, a grave and lasting estrangement, datesfrom a very distant period. When he was quitea young ruler, Francis-Joseph

made a tour of hisdominions. His first visit was to Buda-Pesth,an official visit if there ever was one, accompaniedby all the ordinary and extraordinary ceremonieswhich make such journeys burdensome. Notableitems on the programme were the inspection of amilitary school and a call at a hospital. Speecheshad, of course, to be made at both places ; and,equally of course, they must be made in Hun-garian, since Buda-Pesth could not imagine thatthe Sovereign was without a knowledge, or atleast an official knowledge, of the national tongue.As he did not understand a word of Hun-garian, and as he must speak, and not read, hisspeeches, to avoid hurting Magyar susceptibilities,the Talmas of this Napoleon had made him learnby heart two little addresses, with the appro-priate gestures to accompany the words. Re-hearsals had taken place, and all promised well.The hour arrived. The military school's inspec-tion came first. The Emperor, after smiling atthe conventional addresses, of which he could notgrasp a word, made his reply to the complimentswhich had been showered upon him. But he sawthe faces of his hearers darken, instead of brighten-


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32 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHing, while stupefaction manifested itself on thecourtiers' features. At the hospital the samelooks, the same embarrassment, and the samecoldness followed his words. The Emperor, speak-ing in sufficiently good Hungarian, accompanied bysuitable actions, had praised at the military schoolthe excellent care shown to the sick, and at thehospital the precision of the manoeuvres executedin his presence He had shuffled his speeches The Hungarians have never forgiven him for this

unintentional mystification. As for the Emperor,no one in his suite has ever dared to reveal to himwhat he did. It would have been possible at thetime, on the very day, to have stopped him, andwith a single word to have prevented him fromconsummating his blunder. Not a single courtiermade the attempt. But it must be admitted thatit is not so much the contemptible spirit of courtier-ship which is to blame as the Emperor's own pride,arrogance, and obstinacy, which never allowed himto confess that His Apostolic Majesty was capableof error in any circumstance whatever.

All the efforts, therefore, spent on making apolyglot out of the future Emperor Francis-Joseph had only one result, but they were cer-tainly successful in that : they made his boyhoodand youth miserable for him.The other branch of his education, the military

side, provided him with very real compensations.For centuries past, from father to son, from uncleto nephew, from cousin to cousin, the Habsburgs


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THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE 33had handed down to one another a genuine love forall things connected with the Army. If we cannotsay that the baby Archduke imbibed his militaryprinciples with his nurse's milk, at least we canassert that from his earliest days he was initiatedinto the joys of the profession of arms by hisgrandfather, the old Emperor Francis, father ofMarie-Louise and father-in-law of Napoleon theGreat. The first words which he uttered were notthe usual baby-talk, but military commands. Itwould not be at all astonishing if one were to betold that, with the milk still on his lips and abonnet on his head, Francis-Joseph used to cry Shoulder arms before he could say Papa At the age of four, under the instruction of hisgrandfather, whose study he hardly ever left, thechild knew by heart all the words of commandthen in use in the Austro-Hungarian army, andcould manoeuvre like a Kaiserlick. Out of doors,when he met a soldier, he would stop him, andwant to play with him as he played withthe Emperor Francis's sabre at home.Every day, in the intervals between his lan-

guage and military lessons, when the little boywalked out, holding his grandfather's hand, inthe streets of Vienna, the park at Schonbrunn,or the garden at Laxenburg, he kept up a stringof questions about all the soldiers they met.One day at Schonbrunn he saw a sentry on dutyat a doorway. Loosing his grandfather's hand,he went up to the sentry, and received a salute.


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34 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHSo overjoyed was he at this sign of mihtary respectfor his tiny personage that he scampered back tohis grandfather, and asked him for some money togive to the man. The old Emperor could refusehim nothing, and complied with his request.Francis-Joseph trotted off quickly to the sentryagain, and held out the money to him, saying : Here, this is for you The regulations arevery strict. A soldier on duty may never acceptanything. Besides, the Emperor himself waspresent. With his rifle still on his shoulder, thesentry never moved. Upset and at the point oftears, the child stamped his foot, crying : Iwant you to take it But the soldier re-mained motionless and silent.

Francis-Joseph turned round toward Francis.The Emperor of to-daya jovial character, whowas wont good-humouredly to exchange coarsepleasantries, in Viennese slang, with the populacewas laughing at the discomfiture of the Emperorof to-morrow. The tiny Archduke walked backto his grandfather, pale with rage at the oppositionto his little will, and repeated through his clenchedteeth : ''I want him to take it Then theEmperor Francis accompanied his grandson upto the soldier, and, lifting the child to the levelof the sentry's cartridge-box, put the child's handinto it with his gift.

This incident, which shows the child's great lovefor soldiers, his imperious temper, and Francis'sindulgence to his grandson, was by no means dis-


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THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE 35advantageous to the sentry. In his simple andfamiUar manner the old Emperor got into con-versation with him. Learning that this modelsoldier was the son of a poor widowed peasant-woman, wretched and infirm, who constantlylamented her loneliness, he gave him a sum ofmoney sufficient to buy himself out of the army,which was possible in those days.Another day the little Prince, still aged four,

was walking along the vast galleries of the Hof-burg, the Imperial Palace at Vienna, when sud-denly at a turn he came upon two magnificentHungarian Guards, who gave him the militarysalute. Enchanted by the brilliant uniform, andstill more enchanted by their salute, the childplanted himself in front of them, and, assuminghis piping voice of command, strained to itsutmost, put them through various manoeuvres.Then, standing them at ease, he went up to thetaller of the two, and in a tone which admittedno reply, said : Give me your sword and belt.

But, Your Highness ... protested the manin hesitation, looking at his comrade for advice.Francis - Joseph interrupted him violently,

stamping his foot as usual :** Give me them, I tell you.The poor Hungarian submitted. The child be-

strode the sword, turned the belt into reins, and,riding off like a witch on a broomstick, went fullspeed down the echoing corridors of the Hofburg,


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36 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHbattering the sword against the tiled floors andthe walls in his passage. History does not tellhow long this ride lasted, but when he broughtback to the Hungarian his sword and belt, thelatter was in strips and the blade of the formerterribly hacked about. The wretched man lookedat his weapon in consternation, muttering : Well, I am safe to be punished when theColonel sees this.

You must tell him that it is the ArchdukeFrancis-Joseph who did it.

It would be much better to tell your father tobuy me another, said the Hungarian, regaininghis courage.The child looked the impertinent fellow up anddown, and replied haughtily : I will pay you for it when I am Emperor.Then he stalked away majestically.A year later the old Emperor Francis died.

Ferdinand mounted the throne, and little Francis-Joseph passed under the absolute control of hisfather and mother, especially his mother. TheArchduke Francis-Charles was little more than agood respectable bourgeois, full of himself, andasking nothing better than to be spared all worry ;so, to have peace in his own house, and avoidgiving himself trouble, he was glad to hand overto his wife, Sophia, the upbringing of the futureEmperor. There were no more military games inthe Imperial study ; no more walks in the Laxen-burg gardens or rides in the Hofburg galleries ;


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38 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHbetween the Countess Sturmfeld's lessons in lan-guages and Colonel Hauslab's instructions in themilitary art. It was this dulness, heavy and un-varying, of his boyhood which ended by inspiringin the youth, and also in the man of riper years,that passionate craving for freedom which blindedhis eyes to the fact that through it he spreadaround himself the most terrible sufferings, andbrought about a most painful domestic tragedy.His early years were devoid of affection. Hisfather was indifferent, his mother all ambition.He was doomed to receive no genuine marks oflove. He was to meet with no disinterested feel-ings outside the friendship of Count Taaffe, whichin time to come, owing to the Count's violentlyConservative sentiments, was to prove so harmfulto him.When Francis-Joseph reached the age of thir-

teen, his mother put his education entirely intothe hands of Count Henry Bombelles, a man who,with his son Charles, was certainly the evil geniusof the Habsburgs and of Austria-Hungary formore than the last fifty years of the nineteenthcentury. Destitute of character, principles, con-victions, or morals, a crafty hypocrite, and a toolin the hands of the Jesuits (who also swayed theconduct of the Archduchess Sophia), Count HenryBombelles must be reckoned one of the principalcauses, or

rather theprincipal cause,

of the seriousdefects of character and of will which made Francis-Joseph one of the most wretched of men, and his


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40 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHto lead her son on ? Always a woman of ambition,and never a true mother, the daughter of the Kingof Bavaria dreamt of directing the destiny of theEmpire. There was no reason for expecting thenthat Ferdinand would abdicate, and she could notguess that Francis-Joseph would come to thethrone at eighteen years of age. She had, there-fore, a motive for corrupting her son's will-power,in order to dominate him more completely, andone day to reign in his name.Among the many preceptors who took charge,

under Count Henry Bombelles, of the youngFrancis-Joseph between 1843 and 1848, the yearof his accession, special mention must be made ofFather Othmar von Rauscher, who became Prince-Archbishop of Vienna. He taught morals andphilosophy to the three eldest sons of the Arch-duke Francis-Charles, and particularly to Francis-Joseph. The extent of his influence can begathered from his pupils. A sworn liege of theChurch, who identified his personal interests withthose of Rome, he gave to the ideas of the futureEmperor, fatigued by his pleasures, and like waxin the hands of a Churchman, a Centralist bent inpohtics which was destined to bring the path ofFrancis-Joseph across some almost unsurmount-able obstacles to the government of his Empire.It cannot be said that Father von Rauscherassisted Count Henry Bombelles in his least reput-able duties, but at least it is true that he shut hiseyes, a method which is not new with ecclesiastics.


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42 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHwonderful feats in horse-breaking, which gavehim a reputation among cavalry officers that haslasted to this day.One fact will prove better than any number ofanecdotes the importance which Francis-Josephattached to proving liimself a fine horseman. In185 1, three years after his accession to the throne,and when he was twenty-one years of age, theEmperor was visited in his capital by His MajestyNicholas I., Tsar of All the Russias. While theywere out driving through Vienna, a Cossack'shorse took fright, bolted, and threw its rider.The Emperor in an instant, at the risk of breakinghis neck, leapt from the carriage, seized the horseby the mane, sprang on its back, conquered it,and brought it back, sweating and quivering, tothe side of the Imperial carriage.From his earliest daj^s, when we have seen thereason for his liking for the Army, Francis-Josephhas been a soldier heart and soul. A Prussiandiplomatist, Steinberg, commissioned by his Kingto write a report on the Viennese Court, could saywith truth concerning the Emperor : He has anesteem and love which is passionate for all thingsmilitary. He takes interest in nothing but soldiersand the Army.The correctness of this report is borne out bythe following : In 1853 the Emperor was attackedand wounded by a madman. His first words were : It is nothing. I am only sharing the lot of mybrave soldiers.


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THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE 43Francis-Joseph's great courage cannot be denied.

He has given glorious proof of it many times onthe battle-field. He received his baptism of fireat the Battle of Santa Lucia on May 6, 1848, alittle before his accession to the throne. At theend of April he had joined the Army of Italy toserve on the staff of a famous General, old MarshalRadetzky. The latter, to tell the truth, was nonetoo well pleased at the arrival of the young Prince,whose presence at the front threw a great responsi-bility upon him. Still, the Archduke was there,and the best must be made of a bad job. Theveteran tried at least to make him understandthat the best place for taking in the whole fightwas somewhere out of firing-range, and that itwas in no way necessary for him to risk his lifein order to realize the meaning of a battle. Ra-detzky might as well have been talking to a deafman. He went on to speak about his own re-sponsibility, and begged the Prince not to exposehimself. The only answer he could extract fromFrancis-Joseph was this simple one : Now that I am here, honour forbids myleaving the place without fighting.

So he fought, and fought, too, with such spirit,ardour, and gaiety that Marshal Radetzky, thoughanimated by no friendly feelings toward him, couldnot refrain from mentioning him in his Memoirs.

Of all my comrades, he wrote,there wasno one who shrank from danger ; but among them

all the young Prince Francis-Joseph distinguished


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44 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHhimself most by his enthusiasm. He seemed posi-tively to mock at death. When a cannon-ball fellquite near him, he was no more troubled by itthan a child is frightened at a blow from a rubberball. Light-hearted as only reckless youth can be,he urged on his horse, galloping from side to sidewherever danger threatened most, without dream-ing for a moment that the head which he exposedso gaily would wear a few weeks later the Imperialcrown.On his return from the Italian campaign, the

young Archduke revealed an unexpected effect onhimself of the cannon's roar, for he expressed awish to take music-lessons, after having always upto now shown unmistakable repugnance againstthe study of this polite accomplishment Ofcourse the Archduchess Sophia granted his wish,and Francis-Joseph set himself without theslightest successto practise scales and to speUthe first little childish pieces of the period. Itwas in the course of one of these music-lessons atSchonbrunn, on October 6, 1848, that the Princeheard the news of the events at Vienna which ledto the abdication of his uncle, and made him,hardly more than a boy. Emperor of Austria-Hungary at a time of particular stress. He leftSchonbrunn for Olmiitz the next day, making thejourney on horseback beside his parents' carriage.At Olmiitz events developed fast, and on theday that the crown was placed on his young headFrancis-Joseph was so well aware of the serious-


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THE EDUCATION OF A PRINCE 45ness of the situation that, when his mother has-tened first of all to pay to him the respect due toSovereigns, he exclaimed, forgetting the severeand useless lessons which had made a torture ofhis childhood : Good-bye to my poor youth As he spoke tearsonly too well justified bythe futurefilled the eyes of this boy of eighteen.


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CHAPTER IIIA DREAM THAT CAME TRUE

On a fine spring morning, March 13, 1848, a bodyof Viennese students formed themselves in file inthe centre of the old town, where the Universitythen was. Their looks betrayed anything butlightness of heart. They marched gravely andcalmly through the midst of the crowd, whichcheered them as they went. In front of the DietHouse they halted. One of them, a youth ofdelicate features and a pale complexion, wearinga black beard, was hoisted on to the shoulders offour of his companions, and began to haranguethe crowd. No extravagances fell from the youngstudent's lips. His talk was of freedomfreedomof the jury, freedom of the Press, freedom of con-science. His noble words echoed among the crowdto an accompaniment of loud applause. Thespeaker was a Hungarian medical man, house-surgeon to one of the Vienna hospitals, and hewas destined one day to be famous as Dr. Fischhof .Within the building outside which the studentstood sat the members of the Estates of LowerAustria. Under the presidency of Count Monte-


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HOmCOOCO3o

Hk;wca'WhyMy responsibility for the traf&c prevents meAnd I^ your Emperor, command you.I beg Your Majesty's pardon, but I cannot

fulfil the command.Francis-Joseph turned round to his suite, who

were listening, pale with excitement, to the con-versation. With a short, dry laugh, frowningbrows, and an ugly look in his eyes, he said tothem : I must say, gentlemen, the position is at leaststrange. You are witnesses of an unprecedentedevent. Your Sovereign is the prisoner of a rail-way official. Still keeping up his ironical tone,he asked the station-master, who remained stand-ing like a soldier : And when, sir, shall we bepermitted to leave ?Your Majesty's train will leave the platformat five o'clock sharp.

Come, gentlemen, said the Emperor ; and hestrode back to the waiting-room between a doubleline of curious witnesses, all respectfully removingtheir hats as he passed.At five minutes to the hour the station-mastercame to announce that His Majesty's train was in

the station, and at five o'clock precisely it leftMiirzzuschlag without the Emperor deigning toacknowledge the salute of the trembling ofiicial,whom only the fear of the probable accident hadprevented from obeying the angry monarch.On the up and down lines between Vienna and


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IMPERIAL AMUSEMENTS 121Trieste the guards were already spreading the newsof the altercation at Miirzzuschlag, and no oneentertained any doubt that the luckless station-master would lose his post as a reward of his strictadherence to his duty. Francis-Joseph, in themeantime, sat silent amid his silent and nervoussuite, close to the window of his special car, andwas approaching Vienna at full speed. Everymoment trains literally packed with passengersmet his, and at all the stations were compact andjoyful crowds surging over the platforms andfilling the buildings with their riotous mirth.

Three hours after the Imperial train had leftMiirzzuschlag the station-master, who was ex-pecting a letter of dismissal from his petty officenext day, received a telegraphic message announc-ing to him that he was made Knight of the Im-perial and Royal Order of Francis-Joseph by thedirect appointment of the Emperor, who, accord-ing to the message, had personally noted theprecision and attention to discipline exhibited bythe station-master in the exercise of his difficultand most responsible duties.The fact was that, Francis-Joseph's characterbeing such as it was, the station-master had merely

been lucky, first because the Emperor on thejourney back to Vienna had allowed the decisivelesson to sink into his mind ; and, secondly, becausethe scene had taken place in public. The Em-peror loved to astonish the crowd. He had longbeen fond on his solitary shoots, without an escort


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122 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHor a companion (for he was too good a sportsmanto care for the official battues, which he mostlyavoided), of playing the part of Haroun-al-Rashid.He would take his walks, in huntsman's dress,among peasants, labourers, shepherds, and wood-cutters, passing himself off as a keeper, talking tothem in the common tongue, garnished with slang,chinking his glass with theirs, and then wouldsuddenly dazzle the poor fellows' eyes with arevelation of his rank. On this particular day,with his decoration of the station-master, Haroun-al-Rashid had once more, in a somewhat differentway, dazzled the crowd.

It has already been said that in conjunction withsport (and with military affairs, which were hisintensest joy) the theatre was Francis-Joseph'schief taste. He had no particular preference forone style more than another, it must be confessed ;but apparently French comedy, especially theworks of Scribe and Pailleron, appealed to himmore than the German drama. No German houseput on so many French pieces as the ImperialTheatre at Viennathe Burgtheater, to give it itsproper name.

If Francis-Joseph, however, showed no greatliking for anything outside French drama, he cer-tainly had very violent antipathies. The greatGerman classics, including the revolutionarySchiller, found no favour with the Imperial critic.Even Grillparzer, Austria's greatest dramatic poet,was for a long time systematically banished from


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IMPERIAL AMUSEMENTS 123the stage of the Burgtheater by the Emperor'sorders. It is true that in his

Bruderzwist imHause Habsburg (The Imperial Brothers' Strife),an historical play dealing with the life of the Em-

peror Rudolf, he had shown scant mercy to Francis-Joseph's ancestors, and the Emperor never forgavehim for this.Nowadays the Burgtheater is under the direction

of one of the most enlightened pioneers of thedrama in German landsDr. Paul Schlenther ;but, in spite of this, the chief house of the Empireis oppressed by Francis-Joseph's despotic will, anda harsh exclusion from its boards is the lot of thegreat modern playwrights when they select arealistic or [horribile didu ) a social subject. ThusLudwig Fulda's Die Sklavin (The Slave), whichdeals with the modern woman's aspirations andwith free love, was forbidden at the Burgtheaterby the Emperor's express command, after a singleperformance. The same fate befell, in 1904, Ger-hardt Hauptmann, author of Hannele and The Weavers. These are only two examplesfrom a whole series of suppressions of the mostpaltry and reactionary kind, which have led tothe Viennese public giving the Burgtheater thenickname of the Komtessentheater a namewhich conveys nothing in translation, but meanssomething like the theatre for young ladies.And this is the special theatre of the Emperor,who exercises over it a personal censorship, havingno connection with the Mrs. Grundy of the Vienna


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124 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHcensorship of plays, which is harsh enough, butinfinitely less harsh than that of the prudishFrancis-Joseph The Burgtheater has, of course, a director anda manager, and for the posts have been chosenmen of liberal views and literary tastes, as thename of Dr. Schlenther proves. Still, it is nonethe less true that the artistic convictions of thesedistinguished men are as nothing compared withthe will of the Emperor, who, moreover, looksupon all the directors and managers of the Im-perial houses, whether of the Burgtheater, theVienna Opera House, or the Buda-Pesth Operaor National Theatre, as nothing more than em-ployes to whom he pays salaries.

Of these houses the Burgtheater, whose ex-penses are entirely paid out of the Imperial privypurse, is under regulations not unlike those of theComedie-Frangaise, with the exception, however,that the actors and actresses are not members ofa society, as at Paris. But from the point of viewof their duties, if not of their rights (about whichhe does not care), the ordinary comedians of HisMajesty Francis-Joseph are very like the ordinarycomedians of France under the Third Republic.The Burgtheater' s artistes are divided into twoclassesprobationers and pensioners. The pro-bationers sign contracts for limited periods, thepensioners make an agreement covering the wholeof their lives. No one but the Emperor in privateaudience can release the latter from their en-


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IMPERIAL AMUSEMENTS 125gagement, and then only on the condition that theygo to no other Vienna theatre. Francis-Josephhas taken a passionate interest in the Burgtheater,which for nearly a score of years now has beenhoused in a wing of the Hofburg itself. Many ofhis most intimate friendships have been withartistes of the Imperial theatre, and one of themhas greatly influenced his life, and remains un-broken to this day. This is his friendship withMadame Katharina Schratt, an actress of greattalent, who has achieved the improbable in re-taining his regard for so long.

It is rather remarkable that the ballet has neverinterested a man like Francis-Joseph, when Vien-nese dancers have by no means failed in the pointof good looks. But as serious music appeals tohim very slightly, he had paid very little attentionto the Opera House. In the days when he paidoccasional visits to the Hofoperntheater he likedto see a striking chorus on the stage. So it isperhaps because of his aesthetic (?) susceptibilitiesthat he forsook the Vienna Opera House. Amongsthis intimate friends he would often say how littlehe Ccired to see the famous singer Frau Wild ; butshe was enormously stout, and far nearer uglinessthan beauty. Francis-Joseph could not under-stand, therefore, why the public should applaudher.

In addition to the Imperial theatres, where hehas a large Court box, as well as a small privateone close to the stage, the Emperor used to go


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126 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHoften to the Theater an der Wien, a housefamous in the history of operetta at Vienna asthe birthplace of all Strauss's productions. Duringthe first thirty years of his reign this theatre wasthe home of a collection of comedy divas remark-able alike for talent, faces, and figures, and theconnection between the Palace and the Theateran der Wien was very close. One of these ladiesin particular, Marie Geistinger, the idol of theViennese public, for whom she created the leadingparts in the operettas of Offenbach, Strauss, andSuppe, was a lively and impulsive person, who wasvery fond of talking to her friendsand theirname in Vienna was legionof her acquaintancewith the Emperor outside the walls of the theatre.As has been said, there was something in commonbetween the Emperor's tastes for sport and forthe theatre, only at the latter place he substitutedan opera-glass for his gun.


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CHAPTER VIITHE empress's FLIGHT

Elisabeth lay in a long chair near the windowof her room. The book which she had been read-ing slipped from her hands, and, with her headamong the cushions and her eyes far away, shepeopled with her dreams the autumn landscapebefore her, bathed in the vague and tremulouslight of the setting sun. In the park of Laxen-burg the great trees, swathed in mist, stood outin shadowy bulk against the pale gold of the sky.A vast silence was abroad, the birds had ceasedtheir song as night drew near, and the gentlemurmur of a small jet of water in a fountain washeard as though it were a loud sound in the generalstillness around.A cautious rap came at the door, so cautious thatElisabeth, whose ears were straining to catch the

thousand tiny voices of the silence, did not hearit. A louder rap followed. Surprised and dis-turbed (for the knock broke in upon her dreams),Elisabeth was just about to answer the door, whenit turned upon its hinges, and revealed a visitorcontrary to all the rules of etiquettethe Dowager

127


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128 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHArchduchess. EHsabeth was rising when, with asign as she shut the door, the Archduchess Sophiamotioned to her not to move. She took a seatclose to the Empress's long chair, and opened atonce : I have come, my daughter, to have a friendlytalk with you over serious matters.Elisabeth had vaguely divined that a battlewas preparing, but she was resolved this time tomake a stand against the terrible Archduchess,and she replied with merely the suspicion of atremble in her voice :

I am listening, my mother. What is it allabout ?

Will you allow me to start from the begin-ning ?

I am at your disposal.Don't be alarmed; I will not take advantageof you. Well, this is the point. After the two

girls, little Sophia, whom we lost, and the Arch-duchess Gisela, who is two years and a half ...Two years and three months.You have borne a son ...

Yes, the Archduke Rudolf, born here onAugust 21, 1858that is to say, fifty-four daysago.You reckon very accurately, my daughter,said the Archduchess, with a softness in her voice.Then, with an abrupt change of tone, she wenton : But it is to be regretted that you reasonso ill.


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THE EMPRESS'S FLIGHT 129Elisabeth rose up, gripping the back of her

chair. Mastering her anger, she said : I do notunderstand you, madame. What is it you wishto say ?

Merely this : This afternoon you'^had an inter-view with the Emperor, and obtained from hima promise that your son's education should beentrusted to you personally.

'' Well, what then ?What then ? I cannot agree to it.But, madame, he is my son.

The Archduchess rose in her turn. He is notyour son, she said ; he is the heir to the throne.The two women stood face to face, reading ineach other's eyes the hatred which the approachof night almost hid. So, madame, said Elisabeth, breaking theawful silence,

you deny me the sacred rightwhich the lowest woman of the people is allowed.

She may guide the first steps and thoughts of herchild, while I . . .You cannot do so, because you are the Em-press. That is just the reason. And, further, Imust tell you, my daughter, that yourliberalideas would be fatal to one who must some dayascend the throne of the Habsburgs. The tradi-tion must be carried on, and your unfortunatetendencies would not strengthen that traditionin the mind of your child. Therefore I have firmlydecided that you cannot bring up your son your-self.


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130 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPH But the Emperor has given me permission to

do so.And I will not allow it.

Elisabeth had let herself sink upon a couch,with her hands clasped between her knees, herhead bowed, and her eyes wet with tears.

I know, madame, she said,what your in-fluence is over my husband ; I know it because I

have had such painful experience of it. ThereforeI do not oppose you : I only beg, as you see ; andyou see also, for the first time, that I humblemyself even to tears before you.

** I know that you hate me.Why should you care, when I bow myselfbefore your power ? I will strive no furtheragainst you, madame, I swear it ; but I beseechyou, leave me my child, my dear little Rudolf, tobe the solace of the melancholy and desolate lifewhich you have made for me.A short ironical laugh was the answer to thisanguished prayer. A solace, said the Archduchess, but forwhat ? You should be the happiest woman inthe world. This is your fancy picture of yourselfagain as the misunderstood and forsaken wife.So you ought to be forsaken It would serve youright for the weariness and boredom which youspread around you with your perpetual martyr'spose. Put off this funereal face, my daughter.We are alone here, and you know well enough thatthese waysMo not appeal to me.


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THE EMPRESS'S FLIGHT 131*' You are right, madame. For the moment I

imagined that one mother might address herselfto another without fear, and that perhaps, how-ever far apart we were from each other, we mightfind a common bond in maternit}/. I had for-gotten that your violent egotism crushed everyother feeling in you.You are insulting me.Am I ? But at least, since the unhappy op-portunity is mine of telling you what I think, Iwill go on to the end, whatever it may cost me.

Elisabeth proceeded to reproach the Arch-duchess for the abominable upbringing which shehad given her son, and, to her listener's great in-dignation, showed a clearness of sight which fairlyfrightened her. It seemed to the Archduchess asif it were her conscience which was accusing herof the crime of treason against motherhood. Sherecovered herself, and cut short the indictmentagainst herself by leaving the room, shutting thedoor furiously behind her. She went straight tothe Emperor's study, and in a state of greatagitation told him the last part of the scene whichshe had had with Elisabeth. She gave her ownversion of it, of course, declaring that Elisabethhad violently accused the Emperor of being a badhusband and a bad ruler, reinforcing these sameaccusations with a heap of insults against her, theDowager-Archduchess. So well did she succeed instirring up her son against the unhappy Elisabeththat the same night he retracted the promise


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132 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHwhich he had made to her, and a few days laterhanded over the Httle Archduke Rudolf and hisnurse to the charge of a governess chosen by theArchduchess Sophia, who was, before many yearshad passed, to follow the plan which she hadadopted in her son's education, and to give theyoung Prince as superintendent Count Bombelles,a worthy son of the Bombelles who had trainedFrancis-Joseph.

Elisabeth had devoted all her capacity for loveto her son, and we can imagine her despair, herwretched, helpless despair. She had a daughter,the Archduchess Gisela, but, strange to relate inone endowed with such emotional qualities, shedid not love that daughter. Indeed, it may besaid that she never loved her. When her first-born's little coffin, all covered in white roses, haddisappeared into the tomb, Elisabeth had a sensa-tion of so profound a void that she had thoughther heart would never beat again. The birth ofa second daughter, in place once more of thehoped-for son, had been a fresh disillusion, andhad in no way succeeded in reawakening her tenderinstincts. She continued to weep for the littledead Sophia, and could not see close at her sidethe living smile of little Gisela. That poor child,whose entry into the world had certainly not beenthrough the gate of love which was open later forher brother Rudolf, and later still for her sisterMarie-Valerie, was always left in the cold in hermother's heart.


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THE EMPRESS'S FLIGHT 133Rudolfs birth, on the other hand, rescued EUsa-

beth entirely from her sorrow, and with one strokelifted her to the summit of maternal joy. Theson had come, the long-desired son. DoubtlessElisabeth had no hope that the birth of this boy-child would bring Francis-Joseph back to her, butshe was filled with a deep, sweet pride at havingbrought into the world one who was to mount theImperial and Royal throne of Austria-Hungary,and to reign over a great people. She hardlygave a further thought to the little white cofhn,and forgot that she had wept over the burial ofher heart. Her dead daughter and her estrangedhusband only appeared to her now like dimmemories of old. She had a son. This son wasto be Emperor, and through him all the joys oflove and of pride would be hers. But, knowingas she did what influence mothers can exerciseover Sovereigns, as over other men, she wantedhim trained by herself to goodness, honesty, andfair dealing. How hard she would strive todevelop the conscience in the child whom she hadbrought into the world Her whole life wasbeginning afresh, for the day of her son's birthwas the birthday also of her happiness.So she had thought, reckoning without themother-in-law whose cruelty was to rob her ofher child's mind as she had already robbed herof her husband's heart. And now, while nightenveloped in its darkness the great trees in thepark of Laxenburg, she wept the most bitter


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134 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHtears, perhaps, which she had ever shed in thecourse of her anguished hfe.We know the results of the evil education whichthe Dowager-Archduchess gave to Elisabeth's son,the dissolute life of this weak Prince, and histragic, self-inflicted death. Instead of the Arch-duchess Sophia bearing the blame for this, theEmpress was held responsible. People were notwanting to insist, in country, town, and Court,that if the Empress had devoted herself to herson's education the catastrophe which put an endto this spoilt existence would never have occurred.Whatever may be thought about it, Elisabethmost certainly was affected by this suggestion,for those about her did their best, during her life-time, to torture her heart and soul. But she neverbetrayed herself, and the cruellest hints neverwrested a complaint from her. When her favouritechild's terrible death bound her living to the rack,she had nothing but words of solace for the hus-band against whom she had every right to turnthe hateful accusations made against herself.But at present we are far from that tragic periodwhich was to reveal such nobility of mind andgenerous philosophy in the daughter of DukeMaximilian of Bavaria. For the moment we seeElisabeth only as a poor lonely woman, strugglingto shake off the yoke under which she was soondoomed to fall again, exhausted by the violenceof her effort. Married life had for her no furtherpromise, but, as she dreamed of no other romances


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THE EMPRESS'S FLIGHT 135since the day when she met Francis-Joseph in thepark at Possenhofen, she continued to love, in thedepth of her soul, the husband who inflicted onher so much suffering. During 1859, in whichyear Austria was fated to lose in the Italiancampaign one of her most beautiful provinces,Lombardy, a new growth of affection and pitysprang up in the parched soil of Elisabeth's heart.Francis-Joseph, who had a strong love for hiscountry, and, as we know, a special taste for thepursuit of war, went forth to fight with his troops,and, with no thought of the value of his life,courted danger with single - minded, gloriouscourage. Time after time EHsabeth, in her prisonat the Hofburg, trembled at the visions of battlein which her husband's bravery made him playso perilous a part. Her anguished heart leaptwithin her breast as fear and admiration mingledwith memories of its old surrender to the powerof love.One day in particular she thought her emotions

must overcome her when she heard how, in oneof the bloodiest battles of the whole campaign,Francis-Joseph had put himself at the head of acavalry charge, leading the way to victory withthe simple words : Forward, my brave men I,too, have a wife and children to lose Whileshe trembled and rejoiced in turn, she almostfound it in her to expect, at the end of the war,

arepentant husband returning to her arms. Asyears later she was to weep with him over the


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136 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHloss of their son, so now she offered him tenderconsolation when he came back to assuage, withall the pride at his command, the wound whichhis country, and he with his country, had received.Her last illusion, or rather her temporarilyrevived illusion, was destined to be shattered bythe heedless cruelty of Francis-Joseph as soon ashis passion came into play. Why should a newinfidelity have wrung Elisabeth's soul more thanthose which had preceded it, many of them,indeed, still more unkind ? Doubtless becausethe pain was doubled by its infliction on hopesnewly born after the death of the old. Moreover,the heart cannot hold out for ever, and sufferingdoes not strengthen it by repeated blows, but endsby breaking it, as was now the case with Elisabeth.

In the year i860, when the Empress in all herbrilliant beauty had just reached her twenty-thirdbirthday, an event took place which overwhelmedher with such disgust that she took on her owninitiative a step which man-made law would notgive her the power to take. A few weeks afterthe Emperor's return to Vienna, which occurredat a period of great internal disturbance in theEmpire, the first appearance was made at theBurgtheater of Frau Roll, an unknown actressfrom the provinces, with no claims to fame exceptan astonishing beauty of face and figure. Whatsurprised Vienna most was that it was impossibleto discover the introducer of this wonderful beautyto the stage of the Imperial theatre. There were


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THE EMPRESS'S FLIGHT 137rumours about a high^personage, of course, butwith^nothing to confirm them. Besides, his griefover the loss of Lombardy seemed so great, andthe state of affairs was so grave, that no one couldcredit suggestions of frivolity. The question,therefore, remained unanswered during the winterseason of 1860-61, although no one was talkingabout anything else. At last the end of the seasonarrived, when it was learnt that the beautifulactress was to spend her holidays at Ischl, wherethe Imperial family was also stopping. The re-joicings were great, for Ischl is a small place,where everyone meets everyone else, and FrauRoll could scarcely conceal her private affairsfrom the eyes of the curious. So it turned out.Less than a week had passed before, to the generalastonishment, the name of the lady's mysteriousprotector was discovered, and was wafted to theEmpress's ears. Without delay Ehsabeth went toher husband and told him that he must make achoiceeither Frau Roll must leave Ischl withintwenty-four hours, or she would depart herself.The next day Frau Roll left the Imperial resort.It must be added that she did not go very far.But Ehsabeth, although she was not duped, didnot refer to the painful subject again. She merelywaited, with that obstinate patience which a fixedidea inspires, until some new incident, and onethat would not put her as now in a ridiculous light,should arise to justify her in declaring that shewould no longer live with her husband.


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138 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHShe had not long to wait. The opportunity

came in November, 1861. Francis-Joseph leftVienna one morning with certain gentlemen of hisCourt for a day's shooting at Miirzzuschlag, mean-ing to return the same night after the riotousbanquet which always wound up these excursions.But night came, and the Emperor did not return.Next day, toward evening, the shooting-partyreached the Siidbahn Station, but without theEmperor. Vague excuses were made that Francis-Joseph was tired or unwell, and would remainanother day at Miirzzuschlag to recuperate. Oneof the courtiers, Count K., was less discreet thanhis companions, and, yielding to the persistentcuriosity of his newly-married wife, let her knowafter dinner that it was not through weariness orillness that the Emperor had remained behind,but in order to pursue an affair not at all to hiscredit with a young peasant-girl.As soon as she had got her choice piece of scandal,the Countess K. made for the Empress's apart-ments, where etiquette obliged Elisabeth to dis-pense tea every night to the ladies of her Court,including the Countess, who was a maid of honour.She had promised her husband not to breathe aword, but he had given her an example of indis-cretion which she followed faithfully. In themidst of a group of frivolous friends she relatedher tale, with embellishments, to an accompani-ment of stifled giggles and exclamations. TheEmpress, who was chatting with a neighbouring


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THE IMPERIAL RESIDENCE AT ISCHL

THE PALACE OF SCHONBRUNNTo face page 138


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THE EMPRESS'S FLIGHT 139group, did not lose a word of the story. Sheturned pale, but did not otherwise betray herself.When the tale was told, she went up to theCountess K., and after talking to her on indif-ferent matters, broke off to say, in the mostnatural way in the world : You must excuse me, ladies, if I cut myreception rather short to-night, but I am tiredand want a rest.The usual hand-kissing took place, and the

Empress's fingers did not tremble as the CountessK.'s Hps touched them. But hardly had the doorclosed behind the last guest when, with a breakin her voice and dark rings of anguish about hereyes, Elisabeth called to her the old nurse whomshe had brought with her from Possenhofen, andbade her fill a travelling-bag with the necessaryclothes, and get ready to depart with her. Are we going for long ? asked the nurse.Forever

Oh, Miss Lisbeth . . .Go and do as I tell you.A quarter of an hour later the two left theHofburg unnoticed, cahed a carriage, drove to thesouthern terminus, and caught the first trainleaving Vienna. It was not until next day thatthe Archduchess Sophia learnt from the Empress'schambermaid that she had not spent the night inher apartments. Then, making instant inquiries,she discovered the Countess K.'s exploit, and,feeling sure of the flight of the little Bavarian


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140 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHgoose/' at once warned the police. Before anhour had passed she was informed of the Empress'sdeparture on the Siidbahn, either for the palaceof Miramar or for a longer journey from Trieste,where the Imperial yacht lay. A telegram wassent to Trieste to stop the Empress's departureat all costs, and to prevent the yacht from puttingto sea. At the same time a special train wasdespatched to Trieste, carrying a high Courtofficial. The Empress was indeed at Trieste.She had proposed to board the yacht at once, andstart for some foreign port, no matter where. Thecaptain had received his warning in time, andmade a slight breakdown in the engine-room theexcuse for a day's delay, in accordance with theDowager-Archduchess's orders.

It was on board the yacht, however, in TriesteHarbour that the high official found the Empress.What passed between them is unknown. It isprobable that he attempted to dissuade her fromher journey by pointing out what scandal it wouldbring down upon herself, especially as she wouldnot be there to defend herself. If this was theactual trend of his remarks, they can hardly haveappealed to a woman so convinced of the justifica-tion of her conduct and so disdainful of whatpeople said about her. What she was more likelyto fear was that her ffight might be attributed toher terror of an explanation with her husband andher mother-in-law. Anyhow, next day she re-turned to the Hofburg before the news of her


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THE EMPRESS'S FLIGHT 141flight had become public. A terrible scene fol-lowed between the three actors in this drama.It is asserted that Francis-Joseph, confessing hismisdeeds, but dreading scandal still more, fell atElisabeth's feet begging for pardon in terrifiedtones, and promising, like a child, never to do itagain. It is even said that he dared for the firsttime in his life to brave his mother's anger, re-proaching her for her harshness and injustice toElisabeth, and accusing himself of weakness andcowardice. Nothing could shake Elisabeth's de-cision. All that she would agree to was that herdeparture should be given an official character.She refused for the present to play the part ofEmpress before a Court whose cruelty to her wasequalled by her contempt for it.The same night Dr. Skoda, the well-knownViennese professor of medicine, was summoned tothe Hofburg, and, despite his reluctance to carryout the Imperial wishes, was induced after a longdiscussion to sign a report declaring that theEmpress's lungs were affected, and that she mustleave Vienna as soon as possible for a milderclimate. Next day Ehsabeth, escorted to thestation by the chief Court dignitaries, left Viennafor Antwerp, where a yacht was awaiting her withsteam up, ready to take her to sunny Madeira.

Francis-Joseph accompanied her in the train asfar as Bamberg, in Bavaria. When he had lefther, Elisabeth sat gazing through the window atthe mists of night falling upon the autumn land-


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142 THE REAL FRANCIS-JOSEPHscape. The Bavarian forests lay before her eyes,forests like the woods of Possenhofen, where wasborn that dream which was now all shattered, andthe dusk of autumn which enshrouded them waslike that of the night at Laxenburg when her sonwas stolen from her. In a corner of the carriagesat the old nurse, fearful of breaking in on thesilence of the unhappy woman she had reared, theEmpress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, whowept with soft, low sobs over the ruins of a life.


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