OCR Text |
Show Is it the dreadful "Whito Lady of i Europe, the mystic Countess von I i piassenberg, the spirit who even Iff threw the great Napoleon Bonaparte li Into a tremor, that is barring Iho li progress of the French troops into Ij Germany? I Has the vision of Cunigunda, the J defender against the enemies of the House of Hohenzollerns, impressed ' horror into the hearts of the troops of France and made them hesitato ; ; before the arms of their foe. Few beside the French troops ! know of the supposed existence of the white-robed woman who stalks her haunted castles both by day and by night and who has beenv positive- '. y seen by many, other than the sol- diers and officers of Frauce. 1 That she is still about and is pro- tccling the ancient house of Hohen- 1 zollern from attacks is declared by many troops. Those in tho trenches declare that they have often seen the White Lady 1 of Euiopc before them in battle and this vision has made them quail as it often made the great Napoleon quiver. ', The real history of the White La- I day of Europe, whose existence or ' rather supposed existence has been forgotten to the whole world other y, than the troops of Germany and I France is best told by Louisa Muhl-! Muhl-! bach, a historian of highest rank, whoso reviews have been essentially essential-ly ly founded on the facts gleaned from : a study of the best and most au- thoratatlvc histories of all nations. ' In her "Napoleon and Blucher" she amply describes the fear even Na-j Na-j poleon held for this famous Whito Lady and that even now is felt by the French troops in the trenches, according to recent reports from the , front. The sceno relating to this r. event JOHOW3 m pan. . ur--j - ' HISTORY OF THE "WHITE LADY. I The palace of Baireuth in Prussia j had been prepared for the arrival of the great Napoleon, who at that time I as much detested from the fact that he had brought to shame the House of Hohcnzollern. The Count Munster and the Cas tellan Schluter had prepared for tho arrival of their royal but unwelcome I guest when the Count exclaimed: "Well, and who is that?" "It is the White Lady," exclaimed the Castellan. "She Is awake and walking and knows that the enemy of her house of Brandenburg Hill spend tlio night at this palace. She is walking and her eyes are filled with wrath against the enemy of the Hohenzollerns." This and subsequent parts of Louisa Loui-sa Muhlbach are well authenticated and derived from a number of tho beat historical sources. "I repeat It your excellency she is walking and her eyes are filled with wrath against the enemy of the Hohenzollerns. Ho-henzollerns. I would not bo surprised sur-prised if she should shout tonight into tho ears of the tyrant and awaken him from his slumber." Subsequent conversation between the two relate to the peculiar fact that tho White Lady apparently walked from a picture frame and they found the empty frame in a corridor. cor-ridor. In regard to Napoleon's first vision of the Whito Lady we have I the following: Napoleon entering his wing of tho palace "Tho White Lady then never appears In this wing of the palace?" asked Napoleon, t "No, sire, never," said Count Munster. "On the whole, sire, no one here believes of the absurd old story and I am sure no one knows of the Whito Lady other than from hearsay." Napoleon after his dinner that evening ev-ening was awakened by a noise and called Schluter to him. ' "What have you seen?" asked Na poleon, "Speak, what was this noise?" j ALARMS XArOLEOX. ' The emperor then demanded the I wholo story of the White Lady and ' it was related to liim as follows by J Count Schluter: "Sire, her name was Cunigunda, Countess von Plas-Benburg. Plas-Benburg. Her folks had compelled i her to marry the old Count von Plasseuburg and when her husband died after two years of unhappy married life, the Countess Cunigun-dc Cunigun-dc of Orlamunde and Plasscnburg was a young widow, twenty-four year3 old, and mother of two children. chil-dren. Her eyes fell on the Bur-grave Bur-grave of Nuremburg the distinguished disting-uished nobleman, Albert the Hand- tome. Tho whole German people Ki called him so and all the girls, far j , and near, daughters of the nobility, Hj r as well as those of the citizens of H Nuremburg, loved the fine looking Burgrave of Nuremburg, who was ancestor of the House of Hohenzol-lern. Hohenzol-lern. But the noble Count Albert loved only one young lady, beautiful Beatrice of Hainault, and would marry none other. The Countess Cunigunda of Orlamunde. howler, was not aware of this and sent a message asking him whether he would not like to marry her. She would give him beside her hand the splendid Plassenburg and all her -other property. Burgrave Albert, the handsome, smiled when he hcaid her message and replied: "Tell your Countess I regard her as very amiable and should like to marry her If four eyes were not in existepce " "The Burgrave leferrcd to the eyes of his parents who did not like the Countess and ho wished to make this- responsible for his own refusal. But .Cuihgunda interpreted tho " words differently and thought tho four eyes were those of her two children She therefor hated the children because she believed they had been the sole object that prevented pre-vented her from joining her lover. The evil one "whispered to her: "Go and kill your children" So Cunigunda Cunigun-da 'aVose from her couch in a long white night-dress arid with a long gold hairpin pierced and killed her children. For this tho Countess was put to death but the Burgrave a short time later was found dead in his bed from fright and others who opposed her royal house were found dead after seeing the stiange apparition appari-tion of the White Lady of Europe, who haunted both the friends and the enemies of her kingdom." LEGEND OF A visioy. How this apparition appeared to Napoleon and actually gave him a warning is told as follow s by Louisa Muhlbach: "You dare set your foot In the house of Hohen7011ern?" asked tho spectre after Napoleon had heaid the Count's story and was about to retire "You come hither to disturb dis-turb the repose of the dead9 Flee, audacious man flee for destruction destruc-tion is pursuing you. Your last hour has come; prepare to stand before your judge." GEBHARD VQN 3LUCHEI? "Ay, you will kill me then, beautiful beau-tiful 'lady?" asked Napoleon, his face turning pale and his knees trembling beneath his small frame. "You will revenge the defeats I have inflicted on the descendants of Bur-crave Bur-crave Albert the Handsome, on tho battlefields of Jena, Eylau and Friedland? In tiuth I should have thought the beautiful Cunigunda of Orlamunde would rather welcome me as a friend, for was iL not I that who avenged her on the faithless bouse of Hobenzollern?" "You try to mock me," said tho snectre. "for your heart is filled with doubt and your soul with pride. But beware, Bonaparte beware, I tell I Wyxf 'WMif Jk xXiJ MAPOCEON A.S EMPEPOR5' If 1 ( W ' ill -viJi ? W '' -'' h - - --,"'- --'ifi lift you, for the last time your hour has come and every step you advance ad-vance is a step toward your ruin. Turn back, Bonaparte, if you wish to be saved, for ruin awaits you on the battlefields of Russia. Turn back for the souls of your victims cry to God for vengeance and demand your blood for theirs your punishment for the luthlcssly destroyed happiness happi-ness of whole nations. Bonaparte, escape from the soil of Germany and dare no longer to set foot upon it for disgraceful defeats aio In store for you. Return to Franco and on-dcavor on-dcavor to conciliate those who aro cursing you as a perjurer and renegade." rene-gade." "Who are they who dare call mo a perjurer ana a renegade9" asked Napoleon for a time regaining some of his old-time spirit in face of this ghostly visitor "Tin: riEILAUELPHIAS." "Who are they?" replied tho spectre spec-tre advancing slowly towaid the crouching monarch. "The men to whom you once vowed eternal fidelity fidel-ity and whom you called your brethren breth-ren tho Phlladolphlans The Emperor started in tei ror and his cheeks turned livid. His fca-tuies fca-tuies which hithorto had shown something of deflauco were rov gloomy and ho turned with an appearance ap-pearance of undisguised fear at the woman who stood before him in a very menacing manner. THE ROYU PALACE IN rELJUlhJ I ij IiIbw tit in Story of Ghost Which Historians Say':. I jj Was About the Only Thing Napoleon Jli Was Afraid of Renews Queer Super- Ij stition In the Trenches of France--- II Odd Legend of the Phantom Protector" : li of the House of Hohenzollern Is An II Interesting Chronicle of Apparitions 11 Tho Phlladelphlans?" asked Napoleon Na-poleon timidly, "1 do not know them " "You do," said tho spectre solemnly so-lemnly "You do know that the invisible in-visible ones aic watching you and will punish you because you have broken your oath." "I know of no oath." "Woo to you if you have forgotten It. 1 will repeat it you. It was in 17S0, at the forest of Fontalnebleau that you appeared at the meeting of your brothren and lcquestcd to be initiated. The Phlladelphlans admitted ad-mitted you into their league aud accepted ac-cepted your oath. Shall I lepcat the oath to you?" The spectio here repeated the oath. "Turn back, for It is yet time," the spectro warned. "Return to Fiance. Renounce conquests. France wants no more wars. She is cursing the tyrant who refuses peace to her and to Em ope. Take au oath at (his hour that you will renounce your ambition and no longer pursue a career of crime and blood." "Never," replied the Empctor. "Ah, then you will not swear you prefer to die then," aud at a bound she was at the Emperor's side, grasped him with iion hands and thiew him down In an easy chair. "You prefer to die," she lepeated wildlj. tearing tho black veil fiom her head and showing her face unveiled un-veiled It was livid as that of a corpse, the bloodless lips quivering and. her red eyes Uarning with rage. "You prefer to die,' '"exclaimed the spectre for the third time "Well, die," and hei arms encircled Napoleon's Napo-leon's breast like iion rings, her glance seemed to pierce his face, her, lips opened and exhibited tein-blo tein-blo teeth, as if ready to tear his breast. The Emperor was unable to bieathe; he felt his bieath giving way and with a last effort he uttered ut-tered a shull cry for help. TEKKIKLE DREAM. "Sire, sire, awake!" cried an anxious anx-ious voice at Ills side. Napoleon started up "Who is there?" he asked ask-ed augrily. "It is 1, Constant," said the valet. "I heard your majesty's groans and cries and saw you writhing in the easy chair " "And I am glad jou did, Constant." Con-stant." said the Eniporur. "What a teinblc dream It was The White Lady was here; she threw herself upon me like a tigress she Avauted to toar me and drink my heart's blood." , ' - , i Twice again after he had gqnc to Imh'k' sleep Was Napoleon awakened by ijrji! the spcctie of the While Lady. ifffl' l i "This accuiscd White Lady was IllfflgU. heie again," lie reiraiked. "She lj!jP' wanted to upset my -bed and thiot- 1B!h! tie me 1 awoke just when this hor- l8ta liblc monster of a woman pushed fml fsl! the bed withthe strength of a giant jljjltt into the middlo of the lOoui I iDllwJij called and she disappeaipd $$ illi Napoleon never spent another llP'jiiJ night Jn that palace. Although he lifjjtli' warned the servants that he would IfU'iBi be angiy if they mentioned his jU S j flight, the story became public and JllplSli it was said this was the only thing IflHjf ' that Napoleon eer feaied, and he Ij 15 , tin ned white1 at tilts very mention of jjjj jjj J tho White Lady, Ifiiil I The stoiy of the spectre appear- III 111 Ing to Napoleon Is well aulhenticat- 'Hjlll'" cd in histoiy and 13 doubted from 110 lULI fj source 'ffliko t ' It is said of the French troops to- 'Jfijjffll day that w henever they see '"J isr oas- Ijlj f tie or approach noar il, tho dreaaed llMiM ' White Lady appears 19 them to drive " jlPj them back from her soil ailii stiikc J5J fear into their hearts jiJglr Like all other" soldiers, the French, Tdlll too, arc supeistitious and actually BillliS fear the While Lady w"ho 111a.de Na- J j j poleon tromble, accofdiiig to stories fl Mil I cgmins fioinParis ilselL II Un j I |