houses in any way related to the Orléans family, such as those of Spain, Great Britain, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden, all of which are exceedingly anxious to see the Duke of Orléans converted into a reputable and decent member of society by a marriage with a strong-minded, masterful woman who will have the energy and the power to keep him in order."

Miscellaneous.-The celebrated French painter Bouguereau and Miss Elizabeth Gardner, native of Exeter, N. H., were married in Paris, June 22. Miss Gardner is a pupil of Bouguereau, and is herself a distinguished artist.

Émile Zola was again a candidate for election to the French Academy, May 28, and was again rejected.

Paul Bourget, on June 5, won his lawsuit against his publisher, Lemerre. Bourget had questioned the correctness of Lemerre's statement of the account between them, and demanded access to the publisher's books. This the publisher refused. The Tribunal of Commerce ordered Lemerre to submit his account books to an arbitrator named by the court.

ITALY.

Early in April a royal decree was signed, instituting a new form of government in Sicily for a period of one year. A royal commissioner is appointed, who will practically exercise all the powers of the civil departments of the central government. Count Codronchi, a member of the senate, has been selected for this office.

On April 27 a riot took place at Paterno, which resembled the outbreaks of 1893 and 1894, but, unlike them, was confined to one locality. The people, angered at the imposition of the communal taxes, attacked the mayor's house, burned the octroi office, and destroyed some other property. Neither police nor military seemed able to quell the disturbance; but the prefect of Catania finally succeeded in inducing the mob to go home.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

Hungarian Millennial Celebration.-Between May 2 and October 31 this year, the Magyar portion of the dual empire celebrates the completion of 1,000 years of history as a distinct nation. It was in 896 that the Hungarians, led by Arpád, conquered the present country.

The chief feature of the celebration is the Millennial Exposition at Buda Pesth-really an educational and historical exposition on a grand scale. It was opened May 2, by Emperor Francis Joseph, with

imposing ceremonies, and will continue till October 31. The thousand years of Hungarian history have been divided into eight distinct epochs. To each of these a separate building of appropriate architecture has been assigned, and the contents are illustrative of that period, showing its arts, industries, and history. Every one of the nineteen nationalities of the realm has a village in the grounds, where are carried on the daily vocations of home life, thus giving, for the first time, an ethnographic picture of the kingdom. The exposition grounds occupy 129 acres. There are about 169 buildings and pavilions, erected at a cost of $4,000,000.

In

During the continuance of the exposition, there is being kept up an almost uninterrupted series of festivities. nearly all the towns and cities of the land, monuments and institutions will be inaugurated. Among the most important of these events, are the laying of the corner stone of a triumphal arch, costing 800,000 florins, and the opening, on June 8, of the new Parliament House, which has cost $6,400,000. Another imposing ceremonial was the exhibition, on June 5, of the emblems of royalty. The crown of St. Stephen, first king of Hungary, with his robe, sword, and sceptre, was carried with fitting pomp from the royal palace of Buda to the church of St. Mathias. The procession included Cardinal Vaszary, primate of Hungary, in a coach drawn

by six horses. The following day, June 6, the emperor laid the foundation stone of a new wing of the Buda Hofburg. Early in July was to be dedicated a monument to Arpád in the plain where he and the chiefs of the nation made their first constitutional compact. The new waterway, built by Hungarian engineers through the "Iron Gates" of the Danube, will be thrown open to international traffic. Some time during September, an historical pageant is to be held, depicting in vivid representation the most important political events, historical heroes, etc., all the participants being clothed in costumes appropriate to the epoch they illustrate.

Space forbids a review in detail of the history of Hungary. Such can be found by any reader who has ordinary works of reference with in reach. Some general observations, however, may be made regarding the characteristics and present status of the Hungarian people.

As a people, the Hungarians have a peculiar fascination to the his

torical student, due not only to the chivalry and romance of their national history, but even more to the combination which they present of Western civilization in morals and public affairs with a certain Oriental turn of mind. The country itself forms a transition between the varied scenery of western Europe and the monotony of the Russian plains. The Magyar race is-like the English-a compound of different ethnic elements. The Hungarian people, composed of different nationalities that have been welded into a whole under Magyar influence, and bear the indelible impress of that race, has always

formed a connecting link between the Eastern and Western worlds. It is, however, more closely allied to the latter, both by instinct and by historical association. One characteristic of the Hungarians is their broad religious tolerance. Even the Turk was hated by them only as an oppressor and despoiler. The fanaticism of the Spaniard finds no place in the Magyar mind. On the continent, Hungary has become a model liberal state, enjoying real parliamentary government. But, however important the development of its state organization may be, these are of secondary importance when compared with the great social and economic transformation of the people. To-day Hungary has no reason to shun the competition of European nations. During the last few generations literature, science, general culture, and wealth have made great progress. The development of the economic resources of Hungary has approached that of more favored countries; and it is significant that, in spite of the agricultural depression prevalent all over the world, the Hungarian peasantry continue to buy up land, and can as a class almost bear comparison with the farmers of some of the Western states of America.

THE LATE ARCHDUKE CHARLES LOUIS OF AUSTRIA.

In connection with the millennial celebrations, Pope Leo XIII. issued, in the middle of May, an encyclical letter to the Hungarian episcopate.

In spite of the now religious régime embodied in the recently enacted laws regarding registry of births and civil marriages, His Holiness entertains no hostile sentiments toward the government or people of Hungary. He could not, however, appear as practically supporting the Magyar government; and accordingly, some time in advance of the opening of the celebrations, leave of absence was accorded to the papal nuncio, Mgr. Agliardi (Vol. 5, p. 442).

Anti-Semitism in Vienna.-On April 18 the municipal council of Vienna, for the fourth time within a year, elected Dr. Karl Lüger, the noted anti-Semitic leader, as burgomaster (Vol. 5, pp. 443, 944). On two former occasions, this action of the council had been followed by suspension of their charter by royal decree; but on the present occasion the emperor successfully brought his influence to bear upon

Dr. Lüger, who announced on April 27, that, from motives of patriotism, he would accede to the desire of his sovereign and decline the office. On May 6 a compromise was finally effected in the election, by the council, of Herr Strohbach, a prominent merchant of Vienna, a moderate anti-Semite, as burgomaster, with Dr. Lüger as first viceburgomaster. Herr Strohbach's election was confirmed by the emperor; May 15.

The Austrian Succession.-The death of the Archduke Charles Louis (Karl Ludwig), May 19, has

ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND OF AUSTRIA.

removed the second of the direct heirs of Emperor Francis Joseph; and has quickened apprehension as to the political results which would be likely to follow a removal of the sovereign himself. In the opinion of many observers, the strong and attractive personality of Francis Joseph has long been the chief bulwark against those forces of disruption always active in a nation composed of elements so various and incongruous as those which go to make up the Austro-Hungarian people. Since the Meyerling tragedy, which carried off Crown Prince Rudolph, Charles Louis had been heir presumptive to the throne, as the crown prince's only child and the emperor's remaining family were girls, and the Salic law prevailed.

The Archduke Francis Ferdinand, eldest son of Charles Louis, has been regarded as heir presumptive; but he is in extremely delicate health; and his brother Otho is reported to have been directed by the emperor to exercise the functions of heir apparent. Neither of these young men, in character or physique, is generally considered fit to occupy the troubled Hapsburg throne.

Electoral Reform.-On May 7 the Austrian Reichsrath passed the third reading of the government electoral reform bill (p. 195), by a vote of 234 to 19. Seventytwo new members are to be added to the chamber of deputies, and to be elected on a system approximating to universal suffrage. The efforts to secure universal suffrage throughout Austria have failed. Speaking of the electoral reform law on June 20, the emperor said:

"I know well enough that the newly created electors will not be satisfied;

but universal suffrage has been a failure in all countries where the system has been introduced.

It does not suit Austria."

RUSSIA.

Coronation of the Czar.-On May 26 Nicholas II. was formally crowned czar with all the pageantry that had marked the coronations of his ancestors for two centuries, but with a splendor and profusion of gorgeous display that had never before been equalled. To a Western mind, perhaps the chief interest in the spectacle lay in the picture it presented of a meeting together of widely separated ages as well as races, of a combination of the spirit of mediævalism with modern and even fin de siècle methods and ideas. The almost barbaric pageantry was a manifestation