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                           LUDWIG THE SECOND
                            KING OF BAVARIA


                                   BY
                             CLARA TSCHUDI

    AUTHOR OF "MARIE ANTOINETTE," "EUGÉNIE, EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH,"
               "MARIA SOPHIA, QUEEN OF NAPLES," ETC. ETC.

                     TRANSLATED FROM THE NORWEGIAN
                                   BY
                          ETHEL HARRIET HEARN



          "Certains caractères échappent à l'analyse logique."

                                                        George Sand.



                         WITH  PORTRAIT

                                 London
                      SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO. LIM.
                      NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO.
                                  1908







CONTENTS


CHAPTER                                                             PAGE

I.        Descent and Education                                        1
II.       Fundamental Traits of Ludwig's Character                    11
III.      "Le Roi est mort! Vive le Roi!"                             17
IV.       A Plan of Marriage                                          22
V.        King Ludwig and Richard Wagner                              25
VI.       Ludwig's First Visit to Switzerland--Richard Wagner
          leaves Munich                                               40
VII.      The Political Situation--The Schleswig-Holstein Question
          --The War of 1866                                           53
VIII.     The King makes the Tour of his Kingdom                      58
IX.       Ludwig's Betrothal                                          63
X.        The King goes to Paris--Disharmonies between the
          Engaged Couple--Ludwig meets the Emperor Napoleon and the
          Empress Eugénie in Augsburg--The King breaks his Promise
          of Marriage                                                 75
XI.       After the Parting with Sophie--Episodes from the King's
          Excursions in the Highlands                                 81
XII.      The Empress of Russia visits Bavaria--The Duchess Sophie's
          Engagement and Marriage--An Unexpected Meeting with the
          Duchesse d'Alençon--A Last Attempt to forge the Links of
          Hymen around Ludwig                                         86
XIII.     Ludwig and the Artistes of the Stage--Josephine Schefzky    92
XIV.      Prince Hohenlohe--Political Frictions                       99
XV.       A Meeting between Bismarck and Ludwig                      108
XVI.      Outbreak of the War with France                            111
XVII.     During the War--The German Empire is Proclaimed            118
XVIII.    The Bavarian Troops Return to Munich--King Ludwig and
          the Crown Prince of Germany                                131
XIX.      A Visit from the Emperor Wilhelm--Ludwig Withdraws more
          and more from the World                                    138
XX.       Prince Otto's Insanity--The King's Morbid Sensations       145
XXI.      The Review of the Troops in 1875--Crown Prince Friedrich
          of Prussia                                                 151
XXII.     King Ludwig and the Empress Elizabeth                      158
XXIII.    King Ludwig and Queen Marie                                164
XXIV.     State and Church--Ignaz von Döllinger--Ludwig's Letters
          to his old Tutor                                           168
XXV.      Ludwig II. in Daily Life                                   175
XXVI.     Ludwig and Richard Wagner--The King's Visit to Bayreuth    180
XXVII.    King Ludwig and the Artists of the Stage and Canvas        187
XXVIII.   Private Performances at the Hof Theater at Munich          193
XXIX.     King Ludwig and his Palaces                                197
XXX.      King Ludwig's Friendships                                  204
XXXI.     The Actor Kainz                                            209
XXXII.    A Journey to Switzerland                                   214
XXXIII.   King Ludwig and his Servants                               221
XXXIV.    The Mad King                                               225
XXXV.     The Last Meeting between Mother and Son                    230
XXXVI.    Pecuniary Distress                                         234
XXXVII.   Plots                                                      239
XXXVIII.  Preparations to Imprison the King--The Peasantry Assemble
          to his Rescue                                              244
XXXIX.    A Friend in Need--Ludwig's Proclamation                    250
XL.       The King's Last Hours at Neuschwanstein                    257
XLI.      Schloss Berg--The King's Death                             265
XLII.     Conclusion                                                 272







LUDWIG THE SECOND
KING OF BAVARIA

CHAPTER I

Descent and Education


At the birth of Ludwig II., enigmatic as he was unfortunate, of whom
I propose to give a sketch, his grandfather, the eccentric Ludwig I.,
was still King of Bavaria. His father, Maximilian Joseph, was the
Crown Prince. The latter had wedded, in 1842, the beautiful Princess
Marie of Prussia, who was