THE VANISHED POMPS OF YESTERDAY
By
Lord Frederic Hamilton
THE VANISHED POMPS OF YESTERDAY
THE DAYS BEFORE YESTERDAY
HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE
George H. Doran Company
New York
BEING
Some Random Reminiscences of a
British Diplomat
BY
LORD FREDERIC HAMILTON
Author of "Here, There and Everywhere," "The Days
Before Yesterday," etc., etc.
A New and Revised Edition
NEW YORK
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1921
BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TO
EMILY LADY AMPTHILL
MY FIRST CHEFESSE
WITH EVER-GRATEFUL RECOLLECTIONS
OF HER KINDNESS
FOREWORD
TO THE SECOND EDITION
The account of the boating accident at Potsdamon page 75, differs in several particulars from thestory as given in the original edition. Thesealterations have been made at the special request of thelady concerned, who tells me that my recollectionsof her story were at fault as regards severalimportant details. There are also a few verbalalterations in the present edition.
CONTENTS
Special Mission to Rome—Berlin in process oftransformation—Causes of Prussian militarism—Lord andLady Ampthill—Berlin Society—Music-lovers—Eveningswith Wagner—Aristocratic Waitresses—Rubinstein'srag-time—Liszt's opinions—Bismarck—Bismarck'sclassification of nationalities—Bismarck'ssons—Gustav Richter—The Austrian diplomat—Theold Emperor—His defective articulation—OtherRoyalties—Beauty of Berlin Palace—Description ofinterior—The Luxembourg—"Napoleon III"—ThreeCourt beauties—The pugnacious Pages—"Makingthe Circle"—Conversational difficulties—Anecclesiastical gourmet—The Maharajah's mother
Easy-going Austria—Vienna—Charm of town—A littlepiece of history—International families—Familypride—"Schlüssel-Geld"—Excellence of Viennarestaurants—The origin of "Croissants"—Good looks ofViennese women—Strauss's operettas—A ball in anold Vienna house—Court entertainments—TheEmpress Elisabeth—Delightful environs of Vienna—TheBerlin Congress of 1878—Lord Beaconsfield—M. deBlowitz—Treaty telegraphed to London—Environsof Berlin—Potsdam and its lakes—The bow-oarof the Embassy "four"—Narrow escape ofex-Kaiser—The Potsdam palaces—Transfer toPetrograd—Glamour of Russia—An evening with theCrown Prince at Potsdam
The Russian frontier—Frontier police—Disappointmentat aspect of Petrograd—Lord and Lady Dufferin—TheBritish Embassy—St. Isaac's Cathedral—Beautyof Russian Church-music—The Russianlanguage—The delightful "Blue-stockings" ofPetrograd—Princess Chateau—Pleasant RussianSociety—The Secret Police—The Countess's hurriedjourney—The Yacht Club—Russians reallyOrientals—Their limitations—The "Intelligenzia"—MyNihilist friends—Their lack of constructive power—EasterMass at St. Isaac's—Two comical incidents—TheEaster supper—The red-bearded young Pr