A ROYAL MARRIAGE.

THE throne of France has, for a long time, descended irregularly, and the example of the imperial rule of Napoleon and of the present dynasty, establish precedents, in pursuance of which France may be considered an elective monarchy. When Napoleon, on being chosen Emperor by the French senate, submitted the question to the people of France, the vote stood 3,572,329 for the Emperor, and 2,569 votes against him, 3,574,898 votes being cast. This was really a manifestation of the popular will. The number of voters when the present dynasty came into power was but 200,000, and the chief end and object of 18 years reign seem to have been to make the crown hereafter descend in a regular line. Inasmuch, however, as that Louis XVI. was the grandson of Louis XV., who was the great grandson of Louis XIV., and the supposititious reign of Louis XVII. was succeeded by Louis XVIII., who was expelled by popular will, and the younger branch, Louis Phillippe I., succeeded irregularly, and has already lost by death its immediate heir, the fate of the throne to descend in broken succession remains apparently unaltered. The new dynasty had been in power but a few years, before its immediate heir was killed by a fall from a horse, and the descent of the crown twice elected, became exposed to the perils of a long minority of the present heir. The late Duke of Orleans, heir apparent of the French throne, married, in 1837, Helen, a half-sister of Paul Frederick, reigning Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin. She was born in 1814, and was, consequently, at the date of her marriage, 23 years old. The family of Mecklenburg is, with the family of Capets, the most ancient reigning house of Europe. It is the only sovereign house of Sclavonian origin now in existence. The German genealogists trace them to the Sclavonian Princes of the race of Wandalique, of the tribe of Obotrites. From Miceslas to the present day, it counts twenty-eight generations. It has contracted alliances with nineteen sovereign states and with twenty-three sovereign families, of which fifteen still exist. It has given seven queens or regents to Russia, England, Poland and Prussia, and its last connection was by Helen to the heir of the French throne. From these facts it would seem that this family is "pretty considerably" aristocratic, and when Louis Phillipe looked round for a wife to him, through whom he sought to bequeath the sovereignty of France without consulting its people, the Princess Helen presented herself as the very "double extract" of royalty, and a most eligible match. The wily monarch made propositions that were, however, by no means favorably received. The fate of the two Austrian Princesses, who had become Queens of France, presented no such enviable results as to make the Princesses of Europe anxious to follow their example. To be sure, the fate of those ladies may be mostly attributed to their own bad conduct. The lewdness and follies of Marie Antoinette powerfully contributed to the fate which overtook her and her husband, when a great people, smarting under the wrongs of a thousand years, rose in their might and destroyed the oppressors. The fate of Maria Louise, who died recently, only excites the deepest disgust. After being raised to the highest pinnacle of human splendor, through her union with the greatest captain of any age, to abandon him in the hour of his adversity, and through choice, to spend the remainder of her life as a common prostitute in a small Italian town, speaks but little for the tastes of the "daughter of

the Cæsars." Marie Antoinette ascended the throne of France when the idea of the will of the people being an element of state government, was scarcely dreamt of; yet her career was short and bloody. Since then, the government of France has five times violently changed its rulers, and the husband proposed to Princess Helen was but the heir of a revolution. Under these circumstances, her relative, the Emperor of Russia, as well as all the German Princes, energetically opposed the marriage. The mother of the Princess, however, like the mother of the Spanish Princess, on a more recent occasion, was easily won over, and the marriage finally consummated. In some respects, the dark forebodings have been realized. The happy bride is now a bereaved widow, trembling for the future destiny of her fatherless child, who is to rule over one of the greatest and most agitated nations in Europe. The sympathies which France has ever excited in this country, and the momentous events which hang on the flickering life of Louis Philippe, may make the circumstances of the marriage, from which resulted the infant heir to that too perilous inheritance, the throne of France, interesting, as described in the following extracts from letters written by members of the family of the princess, to a lady now resident in Columbia, S. C.

Letter from Baron de R., Lord Chamberlain to the Princess, written during the journey of the Princess and her mother, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Schwerin, from Germany to France.

HANAU, May 23d, 1837.

Yesterday, between eleven and twelve o'clock, the French Duke de Broglie arrived with a numerous French embassy, to be introduced to the princess. This important moment has been crowned with brilliant success. They all protest that their expectations are far surpassed. Our dear Princess Helen has made the most favorable impression on the first representatives of France. The Duke de Broglie, a man of grave and dignified aspect, was himself at first a little embarrassed. He read his address to the princess, to which she responded with superior grace and nobleness of expression. After this, the duke introduced the whole embassy, and presented a large box filled with costly gifts to be distributed by the princess during the journey to Fontainebleau. We are to continue our travel with a large cortége; we require already eighty horses, and look like a triumphant procession. Thousands greet with joyful shouts that youthful and interesting being, who goes with calm trustfulness to meet her high destiny. The crowd is often so great that we have difficulty in passing through, and every where there are new introductions.

ALZEY, May 24th.

Yesterday was again an uninterrupted triumph, although the passage over the beautiful Rhine awakened many serious feelings in the bosoms of our travellers. The fine weather which has favored us since the day of St. Helen, and now blesses us on the soil of our fatherland, may be a good omen of the future. We all feel happy to the growing enthusiasm with which the princess is greeted. All the French gentlemen who accompany us are in raptures about her. At Mariatz, the two princesses gave a grand dinner, and in the evening invited a large number of ladies. Notwithstanding their fatigue, they are well. The Princess Helen has also her daily correspondence with Paris. Every morning a courier

arrives, with the most beautiful flowers and fruits for her from the Duke of Orleans.

26. I was interrupted yesterday, and I may say, I have been since then in a paradise of enchantment. Never was a princess received with such universal delight in her new country, as is our beloved lady on the soil of France. We have had splendid weather, also, for all these festive scenes; but the greatest pleasure of all to me is, every where to behold HER the dear object of a nation's love and praise. I can easily imagine how much your thoughts have been with us; but even all your fancy could paint, is surpassed by the reality. We who accompany her, feel as if it were a fairy dream.

The sun was shining gloriously yesterday morning when our procession left Saarbruck, in the following order: At the head moved the Duke de Broglie and the Count de Portallis, followed by a detachment of Prussian hussars, with the Commander in advance of the carriage of the princess; next came the Prefet of the department of the Moselle, after whom the other carriages, all in grand gala. At one o'clock we reached the frontier of France; the music swelled into loud huzzas; while, from the other side, the thunder of the French cannons greeted the ear, as the princess passed through the triumphant arch. On an elevated platform, three large and elegantly decorated tents were raised. On either side stood thirty-two young girls, dressed in white, and presenting flowers to the future Queen of France. As we entered the principal tent, I performed with a sad heart my last official service to the princess, by introducing her new French cavaliers, the Counts de Choiseul and Gourgaud, who brought letters to her from the whole royal family; the Prefet then delivered an eloquent address. After this, the Duke de Broglie led the princess through thousands of spectators to another tent, where we partook of a breakfast á la fourchette. The view from this height of the swaying multitude, the assembled garde nationale, and the regiments of the line, was imposing, and indeed a most exciting scene for us, her friends, agitated as we were, by such various emotions. After breakfast, all the troops marched in review before the royal bride, who acknowledged the applause of the shouting multitude with that charming kindness which made her from her first childhood the idol of all hearts. We then proceeded rapidly, accompanied by hussars, lancers, and the couriers, who go continually between here and Paris. At each relay, we required two hundred horses, as every carriage had six. To give an air de fete, all the postillions wore the tricolors on their hats and arms.

When the train arrived near the fortress of Metz, where there are forty thousand inhabitants, and a garrison of ten thousand men, the crowd being increased by the people assembled from the country, and occupying the windows and the highest trees, the princesses went into an open carriage with the Duke de Broglie, and their entrée was made amid the thunder of artillery, and the acclamations of the people, through the lines of the troops. When they stopped at the hotel of the Prefet, the addresses and presentations took up several hours. Our princess fulfilled these not easy duties in such a manner as to excite universal astonishment and admiration of the future heiress of the throne of France. Her mother also distinguished herself by her calm and dignified deportment. At seven o'clock, a sumptuous dinner was prepared by the servants of his Majesty, to which fifty persons of the nobility were invited. At night, many ladies were introduced, and at ten o'clock, the distinguished guests enjoyed a magnificent feu d'artifice, while the excited multitude shouted without cessation," vive la Princess Helene !" Three hours after

our arrival in France, it was known in the Tuilleries by the telegraph, and the princess had yesterday two letters from the Duke of Orleans, whom we expect to see at Chalons.

Just now I am greatly amused at the arrival of a French caiffeur and a dressing-maid, from Paris, which has been announced to me. They were sent to give to the appearance of the princess the true finish of the Parisian toilette.

Extract from a letter from Mme. de B., the French Governess, who educated the Princess Helen.

FONTAINEBLEAU, May 30th, 1837.

It is with a trembling hand that I write to you a few lines during the few moments of leisure which I find on this great day, in which so many prayers are sent to heaven for our beloved princess. But how thankful ought we to be to the Lord for his grace in opening for her a path to all hearts! All appears to us like a miracle! She has supported with wonderful strength all the various emotions that filled her heart, but this morning she wept a great deal, and still appears agitated. No imaginable description can give to you a just idea of the Duke of Orleans. Grace, unrivalled beauty, nobleness, sensibility, delicacy belong to him, and what heightens the value of all these noble qualities is, that he seems delighted with his bride; although she shows herself less fascinating to him, than to the other members of his family, by reason of an insurmountable embarassment in his presence-perhaps because she loves him already so much. "He is an ideal," she said to me after her first interview with him. It was at Châlons that the prince came to see her, on the twenty-eighth of this month. He was so agitated when he went up to her apartment, that the generals who accompanied him feared he would faint, scarcely had he strength to walk up the steps. The Grand Duchess was the only one present at this interview, which lasted a whole hour, and filled her maternal heart with the sweetest joy. When the duke left the princess, he said to one of his officers to whom he is much attached, "if I had the choice among a thousand, I would have selected none but her. I am truly happy!"

June 1st.-It was impossible for me to continue this letter during the last two days. My heart was united with yours in the grand, the solemn moment, when she pronounced before God the vow which binds her to the Duke d'Orleans. No words can describe the princess on that day. Calm, affectionate, thinking of all, her heart more humble than ever, in the midst of the admiration which she excites, covered with all the splendor which luxury could divine, she was simple as in her little boudoir at Ludwigslust. I will not describe to you the magnificent presents which she received; only of her will I speak; of her who deserves so richly the love which she inspires. Let us return to the journey, which we continued, accompanied by the Dukes d'Orleans and Nemours. The whole road was crowded with people in festival dresses. The two princesses and the Duke de Broglie were in the magnificent gilded carriage of the king, drawn by six white horses. In the second carriage, which was a very gorgeous one also, were your friend Clara, the Duc de Choiseul, the General Gourgaud, and 1 your humble Nancy. Arrived in the immense court of the chateau, military music and cannon resounded. On the elevated portico were standing the king and his younger sons. The Duke d'Orleans gave his arm to our Grand Duchess to lead her up to the steps,

and the Duke de Nemours conducted Princess Helen, who threw herself in the deepest emotion at the feet of the king. He received her in his arms with the most affectionate expressions, and brought her to his queen. The royal couple then said, holding each other by the hand, "we have loved each other thirty years; and we hope it will be the same with you, my children!"

An hour afterwards, the princess, dressed in a superb robe of pink and silver, one of the presents from the duke, received a number of presentations. Her noble deportment, her grace, her angelic expression, were universally admired. Monseigneur was always at her side, making every thing easy and familiar to her, and wore an expression of joy and happiness which it was delightful to contemplate.

The ceremony of the marriage took place at candlelight in the galleries of Henry the Third. The chandeliers were arranged in such a manner, that the light seemed to stream through the windows, throwing no shade -thus producing a singular and strikingly beautiful effect. Our princess was superb; her dress of Alençon lace, (the price of it $5,625,) became her extremely well. A crown of diamonds, in the shape of flowers, round her hair; and the orange wreath, of which I send some leaves to you and other friends. She wore a veil of lace attached with a cluster of diamonds, and a necklace of Châtons, with ear-rings and Sevigns, a present of the king. But her expression surpassed allso pure, so lovely, and commanding at the same time the deepest respect. The ceremony was grand and imposing! After it was over, the royal family retired to their apartments, and the duke and his young duchess to theirs, which is magnificent beyond description. I will not attempt it. I wish I could explain in words the kindness of the king and of his noble queen, and his sister, and their happiness in possessing her, who will secure that of their beloved son. The younger princess and princesses are enchanted with their new sister. They call each other already thou, and there seems among them one interest, one happiness, with the sweetest manner of expressing it. Yesterday, after breakfast, we promenaded a long time in the woods in the favorite chars à bancs; the gentlemen on horseback. Monseigneur distinguished himself by his grace and elegance. After dinner we went to the theatre, where the celebrated Mademoiselle Mars played, in the grand opera and ballet composed for the occasion. Everywhere were garlands hung with the inscription, "à Helene le cœur des Français." Indeed, she wins all hearts, and the knowledge of this increases her happiness. The duke shows her the most devoted attention, and she begins to be once again herself with him, that is to say, very lovely. He will not permit me to leave them before all the fetes are over, and promised that an apartment of my own shall always be reserved for me in the Tuilleries, so that I can return as frequently as agreeable. This noble prince does not belong to those who think that in the heart there is only room for one great affection, and consequently all the attachments of the princess are understood and approved by him. To make him more beloved and appreciated, he has only to be seen with our Grand Duchess, who never mentions him without tears in her eyes. She loves him as her own son, and says she has never seen his equal in her long life.