18th Aug. ed that his merits were probably better known to his official superiors than to the general public." Now, it appeared to him that there was really nothing in the previous services of this gentleman being placed over the heads of the numerous aspirants to the post." It is, no doubt, a little disappointing to men in the diplomatic service, a service which is extremely poorly paid in the Ime 18th of August, 1896, is the sixty-sixth anniversary of the birth of Francis Joseph I, and fortunately for which warranted any one anticipating that he was going to end in so brilliant a manner. It could not be said that lower ranks, and whose junior members have little more than hope to keep them ing, to see the prizes of the service the peace of Europe it finds him still in good health, and still reigning as Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. It is forty-eight years since he ascended the throne of Austria, and twenty-nine years since he was crowned King of Hungary. His reign has been full of misfortunes, and he has shown himself through them all one of the ablest, as he is one of the most popular, monarchs in Europe. He has known how to hold together the conflicting nationalities that make up the dual monarchy, he has been consistently a peace-maker in his own borders as well as in the affairs of the whole Continent. All Europe prays that he may long be spared to hold the reins of Austro-Hungary; for there is no-one in sight to take his seat who knows how to handle the team; and it would always be a work of difficulty to replace so worthy, so able, and so respected a ruler.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.