Tyrol (Austria) -- Description and travel; Tyrol (Austria) -- History
On a day arranged, and at the hour agreed upon, the young prince, who
was two years Philippine's junior, appeared beneath the turret from
which he had first seen her leaning. A little distance down the street
his horse was waiting. Philippine, after receiving her mother's
blessing, and comforted by her approval, joined her lover, and fled
with him to the chapel where the latter's own confessor, one Joann
Cavallerus, was waiting to solemnize the marriage, with an old and
trusted servant as witness. Another account states that the ceremony
was performed at Bresnic by the same priest.
Ultimately, Franz Welser, to whom doubtless a properly carried out
marriage with a prince had some attractions, gave his consent and
benediction. It is difficult, perhaps, in these more materialistic
days, to quite sympathize with the attitude which this wealthy and
worthy burgher of Augsburg at first assumed towards his daughter's
marriage. Then, with reputable merchants, not only was their word
their bond, but in them was a strong element of pride which would not
readily brook that they should be looked down upon even by princes.
And doubtless it was this pride which was principally at the back of
old Welser's opposition to Prince Ferdinand's suit. But the
magnificent dowry that Philippine's father was rich enough to give her
was one of which no prince need have been ashamed.
At the time of his marriage the Archduke was twenty-eight and
Philippine two years older. The Emperor, of course, refused to
acknowledge the marriage when he ultimately, some years after its
celebration, became aware of it. And although we are bound to admit
the story of Philippine's personal appeal to him to forgive his son
and her rests on a very shadowy basis, and is, indeed, rather
traditional than historical, we give it for what it is worth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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