The Cosmopolitan. FroiH eiiery man according; to his ability : to every one according to his needs. THE IMPERIAL CAMI>. THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOLY LAND. By Samuel Ives Curtiss. " Nicht Glaiiz, nicht Macht, iiicht Rulim, niclit Ehre, uicht irdisches Gutist es, was wir hier .suchen ; wir lechzeu, flelieii und riiigen alleiii uach dem Einen, dem hochsten Gute, deni Heil unserer Seelen,"*— From the address of Ike Emperor at the consecration of the Church of the Redeemer. npHE occasion of the journey of the German 1 Emperor to Jerusalem was entirely re- ligious. It is quite possible that certain po- litical and commercial advantages may grow out of this intercourse with the Sultan. It is also possible, if Turkey should ever fall to pieces, that Germany might obtain Syria and Palestine. Indeed, there is far greater rea- son to expect this than that Prance and Russia should ever obtain permanent posses- sion, great as their ecclesiastical interests are. The only formidable competitor, under such circumstances, would seem to be England. Never before in the history of the Turkish empire were such elaborate preparations made for the reception of any guest as for that of the German Emperor. Prom Damascus to Jerusalem, streets were repaved, roads were repaired or constructed, almost everywhere there were evidences of paint and whitewash. Doubtless this great housecleaning was oppressive to many a poor shopkeeper. Tourists will be inclined to complain that the antique should bear such evidence of newness. But the country as a whole has been greatly benefited. Turkish troops have been drilled for months in anticipation of this great event. The Emperor is a model of punctuality. He arrived at Haifa half a day before he * " It is not splendor, nor power, norglory, nor honor, nor earthly good, that we seek here ; we pant, we pray and struggle only after the One, the highest Good, the Salvation of our souls." Copyright, 1899, by John Brisben Walker. 364 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL V LAND. was expected, and the German colonists were not ready to receive him. So he said he Avould go to see Mount Carmel, and presumed they would be ready for him on his return. In like manner, he arrived in Jerusalem at eleven o'clock in the morning, although he was not expected until two hours later. Such an unwonted event as the presence of an emperor might be expected to draw a large number of tourists to the Holy City. This, however, was not the fact. Only a week before, a large delegation had come from England, among whom was the Bishop of the tourists was made up by the welcome of the German colonists in Jerusalem. The heart of the German Emperor must have warmed as he was greeted with enthusiastic "Hochs" from the throats of his country- men, who were massed near the Jaffa gate at the time of his ceremonial entry into Jerusalem, Saturday, the 29th of October. In the morning, as he came outside the walls over the Jaffa road, he had seen a motley throng. There were Moslems with their white turbans, and Jews, many of them with caps made with a circlet of fur about IN FROXT OP THE of Salisbury, for the dedication of the chapel of St. George's church, but most of these left before the arrival of the Emperor. Autumn is not a favorite time for visiting Palestine ; so, aside from the Germans, of whom there were about a thousand who had come from the Fatherland, there were but few tourists. Hence all large estimates, such as that there were fifteen thousand strangers, were simply the product of repor- torial imagination. But whatever was lacking in the presence MOSQUE OF OMAR. the head, and with long coats notwithstand- ing the great heat, gathered near an arch, which bore the inscription in Hebrew and German characters: " 'Blessed be he that Cometh in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord' (Ps. cxviii, 26). May their Majesties be high. Wilhelm II., Augusta Victoria." But he was riding too rapidly to see this, for he was hastening on to his camp, consisting of ninety tents, two of which were really wooden structures FORMAL ENTRANCE AT THE JAFFA GATE. 366 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL V LAND. brought from Heligoland, and which he had known before as affording the comforts of a home. One was a dining-room, fifty-two feet by sixteen, well lighted, well ventilated, and insured by screens against the invasion of insects. The other consisted of his own private apartments and those of the Empress, each sixteen feet square. The Emperor's rooms consisted of his working-room, with a center-table, and a writing-table at stead that would bathroom, where it, a servant's ting was spread substantial and abundance The Em- way from the of her hus- t w o feet below. After over the camp was ■\vho wished After the and his suite, the narrow to the Church old cloisters Here he re- were the of- upper coun- before had the corner - deemer. The at that time, to miss the one side; then his bedroom, provided with a single brass bed- look inviting enough to any weary traveler; adjoining was the hot and cold water could be had at once, and by the side of room. The floors were covered with matting, and the mat- with Turkish rugs. All the furniture was very plain, but of the best quality. The rooms were furnished with an of folding camp - chairs. press's apartments, which were just across an open passage- Emperor's, corresponded in size and arrangement with those band. The floors were carpeted. A roof of canvas about above the actual roof insured coolness in the apartments the arrival of the Emperor, the imperial flag was raised structure occupied by him. The street in front of this jealously guarded by Turkish soldiers, and every stranger to pass was compelled to give an account of himself. Emperor had taken lunch, he entered, with the Empress through the Jaffa gate into the Holy City. On account of streets, he was compelled to dismount and proceed on foot of the Holy Sepulcher. He next visited the Muristan, the which adjoin the south side of the Church of the Redeemer, ceived the German congregation of Jerusalem. Here, also, ficial guests, headed by Dr. Barkhausen, president of the cil of the established Church of Prussia, who five years been his representative in laying stone of the Church of the Re- Emperor was not able to be present but he laid his plans so as not dedication. AT THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. PRESENTATION t)F KEYS AT THE WEST PORTA!, OE THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMEIi. 368 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL V LAND. THK KMPKKOR BEFORE ' At five o'clock their Majesties attended a reception at the house of Dr. von Tischen- dorf, son of the famous Professor von Tisch- endorf of the University of Leipsic wlio won immortal fame by the discovery of the Sinaitic manuscript, one of the most ancient and important Greek manuscripts of the Bible. Dr. von Tischendorf has just been ap- pointed German consul-general at Jerusalem. This reception was for the consuls of the various governments represented at Jeru- salem, as well as for the pashas. But the most significant part of the reception was the presence of the heads of the different churches, including the Lord Bishop of Salisbury, and Bishop Blythe, of Jerusalem, of the Church of England; the Patriarch of the Greek church, of the Latin church, of the Armenian church, etc. There were men with swarthy and even black skins who came to pay court to the head of the Prussian National Protestant church. There was quite an interesting episode HE TO All; Ol- iiiK KINGS. when the seven-year-old son of the con- sul, who bears the name of Constantine, after his grandfather, stood forth and in German verse presented a doll from Bethlehem for the Emperor's little daughter, declaring, "I am the happiest child in Jerusalem." Sunday was devoted to religious services. First there was the dedication of an orphan- age at Bethlehem, which is less than an hour distant from Jerusalem, at seven o'clock in the morning. This, however, the Em- peror himself did not attend. At 9:30 there was divine service in the German church, a beautiful stone building, which, when crowded to its utmost capacity, can- not accommodate more than two hundred persons. Sixteen Lutheran clergymen, gowned, stood in the recess behind the altar throughout the entire service, which was about an hour in length. The Emperor and Empress sat near the altar, on the right side of the church. The pastor preached IMPERIAL CAVALCADE LEAVING JERUSALEM FOR BETHLEHEM. 370 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE i HOL Y LAND. for about fifteen minutes a simple evanj^'el- ical sermon. At the clQse of the service, the Emperor spoke for about five minutes to the pastors, in the most earnest way, on their work in Palestine. A visit was next made to the Church of the Nativity. The scene which met the eye of one taking his stand by the cliurch can never be forgotten. Such color effects as were produced by the costumes of the na- tives, can be found only in the Orient. All Bethlehem and the region round about had gathered to witness tliis great event. The people swarmed on lofty roofs, they looked out from windows, they were crowded on either side of the way, guarded by troops, by which the imperial party was to come. The visit to the Shrine of the Nativity was speedily accomplished. It is a place of tender suggestion and memory, even if one believes tliat the evidence cannot e.xist for the genuineness of the manger. In the afternoon WATER-CARRIER AND STREET-SPklNKI-EK. RETURNING TO CAMP THROUGH THE GERMAN ARCH. to be generally conceded that this is the place where our Lord was wont to spend the night in prayer. It is now owned by tlie Russian government. Strange to say, the priest in charge, who has devoted many years to tending it, has planted cypresses and pines instead of olive trees in the grounds by the church. There are indeed olive trees a little lower down, but none on the summit of the mountain. Ciiairs had been provided for the imperial party. The aged priest handed the Em- press a bouquet of flowers. Forty-two sailor musicians, who always attend the Emperor on his yoyages, under tlie leadership of Di- rector Pott, were present. They are dressed as sailors and are called the "Matrosen Chor. ' ' They perform on brass and stringed instruments, and on occasion render vocal music. The service was one of great solemnity. But all these services and ceremonies were simply preparatory to the great service of the dedication of the Church of the Redeemei'. On the 7th of November, 1869, the Crown Prince Frederick William, afterward Emperor Frederick III., took possession of a large field of ruins in Jerusalem, which the Sultan had presented to his father as a site for a church. There was a long delay in making use of it, because in 1841, under the direction of King William IV. of Prussia and through the mediation of Bunsen, England and Prussia had imited in the establishment and support of a bishopric in Jerusalem. King William saw that in order to make an impression on the people of Pales- THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL Y LAND. 371 OLIVE TREE IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. 372 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL Y LAND. tine, Protestantism must be united, and he believed that, like the Latin, Greek and other communions, it should have a visible head. But this union in the support of a bishopric was, from the first, very unsatis- factory to Prussia. The only terms which the Church of England could make, unless it were to recede entirely from its historic policy, were that every alternate bishop ap- pointed by Prussia might be rejected by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had the veto IV., and half the money for its support, but also most of the missionaries were of Ger- man extraction, or imbued with the German spirit. A remarkable series of orphanages, schools and hospitals had been founded by some of the most devout Germans, includ- ing a hospital for lepers. Besides, there was quite a German colony living in Jeru- salem, outside the walls. With the dissolu- tion of the joint bishopric, every obstacle was removed to the erection of a German AT THE MOSQUE OF OMAR. power; and that he must sign the Thirty- nine Articles, and must receive Episcopal ordination, whether he had been ordained or not. This arrangement was extremely galling to the Germans, and when they obtained imperial power could no longer be borne. Hence in 1888 Germany with- drew from this arrangement. As a matter of fact, not only had Ger- many furnished the inspiration to the foun- dation of this bishopric through "William church worthy of the site and of the peo- ple of the Reformation. The site is near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and is one of the best in the city. It is four hundred and fifty feet long and five hundred and ten feet deep. It was occupied during the Crusades by the Order of Saint John. Part of it was once covered by a church called Saint Mary's. This belonged to a convent, where there was a hospital for women who had become THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. 374 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL Y LAND. ill during- their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The effort was made in erecting a new building to restore the original church, through a careful study of several churches dating from the time of the Crusades. The church is estimated to have cost seven hun- dred thousand marks (|175,000). This sum was not donated by the German govern- ment, but by private individuals. The Ger- man Emperor has been a large giver, and has shown his interest not only by sketch- ing the tower with his own hands, but also in choosing, with the Empress — to whom he seems to be devotedly attached, and who ex- ercises great influence over him — the mottoes for the three bells in D, F and A. The mottoes are: "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God, speak ye comfort- ably to Jerusalem" (Isa. xl, 1, 2). 2. "By His own blood He entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb. ix, 12). 3. "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother ^ of us all" (Gal. iv, 26). ^ The church as seen from the Mount of = Olives is one of the most prominent objects S in the ancient city. On the other hand, the view of Jerusalem from the tower of the ° church is superb, and is perhaps superior 1^ to that from any other point. It is certainly g destined to be a favorite place for travelers -,who wish to get a good idea of the city. Everything that the clergy and the im- perial court could devise to render the serv- ices impressive, was done. The number of seats was limited, and even standing-room was secured with great difliculty, and through special influence. Long before the hour of service, the narrow street before the north portals was crowded with an eager and impatient throng. By nine, seats and standing-room were occupied. Meanwhile, outside the west portal an interesting ceremony was taking place, in the handing over of the keys to the officers of the church. Promptly at 9:30 the Ger- man clergy, headed by Pastor Hoppe, the curatorium of the Evangelical Society of Jerusalem, the representative of the State Church of Prussia, and the Emperor and Em- press entered side by side — William with a long and becoming silk gown which covered his uniform, and a white helmet, the im- personation of the highest type of German soldier; the Empress, the impersonation of THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL Y LAND. 375 INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH the ideal German wife and mother, modest, matronly and lovely — womanly enough to arrange something on the shoulder of her husband as they walked along. Behind them followed a company of noble guests. According to the directions on the ticket of admission, the clergymen appeared in gowns. Those who were entitled to wear uniforms also had their decorations. OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER. Other gentlemen were expected to appear in full dress, and the ladies in light prome- nade toilets. It was a very distinguished- looking company. The instrumental music was rendered by the Matrosen Chor. Two pieces were sung by this choir; other hymns were rendered by the congregation. ' ' A mighty fortress is our God, ' ' accom- 376 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL Y LAND. panied by the military band, was given ■with tremendous effect. Tliere were a liturgical service, an address of consecra- tion by Dr. Dryander, and the sermon by the pastor. At the conclusion, after the benediction, without previous announcement on the program, the Emperor went forward to the altar, and, as had been privately arranged, a desk was brought for him, on which he laid his manuscript, and in clear, loud tones read an address carefully prepared, full of strong Christian sentiment, in wliich he said : "From Jerusalem a light has risen upon the world, the blessed light in whose splendor our German people have become great and glorious. That which the Ger- man people have become, they have become under the banner of the cross of Golgotha, the true sign of self-sacrificing love for our neighbor. "As almost two thousand years ago, so to-day a voice shall sound forth from this place into all the world, which contains within itself the longing hopes of us all : 'Peace on earth.' " Then followed the paragraph already quoted at the beginning of this article. In closing he repeated the second verse of " A mighty fortress is our God, ' ' of which the last line is, "And He must win the battle. " At the conclusion of the service, the Emperor and the Empress re- ceived privileged worshipers in the Muristan, belonging to the old cloisters next to the church. About a quarter ot twelve, after walking a long way through the street past the Church of the Nativity, the THE EMPEROR ENTERING THE GERMAN CHURCH IN BETHLEHEM APPROACH OF THE EMPEROR TO JERUSALEM. 378 THE EMPEROR WILLIAM IN THE HOL Y LAND. Emperor reached the open square on which is the office of the American Consulate ; there he handed his imperial consort into the car- riage, and then mounting his magnificent dark bay, which had been brought from Ber- lin, he rode back to camp. Thus termi- nated one of the most important events in the history of Protestantism in Palestine, one tlxat is more likely to give it standing and impetus than anything that had before taken place. Here our story of the Emperor's visit to Jerusalem might end, but it would be incomplete if mention were not made of the delightful surprise which he had pre- pared for his Roman Catholic subjects in Palestine as well as for those in Germany. When the Emperor was in Constantino- ple, there were brought to an end ne- gotiations which re- sulted in the sale by the Sultan, to the Ger- man government of a piece of property on Mount Zion, outside the present city walls, by the Tomb of David and the so-called Hall of the Lord's Supper, known as the Ca