es held the reins of government. While one would have
been enough, they professed to have two grievances. One was the
"political poison" of the Liberal opposition; and the other was the
"moral perversion" of the King. In March matters came to a crisis. A
number of University professors, headed by the rigid Lasaulx, held an
indignation meeting in support of the Ultramontane Cabinet and "their
efforts to espouse the cause of good morals." This activity on the
part of a secular body was resented by the clergy, who considered that
they, and not the University, were the official custodians of the
public's "morals." But if it upset the clergy, it upset Ludwig still
more; and, to mark his displeasure, he summarily dismissed four of the
lecturers he himself had appointed. As the general body of students
sided with them, they "demonstrated" in front of the house of Lola
Montez, whom they held responsible.

What began as a very ordinary disturbance soon developed into
something serious. Tempers ran high; brickbats were thrown, and
windows smashed; there were collisions with the police, who
endeavoured to arrest the ringleaders; and finally the Karolinen Platz
had to be cleared by a squadron of Cuirassiers. The Alemannia, joining
arms, forced a passage through which Lola managed to slip to safety
and reach the gates of the Residenz. But it was, as she said, "a near
thing."

The crowd relieved their feelings by breaking a few more windows; and
a couple of Alemannia, detached from their comrades, were ducked in
the Isar.

"_Vivat, Lola!_" bellowed one contingent.

"_Pereat, Lola!_" bellowed the opposition.

Accounts of the disturbance filtered through to England. There they
attracted much attention and acid criticism.

"A lady," remarked the _Examiner_, "has overthrown the Holy Alliance
of Southern Germany. Lola Montez, whose affecting testimony during the
trial of those who killed Dujarier in a duel cannot but be remembered,
was driven by that catastrophe to seek her fortunes in other realms.
Chance brought her to Munich, the Sovereign of which capital has
divided his time between poetry and the arts, gallantry and devotion."

"What Paphian cestus," was another sour comment, "does Lola wind round
the blade of her poniard? We all remember how much the respectable
Juno was indebted to the bewitching girdle of a less regular fair one,
but the properties of that talisman are still undescribed."

The _Thunderer_, in its capaci