A report of the illness of the Emperor of Austria
produced this week a heavy fall on the Bourse of Vienna, and agita- tion in most of the cities of the Empire. Francis Joseph, who it must be remembered will be sixty-nine in August, h ad caught a chill while inspecting some works on the Danube, and it was for some hours feared that pneumonia had super- vened. It turned out, however, to be only an attack of lumbago, and by the latest accounts his Majesty was recover- ing. The incident is significant. There is a universal idea in Central Europe that with the Emperor peace will dis- appear, and that the Empire itself will be in danger of break- ing up. The reasons for this impression, which is of itself a source of weakness for the Monarchy, seem to be a want of confidence in the capacity of the heir, and a belief that out of reactionary feeling and dislike of Italy he will abandon the Triple Alliance. Anything may happen, of course, but the house of Hapsburg is necessary to its subjects, being their only defence against a war of races ; and for ourselves we disbelieve in prophecies founded upon estimates of the character of Heirs-apparent. They either, as expectants, act a great deal to keep the Opposition in hope, or the Crown actually changes their views, by altering at once all their interests and most of their counsellors.
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