Among the people he met [while touring the United States of America] were Thomas Edison and, later, Alexander Graham Bell, who showed him his most recent invention. Asked to say something into the telephone, the emperor, showing his wide reading, said, “To be or not to be…” The device “did in fact speak,” he marveled, and added, “Congratulations, Mr. Bell. When your invention is put on the market, Brazil will be your first customer.”
Source:
Schwarcz, Lilia Moritz., and John Gledson. “A Monarch on His Travels.” The Emperor's Beard: Dom Pedro II and the Tropical Monarchy of Brazil. Hill and Wang, 2004. 275. Print.
Further Reading:
Any updates about when you plan to release a book on Amazon? I'll be the first in line to snag a copy.