The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-08-07
THE RIGHTS OF KINGS.
Some Of Them Do Not Enjoy the Privileges
Of Common MOrtals.
Cornhill Ma Sazine.

Cornhll Magazine
The King of Loango is moi per-
milted to 20 outside his palace.
His royal brother Of Tho may not
step from his house unless a human
sacrifice is offered in his stead to
propiliate destiny. The Kings of
Ethiopia, on the upper Nile, were
treated as gods, but were never al
lowed for all that 10 leave their
own precincts. If The King of She
la appeared in he streets, their
scandalized subjects Immediately
stoned them. TO lhIs day the
sovereigns of Cofea, who receive
divine honors, are shut up herme-
ticalIy IN their own apartments,
and never communicate directly
with their people.
In other cases different precau-
lions are taken to prevent tho
King being seen. At Mandalay
paiings six feet high were erected
in all the streets when the great
Thebaw Of the moment was likely
to pass, and Whenever he went
abroad in his capital all the peo.
had 10 slay behind these wooden
barriers. The Sultan Of Wadaf
speaks from behind a curtain; ; the
Sultan of Dartur wraps his face in
piece of white muslin. A last
relic OF these curious isolaiinS
customs may be seen in the taboo
which prevents many Eastern
monarchs from ever quitting their
own dominons. Several Indian
princes may not leave India, and it
was with great difficulty that the
Persians reconciled themselves TO
The idea Of their Shah visiting Eu-
rope.
One of The Oldest taboos, how
ever. to Western minds at least,
is that which forbids The King To
have his halr cut, or 10 pare his
nails or otherwise 10 gel rid Of any
useless part of his sacred body.
The Mikado, poor god-descended
wretch, was never allowed to cnf
his hair or even 10 wash himself!
The Franklish kings wore their
locks about their shoulders, because
it would have been wicked to touch
them with the shears, and endless
other instances could easily be
quoted.
The reason is, in part, that the
whole body is divine, and there
fore to be respected but even
more, in all probability, because of
the evil use that ain enemy might
make of such hair or nail parings,
if they got into his power. For it
is well-known principle OF magic,
IN all times and places, that if you
want to make spells against any
one, you ought, if possible, 10 pos
sess yourself Of something that
once belonged to him, or, above all,
of an actual relic or part OF his
body. This you can then use as a
fetch or charm for the destruc-
ton of the person 10 whom it origi-
nally belonged.
For so intimate is the sympathy
between all parts of one and the
same body thai if the hair is burn
ed or hacked about or destroyed the
person himself will be destroyed
also; if it withers in the ground,
he will wither away piecemeal,and
if magician plays ugly tricks with
it, The original owner will be cor
respondingly affected. This makes
it very delicate question 20 de-
eide what should be done with the
Kings hair or nails in case you
should cut them. On the whole
The wisdom of our early ancestors
it safer to keep them oh
his own head and hand than lorun
any risks from the malice Of ma
gicians. So the edict of society
went forth accordingly; the royal
locks and the royal fingers are
tabooed forever.