The Washington times., 1901-12-08
RIDICULOUS TITLES
FOR OLD WORLD KINGS.
EXTRAVAGANT SELF PRAISE.
Small Potcntatca Who ReveI In
Strings of EInttering Names and
Lnudatory Descriptions
Rulers of Grent Coun-
tries More Modest.

When one considers that the sovereign
of the greatest empire the world has ever
known is content to be addressed by The
| same title OF Sir" as millions of his
humber subjects, there is something al
most grotesque in the extravagant and
| high h-sounding titles which Inferior po-
| tentates assume.
For instance, the King Of Arracan would
probably cut of the head OF any subject
who dared. in addressing or describing
him. to omit any one of these titles OF
honor: Emperor OF Arracan, legitimate
heir Of Pequ and Brama, lord Of the
twelve provinces Of Bengal and the twelve
kings who placed their heads under his
| heel"
Even ;his grandiloqUent description of
barbaric king pales before the horid
titles assumed by the Kandyan King:
Tho protector of religion. whose fame
is infinite. and of surprising excellence,
exceeding the moon. the unexpanded jes-
samine buds, the stars, etc; whose feet
are as fragrant to the noses of other
patron and god by CUSTOM" etc.
But OF all the extravagant and odd
titles assumed by sovereigns the most re-
markable is that Of Great Thief" which
is the proudest description Of the King
OF Monomotapa. who held 1t in far higher
esteem than his other titles of Great
Magician and Lord Of the Sun and Noon.
The Sultan OF Turkey is by no means
one of the most modest OF European SOW
ereiEus. as the following extract from his
countless titles and descriptions proves:
THE Emperor Sultan Abdul Hamid the
Second, always victorious. Who by the
excellence OF the infinite favors Of the
Most High. and by the eminence of the
miracles filled with the beuediction of the
chief Of the prophets Ito whom be the
most ample salutations. as well as to his
family and conf 1niOns). is the Sultan of
the Glorious Sultaus, the emperor c. the
powerful emperors, the distributor OF
crowns to the Chosroes who are seated
upon thrones; the shadow of God upon
earth" etc. To these unassuming titles
the Sultan adds nearly seventy more,
with power to add to their number
The Shah of Persia runs a close race
with the Sultan In the number OF ex-
travagances OF his titles. among the least
OF which are such descriptions as: He
to whom the sun serves as a standard;
the luminous star OF the armament of
crowned heads; the son OF the heaven Of
royalty who is as far removed from other
kings of the earth as the most distant
star from the terrestrial planet. the focus
and centre Of the universe. to whom the
eyes Of all are drawn as to an Irresistible
magnet" etc.
While the Emperors Of Arracan based
their dignity on two earrings. the Kings
of Ava supported their royal assumptions |
on two dozen umbrellas. describing them !
selves as King Of kings. whom all others !
shall obey as they are the cause of |
preservation of all animals. the regulators |
of the seasons. the absolute master Of the |
ebb and flow Of the sea, brother to the |
sun. and king of the twenty four UNI
brellas"
The Kings OF Achem were as proud as /
their Kandyan royal brother OF the /
sweetness OF their feet. Among many
titles are those OF Sovereign OF the uni
verse. whose body is luminous as the sun;
whom God created to be as accomplished |
rs the moon a her plentitude; whose eye
glitters like the Northern star; O king
as spiritual as a ball Is round; who. when
he rises. shades all people; from under
whose feet sweet odor is waited" etc.
Modest European soverciEns.
Even the Car and the German En-
Deror. with the hundred titles they are
said to enjoy. between them. do not affect
% claim any dignity equal to the least
# these.
The Kings Of Spain and Portugal at one
ime WED with each other to such ride
llous extent in the number and high-how
nature of their titles that Philip III or
lained that all these grotesque descrip-
ions should be reduced to the simple
tile Of The King. Our Lord
The titles assumed by the Kings of
England have always been. In comparison,
ngularly modest. Perhaps the most eX-
rene OF them all were that of Dread
'TiuCc." which pleased the eNactinR fancy
4 Henry VIII. but which no successor has
AIRED to adopt; the Kings Excellent
trace" Of the sixth Henry; and the Most
Tigh and Highly Prince of King Edward !
y.
Until the time of Henry VIII. our Kings
'ere quite Coutented to be addressed as
our grace a title now enjoyed by Arch |
ishops and dukes. Henry VIII. always
went a step farther. and as
umed the title Of highness now confined q
o the minor princes Of the Continent:
nd it was only when Frances / salutcd .
i'm as your Majesty that the King {
iCught he might indulge in stilI further I
and assumed tho title Hrgt ?
dcpted in France bv Louis XI-Tit Bits q
what She Wanted. f
''aiy wife told me to order some cards