The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-31

tOrla naQ ceased ana Una
life, which through more than sixty.
two years. had been the centre of {
great nation had departed from the
royal body and thereby rendered it the
equal at last of that OF the meanes
Of her subjects; at that exact moment
his royal highness, Albert Edward
prince of Wales, became his majesty
King Edward VII.
Many folks--folks, too that should
know better-have the idea that King
Edward will not be king officially un-
til he is crowned; that he Is, in fact, at
the present time sort of "acting
king" They forget that even in oul
own country we are never, for the
briefest second, without a\president;
that, although he knew it not, Theo-
dore Roosevelt became president OF
the United States while he was some
where in the Adirondack woods. Our
Constitution provides that Before he
enter into the execution of his office
he shall take the following oath or
affirmation" &C., which is the nearest
this country can set to Il coronation
ceremony.
Not so in England. however. True,
there nothing has been done in that
line in siXty-four years, and they may
be excused for being little out of
practice. But for what they have been
compelled to deny themselves in the
number Of ceremonies they propose to
make up in pomp and splendor, for the
coronation ceremonies of their majes
ties King Edward VII. and Queen
Alexandra are to form the grandest
Iand most gorgeous spectacle the mod
ern world has ever seen.
Americans are not one whit behind
their British cousins in their love Of
the spectacular, and the national SYM
pathy that so persistently makes it
self manifest-the Anglophobes to the
contrary otwithstanding-wil make
deep interest to them. When in 1857
officer Of the Asiatic station, saw. the
English getting the worst of it in an
engagement with the Chinese at Peiho
he ordered his vessel into the fray, ex-
claiming, "Blood's thicker than wa
teri" and although he violated all the
laws of neutrality, he was upheld not
only by public opinion but by the gov
ernment itself.
1t does not follow, however, that be-
cause he takes an interest in corona
lions and that sort of thing the aver
age American sanctions royalty or a
monarchial form of government. New
ertheless, he is too broad-minded as
rule to stay at home and sulk just be-
cause he himself wouldn't agree to be
governed by q king. On the contrary,
If there's good time going on any,
where he wants to be in it, and usually
is.
The widespread interest already
aroused on this side of the water has
led to the production by d. Appleton
& Co. of a book on, the coronation, en-
titled, "The Pageant and Ceremony of
the Coronation Of Their Majesties
King Edward VII. and Queen Alexan-
dra." which is complete compendium
of all the facts and incidents relating
to the ceremony that it is advisable to
be posted on, for not only those who
intend to visit London this summer,
but those also who desire to keep
Fully informed upon the important
events Of the period. The book Is we'll
and contains eight pages of
colored plates showing the crowns and
various insignia of office. 1t is written
by Charles Eyre Pascoe, author of
"London of Today" in his usual en-
Pertaining style, and in fact one can
Just imagine him seated in comfort
able armchair and, perhaps, between
cigar puffs. telling in an easy, conver-
sational manner all he knows about
the event, which, when he gets
you are willing to admit is
OLD FAMILIES NOT so OLD.
He begins by telling something about
pedigrees, and his remarks in this re-
gard are quite apt to tickle the palates
of Americans. Says he: "'The souls
Of emperors and cobblers are all cast
In the same mould" so said the Lord
of Montaigne, some time the pupil of
George Buchanan, tutor of James 1.
of England, and a gentleman not un-
familiar in his time with princes and
the humblest Of their subjects, too.
dictum may be true
enough, but even the soul of q cob
the majority Of his fellows. In re-
spect of his craft. truly he may be
able to trace his ancestry back to the
very first cobbler who sat on the
bench. 1t Is conceivable that his pro-
genitors Of the remote past may have
been persons of quality. Much more
things have come to pass than
that a cobbler should be descended
from peer. One of the flock in most
families sooner or later strays from
the fold. His wanderings may lead
him to the top or the bottom, as his
enterprise or energy, or lack of both,
may determine"
The late Lord Beaconsfield (Benja-
min DisraelD causes character in his
'Coningsby" to exclaim: "Anclent
lineage! The real old families of this
country are to be found among the
peasantry. But peer with an an
eient lineage, is to me quite novelty. |
No, no; the thirty years Of the Wars
lf the Roses freed us from those gen.
,lemen. After the battle of Tewkes-
bury Norman baron was almost as
rare being as wolf is now"
SOME QUEER CLAIMS.
With the revival of ancient pagean-
Try and ceremony there is nothing |
hat so perplexes and at the same time
leems SO ridiculous as the Court Of |
Claims, Briefly, the Court Of Claims"
lnds it's origin in the ancient prero-
gatives. of the lord high steward. who
lat judicially In the hall of the kings |
,alace at Westminster to receive the |
applications and decide upon the |
claims of all who held lands on the |
lenure OF performing some personal
Iervice at the kings coronation. Here
ire some Of the alleged heredity priv
leges that are being as jealousy de-
Iated as II the fate Of the empire
'ested upon them. The claims of the
luke Of Newcastle, as holder OF the