The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-11
- 7S =-'Tz= 90 ~ % 81 - 9SE
Tngll.h I,oyal I,nm,,y spell. correctly.

Il ~. 81 M -
/. ~ - o a
English I,oyali Family spell. Correctly.
Il - LID World royalty is Just as
iII prone to mistakes Of gram,
i mar as people of less exalted
slN rank. This, too, In spite OF
- the fact that they are sur
4 rounded by government off
cials, court dignitaries, secretaries, ETC..
whose busincssit Should be to prevent
the Anointed OF the Lord from render.
ing themselves guilty OF any public
Ishortcoming OF this nature. This APP
plios not only to the private utterances
and correspondence OF the members of
the reiigning houses Of Europe, but also
Is rarely that the speeches from the
throne on the opening Of Parliament ut
1 Westminster do not excite discussion
afterwards In the periodical press OIL
the score SC orr, Of grammar, although, they
the various members OF Cabinets which
have included such masters OF the
English Language as John Morley, Ar
thur Balfour William Il. Gladstone,
etc In fact. the phrase The ELK Kings 1,
ferent meaning to that originally at
tributed thereto. 1t Is perhaps better
so. Too great correctness suggests
Dedantry. which IS OF all shortcomings
LHcse Oue illOSL tfIIkeIy 10 nuTIl IL tsuN-
ereign in the eyes OF his people. n I
mention this. It is owing to the criti--
! cism which has recently been leveled
Int King Edward on both sides OF the
Atlantic in connection with his word
ing OF most friendly message to a
young friend OF his on the occasion OF
| her wedding.
The English royal family. however,
is nll right in its spelling. which Is
more than can be said Of many Of
the Continental sovereigns; and among
hepsev the Empre prer to
its destruction by the Communists.
We're the manuscripts OF piece OF die
tation given on one occasion by NJ. Du-
|ruy. when Minister of Education, at the
Chateau de CompieEnc. while the court
was in residence there. A discussion
had arisen Mt the imperial table as to
the difficulties OF spelling correctly.
and at the suggestion OF Empress Eu-
genie. the entire party. which included
several members Of the academy, as
write from the dictation Of NJ. Duruy.
Not one of the papers turned In was
without mistakes, even the academi-
clans themselves being ut fault. Eu-
genie. to whom French spelling has
always been trial. had no less than
ninety mistakes. and Napoleon ILL.,
despite his literary pretensions rs the
historian of julius Caesar. had sixty
to his credit. On the other hand. Ma
poleon's German was faultless, al
was far from being generally known.
No sovereign, however. is quite In
fallible where the Joint questions OF
grammar and orthosraphy are con-
|cerned: not even the Pontlff himself
The Kaiser and the King of Wurtem-
berg are the only rulers nowadays who
descend into slang in their moments
of good nature and abandon, although
Emperor Francis Joseph. especially
when speaking with his humber sub
or Syrian dialect. Empress Maria
Theresa used to positively revel In
the amusing and genial Viennese dia-
lect, and this was one OF the things
which cndeared her so much to the
population, and constituted so strong
the throne. Ferdinand of Naples.
who prided himself on being
the King of the LaZzaroni, was wont to
restrict himself almost entirely to their
his sisters, one of whom. Christina,
mother of Queen Isabella Of Spain. was
completely uneducated at the time of
lcr marriage. being barely able. indeed,
to write her name. II -.
: Colonel Sir John Harrington, who
last year took to himself an American
wife. in the person OF Amy, daughter
of the late United States Senator James
McNrillen. of Detroit, will be, unable to
England or America this fall with Lady
Harrington. He had already secured
leave Of absence from his duties as
British minister, plcnipotentlary at
Ads Ababa. the capital Of .Abyssinia,
and was nb9mt to take his
dered 1t imperative that he should post
pone all idea of quitting the country
for some months to como. It seems
that the Negus Is far more seriously
III than has been admitted. and that
his death is liable to occur. at any mo-
ment. Although his consort, the En-
press. is a wonderfully able woman,
more capable even than himself to ex-
ercise the reins OF government yet It's
pretty certain that his demise will re
followed by disturbances, caused by
rival pretenders to the throne, and the
English government wishes Sir John to
be on the spot In the event OF any
such crisis, so as to give his support
assumption Of the regency during the
minority of the infant princelet whom
the Negus has recently designated as
heir to the throne.
Menelik has taken very radical meas
ures to foster public education among
his subjects during the last year. For
he has ordered, under all sorts OF pains
land penalties. that every child above
the age of five shall attend school
EVERY day, and that illiterates shall
pute arising, to inherit property
|of any description from their parents.
When one considers the percentage Of
|illiterates among the professcdly civ
ilized and enlightened nations Of
Europe, and even the percentage of
|illiterate Immigrants arriving in this.
|country and securing United States cit.
izenship, one will be forced to confess
that Menelikl has at any rate been a
progressive despot.
Ex-Secretary Taft, as well as Con-i
lgressman and Mrs. Nicholas Long
worth, and the other members OF the