The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
It AM THE STATEv-LOUIS XIV
French Monarch Put IL COnciseIy.
Napoleon Was Troubled with No
False MOdesty-Hafasu, Although
of Other Sex, Was "SOn of the sun,
Lord of the Two Egypts."

clndted with this question Of what the
national head should call himself, COM
parsons with the ways OF other heads.
past and present. should be timely. says
the New York Sun
The habit OF European sovereigns OF
speaking pleasantly Of themselves IS by
no means gone out II does not merely
linger with the Car, when he refers TO
himself in his proclamations as Autocrat
Of All the Russias. and speaks Of my
glorious army or attaches the personal
pronoun 10 anything else mentionable
that happens 10 be lying around within
the Russian boundary.
The Kaiser has noticeable habit Of
speaking a good word for himself Al
though he is not Emperor OF Germany.
nor OF the Germans. and Bavarians. Sax
ons. and Bsdeners are very particular
that the overload should only be known
as the German Emperor. he is King Of
Prussia. There he loses no chance 10
king It over his people. As he said. near
the outset Of his reign. entering the city
Of Thorn in 1884. "Ap my subjects must
stand at my back"
Head of German Army.
AS the war lord. Kaiser Wilhelm con-
siders himself the head. AT all events Of
The German army. He referred to it thus
in an address in 1865: My army Will ever
remain the instrument that I need 20 sup
port my policy whenever necessary" The
my army has an exotic sound. but my
policy" flows smoothly enough to Ameri-
can ears.
But the Emperor is an upstart and not
used 10 the graces OF magniloquence. II
he was not elected. his grandfather was
al least. Hear what the ,,nrases are in a
monarchy that has been mellowed by age:
The King OF England is Edward. by the
Grace of God. OF the tnited Kingdom OF
Great Britain. France. and Ireland. King.
Defender of the Faith. Emperor OF In
dia. Edward contents himself with
shorter forms OF his name on most occa-
sionS, and, indeed. seems 10 show a gem
erai tendency 20 divorce kiBgship from it's
calling forms and insomnia breeding
crowFs.
II discloSes an oddity common 20 many.
many sOveTeigns and other national heads.
this claim OF his British majesty 10 the
crown Of France With plenty of other
titles justly held enough. the English
rulers coveted above all the title that
they could not make good. False claims.
NOt Pleasing 10 Vanity.
They are pleasant 10 the vanity OF a
ruler, bat not very convincing 10 the
hearers or 90 pCsterity. That has not
prevented their enjoying a long vogue.
Even Hatasu. who was Pharaoh in Egypt
at some time in the second millennium be-
fore Christ was termed Son OF the Sun.
lord Of the two Egypts" And the oddity
Of that was that Hatasu was lady
Pharaoh. and could not very Well be son
Of anybody or lord Of anything She
seems 10 have shared the general love of
kings and other such persons. for exag-
geratiOn. not 20 call il more
There seems 10 have been something OF
the present moments tendency TO set up
handsome titles. even much earlier than
Hatasu few dynasties farther back
than hers. an Egyptian gentleussr. re-
turning 70 the capital addressed his
Pharaoh in terms so choice that for that
reason or some other they were recorded
His address began: Thy majesty IS the
good god and the great god the equal OF
the sun. Unfortunately. the name Of
this particular Pharaoh has not been pre-
served.
Differences I'm Nations.
There are national difference in the way
that kings take 70 do these things The
English way. because OF the ,,revious use
of Latin and Norman French. begins
about with Henry VIII II has a rather
courtly and chivalrous turn TO it. and
bears quoting, as showing that bluff King
Hal had way Of complimenting himself
rather prettily. 'ForasmOehe as the King
oure Sovraine Lorde of his great Noble
ness. Wisedom. and Prudence. consideretIE
that in this his Reame OF England be
many yOnge gentlemen Of Blod which
have not exercise in the Feat Of Armes.
in handling and renying the Spere and
other faits OF Werre"-such is TIE be
ginning of the proclamation founding the
order Of gentlemen pensioners.
Charles /. who was a little more can
ious in his language. had a stately but
rather snobbish way of talking in the
first person plural Speaking OF these
same gentlemen pensioners, he saws:
The band OF our Pensioners having the
Honour TO be our nearest guard. and to
have their daily access to our Presence
Chamber ." Charles magniloquence
pleases less than the quaint bombast Of
Henry
Unctuousness in Hint.
There is something unctuous about the
hint of the Honour of being near Is
The order of Charles / goes on 10 speak
about our best Families and such as
have best education in several counties
OF Our Kingdom and has more 10 say
about the Trust and Honour OF Our
Service"
French mOnarchs went at the thing
rather differently. Louis XIV. Of course
was impressively brief and clear. when
he said: The state is - 1t was Louis
admirers and not himself that called him
Louis the Great and the sun King. Ma
poleon. who was in some sense his sue
cessor. went perhaps farther in veiled
grandiloquence than any man since the
Roman emperors
In his reply of acceptance TO Gambia
ceres offering him the imperial dignity.
Napoleon is on record as having said: I
accept the title which you believe TO be
useful 10 the glory of the nation. hone
that France win never repent the honors
with which she endows my family. Ny
spirit will no longer be with my family on
that day when they cease 70 merit the
love and COZ fdence of this great nation.
NapOIeOn's Ambition.
The implication is evident. Napoleon
would remain after his death 4 directing
force guiding his successors.
Not many years from the date Of this
astounding nineteenth-century manifesto
Of divine inerrancy- the elimination Of
sovereign assurance, a man in another
country was setting simpler and more
becoming fashion. Washington's farewell
address begins thus, unsurpassable in the
dignity of restraint and simple ways:
Friends and fellow-citizens: The period
for new election of a citizen TO admin
lister the executive government OF the