Middletown transcript., 1910-05-14
M1DDLErowN, DE =. NAY a, 1910
DEATH OF KING EDWARD VII

DEATH OF KING EDWARD VII
Albert Edward was neither
very good nor very great; in
brains or morals, not above the
ordinary, measured even by the
low standard of Monarchs. But
he was a first rate politician and
during the 81 years he awaited
the sceptre, acquired the knowl.
edge and experience of men and
things which marked his brief
reign of nine years with wisdom
and craftsmanship.
One mightforget the roistering
Prince Hal period of his youth,
when his extreme fondness for
dress won for him the nickname
of "CoIlars and Cuffs; but one
cannot, alas! so lightly forget the
shameful gambling practices OF
his maturer years when 1t
was charged as the crowning dis
grace of a:prince nearly 40 years
old, that like a professional black.
leg, he carried his baccarat outfit
with him in his sporting tours.
The baccarat scandal at Tranby
Croft, which involved him as a
witness in the public trial of Cor
don. Cumming for C b attn g ,
wherein he was forced to hear
Barrister Clarke grill him till he
blushed again, brought him a
shocking notoriety and elected
the singing parody of his prince.
ly motto "Ich Diem" serve, into
"Ich Deal"
Yet it must be said that as king
he nobly redeemed the follies OF
his heir.apparent days; and had
Queen Victoria been content in
her feeble old age to abdicate in
his favor, it might sooner have
summoned him to manhood, and
the nation and his own fame,
been spared the blot of those
episodes-at least the later and
graver ones; for the responsible.
ties Of his kingly station might
have sobered him made of him
the man he afterward became.
But she was as meanly avaricious
Of power as Of money and cher
ished, no doubt, the vain wish
not only to equal in glory and
eclat the brilliant reign of the
great Elizabeth, but also to sur
pass in length of rule her grand.
father, George III whose so
years term exceeded by 10 years
even the long alf.century reign
of Edward III.
But in his few years as King,
Edward did a great work to Sc
cure the peace of Europe. More
over, his keen insight into the
character of contemporary SOY.
ereigns, his wide acquaintance
with men and affairs in Europe,
aided by his fine tact, good humor
and popularity were largely in
strumental in gaining that gen
eral entente cordiale between
England and every government
on the Continent, which settling
all differences by treaty and re-
moving all international friction
has left her free to face untram-
meletl her rival and foe, Germany
"a fact ominous enough Of a
mighty struggle to come.
Though very democratic and
easy of approach, he was still a
great stickler for the minutest
punctilio of regal etiquette; but
what is far more important, as
King of Great Britain, Emperor
of India, ETC., Edward took him
self seriously and sought to re.
store the long disused kingly pre-
rogative of actually taking part
in the government, which had not
been asserted by any English
ruler since the days of the crazy
George III. Thus in the noted
crisis Of last February he refused
to assent to the policy of his min
listers seeking to clip the wings
of the naughty Lords, but in his
speech from the throne shocked
all England with the startling
Hords-unused by any English
ruler for over 100 years and
franght, mayhap with revolution
tin the opinion of my advis-
ers."
Like Henry v, whose youthful
escapades were so honorably
stoned as sovereign, Edward
as King may confidently appeal
to history from Edward as Prince.
Yet his dying words, 81 think l
have done my duty" are pa.
thetically significant as show
ing q consciousness in that
solemn moment, when perhaps
his whole life swept in retrospect
before him, that though he had
as monarch msnfully striven to
act q noble part, yet could he not
wholly wholly forget his his base past as
prince,