The Washington herald., 1911-12-06
The Loneliness of Kings
Is Most Pathetic

The loneliness Of kings is truly appall-
ing. They are lpnelier than the peguins
at the north pole. They experience all
the horrors Of isolation without the COM
pensaton of security, liberty OF person.
or adventure. 1t is no eXaGgeratiOn TO
say that the hungry or unemployed often
enjoy fuller opportunities for happiness
than some occupants of thrones. No
doubt the average workman in regular
employ is more to be envied in the midst
of his cheerful family and with good
, chances for advancement and a quiet
undisturbed life
4 king can have no friends. Being
placed upon a pinnacle far above the
heads Of ordinary men. being rele gated
to the seclusiOn of a superior caste, he
loses all the advantages of the usual
social intercourse. 1t is not merely
that all must treat him with Difference.
never turn their backs or sneeze in his
presence, treat his invitations as COM
mands, supply a menu and a list Of
guests when he condescends to grace
any function with his presence. but all
have to agree with what he may say,
even before he opens his mouth.
Any sensible monarch, of course, knows
and hates all this, but while all are tes-
tifying to his majesty and power he is
as helpless to disentangle himself from
the system as fly in amber or oint-
ment. Some sovereigns have struggled
for emancipation almost as flercely as
rebels. But the effort has never been OF
the least avail. His majesty may an
nounce his desire to be treated like any
body else. and. as it would be treason
to deny him, we protest our acquiescence,
neutralizing the whole business by eX
travagant adulation of his condescen-
sion, modesty, d-fellowship. and all
the rest OF 1t. We simply continue TO
humor him in his new part, and he re-
mains just as far off as ever
Even the Haroun-Al-Raschid business
OF going about in disguise and trying 70
CLEAN fragments OF public opinion is far
from successful When a man has his
portrait on all the stamps and pennies,
to say nothing OF oleographs in taverns.
transparencies over hairdressers' shops
and snapshots in the popular press, II
is about as easy TO conceal his identity
as il would be to pass off a Derby winner
at a carthorse parade. Besides, people
&C not open their hearts freely Ic
strangers.
Consider, pray, a sovereign's sources
Of information. Queen Victoria used to
receive q daily letter from the prime
minister, giving a sort Of summary of
the debates in the Commons, and, unless
am much mistaken, this primitive
process rray be practiced to this day.
Then there are the modern newspapers.
II is i8in that kings are ravenous de-
vourers Of all kinds OF periodical publica-
tions But what sort of papers Is the
King allowed to see? Only those that
it pIeases the court censor to pass IS
fit" 10 lie seen by the monarch out
side OF those which chronicle public
events or debates, all of which naturally
is pubnc property. Even If king m
sisted on taking risks and went out for
aging for himself at the bookstalls, what
would ne find? Nothing but a repetiti m
of the fiattery heaped upon his daily
bread at home. Indeed, in most cases he
would find the Qualification exagger-
sive to his palate Dictionaries are
ransacked for serviIe adjectives to de-
scribe his simplest and most natural ac-
tions. His smile is always represented
as gracious even when, as he may know
cnly too well, II has been embittered by
toothache or gumboils; II he waves his
hand to a bobbing child the affability OF
his condescension is sublime; letter OF
inquiry or coincidence, which may have
cost fifteen seconds TO inspire Is halleo
as almost superhuman beneVolence-
II all this serviIIty meant anything, 1t
would reveal an alteration which would
still be excessive II rendered to a ma
tIon's savior or the discoverer OF uni
yersal prophylactic against disease, or
magician who had conferred wealth and
wisdom upon all mankind. But, unfor-
tunstely, history does not exhibit the pro-
fessions Of courtiers in very rosy light.
Their attitude of unrelieved praise and
compliment is quite as much matter OF
study and interest as the antics OF
CORPS de ballet or the genufiexions of
a performing pony. When the Pretender
has landed and is likely to prevail. the
most obsequious trumpeters Of undying
devotion are usually the first to hurry TO
his camp; when raging mobs are batter
ing at the palace gates, The lordly lackeys
who have been loaded with honore and
rewards reveal the value or their graft
tude by treachery or night