Show H HH t M t t M M t t. t M M t M M M Mr t I t r tt I I STRANGE AND ELABORATE TITLES HI Fantastic Ideas Incorporated in the the Cognomens of Potentates 1 1 1 1 J. J J. J J 1 1 1 1 Io 1 1 1 T T f T jv T T T r I I I TT T T T i T i T i T i i i f y- y When one considers that the sovereign b k t of ot the greatest empire that the world I r has ever known Is content to be addressed addressed adt ad ad- t dressed by the same title of ot Sir as r millions of ot his humblest subjects there is something most grotesque In the exi extravagant extravagant ex ex- ex- ex i and arid sounding high-sounding titles which h interior Inferior potentates assume I For Instance nce the King of ot L would probably cut off the head of any subject ct who ho h dared In addressing 01 or orde- orde describing describing de de- scribing him to omit any of these titles of honor Emperor of Possessor Post Pose Pos Pos- t s e sessor of the White Elephant and the they I i ji y two t tro Earr Earrings I and In virtue 0 of tills this possession pos- pos session cession legitimate heir of and Brama Brat Brauia Bra- Bra t fina ma uia Lord of the twelve provinces of Bengal Bengal and the twelve Kings who place their their heads under his heel Even this grandiloquent description of 8 a barbaric King pales before florid titles assumed by the Kandan King The protector of religion whose fame fames Is Ir s Infinite and of surpassing excellence exceeding the moon the unexpanded j Jesamine buds the stars etc whose Jeet t are as fragrant to the noses of Bother other ther Kings as flowers to bees our ourI most t noble patron and god by custom I rt etc tc But of ot all the extravagant and odd oddi i I titles assumed by sovereigns the most f r remarkable Is that that- of Great Thief which Is the proudest description of the I King of l who held It In ii far i higher esteem than his other titles of I Great Magician and Lord of the Sun and Moon The Sultan of Turkey is by no means one of i the most modest of European sovereigns as the following extract from his countless counties titles and descriptions descriptions descriptions proves The Th Emperor Sultan Abdul Abdul Abdul Ab Ab- Ab- Ab dul Hamid the Second always victorious victori victori- ous ous Who Wh by the excellence of the of-the the infinite infinite ite favors of the Most High and by the I eminence of the miracles filled with the benediction of the Chief of Prophets to whom be the most ample salutations as aswell aswell well as to this this' family and aid I ons is the Sultan of the Glorious Sultans Sultans Sul Sul- SulI I tans the Emperor of the Powerful Emperors Emperors Emperors Em Em- the Distributor of Crowns to the who are seated upon thrones the Shadow of or God upon Earth etc To these unassuming titles the the- Sultan adds nearly seventy more with power to add to their number The Shah of ot Persia runs a close race with the Sultan in the number and extravagance ex extravagance extravagance ex- ex ex- ex of his titles amon among the least of which are such descriptions as as- as asHe Heto Heto He to whom the Sun servos serves as a Standard the Luminous Star of the Firmament of Crowned Heads the Sun of Heaven of Royalty who Is as far far removed from other Kings of or the eath as the most distant star from the terrestrial planet the focus and centre of the universe to I whom the eyes eves of all are drawn as to an irresistible magnet etc While the Emperors of based their dl dignity on two earrings the Kings I O of Ava supported their royal assumptions assumptions on two dozen umbrellas describing bIng b- b of Kings ICings ing themselves as King whom all others should obey as th thY they y yare are the cause of or preservation of ot all animals ani ani- ni- ni mals mais the regulator of seasons the absolute absolute ab- ab solute master of the ebb and flow of ot the sea brother to th the sun sin and King of or the twenty-four twenty umbrellas The Kings of Achem w were ere as proud as their Kandan royal bi brothers others of the sweetness of or their feet Among their hell of or orthe many titles are those of Sovereign the Universe whose body Is luminous as the sun w whom horn God created to b be as as the moon In her plenitude plenitude Plenitude Pleni pleni- like the the Northern North North- tude whose eye glitters em ern Star a King as spiritual as a ballIs ball ballis is round who when he rises shades all people from under whose feet a sweet odor Is wafted etc Even the Czar and German Cerman erman Emperor with the hundred titles they are ale said to enjoy between them do not affect to claim any dignity equal to the least of these Until the time of ot Henry VIII pur ur Kings were quite content to be addressed addressed ad ad- d dressed as Your Tour Grace a title now enJoyed enjoyed enjoyed en- en Joyed by Archbishops a ad a jd Dukes Henry VIII always ambitious went a step farther and assumed the title of Highness High Highness ness now confined to the minor princes of the continent and it was only when Frances I I. I saluted him as Your Majesty Majesty Majesty Ma Ma- jesty that the tle King thought he might indulge in still further promotion and assume the title first adopted in France by Louis XI 0 |