. The English governess at the Siamese court : being recollections of six years in the royal palace at Bangkok . that should distin-guish liim, — that of exemption from the customary pros-trations before the First King, whom he may salute bysimply raising his hands and joining them above his his proper right of royalty begins and ends. Thepart that he may play in the drama of government is castto him in the necessity, discretion, or caprice of his abso-lute chief next, and yet so far, above liim; it may beimportant, insignificant, or wholly omitted. Like anylesser duais of tlie realm


. The English governess at the Siamese court : being recollections of six years in the royal palace at Bangkok . that should distin-guish liim, — that of exemption from the customary pros-trations before the First King, whom he may salute bysimply raising his hands and joining them above his his proper right of royalty begins and ends. Thepart that he may play in the drama of government is castto him in the necessity, discretion, or caprice of his abso-lute chief next, and yet so far, above liim; it may beimportant, insignificant, or wholly omitted. Like anylesser duais of tlie realm, he nmst appear before his lordtwice a year to renew his oath of allegiance. In law, heis as mere a subject as the slave who bears his betel-box;or that other slave who, on his knees, and with avertedface, presents his spittoon. In history, he shall be whatcircumstance or his own mind may make liim: the shadowor the soul of sovereignty, even as the intellectual andmoral weakness or strength may have been apportionedbetween him and his colleague. From his rank he derivesno advantage but the chance. \ ^ ^. The Princess of Chiengmai. THE SUBORDINATE KING. 223 Somdetch Phra Pawarendr Eamesr Maliiswarer, thesubordinate king of Siam, who died on the 29th of De-cember, 18G5, was the legitimate son of the supreme king,second of his dynasty, who reigned from 1809 to father had been second king to his grandfather, grandsupreme of Siam, and first of the reigning line. Hismother was lawful first queen consort; and the latefirst or major king, Somdetch-Plira Paramendr Maha^Nlongkut, was his elder full brother. Being alike legiti-mate offspring of the first queen, these two lads werestyled Somdetch Choicfas, Celestial Poyal Princes ; andduring the second and third reigns they were distinguishedby the titles of courtesy pertaining to their royal statusand relation, the elder as Chowfa Mongkut, the youngeras Chowfa Chudha-Mani : Monfjhnt signifying EoyalCrown, and Chudha-Mani Poyal


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