The King is one thing . . . and the man who is made King, another thing.
These are the thoughts of young Augustin -- newly crowned the King . . . and then given a whipping for insolence!
The King is crowned, the man is lashed; they give us greatness in words: in fact, we are our servants' servants. Little as I liked the thing at the time, I cannot now regret that I was chastised on my coronation day. I was thus put into an attitude eminently conducive to the perception of truth, and to a realization of the facts of my position.
Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins (1863-1933), who wrote under the name of Anthony Hope, was an English romantic novelist made famous by his The Prisoner of Zenda. In The King's Mirror, he tells the fascinating story of a boy made King, who finds within himself the resources and wisdom to wear the crown proudly.
