May 12, The King of England, of, as he has come to be, King of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith and Emperor of Tndia, rules within his domain over subjects of many different creeds. That domain, his Empire; with its allegiance to him, enjoys freedom of conscience. "No man by reason of his ballet has cause for fear of the King's Majesty. Church, chapel, synagogue, temple, mosque can to~ day do honotir to the King's crown-Ing. As ah English King tie takes the sanction of Christendom for his Coronation, "As the Head of his English Church "he receives the lotion of its Primate and the Empire' he makes his vows to God in. earnest of his desire to share with them the' consecration of his Ife to their service. Thus, whatever be the Faith which binds the King's subject to his or her duty as an upright citizen of Empire, he for she can be at one with George VI in the supreme moment of today's Coronation, The tie between Sovereign and People transcends even the most solemn of human ments; it acquires unction from. the divine guidance which the Coronation chiefly invokes. Thereby it impresses on an often negligent world the high importance of the impalpable but ever-present influence which even the mightiest Throne, the proudest tyrant, the most confident dictator,—cannot outface,—Rejoicings, _exultation, rightly embroider the rich pageantry of the Coronation, but the pageantry is the material frame of a mystical) rite which, whatever may be the reed of its expression, has a gra common to all faiths' linking the present with the hereafter.
'As his people hail their King with loyal'. pledges of obedience and comradeship, as they wish him and his gracious Consort tong life, hap-pines and the joy of a benefteent reign, they cannot but pause awhile to ponder over these things. Pride in the symbols of a great Empire deep-rooted in' the traditions of over a thousand years is not enough. 'Humility is the true incense for the coronation of a King. 'The nation, confronted by the mirror wherein its ancestral chivalry' shines clear, should ask' itself whether it can bring to the' ald of a human monarch, at the moment of his con-secretion, the qualities of virtue and moral courage which he deserves to command. "Great achievements, high purposes and noble ideals may fly find pious' reflection ina nation's laws, 'The' question to ask' is whether conduct accords with prescription. " Is power used to secure Justice, is democratic unity, under the auspices of a constitutional Throne, concerned to uphold truly democratic principles, is loyal] affection turned to full account in exorcising animosity and prejudice? The nation which, in such an hour. exults unduly, spurns the privileges vouchsafed to it, Human imperfect tions need due tolerance; patience must ever mark the address of the champion of progress. Yet the very solemnity of the rites which to-day' hallow the King and his Queen on their crowning plainly shows that tolerance and patience must be limited severely "by the testing scrutiny of self-examination. The King and Queen pledge themselves to service.
How can they be ex-ceted to fulfil those pledges unless! the nation which they seek to serve determines to be worthy of the dedication?
Let the friendly sympathy which comes from the whole world to the British people on this day be an inspiration, Great possessions! imply great responsibilities; great! responsibilities, great sacrifice $i2 Sacrifice to be acceptable comes only from the humble spirit which abases itself in the presence opportunity, Humility should move the nation' to take heed of its weaknesses, to seek examples in the good of other races, to draw profit from study of merits which it cannot claim, 'The arrogance of] success, the indifference of riches to the travail of poverty, the prejudice of ignorance, the intolerance of self-sufficiency should be closely_ scrutinized. How often, it may be ished, could Great Britain have made' a real contribution to the concord of the World if she had not been obsessed by the inevitability of her own righteousness and too Uittle discerning of the righteousness in others? In her days of woe! and perplexity has she been ready. to perceive how her own faults had produced the plight of which she complained? To the woes of others has she always brought the balm. of understanding as befitted the inheritor of a great trust? In the discharge of duties toward her: own people has she always kept in mind the injunctions now pressed upon her King? If that be the manner In' which this Coronation is made the touchstone of the nation's honour and fealty, then there should) be no fear for the King. He can show himself to his people with the yppy consciousness that has the full support of their devout faith they cry aloud "God Save the ing!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.