50 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

alike. If Bagehot is right, and the mass of men must be governed
by a few-who are wiser than they, monarchy will serve very well;
but what place has it among a people who think about politics
and try to govern themselves?

One answer has already been suggested in the examination of
the King's powers over the Legislature in times of crisis. He is
tc be the voice of the Constitution, proclaiming that there is,
binding on all Parties, the duty to respect the people's will and
to allow that will to form itself by free discussion. Can the King
fill this position? Despite his frequent appearances among all
ranks of the people, the intimate friends of the Royal Family
will all be wealthy. Thus,the Court easily becomes the centre of
snobbery; and the tendency of part of the Press to fawn on the
Royal Family aggravates the evil. It is not easy for a man to do
the constitutional work of King when the suggestion is ceaselessly
made to him that whatever he does is right and marvellous. The
old story of King Canute's rebuke to those who said he could
rule the tides still adorns many school books: its lesson—that
Kings are not Gods, and flatterers are not friends—seems to
have been lost on some newspaper proprietors. This evil might
be remedied by simplifying the ritual of the Court; money
would be saved and the Royal Family relieved of many tedious
duties. The example of the Scandinavian countries shows that
•a monarchy may be simple, and not too closely connected with
the aristocracy, without losing any of its dignity or constitutional
convenience. At present, wheft crises arise, all the private
influence of fhends, ^ which must affect the King as it does any
man, will be on the side of wealth and privilege. The privileged
classes might even usfc the King's position as Head of the State
as a reason for defying Parliament, In 1914, over the Ulster
crisis, certain Army Officers argued that their oath was to the
King, not the Government, and that they need not therefore
support a Government whose policy they disliked. After what
has been said about the King and the Constitution, it will be
dear that this argument was grossly unconstitutional. The