"Come and see me?"
"Yes; bring you a petition."
"What about?"
"To have their grievances looked into."
"I can't look into their grievances."
"No; but you can say that they shall be."
The King shook his head. Charlotte did not know what she was talking about.
"Yes, papa, that is the position. Of course you haven't the right to make laws or levy taxes, but you can send word to Parliament to say something has got to be considered and decided. And about this, Parliament won't consider and won't decide. And that is why they are trying to get to you with a petition; so that you shall say that it is to be looked into."
"But I can't say that sort of thing, my dear."
"Yes, you can, papa! It's an old right; the right of unrepresented people to come direct to their sovereign and tell him that his ministers are refusing to do things for them. And your ministers are trying to keep you from knowing about it, to keep you from knowing even that you have such a power; and by not knowing it they are making you break your Coronation oath. Oh, papa, isn't that dreadful to think of?"