Twelfth Day of August
The Editor’s Answer.
Madam,
You mistake my situation: I am not the “patron,” but a poor servant of the Days—engaged to attend their goings out and comings in, and to teach people to pay proper respect to them. Mine is no trifling post, Madam; for without disrespect to you, many of your ancient family were spoiled long ago, by silly persons having taken undue notice of them; and in virtue of my office, I am a sort of judge in their court of claims, without authority to enforce obedience to my opinions. However, I shall continue to do my duty to the Days, and to their friends, many of whom are mere hangers-on, and, in spite of their pretended regard, grossly abuse them:—but this only verifies the old saying, “Too much familiarity breeds contempt:” such liberties must not be allowed, nor must the antiquity of the Days be too much insisted on. It is said, “there’s reason in every thing,” but there’s very little in some of the Old Days—excuse me, Madam, you are a young one; and I have something to excuse in you, which I readily do, on account of your inexperience, and of your bringing up.
That you are “the King’s-birth-Day” is undisputed: you are stated so to be in the almanac; as witness this line in August, 1825:—
“12. F. K. Geo. IV. b.”
Can any thing be plainer than the b. or more certain than that it stands for born? So much then for your rank in the Day family, and at Court, where you are acknowledged, and received as the birth-Day once a year, and “kept” as well as His Majesty can keep you. A king represents the majesty of the public welfare, and maintains the dignity of the throne whereon he is placed by promoting the interests of the people. His present Majesty regards your, and their, and his own, interest by remembering you, when you are not entitled to especial recollection with another day in the almanac, and this remembrance stands in April 1825, thus—
23. S. St. Geo. K. b. d. k.
St. George’s-Day does not supersede you; it is not called the King’s-birth-Day; the almanac by K. b. d. k. denotes that you, the King’s-birth-Day, are kept with all the honours due to your August quality on St. George’s-Day. If it had not “pleased the course of nature,” you would only have been distinguished as the first Day after the Day whereon the almanac says “Dog-Days end”—a fine distinction!