RANDOM READINGS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1630, 28 October 1916, Page 4

RANDOM READINGS.

FASHIONS IN WORDS. Certain words enjoy a. popularity for a season, and then are rarely heard. It would seem that no sooner do they become the property of (he multitude than their death-knell is sounded in fashionable regions, and ere long they sink into the obscurity from which they emerged. “Beau,” for instance, dates a long way hack, and went nut of fashion very many years ago; yet, strange in say, some few old-fashioned people retain it to this day when referring to a young man who is .-apposed to he paying attention to a girl. A recognised term of to-day is “admirer,” and subsequently, when things have come to a elimaxi “lover” hut rarely beau. “Sweetheart” goes with “young man,” and is usually the property of our cooks and housemaids. The “belle" has gone the way of the “beau.” There are no “belles of the hall” to-day. A girl is a “beauty,” however much in request she may he. THE ROYAL STANDARD. 'the picturesque Royal Standard is known the world over, for it has “braved the battle and the breeze” for a thousand years or more. England, Scotland, and Ireland are each represented in the flag. The three, golden lion- stand for England, the rod lion rampant for Scotland, and the golden harp for Ireland. It is the banner of the United Kingdom which indicates the union of the three Slates from which Britain’s world-wide Empire lias sprung. Strictly speaking, the Royal Standard should only he hoisted over the palace op castle where the King is residing, or at the masthead of the ship occupied by His Majesty. The King’- regulations state that the Hag is only to he used in connection with Royalty. Many fierce controversies have in the past raged round the Royal Standard. Its origin lias puzzled many generations of heraldists, and the design of tin* Hag has caused jealousies and strife. Why the three golden lions were chosen to represent England’s might cannot he clearly explained by historians. As far hack as KKiti William the Gonqueror bore two lions on his crest, and later in history we find that Richard Uoenr de Lion carried a. banner hearing two lions during the crusading expeditions. The Sovereign- of Scotland also adopted the lion rampant on their crests, and on the accession of .James to tin* thrum* of tlu* United Kingdom in the year KiO.’l, (lie device became part of the Royal Standard. The fact that tin* Scottish lion was placed in the second quarter of the Royal Standard while the lilies and lions of England occupied tlu* first quarter, caused tlu* wrath of tlu* Scots. They claimed that Scotland was a more aueieul kingdom than England. For many years all seals peculiar to Scottish business, and all Hags displayed north of the Tweed had the Scottish arms in the first quarter, as they arc on the monument to hhieen Elizabeth in West-min-ler Ahhev.

Originally the heraldie device for Ireland was three crowns. King Henry VIJJ., for reasons which the wisest heraldist cannot, explain, substituted rlie harp, as representing the (Ireen Isle, for (he crowns. “A witty, if cruel, explanation was offered by tin* (hen Farl of Northampton. “The best reason,” said he, “that 1 can observe for the hearing (hereof is that the harp resembles Ireland in being such an instrument that if requires more cost to keep in tune than it is worth.”