634 



MAJESTY. 



mode uf planting, is in little hillocks raised at inter- 

 vals throughout 'the field, U> each of which is allotted 

 five or six grains. These last, after being dipped in 

 water, will often sprout after a lapse of five or six 

 days ; the young plants are liable to be injured by 

 frost. In many countries, after flowering, the tops 

 are cut and used for fodder for cattle, and u portion 

 of the leaves stript also ; but this last operation should 

 be delayed till near the time of maturity, which is 

 indicated by the drying of the leaves, and the hard- 

 ness and colour of the grains. The spikes or ears 

 are gathered by hand, and the husks, when perfectly 

 dry, stript off, and, together with the stalks, laid by 

 for winter fodder, while the ears are conveyed to the 

 granary. The green stems and leaves abound in 

 nutritious matter for cattle, and in some countries it 

 is cultivated solely for this purpose, especially after 

 early crops of other vegetables ; when planted for 

 this object, it should be sowed very thickly. Corn, 

 when well dried, will keep good for several years, 

 and preserve its capability of germination. It is 

 eaten in various manners in different countries, and 

 forms a wholesome and substantial aliment. Domes- 

 tic animals of every kind are also extremely fond of 

 it. According to count Rumford, it is, next to 

 wheat, the most nutritious grain. It is considered 

 as too stimulating for the common food of cattle, and 

 is found to be more stimulating than any other kind 

 of bread used by us. Mixed with rye meal, it forms 

 the common brown bread of New England ; mixed 

 with water alone, it makes a very palatable species 

 of extemporaneous bread. Ground very coarse and 

 boiled, it forms the "hominy/ 1 which is so great a 

 favourite at the south ; and the fine meal boiled 

 thick in water, is the " mush " of Pennsylvania and 

 the " hasty-pudding " of the Eastern States. In the 

 form of hulled corn or samp, the whole grains furnish 

 a very palatable, although rather indigestible luxury. 

 The stems contain sugar, and attempts have been 

 made in France to extract it, but the modes hitherto 

 devised have proved too expensive. In more south- 

 ern latitudes, the experiment would, doubtless, be 

 attended with more success ; indeed, according to 

 Humboldt, this branch of manufacture is carried on 

 in Mexico. The ashes contain a large proportion of 

 potash. Of the husks, a beautiful kind of writing 

 paper has been manufactured in Italy; and when 

 soaked in hot water, they make excellent mat- 

 tresses ; a grayish paper may be made from all 

 parts of the plant. From some information which 

 has lately reached this country, it would seem that 

 the native country of Indian corn has, at last, been 

 ascertained. A variety has been obtained in Para- 

 guay, in which each grain is surrounded by glumes, 

 and this, according to the report of the Indians, 

 grows wild in the woods. 



MAJESTY (from the Latin majestas) signified, in 

 republican Rome, the highest power and dignity 

 the attribute of the whole community of citizens, the 

 populus. The majestas was also ascribed to the 

 dictator, consul, and even senate, though, in the case 

 of the latter, the word auctoritas was used in pre- 

 ference. The majestas was ascribed to persons, or 

 bodies of persons, so far as they had legislative power, 

 the right to declare war and peace, decide on poli- 

 tical offences, and elect magistrates. He who vio- 

 lated this majestas (for instance, betrayed an army, 

 caused sedition, or infringed the existing institutions 

 or the rights of the people) made himself guilty of 

 the crimen majestatis. See Haubold De Legibus cr. 

 Laes. Maj. (Leipsic, 1786, 4to.) When the republic 

 was overthrown, the dignity, power, and name of 

 majesty passed over to the Roman monarchs, and 

 from them again to the emperors of Western Europe 

 {majestas Augusti). At a later period, under the 



Human emperors, majestas was the name of the 

 imperial dignity, whilst that of a magistrate was 

 called dignifas. To kings the attribute of majesty 

 was given much later. The courtiers introduced 

 the title in France under Henry II.; yet as late as 

 during the negotiations respecting the peace of \Vest- 

 phalia, we find disputes respecting this title. In the 

 treaty of Cambray (1529), the title of majesty is 

 given to the emperor Charles V. only. In the. 

 treaty of Crespy (1544), Charles V. is styled im- 

 perial, Francis I. royal majesty; and in the 

 peace of Chateau-Canibresis (1559), the titles of 

 most Christian and Catholic majesty are found for 

 the first time. In England, Henry VIII. first adopted 

 the title majesty. At present, this title is given to all 

 European emperors and kings. The grand seignior 

 is called highness. On the continent of Europe, 

 majesty is used also to denote the royal dignity and 

 the privileges derived therefrom, even in the case of 

 princes who have not personally the title. On the 

 other hand, the title of majesty is sometimes separ- 

 ated from the legal meaning of the word, as in 

 cases of abdicated monarchs who retain the title 

 of majesty and sire ; thus king Stanislaus Leczinsky, 

 of Poland. The few courtiers who surround the de- 

 posed Charles X., give him, also the former dauphin, 

 and the duke of Bourdeaux, as Henry V., the title of 

 majesty. To this title, though in itself so exalted, 

 the awkward obsequiousness of former ages, and the 

 indefinite conception of a religious character attach- 

 ed to earthly rulers, added epithets intended to ele- 

 vate it still higher, as ' most gracious ' in England, 

 ' most highest ' (Alter Aochste) in Germany.* Before 

 the word majesty, if used of the emperor of Austria, 

 the letters K. K. are put, which stand for Kaiser- 

 lich-Konigliche-Majestat (imperial-royal majesty). 

 The pope has given the epithet of majesty to several 

 monarchs, as Catholic majesty to the king of Spain, 

 Apostolic majesty to the king of Hungary, Most 

 Christian majesty to the king of France, Most faith- 

 ful majesty to the king of Portugal. 



The name of Majestafs Brief, or charter of ma- 

 jesty, was given to the act by which the emperor 

 Rodolph II. granted (June 11, 1609) free exercise 

 of their religion to the adherents of the Augsburg 

 confession in Bohemia. Most of the Bohemians 

 were Protestants. The emperor Matthias abolished 

 the act in 1618, in order to punish the Bohemians for 

 their revolt, which was occasioned by the securing of 

 the succession to king Ferdinand II. This abolition 



* The pedantic spirit of the Germans, which shows itself in 

 so many high-sounding titles (see Counsellor, and Ceremonial) 

 has given a character of formal and laboured reverence to the 

 style of addressing princes, which, to manly and simple reason, 

 is little less offensive than the incense offered to an Asiatic 

 monarch. In the titles of the latter, there is, at all events 

 poetry mixed with nonsense ; but in the former, there is nei- 

 ther reason, nor grammar, nor poetry. In writing, a king in 

 Germany is, at the head of the letter, addressed thus -.Aller- 

 durchlauchtigster, Allerhochster, Grossmachtigster, Konig, Al- 

 lergnadigster Konig und Herr which, literally translated, 

 would give the following double superlatives : Most-serenest, 

 most-highest, great-mightiest king, most-graciousest king and 

 lord. Besides this, the single pronouns he, they, you, &c., are 

 too vulgar to designate a king, and whenever they are used, 

 the prefix most-highest (allerhochst) is added : thus we have 

 miist-highest-he (for he), most-hiehest-him, most-highest -them, 

 &c. A prince is addressed as highest-he, highest-you, &c-, 

 and a mere secretary of state as high-you, high-they. We 

 may well exclaim, Heigh-ho ! An anecdote is told in Ger- 

 many, which, whether true or not, illustrates what we have 

 said. The late king of Bavaria a man, by the way, who 

 hated nothing more than the foppery of royalty was tra- 

 velling through his country, and the burgomaster of a 

 small place was, according to custom, to deliver his address. 

 He thought that kings were addressed orally, as they are :n 



ffr 



epithets to the Cre'ator only, he continued, carried away by the 

 current of his associations" Everlasting God and Lord, Al- 

 mighty Father. Son and Holy Ghost." 



