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Kings are earth's gods; in vice their law's their will.
Kings are earth's gods; in vice their law's their will.
 The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is 
made up of very hard read more 
 The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is 
made up of very hard but very polished people.
 [Fr., La cour est comme un edifice bati de marbre; je veux dire 
qu'elle est composee d'hommes fort durs mais fort polis.] 
 There was a king of Thule,
 Was faithful till the grave,
  To whom his mistress dying,
 read more 
 There was a king of Thule,
 Was faithful till the grave,
  To whom his mistress dying,
   A golden goblet gave.
    [Ger., Es war ein Konig in Tule
     Gar treu bis an das Grab,
      Dem sterbend seine Buhle
       Einen gold'nen Becher gab.] 
 His legs bestrid the ocean: his reared arm
 Crested the world: his voice was propertied
  As all read more 
 His legs bestrid the ocean: his reared arm
 Crested the world: his voice was propertied
  As all the tuned spheres, and that to friends;
   But when he meant to quail and shake the orb,
    He was as rattling thunder. 
 The Prussian Sovereigns are in possession of a crown not be the 
grace of the people, but by God's read more 
 The Prussian Sovereigns are in possession of a crown not be the 
grace of the people, but by God's grace. 
A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in.
A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in.
 For God's sake let us sit upon the ground
 And tell sad stories of the death of kings!
 read more 
 For God's sake let us sit upon the ground
 And tell sad stories of the death of kings!
  How some have been deposed, some slain in war,
   Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed,
    Some poisoned by their wives, some sleeping killed--
     All murdered; for within the hollow crown
      That rounds the mortal temples of a king
       Keeps Death his court; and there the antic sits,
        Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp;
         Allowing him a breath, a little scene,
          To monarchize, be feared, and kill with looks;
           Infusing him with self and vain conceit,
            As if this flesh which walls about our life
             Were brass impregnable; and humored thus,
              Comes at the last, and with a little pin
               Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!
                Cover your heads, and mock not flesh and blood
                 With solemn reverence, Throw away respect,
                  Tradition, form, and ceremonious duty;
                   For you have but mistook me all this while.
                    I live with bread like you, feel want, taste grief,
                     Need friends. Subjected thus, 
 Ten poor men sleep in peace on one straw heap, as Saadi sings,
 But the immensest empire is too read more 
 Ten poor men sleep in peace on one straw heap, as Saadi sings,
 But the immensest empire is too narrow for two kings.