NEWS OF THE WEEK.
KING EDWARD VII. died a little before midnight on Friday week at Buckingham Palace in the presence of Queen Alexandra, the members of the Royal family, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. As the nation was taken by surprise when the news of the King's illness was published on Thursday week, so was the shock of this sudden ending all the more painful and severe. We shall not abuse the language of eulogy when we say that the loss to the country is truly a personal one, and is universally felt to be so. King Edward enjoyed the affection of his people quite apart from the loyalty which was his due as the head of the State. When Queen Victoria died in 1901 it seemed scarcely credible that her son could quite fill the place of her who had been the mother of the nation, and had been regarded as such with a filial devotion and respect. Yet King Edward gave the nation no cause to say that it had suffered any loss at the head of affairs in wisdom, kindliness, and industry. He notoriously spent himself in the service of his country, and his services to the peace of the world promise to become proverbial. That is it fine tribute to be able to pay to the dead King, but it is a pride and pleasure to think that honesty—and we desire only to say what can be said with sincerity—would be affronted if we said less.
