KING, the chief magistrate or sove reign of a nation ; a man invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe, or country. Kings are absolute mon archs, when they possess the powers of government without control, or the entire sovereignty over a nation : they are called limited monarchs when their power is restrained by fixed laws. Kings are hereditary sovereigns, when they hold the powers of government by right of birth or inheritance, and elective, when raised to the throne by choice. The person of the king of England is sacred. lie can not, by any process of law, be called to account for any of his acts. His conciir rence is necessary for every legislative enactment. tie sends embassies, makes treaties, and even enters into wars with out any previous consultation with par liament. Ile nominates the judges, and the other high officers of state, the officers of the army and navy, the governors of colonies and dependencies, the bishops, deans, and some ether dignitaries of the English Church. He calls parliament
together, and can at his pleasure pro rogue or dissolve it. He is the fountain of honor ; all hereditary titles are de rived from his grant at arms, an officer in England of great antiquity, and formerly of great authority, whose busi ness is to direct the heralds, preside at their chapters, and have the jurisdiction of armory. There are three kings at arms, viz.. garter, and nor roy (northroy.) The first of these is styled principal king at arms, and the two latter provincial kings, because their duties are confined to the provinces; the one (clavencieux,) officiating south of the Trent, and the other (norroy,) north of that river. There is also a Lyon king at arm's for Scotland, and an Ulster king at arms for Ireland, whose duties are nearly analogous to those of England.