provided they claim, not merely the title, but the office and duty
signified by it. Lady means "bread-giver" or "loaf-giver," and Lord
means "maintainer of laws," and both titles have reference, not to
the law which is maintained in the house, nor to the bread which is
given to the household; but to law maintained for the multitude, and
to bread broken among the multitude. So that a Lord has legal claim
only to his title in so far as he is the maintainer of the justice
of the Lord of lords; and a Lady has legal claim to her title only
so far as she communicates that help to the poor representatives of
her Master, which women once, ministering to Him of their substance,
were permitted to extend to that Master Himself; and when she is
known, as He Himself once was, in breaking of bread.

And this beneficent and legal dominion, this power of the Dominus,
or House-Lord, and of the Domina, or House-Lady, is great and
venerable, not in the number of those through whom it has lineally
descended, but in the number of those whom it grasps within its
sway; it is always regarded with reverent worship wherever its
dynasty is founded on its duty, and its ambition correlative with
its beneficence. Your fancy is pleased with the thought of being
noble ladies, with a train of vassals. Be it so; you cannot be too
noble, and your train cannot be too great; but see to it that your
train is of vassals whom you serve and feed, not merely of slaves
who serve and feed you; and that the multitude which obeys you is of
those whom you have comforted, not oppressed,--whom you have
redeemed, not led into captivity.

And this, which is true of the lower or household dominion, is
equally true of the queenly dominion; that highest dignity is open
to you, if you will also accept that highest duty. Rex et Regina--