"sire, your great-great-great-great-great-grandfather's death happened when my grandfather was a little boy," said the prime minister, "and since then your loyal people have been saving up to buy you a crown so much a week, you know, according to people's means sixpence a week from those who have first-rate pocket money, down to a halfpenny a week from those who haven't so much. you know it's the rule that the crown must be paid for by the people."