the whole of a family considered collectively, including the mistress, children, and servants. But the household of a sovereign prince includes only the officers and domestics belonging to his palace.

The principal officers of the household of the king of Great Britain are, the lord steward, the lord chamberlain of the household, the groom of the stole, the master of the great wardrobe, and the master of the horse.

The civil government of the king's house is under the care of the lord steward of the king's household, who, being the chief officer, is entitled to have all his commands served and obeyed. His authority extends over all the household officers and servants, excepting those of his majesty's chapel, chamber, and stable; and he is the judge of all crimes committed either within the court or the verge.

Under him are the treasurer of the household; the comptroller, cofferer, the master of the household, the clerks of the green-cloth, and the officers and servants belonging to the accounting-house, the marshalsea, the verge, the king's kitchen, the household kitchen, the acatery, bakehouse, pantry, buttery, cellar, pastry, &c. Next to the lord steward is the lord chamberlain of the household, who has under him the vice-chamberlain, the treasurer, the comptroller of the chamber; forty-eight gentlemen of the privy chamber, twelve of whom wait quarterly, and two of them lie every night in the privy chamber; the pages of the presence-chamber; the mace-bearers, cup-bearers, carvers, musicians, and others.

The groom of the stole has under him the eleven other lords of the bed-chamber, who wait weekly in the bedchamber, and also the grooms of the bed-chamber, the pages of the bed-chamber, and back stairs, &c.

The master or keeper of the great wardrobe has under him a deputy, comptroller, clerk of the robes, brusher, &c. and a number of tradesmen and artificers, who are all sworn servants to the king.

The master of the horse has under his command the equerries, pages, footmen, grooms, coachmen, farriers, saddlers, and all the other officers and tradesmen employed in his majesty's stables.