11.   For most of his life this supposed defender of equality clung to a preposterous fantasy that he was of noble birth.

12.   The use of gentle before man or woman has, for some six centuries, indicated noble birth or, more recently, good manners.

13.   They are his way of saying that, despite his noble birth, W. is just an ordinary guy.

14.   He also had his decisions written down and codified into law, allowed people to rise by merit rather than noble birth and tolerated different faiths.