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THE PENNY CYCLOPÆDIA

OF

THE SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF

USEFUL KNOWLEDGE.

ΤΙΤ

TITLES OF HONOUR are words or phrases which cer- |
tain persons are entitled to claim as their right, in con-
sequence of certain dignities being inherent in them.
They vary in a manner corresponding to the variety of
the dignities, or, in other words, with the rank of the pos-
sessor. Thus Emperor, King, Czar, Prince, are titles of
honour, and the possessors of the high dignities represented
by these words are, by the common consent of the civilized
world, entitled to be so denominated, and to be addressed
by such terms as Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness.
These are the terms used in England, and the phrases in
use in other countries of Europe do not much differ from
them. In fact one European nation seems to have bor-
rowed from another, or all to have taken their titles of
honour for this exalted rank from a common original; so
that little of the peculiar genius of the European nations
can be traced in the terms by which they show their
respect for the persons of highest dignity. But it is dif-
ferent when we come to compare them with the Oriental
nations. In those seats of antient civilization the most
extravagant terms of compliment are in use, and a little
sovereign of a wandering tribe rejoices in titles of honour
numerous and inflated in the highest degree. In the series
of Roman emperors, the word Cæsar, originally the name
of a family, became a title of honour; Augustus was ano-
ther; and Pater Patriæ a third.

The five orders of nobility in England are distinguished by the titles of honour, Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron: and the persons in whom the dignity of the peerage inheres are entitled to be designated by these words; and if in any legal proceedings they should be otherwise designated, there would be a misnomer by which the proceedings would be vitiated, just as when a private person is wrongly described in an indictment; that is, the law or the custom of the realm guarantees to them the possession of these terms of honour, as it does of the dignities to which they correspond. They are also entitled to be addressed by such phrases as My Lord, My Lord Marquis, My Lord Duke, and they have usually prefixed to their titles, properly so called, certain phrases, as High and Mighty Prince, Most Noble, Right Honourable, varying with the kind and degree of the dignity possessed by them. The other members of the famies of peers have also their titles of honour. Thus the lady of a peer has rank and titles corresponding with those of the husband. All the sons and daughters of peers are Honourable, but the daughters of earls and peers of a higher dignity are entitled to the distinction of being called Lady, and the younger sons of dukes and marquises are by custom addressed as My Lord.

The orders of nobility in other European countries differ little from our own. They have their Dukes, Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons. We cannot enter into the nice distinctions in the dignities of foreign nations, or in the titles of honour which correspond to them. Another dignity which brings with it the right to a title P. C., No. 1552.

TIT

of honour is that of knighthood. This dignity is of very antient origin, and, in the form in which we now see it, may be traced far into the depths of the middle ages, if it be not, as some suppose, a continuation of the Equites of Rome. Persons on whom this honour is conferred take rank above the gentlemen and esquires, and are entitled to the prefix Sir to their former name and surname. Their wives also are entitled to prefix the word Dame, and to be addressed by the compellation Your Ladyship or My Lady. The Knights of particular Orders, as of the Garter, the Thistle, St. Patrick, the Bath, are a kind of select number of the body of the knighthood, and the name of the Order to which they belong is ordinarily used by and of them, and thus becomes of the nature of a title of honour. The Bannerets of former ages were a class of knights superior to the ordinary knight-bachelor, forming in fact an Order intermediate between the knight, in its ordinary sense, and the baron. The Baronet, which is quite a new dignity, not having been known before the reign of James I, has, besides its name, which is placed after the name and surname of the person spoken of, the privilege of prefixing Sir; and their wives are entitled to the prefix of Dame, and to be addressed as My Lady and Your Ladyship.

Besides these, there are the ecclesiastical dignities of Bishop and Archbishop, which bring with them the right to certain titles of honour besides the phrases by which the dignity itself is designated. And custom seems to have sanctioned the claim of the persons who possess inferior dignities in the church to certain honourable titles or compellations, and it is usual to bestow on all persons who are admitted into the clerical order the title of Reverend.

There are also academical distinctions which are of the nature of titles of honour, although they are not usually considered to fall under the denomination. Municipal offices have also titles accompanying them; and in the law there are very eminent offices the names of which become titles of honour to the possessors of them, and which bring with them the right to certain terms of distinction.

All titles of honour appear to have been originally names of office. The earl in England had in former ages substantial duties to perform in his county, as the sheriff (the Vice-Comes or Vice-Earl) has now; but the name has remained now that the peculiar duties are gone, and so it is with respect to other dignities. The emperor or king, the highest dignity known in Europe, still performs the duties which originally belonged to the office, or at least the most important of them, as well as enjoys the ank, dignity, and honours; and on the Continent there are dukes and earls who have still an important political character.

Some of these dignities and the titles correspondent to them are hereditary. So were the eminent offices which they designate in the remote ages, when there were duties to be performed. Hence hereditary titles.

The distinction which the possession of titles of honour gives in society has always made them objects of VOL. XXV.-B