The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-23 00:00:00

FRENCH NOBILITY.

The King can make as many Nobles as he
pleases : this is a privilege which he shares with
the whole world, since now-a-days any man may
assume any title he chooses without compromising,
himself with the penal code. Thus we are ac-
quainted with several persons who, for the sake of
variety, to-day are noble, to-morrow plebs, and have
various shades of visiting cards, according to the
part they wish to play. There at present exists a
Deputy who is Marquis at the Chamber and at
Court, but on arriving at his department repudiates
his nobility, which was notoriously usurped.
The charter incontestably conferred the same
right on royalty. The Legitimists laugh at this
noblesse of revolutienary fabric, which does not pos-
sess, like that of the Empire, the eclat of personal
illustration. They are right in laughing, although
nobles are made at Goritz (Duke of
residence), who live in France like good homely
citizens. Every one is exposed to the danger of
treading on the toes of a Marquis, Baron, or Count,
without being aware of his title. Moreover, a
slight indiscretion may betray the incognito of a man
of quality whose title was unknown save to himself
and the donor.

This latter abuse is the most crying of all. No-
bility being intended to excite the respect of the
people cannot be too manifest or authentic. Of
what use are arms or crests save to strike the ima-
gination ? Letters of nobility are essentially pa-
tent : under the Restoration they were solemnly
confirmed. We shall never forget seeing M.
Decazes when made Due Decazes. He came in
the costume of a Minister, wearing his orders, and
was present at the publication of his letters, and
took the oath before the Royal Court in red robes.
And thus publicly ought every new noble to take
his place amongst the body to which he henceforth
belongs. Even a corporal is presented to his com-
pany.
The authenticity of nobility has now become the
more necessary as the nobles of Royal creation
have to struggle against unlimited opposition. The
only method of putting down the license of usurpa-
tion is by a publicity which would render them ridi-
culous. Several nobles have recently been created
without the knowledge of the public, as their titles
have not been officially registered, nor even noticed
in the Moniteur ; so that the nation is not aware
that she possesses a noblesse which has issued from
behind the Barricades. The pavers will have to
discover and reveal to the world the existence of
some of those extempore gentlemen. Even these
revelations are liable to be refuted. More than

one title-holder has denied his just qua-
lifications as an offensive or ridiculous
impu-
tation. We have, then, a noblesse which dares not
be named save in whispers—which hides its armo-
rial bearings from the people, and shows them only
to adepts, as freemasonry. What ! you make no-
bles and are then ashamed of them ! You wish to
be surrounded by an aristocracy, and you have
created only anonymous aristocrats ! You grant
them armorial bearings which they are compelled to
hide I This is a deplorable and humiliating state
of things. It cannot continue, for the honour of
the new noblesse in which we are deeply interested.
The confirmation of letters patent is one of the in-
dispensable ceremonies of its institution.
The Court will think seriously over the matter,
and we hope the next dukemaking will be solem-
nized with the same ceremony which afforded us so
much amusement at the reception of M. Decazes.—
Commerce.

Mr. Lansdown Moore, the poet's son, is now
senior ensign of the 221.—Limerick Chronicle. [The
young gentleman was gazetted last week as having pur-
chased his lieutenancy, and is consequently now the ju-
nior lieutenant of the regiment.
Sub-Constable Tucker, of the Mount Bellew
station, succeeded on Monday in arresting a man named
Patrick Power, who on the 29th ult., attempted the
lives of his wife and another woman, named Bridget
Lyons, the former of whom was severely wounded in the
side by a knife.—Galtvay Patriot.