Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-10-03
Macaulay the Historian.
THE pEERAoE OF ENGLAND.

The elevation Of Macauay, the historian,
to the Brit sh peera. c. is grner lily com.
mcntcd upon as a tribute paid to literature.
Probably it is SO, TO n certain extent, but
not entirely. The want of brilliant
speaker 10 the House Of Lords, on the side
Of the Minister, has long been felt, and
though Nlacaulay is not a ready debatcr,
and therefore does not shine in the Com
mons, his prepared otations will be quite
an accession to the moro dignided upper
House. The bcstowal of peeragc on
him, even though the reasons are partly
political, is the most gracious act which the
House of Tlan,ver has ever done for lite
rature Scott, though personal fayoritc,
of George the Fourth, obtained only
baronetcy. Bulwer, though descended
fro one of the Oldest families in England,
got no more. lu fact literature has lever
received its meritcd return in England,
since the Guelph dynasty sscended the
throne. Even Queen Victoria, that pattern
of all the virtues, will not receive Dickens
at Windsor as guest. An author, who is
merely an author. cannot be permitted
"to come between the wind and her nobi-
lity,"
As iu all matters, however, So in this,
there is something TO be said on the other
side, 1t must be confessed that literature
has rarely been the friend of the British
peerage. Governments, like men, want q
gull py0 quo, The nobility of England is
an order, which has nearly outlived its day,
and which must, sooner or later, succumb
to progress, at least as political institu-
ton. In the old feudal times, when the
barons were nearly absolute in their own
districts, the House of Peers, as o council
to aid the king with advice, was useful
institution; but it has long ceased to be
more than convenient fiction. In these
times, the House OF Commons was com.
1 posed of the knig hts of the shires and few
burghers from thriving towns; and was q
f body of little note; but it has long since
!, become paramount over both king and
c peers. The abiest of England's literary
C men see this. The consequence is, that
r, British literature continually exposes what
:, g poor old lifcless fossil the peeragc is:
d and naturally, the government, which rests
one foot, if not both, on the peerage, cares
c little to honor literature.
e The great body of the existing peerag's,
n also, are Of comparatively recent origin,
d which adds to the aLsurdty Of the thing.
1t 1t is lot till we come down to the baronies
f that we fud a creation that reaches back
it to nearly feudal times The dukedom Of
d Nor ok, the oldest English one extant,
Sc originated in l4S3, when the wars OF the
5, Roses were nearly over; and when the
ID "king maker" Warwick, had been dead
le m my years, carrying fcudality down with
at him forever. For, after the battle of Bar
net, where he fell, tie fcudal system existed
er only as page Mt aud fctou. The Mar
II, quisate of Winchester, the Oldest pcerage
as of its kind, dated from only 1851. The
d carbon of Shrewsbury, which has just
ed fallen, temporarily, into allegiance, is of
as the next oldest, from l4s5. The Wis
ly equity of Hereford, the premier of it:
- class, uid not exist before $40, 1t is true
-ly that those holding these pceragcs can gen
~ craIly trace their lineage back, on one side
&c, or the other, to sume noble or kni ghtly
- family of more ancient date but th(
Fly peerages themselves, through the oldest o
their respective classes, are all subsequcn
ers to the really feudal times.
'ed A few of the baroucts, which cxiste'
lng when "notles were MOBILES" really remain
tr' That of lie Despenccr, now held by fe
ieh male, dates from 1864. The De Re
the lordship, now in possession of the twentiet
'ut' baron, is of the same year, That oil Has
me tings goes back TO 1890. That of Beau
was mont to 1909. Most of these owe thei
icy surviving for so long period to havin
te- been inheritable by females as well {
her. males. All these are baronies belongiu
so to England proper, The peerage of Ir'
red land boasts one burony still older, that
rti- Kingsale, which goes back to ll9l, or
rod within one hundred and fifteen years
lere the Norman conquest The Oldest Scotc
barony is that of Forbes, whi.h is as ol
at least as l43G. Nine tenths, howeve
: " even of the barons, the most numerous
1'S the nobility, date their patents subSeque
to the fcudal age. Half of the pobles ho
ife, - peerages not two centuries old Il is ;
blel institution, this order of noiili'y, whic
as political element OF power, has lost {
Wit lity. 1t belongs to the past Liter