Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-06-06
ROMANCE OF THE PEERAGE.
Why EnglishmCn are Fond Of Their
Nobility,

blance of mere snobbery and seryilityi is
due to a sort Of reverence for the histo.
ry and romance of the country. Nearly
all the titles in England are full of sug.
gestiveness, as linking the present with
grand eras and scenes which shaped the
country to its present civilization. The
peerage still represents the romance of
every school-boy and schoolgirl and
hardly a week passes but some item ap.
pears in the papers calculated to awaken
their interest and curiosity concerning
the old families by which they are sur
rounded. For example, the will of the
late Countess of Loudon has been pub
hshed, in which she directs that her
right hand shall be cut off aud buried
in bennington park, with n stone cross
over it, bearing the family motto; 81
hyde my TYNE The story behind this
singulor provision is as follows In
early days n usurper seized Downing
ton, the seat of the London family, and
held possession. But once, on the occa-
sion of a banquet of the usurper and
his retainers, the lawful owner of the
castle gained admission in the disguise
of a server, and with him some faithful
comrades. The serving of the banquet
being impatiently demanded by the
usurper, this lawful owner and disguised
lord cried out, 81 bide my time" and
at the same moment a balls hcad-the
ancient symbol of death-was thrown
upon thetable. Thenthe usurperand his
friends were attacked and killed. The
family is now poor, and the once great
house on is last legs. 1t eliminated in
influence with the second Earl of MORA
and first Marquis of Hastings. the cele-
brated governor general of India. 1t
reached its lowest ebb with its last male
heir, and the castle, with the old motto
on it, is supposed to have Indicated Il
hope for the restoration of its ancient
greatness.
Last month, also, died Lord Kingsale,
and the announcement is accompanied
by the reminder that his is the only
family which has the privilege of re-
naming covered in the presence Of the
sovereign, He was the premier baron of
Ireland, and, as he died unmarried, his
title passes to his cousin, John AImeri-
Gus Fitzroy De Courcy. who will be
thirty-first of the title. Now follows in
lnnumerable homes a rehearsal of the
story of "the fearless De Courcv :"
how false King John "a. D. l|l99-l21GJ
threw him in prison how, when the
king, accused of the death of Arthur of
Brittany by the king of France, and
with a demand for satisfaction on his
hands, could get no warrior to cross the
channel for n single combat how his
fair queen advised that De Courcy
should be brought from his dungeon,
and how when the knight was asked he
said, 81 will fight for the honor of
England, but not for false King John :"
how the knights of France bit the dust,
and De Courcy returned, with the fol
lowing results:
an the ears of the craven monarch
OF. must this burthen ring
IN the crown be thine and the royal line,
g NJ Is HI nnoT2ut Iay El4E
TO The bold De- C5nrcy's racc
That they ever should dare their helms to
wear
be,3fe the hlnS oWn face;
~ no ~ H. SI Jor ~ tLo tr% r;. Inc o, heroes
For, when every head is m]bompeto1
They walk in cap and plume
And so. when the new lord K~inosdoIe
appears the voutb of England VIII mot
behold n mere mediocre man as he no
doubt is, but n nine.bnndraa ,ypore.oI5
bit of the ace of chivalrv
That is but one amonG The nohiI;tv-
particularly in TrelapdEwhicb once Iod
n meaning. Ono Of These is tho ans,
tom at the castle Of the Earl Of Kovo of
LETTING down tLe droW.br;dae bafnro no
mortal whenever fba famiIy taLos y
meal. The legend ~conncctod with tbis
custom is that when tbe fair Gwendo.
line Grace was nroen If Tho uahriJos
more than n Thousand veors ogo ,Lo
once visited the rival ki1gdom en- tIo
west of ireland. of which tbn E1rl NJ
Koye was the chief She vos yooyy oni
hungry, and sent her attendants IN Knva
castle to ask for hosnital;fv II vas WV.
fused. In roinp away sha mot a i'm
boy in rich attire, tbe vonng heir Of t%o
Earl of Koye. whom she sei2ed and boro
awav to the Hebridee For vSa n tho
prond earl and his lords onj soIdinrs
tried to get back This c]ontiye vontb by
force. bnS failed Al Iast tbey wera w. w.
duced to anncaI 10 Gwendoline 70 re.
store him ON her. own cond t;o' $40
replied that sho Ind haen rernscd Los-
n]itaiitv NV an Earl Of Koye '' oud u oLc
wonld surrender his son and bo inv oT nir
on condition that. Tanvof her subjects
or of their descendants, should ever 40,
nrooch Kovo oastIo onA aoL fan y
Nav sbarI5 Lo "sH ~ ioo ~