The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-12-19
French Titles.

!
A conversation is supposed to take
place between newspaper reporter
and an old baron. French edition
of Sir Bernard Burke. The former,
wishing to know the reason of the
multiplicity of titles, Of which every
! Frenchman appears to possess one,
calls upon this baron of the old re-
gine, who lays down to him the law
upon titles, a law which Frenchmen
all transgress: am not astonished
at your surprise at the immense num-
| ber of titles in France, and am de-
lighted to give you some particulars.
To begin with, you too easily con-.
found gentleman (Gentlhomme) and
nobleman. God makes the gentlc-
man, and the king makes the noble
man, SO that nowadays the creation
of noblemen is impossible. Eveiv
gentleman is noble; but, on the other
hand, nobleman of recent date,
without ancestors, however high his
title may be, is not a gentleman, nor
can he ever become one; his grand
son will be the first gentleman of his
line.
The French titles of nobility are
Due, Marquis, Comte, Vitcomte,
Baron, Chevaier, Ecuyer and vi
dame, Since 1916 these last have
fallen into disuse. Prince is not a
French title; it is only the generic
name given to members Of the Royal
family and to such old sovereign
families as the Bouilons and the Bo-
hans. The exceptional appelations
of Prince de Conde, Prince de Cont,
Prince de Joinville and Prince de
Lambelle only prove the rule. The
titles OF Prince de Marcillac, Prince
de Broglie and Prince de Sagan are
foreign, and are merely borne by
courtesy, the only exception being
Prince de Sagan, whose title was au-
thorized by Napoleon III.
The head of a family alone has q
right to title, whatever it may be.
Ali the other members of the family
have no right to it or any other save
by special decree, as in the c Sc of
the Gramonts, the Talleyrands, the
Rohans or the La Rochefoucalts, as
the marquesite does not derive IN any
way from Dukedom; it is contrary
to all heraldic rule for the sons of
Duke to take the title of Marquis
during the fathers life time. This
is, however, constantly done, and as
sons of Marquises, Earls and Wis
counts take the title Immediately be-
low tbat borne by their father; this
accounts for the numberless titles
one meets with in France. But, l
his fathers lifetime to bear his title
or one inferior to it, even by adding
his Christian name. At the fathers
death the eldest son only inherits his
title, his younger brothers having
no right to q title of any kind. If
this rule was strictly observed our
aristocracy would be select indeed.
The imperial noblesse has three
titles only-duc, comts ana baron;
all the others are merely borne by
courtesy In all times absurd usur-
pations have taken place, but at no
time have abuses been more fiagrant
than during the present Republic.
The Due de Broglie during his ten
ure of Office as garde de sceaux tried
to put some order in the matter, and
issued on the 22d OF July, 1874, -
ministerial circular, but from the first
it remained dead letter.
In this causerie the writer only
speaks of those who, belonging to
good families, think they have right
to the title they bear; but there is
another numerous class of persons
who, taking the name of the town or
the village where they were born,
or, again, putting their Christian
name after their surname, gradually
usurp any title to which they aspire.
/ will take fictitious example. A
Lefebvre is christened, let us say, st.
Hilaire, then L. de st. HiIaire, until
one day his visiting cards unblush-
ingIy give him forth to the world as
Marquis or Comte de st. Hilaire.
Probably the old Baron would have
classed such person outside the pale
Of honest men.-Lond0n Life.