The New York herald., 1879-10-07
FRENCH TITLES.

London LDe:-A conversation is supposed to
take place between G newspaper reporter and an old
baron. French edition of Sir Bernard Burke. The
former, wishing to know the reason Of the multi
plcity of titles. OF which every Frenchman appears
to possess one. calls upon this baron Of the old
re0tne. who lays down to him the law upon titles.
law which Frenchmen all transgress :-"I am not
astonished at your surprise at the immense number
OF titles in France. and 1 am delighted to give you
some particulars To begin with you too
easily confound gentleman Gge'tiisomme) aud
nobleman. God makes the gentleman. and
the King makes the nobleman. SO that nowadays
the creation Of noblemen is impossible Every gen.
tleman is noble but, on the other hand. nobleman
OF recent date without ancestors. however high his
title may be, is not gentleman. nor can he ever
become one; his grandson will be the first gentle
.The French titles of nobility are Duc Marquis,
Comte, Vicomte. Baron, Chew lier Ecuyer and
vidame. Since 1916 these last have fallen into
is only the generic name given to mem-
bers of the Royal Family and to such old
sovereign families the Bouilons and the ROhans.
The exceptional appellations OF Prince de Condo.
Prince de Cont. Prince de Joinvile and Prince de
Lamballe only prove the rule The titles of Prince
de Marcllac. Prince de Broslie and Prince de Sagan
are foreign and are merely borne by courtesy, the
only exception being Prince de Sagan. whose title
was authorized by Napoleon ILL.,
"The head of the family alone has right to a
title, whatever it may be. All the other members of
the family have no right to it or any other save by
special Decree as i'll the Of the Gramonts. the
Talleyrands the Rohans or the La Rochefoucauts ss
the marq uisate does not derive in any way from q
dukedo; it is contrary to all heraldic rule for the
sons OF u duke to take the title Of marquis
during the fathers lifetime. This is, how
ever constantly done. and sons Of
marQuises earls and vscounts take the title imme-
diately below that borne by their father. this ac-
counts for the nunberless titles meets with in
France. But repeat. no child has right during
his fathers lifetime to bear his title or one inferior
to it, even by adding his Christian name. At the
fathers death the eldest only inheris the title.
his younger brothers having no right to title OF
any kind. II this rule strictly observed our
aristocracy would be select indeed.
"The imperial nobiesse has three titles only-Duc.
Comte and Baron; all the others merely borne by
courtesy. In all times absurd usurpatons have
taken place, but at period have abuses been more
fragrant than during the present Republic. The Due
de Broglie during his tenure of office rs Garde des
Sceaux. tried to put some order in the matter and
issued, the 22d July, 1874. ministerial circular,
but from the first 1t remained a dead letter."
In this cduse7ie the writer only speaks Of those
who. belonging to good families think they have q
right to the titles they bear; but there is another
numerous class OF persons who taking the name Of
the town 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. Lefebvre is christ
ened, let say, st. Hiaire, and he calls himself,
first Lefebvre St. Hlaire, then l.. de St. Haire until
day his visiting cards unblushingly give him
forth to the world Marquis Comte de st. Haire.
Probably the old Baron would have classed such 0
person outside the pale OF honest mon.