New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-06
PEERS AND PEERESSES.
From TAe London Onccn.

From The LOTdOH Queen.
The peerage a, is we'll known consists of dukes,
marGuesscs, earls, viscOunts and barons. In ONT
of antiquity. however the dignity OF earl Is the
highest aud in the Auglo-SaXon times was usually
apol ed To the first of the royal line. Before the
time of Edward Ill. there were bu two titles of
mobility, VIZ earlS and barOns the barons were
originally created by tenure, aiterwarh ny Writ,
and alter that by patcnt; but earlS since the time
of Richard H. have always been created by letters
patent and nowadays all peers are created III thls
way. The first duke-bY that nane-created IN
England was IN the eleventh year OF Edward ILL.
when that sovereign created his eldest son. then
Earl of Chester, Duke OF Cornwall since TINS
e\c nt not only the iirstbOrn but the eldest living
son of the Kings of England have always LeCn born
such ana immediately aiterwal created Princes of
Wales. Accordingly, the present Prince of Wales
sits the House OF Peers rs Duke OF Cornwall Earl
of Chester etc. We say above that the first duke
by that name" was the son of Edward ILL.,, be-
calso before then the titles of duke and earl were
SYNONYMOUS The first mafquesS-by that name =
was made IN the reign OF Richard H., that monarch
having created Robert ie We're Earl of Oxford,
Maruuess of Dubu tor lie, and tins title is derived
from the style of the office o. the Lord Marches or
governors of the northern and western frontiers of
the realm OF England. Ilscount, as title OF
dignity, n term introduced in the eighteenth
year of Henry W., who created Lord Beaumont
NsCOunt Beaumont Selden tells us that Vlscount
il the self-same word which signifies our Sheriff
turned into dignity" the word having been rice
comes or the deputy of the comes, count or earl who
was always governor of n shire.
The style Right Honorable strictly speak king, is
appropriate only to members OF her Majestys Prlvy
Council but 10 is also applied TO all JtlesbclOW that
OF marques. A marques, however, is styled Most
Honorable" and o duke Most Noble" and the
consorts of all peers by courtesy styled in the
same manner n their husbands are A baron when
formally addressed by the sovereign called
"Our right trusLy and well-beloved"; viscOunt or
earl Our right trusty and well-belOved cOusi"; n
marques, Our right trusty and entifely-beloved
cousin y; while q duke is "Our right trusty and
right entirely-belOved cousin and councillor"
Ksthetic persons may easily formulate these grada-
tons of grandeur by describing the dignity of a
baron rs Too y; that Of viscount and earl rs
Too too y; OF a marques as Too utterly too" and
that of duke as Quite too utterly and intensely
too"
We must now glance at point of some interest
especially to the ladlesthe effect of TITLED persons
ntermarrying with cOmmOners Here again the
principle is.smple, and is this A peer may ennobe
his consort, but peeress cannot ennoOe her hus-
band; and to state this principle more generally
we may say that. while q woman always takes heI
husbands rank in any walk of lIfe man docs not
always rise TO his wife's level hence the unpieas
antness which sometimes accrues from woman
marrying " beneath her." as the phrase goes. O
course, we mean where the disparity in the socia
position Of the parties is very marked indeed but
woman with handle 10 her name, whether held il
her own right or by courtesy or acquired by mar
riage, may retain such handle throughout her lif,
nnder many. but not all. circumstances. Thus /