Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-07

A TIT Against enc Bearcrs 81 bogus
| Titles.
From the London News.

Prom the London News
French society is every bit as bad as English
In Its weakness for Lord. The only difference
Is that while British snobbism worshlps AT a die
lance, French, with the national passion for
equality, aims at leveling itself to the thing
adored. The Frenchman often takes a title to
himself as he takes ribbon, because he can
not bear to be without such a common thing.
Viscounts In the average salon lie thick "A
leaves In the fall. So the salons never had n
ruder shock than when an ''ancient herald
signing himself .Toison dor" announced In
the Voltaire that he was out on leave from his
sepulchere to study the heraldc composition OF
the French society of to-day. His preface was
alarming. To judge by appearances he said.
one might think that the revolution had de-
stroyed nothing, and. on the contrary,
that its chief business had been 10 make
our aristocracy increase and multiply
He undertook to show that the canker of
false pretense In titles had spread through all
classes, and that. instead of fine sounding
names hardly one I'm twenty of the diplomatic
agents of the republic belonged TO an old French
house. Every French dplomatst seems 60 think
that he must have a title TO keep In countenance
among his brother ENJOYS of foreign courts
This. perhaps, would be the sole excuse for NJ
de Tallenay. minister plenipotentiary at Lima.
for writing his name NJ. lie Marquis de Talle-
nay. The truth Is, Marquis is merely his
surname, and Tallenay is the place to
which he belongs. He is plain NJ Mar
the marquis OF that place. Since then,
and 1t Is some months ago. Toison dor" has
been writing without pity and without stint
He has every qualification for his task-humor
and point. and. above all, knowledge OF
the subject rare In the France of our day Hence
the growth OF desparing resignation on the
part OF his victims. who walk about as though
looking Tor corner into which they may drop
WAd N of .a..l.
on the sly. In a second letter to the French
ministers abroad he asked whether Baron de
Courcel, the French representative at Berlin
would lose anything in real distinction by present.
ing himself AT that court as plain NJ. Chodron. The
process 10y which he has become Baron de Courcel
though complex. Is easily traced. His father OBJ
tanned the right to add Courcel to his name
Chodron and to write himself NJ. Chodron- Cour-
Gel. Then, I'm process of time, the Chodron
wore away from this appellation; the Courcel
only remained. III Courcell. why not De Cour-
celles after one OF the old historic families Of
France So, for time, the name was actually
syllable. but took the Baron as dommages-
interests The smaller fry Of diplomacy share
In this castigaton with the great ones. ''roi-
son d Or has 40 sooner released a minister
from his powerful grasp than me plucks up a
little attache to hold him to the derision of all
the world. Take NJ de Saint-Genys at St.
Petersburg. who assumes the title Of Viscount
BY what right? In virtue of what decree? OF
know OF none at all?"
When there is nothing more left to destroy in
Paris this most terrible of all iconocasts takes
| turn for refreshment at the spas where il is n
mere holiday with him to analy re the mixed
company at the hotels and tables "Who il the
Countess de Barbotan?" he asks "Where ia
that bizarre country to be found? Where does
the Countess de Christin derive her illustrious
| title, and Baron de Valri. and Comte de Barote.
and C0mte de TOnay and COmtesse de Darrieu.
do ana 81,
Comtesse de Roquet-who be they?" Foreign
ers at these places are just as bad as the French
or worse. Madame la Comtesse Craczewska
might pass, but why does she call herself
Comtesse de Craczewska?" The mark
Of nobility in Slavonic names is I'm the
termination. and our prefix finds its equiya-
lent in their last syllable "Can YOU Imagine a
real Polish noble such as Zamoysk calling HIM
| self de Zamoyski? 1t would be just stupid a.
an NJ. dc La Tremouille I'm French" It is more
| than half the fault OF journals we are assured:
They must write something, and often they do
not know what they are writing about. They
| have their columns Of fashionable announce
ments, and all is fish that comes to that net
They have just told me, for instance that M.
| A. de Quillacq has just arrived at valen-
ciennes. He has done WELL for he has q
machine factory in that town, and
he must look after his business but he Is a plajn
NJ Qulllacq for all the world The masterpiece
OF the sublime In this style, however, il In the
transformation of the son OF the Countess OF
Calthness into His Excellency lie Due de Bomar"
Before "TOison dor" had been writing very
long In this style there came the usual signs OF
public discomfort. His table was covered with
letters, some abusing him, others containing
requests on the part OF worthy people that he
would "fabricate honest parchments" for them
for any sum he liked to name. 81 could set up
quite good business In human vanity" But
he declines all offers, and pursues the even
tenor of mis- way. Why not? The game is 90
plentiful that he has but to follow the hgh-road
to have 1t cross his path.