Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-06-30
EUROPEAN NoRILlT1.
Facts About tho Holders or Rank and
WeRrerB OF Titles.

Prince Bismarck, on his retirement,
was offered the title Of Duke of Laucn-
burg. Tho Gar has recently been asked
by the chief personages of Russia to re-
strict and define the nobility of his EN-
pire. These facts call attention to tho
holders of rank and the wearers of
titles in Europe.
In every European country, Switzer-
land alone exceptcd-even in republican
France-there exists an aristocracy
which is identified by titles, which titles,
for the most part, have been inherited
by those who bear them.
These titles, moreover, are pretty
much the same in all the countries, says
the Youths Companion. Those Of
Prince, Duke and Baron are found in
England, Russia, Germany, Austria,
France, Spain and Italy. That of Mar
quis exists in all except Russia, Ger
many and Austria. Counts are to be
found in every continental country,
while the title of Earl is only to be
found in England, but corresponds near
ly to that of Counts, for the wife of an
Earl is Countess.
But while the titles are quite similar,
tiey sometimes indicate a different
relative rank in one country from what
they do in another. In England the
title OF Prince is the very highest, and
Is only worn by members of the royal
family; but in Germany, Russia and
France Prince is inferior in rank to
Duke. Tho German Emperor intended
to promote Bismarck when he proposed
to raise him from Prince to Duke.
In some instances, too, the title of
Count-which is very common one, in
deed, on the continents superior to
that of Duke. For instance, tho Count
OF Paris holds higher rank than his
son, the Duke of Orleans.
The origin of these ranks and titles
is, for the most part, to be found in the
feudal system, and tho nobilities of Eu-
rope generally date from the period
when that system held sway. They re-
suited, in the beginning, from the pos
session Of castles and lands, or from
military leadership.
The titles OF Baron, Count and Mar
quis were originally given to the own
ers OF large estates. The title of Duke,
however, came rather from military
leadership, as its derivation-from the
Latin dur, leader-implies.
Sc It came about that the owners OF
the estates took their titles from the es-
tates themselves, or from the castle
wherein they dwelt, or the village near
it. They were the Barons or Counts of
such and such place; and here we per-
ceive the origin of the French prefix
'de" and the German "von" to names
which are still regarded as indicating
gentle blood.
Those titles, in all countries but ono,
have been conferred by the sovereigns
in recent centuries. But in Italy the
titles OF the mobiles have been awarded
to them by the different cities and
towns. Each Italian city and large
town has its "Liber D'oro," or Golden
Book, in which the names Of the per-
sons on whom titles have been conferred
are recorded.
In some cases, the titles OF noblemen's
children are confined to the eldest son.
In others all the sons of n nobleman
havo titles, derived from different es.
tates belonging to him. The titles arc
sometimes the family name, like Prince
bismarck for instance, and sometimes
are the names of estates or of cities,
like the Count of Picrrefonds in one
case, or the Count OF Paris in the other
OF all continental nobilities, that of
Spain is perhaps the most exclusive,
and tho proudest of its descent and
blood. The higher Spanish mobiles are
called "grandees," and comprise Dukes,
Marquises, Counts and Barons. anA
lower nobility are called "hidalgos."
1t is said in Spain that the grandees
have blue blood and the hidalgos red.
1t is only tho hidalgos who have the
right to prefix don" to their names.
The don" corresponds with the ''Sir"
in England.
The Spanish grandees used to be
divided into three ranks by a certain
curious privilege. The grandee OF tho
highest rank had the right to pu.'on
his hat in the presence Of the King be-
fore tho King spoke to him. lie of the
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