The Irish standard., 1891-01-03
EUROPEAN NOBILITY.
Encts About the Holders Of Rank ana
! IYnurcrA OF IitIcN.

Facts About the Holders Of RANK ana
Wenrcrs OF Titles.
Prince Bismarck, on his retlrenant,
WAS offered the title OF Duke OF Lanen-
burg. Tho Gar has recently boon asked
by the chief personages Of Russ.n TO re-
strict and define the nobility OF his Em-
pire. These facts call attention to tho
holders of rank and tho wearers o.
titles In Europe.
In every European country, Switzer-
land alone excepted--even In republican
Francc--thore exists ca arlStocracy
which Is identified by titles, which titles,
for the most part, have been inherited
hy those VINO bear them.
These titles, moreover, arc pretty
much the same in all the countries, says
tho Youths Companion. Those OF
Prince, Duke and Baron arc found IN
England, Russia Germany, Austria,
France, Spain and Italy, That OF Mar
auia exists In all except Russia, Ger
many and Austria Counts arc TO be
found in every continental country,
while tho title Of Earl Is only to he
found In England, but corresponds near
ly to that OF Counts, for the wife OF an
Earl Is Countess
But while tho titles arc quite similar,
t.loy sometimes Indicate IL different
relative rank in one country from what
they do In another. In England tho
tito Of Prince Is tho very highest, and
il only worn by monbcrs OF the royal
family; but in Germany, Russia ana
France Prince Is inferior in rank to u
Duke. Tho German Emperor intended
to promote Bismarck when he proposed
to rnlso him from II Prince to ~ Duke.
In some instances, too, tho title OF
Count--which is q very common one, IN
dood, ON tho contincnt~~is superior to
that Of Duke, For instance, tho Count
OF Paris holds ~ higher rank than his
son, tho Duke of Orleans.
The origin os these ranks and titles
il, Tor tho most part, to DO found In the
feudaI systom, and the Dobiitica Of Lu~
ropo generally dale from tho period
when that system held sway. They re-
suited, in tho beginning, from the pos
session of castles and lands, or from
military leadership.
The titles OF Baron, Count and Mar"
quia were originally given to tho own
ors Of large estates. The title OF Duke,
however, cn,no rather from military
leadership, AZ it's dorivation-~from tho
Latin tlu1, II lcadcr~-~inplieS,
So 1t came about that tho owners OF
tho estates took their titles from the cs-
tatc3 themselves, or from tho castle
wherein they dwelt, or tho village near
It, They wcro the Barons or Counts Of
such and such place; and here we per
ccive the origin OF tho French prefix
edo" and tho German "von' to names
which arc still regarded MS indicating
gentle blood
Those titlrs, in all countries but ono,
have been conferred by tho sovercigns
In recent centuries. But in Italy tho
titles Of the mobiles have boon awarded
to them by tho different cities and
towns. Each Italian city and largo
town has it's "lIibcr Doro," or Golden
Book In which tho names Of Lho per-
sons on whom titles have been conferred
arc recorded.
In some cases, the titles OF noblomen'a
children are confined TO the eldest son.
have titles, derived from different es-
tates belonging to him. The titles arc
sometimes the family name, like Prince
Bismarck for instance, and sometimes
arc the names Of estates OK Of cities,
like tho Count Of picrrefonds In one
case, or the Count Of Paris in tho other.
OF all continental nobjlitics, that OF
Spain is perhaps tho most exclusive,
and tho prcudcst OF Its descent and
blood. Tho higher Spanish mobiles arc
ca1lod "grandoos,' and comprise Dukes,
Mnruniscs, Counts and Barons. Tho
lower nobility arc called 'hidalgos."
1t is said In Spain that the grandecs
have blue blood and the hidalgos rcd.
1t IL only the hidAlgos who have tho
right to prefix "Don' to their names.
The "Don" corresponds with the ''bir"
in England.
Tho Spanish grandees used to be-
divided into three ranks by u certain
curious privilege. The grandeo Of tho
highest rank had tho right to put on
his hat in the presence Of the King be-
fore tho King spoke to him. He OF the
second rank could put on his hat after
tho King had spoken. But he OF tho
third rank must wait till the King had
spoken and he himself had replied, be-
fore he could cover his head.
The English peers--or rather tho
peers OF tho United Kingdom~who In
clude the six highest ranks OF the nobil-
ity, arc the only ones who, by reason Of
their hereditary rank and title, have
the right to sit in tho National Lcgisla-
ture and make laws. In the other mon
arches mobiles comprise indeed large
part Of the upper houses, but this is
usually by selection OF certain ones,
rather than an inherited right.
------
Paint the Cnnnry's Tongue.
Canarics lose their voices as we'll as
Italian divas. Increase Of salary does
not however, hiring back their voices