The Washington times., 1902-10-06
COURTS AND CAPITALS
OF THE OLD WORLD.

OF addressing the new BRITISH amDaSsa :
dor and his wife, that 1t may be Just as
well to mention that the envoy is His
Excellency the Honorable Sir Michael
Herbert, K C. NJ. G.. C. B." He is no.
entitled to the prefix of Right Honora-
BILE" enjoyed by the late Lord Pauncs
fote, because he is not yet privy coun-
cilor. But he owes the predicate of
THE Honorable to the fact that he l..
the son of peer Of the realm.
The wife of the ambassador, whom
many of the newspapers persist in de-
scribing as Mrs. Herbert" is entitled
to be addressed as Her Excellency
Lady Herbert She Is Her Excellency"
by virtue of her rank as the wife of the
ambassador and she is entitled to the
prefix of Lady" instead of Mrs" be-
cause she is the wife of knight, the
official description of the wife of
knight however. being dame" She is
not, however, entitled to the predicate
of The Honorable accorded to her
husband For she is not the daughter OF
peer. Let me add that it is equally
wrong to speak of her as Lady Michael
Herbert for that would imply that Sir
Michael was the younger son OF a duke
or of a marquis, whereas he is merely
the sen of baron, though entitled by
decree of the crown to the rank and
precedence OF the younger son of an
earl.
The first four of the alphabetical let
ters following Sir Michael's name, as
given above, are employed according TO
official etiquette to indicate that he is a
knight commander of the Order of ST.
Michael and St. George. while the C. q.
denotes that he is companion of the
Order of the Bath. The latter distinc-
ton he received for his services in con-
nection with the sanguinary Armenian
riots at Constantinople, when by his
bold action in landing a contingent OF
British sailors, which he had brought
up on board the embassy dispatch boats
from the men of war within reach, and
by marching them fully armed through
the streets of Constantinople to the en-
bassy. he frightened, not only the mob,
but likewise the Turkish authorities |
into stopping the massacres. which night !
otherwise have extended from the Ar
menians to all the other Christian and
foreign population in Stamboul.
Sir Michael was mere charge d'affaires |
at the time, and 1t was great piece OF
responsibility to assume. since 1t might |
have not merely entailed his disavowal |
and disgrace, but have involved his
country in European war. In fact
none of the foreign ambassadors then
in residence at Constantinople had the
courage to do such thing. But Sir
Michael felt that the lives of many of
his countrymen in Constantinople were
in danger. and that there was no time
for hesitation. His move was success
ful in every way. 1t had the effect OF
stopping the massacres, and despite the
angry protests of the Sublime Porte. he
was not only sustained by his own gov
ernment, but decorated with the Order
of the Bath for his presence of mind
and decision Of character.
Let me add, that Sir Michael is a
member of the Church of England, like
his predecessor. If l mention this it is
because his mother, Lady Herbert OF
Lea, is so widely known in this country
as O. devout Roman Catholic, that 1t
might readily be imagined that he be-
longcd to the same denomination.
Father" Black, the ritualist clergy
man OF the Church Of England who has
achieved so much notoriety during the
last six or eight years by appearing at
all the weddings Of divorced people, in
order to loudly protest against the per-
formance of the marriage ceremony, as
being contrary to the canons Of the
church and to the laws of Cod, appears
to be alone in offering noisy objections
to the marriage of Miss Beatrice Rick
etts to her cousin, Lord Francis Hope.
whose decree nisi of divorce from May
Yohe has just been declared absolute
by the English court.
Until now Father" Black has always
been accompanied on these occasions by
the little Duke of Newcastle. The couple
would generally manage quietly to Sc
cure access to one OF the galleries of |
the church. and to remain in virtual .
there until that particular
point of the service when the officiating .
divine was on the point of declaring the r
couple before him man and wife, when
they would suddenly pop up and loudly
forbid the union to take place on eccle-
siastical grounds. {
The unseemly interruption would ;
usually terminate in the duke aid his
clerical companion being bundled out OF 6
h. church. the bride usually fainting :
,r else going off into fit of Mysteries
The duke explained his extraordinary :
action as being due to religious and
scruples. But these ap-
oear to have been silenced in the case )
II his brother Lord Francis For he is {
Understood TO have contributed in no
mall degree to the arrangements by C
which Lord Francis secured a divorce T
rom May Yohe, effected a settlement .
With his numerous creditors. and his
within the next day or so
lis cousin. Miss Ricketts,, who is h
,reat granddaughter of the fourth Duke
# Newcastle. This marriage of the di
'orced Lord Francis will have the eff
ect OF preventing the Duke of New ,
0St Ia from ever again tniyinU D0rt in